Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ newest ship, the 1,340-passenger Balmoral, departed Miami yesterday on its first cruise from an U.S. port. The Balmoral is Fred Olsen's first ship to be based in the U.S.
The British line’s fifth ship is the Norwegian Cruise Line's former Norwegian Crown. The ship underwent an extensive refurbishment before it joined the Fred Olsen fleet.
The cruise line said the inaugural U.S. sailing, a 10-day trip to Grand Turk, Samana, St. Barts, Antigua, St. Kitts, Tortola and Miami, was sold out with “several hundred American and Canadian passengers on board.” It is the ship’s first of four Caribbean cruises departing Miami this spring. The Balmoral will head to the Mediterranean for the summer season.