Cruise Ship to Set Sail on Historic 106-Night World Cruise

Sydney’s picturesque Opera House, the iconic Moai statues of Easter Island, and the legendary Robinson Crusoe Island are just a few of the memorable stops planned for the maiden world voyage of a Fred. Olsen Cruise Line ship in 2025.

Bolette’s Maiden World Voyage to Explore Southern Hemisphere

Fred. Olsen Cruise Line’s Bolette will make her first world voyage in 2025, visiting diverse locations such as Brazil, French Polynesia, Australia and South Africa during the 106-night sailing.

Bolette is scheduled to depart Southampton, UK, on January 6, 2025, and call on Lisbon, Portugal, before making her way to South America on a route that has been designed to emulate the first world circumnavigation by Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastián Elcano in 1519.

That historic journey set out with the goal of finding a western trade route to the Spice Islands and was considered a milestone in seamanship and exploration when completed in 1522.

“It will also cruise the south coast of Australia as British navigator Matthew Flinders did in 1801, and will call into places visited by the likes of Captain James Cook and Alexander Selkirk – the Scottish sailor who was the inspiration for Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe novel,” said Martin Lister, head of itinerary planning and destination experience at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

The voyage includes visits to some of the most legendary destinations in the Southern Hemisphere, including the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, Sydney Harbour and Opera House in Australia, and South Africa’s Table Mountain and Signal Hill.

Other ports of call include stops in Spain, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, French Polynesia, Australia, South Africa, Namibia, and Senegal.

The voyage also features passages of Cristo Rei, River Tagus, Belem Tower, Discovery Monument and Abril 25 Bridge (Portugal), the Magellan Strait, Cape Deseado, Alejandro Selkirk Island, and the Chilean Fjords (Chile), Pitcairn Island (French Polynesia), and a crossing of the International Date Line.

“This extra special voyage for Bolette’s first world cruise has been hand-crafted by our team of journey planners to enable our guests to sail in the wake of famous historical explorers,” Lister said.

“Guests will be able to witness some of the world’s most impressive vistas, experience diverse culture and encounter wildlife as well as explore some of the lesser known and less frequently visited gems like Robinson Crusoe Island,” Lister added.

Robinson Crusoe Island, located about 400 miles west of San Antonio, Chile, was the home to a marooned Scottish sailor named Alexander Selkirk from 1704 to 1709, which became the setting for Daniel Defoe’s novel. To capitalize on its literary status, the Chilean government renamed it Robinson Crusoe Island in 1966. Only about a thousand people live on the remote island.

Read Also: Guest Celebrates 2,500 Nights at Sea Onboard Borealis

Fares for the “Voyage of Exploration Around the World” cruise start at £12,499 (USD $15,836) per person. Guests can choose between £600 per person to spend on board or free transfers covering up to 250 mainland miles from the port.

World Voyages Attract Unique Passengers

Bolette, formerly Amsterdam from Holland America Line, was acquired by Fred. Olsen in 2020 and is one the largest ships in the company’s fleet. At 62,735 gross tons and featuring 690 cabins, Bolette has room for 1,338 guests and 657 crew members. 

The ship has six restaurants, eight lounges, an entertainment auditorium, and two swimming pools, including one with a retractable roof that allows guests to enjoy the water year-round.

Specialty restaurants include Colours & Tastes, featuring a Far East-style menu, and Vasco, with its Indian-inspired cuisine. 

For Bolette’s maiden world voyage, guest speakers will be on hand during portions of the journey to deliver talks to guests on the history and culture of the regions visited. 

Another Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines ship – Borealis – departed for a 103-night world cruise on January 5, 2024, with a more unusual guest onboard: a cask of single malt whisky. A nod to ancient maritime traditions, the cask will complete its aging during the voyage, maturing with the help of sea air and the gentle rocking of the ship.

Borealis has a different itinerary than the 2025 journey of Bolette. Borealis will visit Bermuda, South Carolina, Florida, the Panama Canal, Costa Rica, Hawaii, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, India, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Cyrus, Greece, Malta, and Spain. The ship is scheduled to return to England on April 17, 2024.