Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ ship Balmoral is currently on a cruise to the Baltic, and, unusually, has made two maiden calls in the course of her itinerary. On Monday 2nd July 2012, she made her maiden call into the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda. A ceremony was held in the port, as is traditional on maiden visits, and the port agent and harbourmaster exchanged plaques with senior officers of the Balmoral to mark the occasion. Then, on Tuesday 3rd July, Balmoral made her maiden call into the Latvian capital, Riga, where a similar plaque presentation ceremony took place.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is always seeking new and interesting ports around the world to ensure its itineraries are as diverse as possible; in the 2013 -14 cruise programme, there are no fewer than 12 new ports around the world on Fred. Olsen cruises. Because of its wide choice of regional UK departure ports and vastly varied itineraries, Fred. Olsen is positioned as the ‘local, global cruise line’ and the modest size of its four ships allows them access to many smaller, less well known ports.

Balmoral will visit St Petersburg (Russia), Tallinn (Estonia), Stockholm (Sweden) and Visby (Gotland, Sweden) before she returns to Southampton on 12th July 2012.