Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines will be waving a fond farewell to industry stalwart, Lol Nichols, the company’s general sales manager, in January 2016, after an impressive 43-year career within the travel and cruise trade, 21 years of which have been spent with Fred. Olsen.

Nichols will be leaving Fred. Olsen to pursue a sunshine retirement in his home in Mallorca, and to indulge his love of travel and enjoy leisure time with family and friends.

He joined Fred. Olsen in 1994, when the company operated only one ship, the iconic Black Prince.

Nichols’ remit at the time was to promote the diverse range of cruise lines for which Fred. Olsen acted as the UK general sales agent, including Star Clippers.

When Fred. Olsen acquired a second ship, Black Watch, in 1995 – effectively increasing the cruise line’s own capacity by some 180 per cent – this activity was scaled back to just Star Clippers, with the company and Nichols’ focus shifting to promoting the new Black Watch programme, along with Black Prince.

Before Black Prince was retired in 2009, Fred. Olsen was successfully selling and operating cruises across five ships.

He took over his most recent role at Fred. Olsen – as general sales manager – in 2000, which has led to him playing a pivotal part in developing the company’s relationship with the important travel trade, and overseeing the sales team, both in-house and field-based. 

Nichols said: “The main highlight of my time at Fred. Olsen has to be the great people who I have worked with, both within the company and externally within the cruise industry and travel trade at large, making lots of friends along the way.

“I will be sorry to leave, but also excited at the prospect of moving to my house on Mallorca, where I have been spending an increasing amount of time in recent years.

“I have been in travel for all of my career, and consider myself fortunate to have worked within such a vibrant and exciting industry, enabling me to visit so many amazing places around the world.”