Fred Olsen. Cruise Lines has become the latest operator to pushed back the date for its expected return to the seas.
New ship Borealis will still be the first of the fleet to set sail, with her maiden voyage, to Iceland, now due to depart Liverpool on May 22nd.
The former Holland America Line ship was initially due to enter service on April 23rd.
Fellow 1,400-passenger vessel Bolette will be the second vessel in the fleet to set sail, departing from Dover on May 29th, followed by Balmoral from Edinburgh (Rosyth) on June 9th.
Braemar will remain laid-up until 2022, with its extensive fly-cruise programme unfeasible in the current climate.
Fred Olsen. Cruise Lines managing director, Peter Deer, said: “When we announced our new ‘back in service’ plans in December, we had every confidence in these new dates based on the information available to us at the time.
“Since then, we have seen a third national lockdown imposed, and this must be taken into consideration for our plans in returning to service.
“Deferring Borealis’ return allows us a little more time to consider and understand the developments around Covid-19, including the roll-out of the vaccine, and how this will reflect how we operate.”