Major Refurb Underway On Fred Olsens Boudicca

It’s just been announced that work has started on  a extensive refit of Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ ship Boudicca. Named after the British warrior Queen, Boudicca has a gross tonnage of 28,388 tonnes and can hold up to 880 passengers with 462 staterooms in total. Work on the vessel started on Saturday the 17th March at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg and the ship will return into service with a five-night mystery cruise from Dover on March 29th.

The extensive work taking palce on the Boudicca will include new carpets installed along with soft furnishings, lamps and balcony furniture and all cabins will be equipped with mini-fridges, safes and interactive smart TVs. Engineering works, general refurbishment and painting of the interiors and exterior will also be carried out.

Managing direcdtor Mike Rodwell said: “We are very proud of our smaller, classic cruise ships, and we recognise the importance of investment in upgrades and improvements to ensure that guest are always able to enjoy their holidays to the full.

“The upgrades and improvements to Black Watch, Braemar and Balmoral have all been very well-received by both new and existing guests, and we continue to focus on developing and enhancing the onboard experience.

“The significant investment that we are making to guest rooms and public areas throughout our fleet will ensure that we continue to provide facilities that meet – and exceed – guest expectations.”

I have been fortunate to have been on the Boudicca in December 2016 on our annual works conference and although I thought the ship was of a good standard, I thought it did look tired. Also I felt the different areas of the ship such as the bars, restuarant and reception did not flow as well as Fred Olsens Balmoral and as a result the following below are also being changed during the rerfubishment.

The ship’s Morning Light Pub – a feature across the fleet – will be moved from to the portside of the Secret Garden Café. The Heligan Room will be converted into the Indian Ocean Restaurant, offering the same style of imitate dining space as the Orchid Room on sister ship Black Watch. The space vacated by the Morning Light Pub will be converted into an Oriental tea room and the guest services area is being renewed to make it more inviting and user-friendly for passengers, according to the line.

Have you been on the Boudicca? What do you think of the news of the refurb – is it amount time?

Please share your comments.

 


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Ahoy there! Welcome to 'Set Sail with Sean.' I feel lucky that I have been able to combine my passion with my career for the past 20 years in the travel industry. It's been a privilege to have visited some amazing places and experienced once in a lifetime moments through the…

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