The vessels are all due to enter the Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg during November and December in preparation for the forthcoming winter cruise season.
Work has already started with 804-passenger Black Watch on 4th November, ahead of a sold out 14-night mystery cruise departing from Tilbury on November 15. An additional 27 balcony cabins are being built as part of the revamp.
Braemar will arrive in Hamburg on November 12 for work prior to a three-night cruise to France from Southampton on November 20.
Balmoral’s dry dock work starts on December 9 with the 1,350-passenger ship leaving the shipyard for a two-night pre-Christmas sailing from Southampton on December 19.
The ships will undergo general engineering works, refurbishment and interior and exterior painting.
During the dry dock, Black Watch will also see 27 cabins on Deck 7 fitted with balcony terraces. These new Balcony Terrace cabins will extend out 1.2 metres from the ship’s bulkhead, and will provide guests with an increased choice of cost-effective balcony cabins with access to the outside.
During their dry docks, Balmoral and Braemar will also follow on from Boudicca and Black Watch with the inclusion of the popular ‘Café Venus’ installed on board, serving high-quality coffee and luxury chocolates. The new Café will be created on Balmoral on Deck 7, by reconfiguring the Library area, to create a more open, sociable public space.
On Braemar, Café Venus will be installed on Lounge Deck 5 by reconfiguring the Library area, and the Card Room will be moved and integrated with the Arts and Crafts Centre on Atlantic Deck 3.
Mike Rodwell, Managing Director of Fred Olsen Cruise Lines said:
We experience extremely high demand for balcony cabins across our fleet, and in particular on board the smaller-sized Black Watch, and our new balcony terrace cabins are an innovative response to this.
We are also looking forward to being able to give guests the experience of fine coffee and chocolates on board Balmoral and Braemar, as they have already been enjoying on Boudicca and Black Watch.
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines is pleased to be returning to Blohm+Voss for this important work. Balmoral and Braemar are both well-known to the Hamburg shipyard, as they both underwent mid-section extensions in 2007 and 2008 respectively.