LISBON: Fred Olsen Cruise Lines (FOCL) will base its 1,350-guest Balmoral ship in Newcastle for the first time in 2016. The company has more than 100 years of heritage in running passenger services from the Port of Tyne, and has been operating regular cruise calls from Newcastle since 2006.
From May to August 2016, Balmoral will offer 11 departures from the city. Its cruise season will commence on 21 May 2016, with a five-night ‘Norwegian Festival & Fjords’ cruise. Other departures include a ten-night ‘UK Castles’ trip and an 11-night ‘Spain, Portugal and Guernsey’ getaway.
Passenger shipping generates approximately £60m a year for the North East economy, supporting more than 2,000 tourism-related jobs.