Fred Olsen 2025 World Cruise aboard Bolette to call in Cape Town
In 2025, Fred Olsen Cruise Line will bring its newish cruise ship, Bolette, to South Africa as part of its 106-night World Cruise from Southampton. Inspired by the first world circumnavigation by explorers Magellan and Elcano in the 16th century, the cruise will visit approximately 40 destinations worldwide.
Departing on January 6th, 2025 from Southampton, the cruise will have prices starting at £11,499 per person, and passengers can also choose to sail roundtrip from Liverpool, with transfers, departing on January 4th, 2025.
According to Martin Lister, head of itinerary planning and destination experience at Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, the 2025 World Cruise showcases the company's passion for curating creative and innovative itineraries that tell stories and retell the tales of history's greatest adventurers. Highlights of the trip include visiting the mysterious Moai statues on Easter Island, exploring the tropical islands of the South Pacific, delving into the origins of music and dance, and visiting St Helena, among other experiences.
Bolette will travel from Southampton to Brazil, Argentina, French Polynesia, Mauritius, South Africa, and traverse the south coast of Australia as British navigator Matthew Flinders did in 1801. The ship will call in places visited by 18th-century British explorer, navigator, cartographer Captain James Cook and Alexander Selkirk, the Scottish sailor who is thought to have inspired the classic Daniel Defoe novel Robinson Crusoe.
Throughout the first half of the World Cruise, passengers will have opportunities to experience traditional and cultural art forms in South America, such as Samba beats in Rio de Janeiro and Tango techniques in Argentina. The itinerary also includes scenic sailings through the Chilean fjords, visiting Iguazu Falls, encountering native wildlife such as Magellanic Penguins in South America, Koalas and Kangaroos in Australia, and the 'Big Five' in South Africa.
The itinerary features stops in Funchal, Madeira, Mindelo, São Vicente, Cape Verde, Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, and Buenos Aires. The vessel will also cruise by Cape Deseado and Alejandro Selkirk Island in Chile, and call in Castro, Valparaiso, Robinson Crusoe Island, and Hanga Roa (Easter Island). After cruising by Pitcairn Island, Bolette will head for French Polynesia, calling Papeete in Tahiti and Bora Bora in the Society Islands, before visiting Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, followed by a crossing of the International Date Line.
In Australia, Bolette will call in Nuku’alofa in Tonga, Hobart in Tasmania, as well as Melbourne, Albany, and Fremantle (Perth). Bolette will then sail to Port Louis in Mauritius and Port Réunion on Réunion Island before calling in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Cape Town in South Africa, followed by Walvis Bay in Namibia and Jamestown in St Helena. The ship will then call in Dakar, Senegal, before cruising north for Arrecife, Lanzarote, Lisbon, Portugal, and finally, Southampton.
