Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is expected to retire two of its ships, Boudicca and Black Watch, when the company brings on the pair of former Holland America liners it bought in summer 2020.
The U.K.-based cruise line last month acquired Holland America's ms Amsterdam (2000-built) and ms Rotterdam (1997) and it said it would rename the vessels Bolette and Borealis, respectively, both names of former Fred Olsen ships.
Fred. Olsen said the new ships will take over the existing itineraries of the Boudicca and Black Watch when cruising begins again. Passengers booked on the two older vessels will have their bookings being automatically transferred to either the Bolette or Borealis. Additional cabins will go on sale in early September.
The Boudicca and Black Watch are the latest older cruise ships to be retired from the global fleet this summer.
Fred. Olsen said it does not yet know the fate of the pair. Both ships were built in the early 1970s for Royal Viking Line. The Boudicca sailed in the Norwegian Cruise Line and Star Cruises fleets and did a short stint for Princess Cruises, among its deployments; the Black Watch operated as Norwegian Cruise Line's Westward for a time.