Boudicca

The 1973-built (as "Royal Viking Sky") cruise ship MS Boudicca was the second-oldest of the Fred Olsen fleet, with fleetmates Black Watch (sistership, 1972-built/2022-scrapped), Balmoral and Braemar. The cruise ship cost to build was USD 25 million. The vessel was last refurbished in 2018 and sold in 2020, with a drydock planned for November 2020.

On August 21, 2020, Fred Olsen confirmed the retirement (scrapping?) of its cruise ships Boudicca (1973-built, 47-years-old) and Black Watch (1972-built, 48-years-old). All bookings on Boudicca and Black Watch were automatically transferred onto the new ships (acquired from Holland America Line in July 2020) MS Bolette (fka MS Amsterdam) and MS Borealis (fka MS Rotterdam). After joining the fleet in September 2020, Bolette and Borealis increased the company’s passenger capacity by ~30%.

In late-September 2020 was announced that Boudicca and Black Watch are both sold to the Turkish company "Miray International Shipping Agency and Trade Co" (Istanbul-based) and not to be scrapped but to serve the new owner as hotel ships under the brand "Miray Cruises". On September 29th, Boudica left the UK (Port Rosyth-Edinburgh, Scotland) en route to TRTUZ (Port Tuzla, Istanbul Turkey).

For Fred Olsen, Boudicca (IMO number 7218395) sailed for 15 years (2005-2020) and was Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 309964000, registered in Nassau). The vessel's AIS transmitted for the last time on March 14, 2021 (at 18:17 UTC) showing the boat berthed in Tuzla. In late-May was announced that the 48-years-old Boudicca was beached for scrapping at Aliaga Ship Recycling Facility (İzmir Turkey).

Royal Viking Sky (Boudicca) had two sisterships - Royal Viking Sea (Albatros/2021-scrapped) and Royal Viking Star (Black Watch/2022-scrapped).

History - construction and ownership

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines Ltd is a Norwegian-owned and UK-based cruise shipping company, part of the Fred Olsen Group (Fred Olsen & Co / shipowner, headquartered in Oslo Norway). The company is headquartered in Ipswich (Suffolk England) and is owned by Bonheur and Ganger Rolf. The company was founded in 1848 (in Hvitsten, Norway) by the three Olsen brothers (Petter, Andras, Fredrik Christian) who bought their first ships and established an international shipping company. Today Fred Olsen Group is into its 5th family generation and operates subsidiary companies specializing in cruise passenger shipping, trade, shipbuilding, aviation, offshore industries.

Fred Olsen Group wholly owns the companies Fred Olsen Cruise Lines Ltd, Fred Olsen Travel Ltd (worldwide tours and vacations via independent operators), Fred Olsen Marine Services AS (shipowner and vessel management), First Olsen Ltd (tanker ships), Dolphin Drilling Holdings Ltd (offshore drilling rigs), Fred Olsen Express (Canary Islands-based fast ferries / catamarans), Fred Olsen Freight Ltd (cargo shipping and air freight), Fred Olsen Windcarrier AS (transport and installation of offshore wind turbines), Fred Olsen Production AS (offshore petroleum production), Fred Olsen Renewables AS, SeaRoc Group Ltd (offshore and marine consultancy and contracting services), ZephIR Lidar UK (wind measurement devices), Ganger Rolf ASA (energy and shipping). Also part of Fred Olsen Group, the company Bonheur ASA manages several fully-owned companies, among which are NHST Media Group AS (newspapers and online media) and the real estate companies Stavenes Byggeselskap, Koksa Eiendom, Fred Olsens gate 2. Part of Fred Olsen Group is also Timex Group BV - parent of several watchmaking companies, including the subsidiaries in the USA, India and Philippines).

The 839-passenger cruise ship Boudicca is decked out, as an aging grande dame must be, in good quality, discreetly modern fabrics, though some of the color schemes are a little dated. But it doesn't matter: the vessel is well-proportioned and destitute of cheap flashiness and surface glitz, and these are the most important things to Boudicca's aim audience of 60-plus Brits.

In 1982, MV Boudicca (under Fred Olsen's ownership) was stretched by adding a 91 ft / 28 m long prefabricated middle-section. The refit resulted in an increased gross tonnage (from 21,890 to 28,372) and passenger capacity (from 536 to 900). During the ship's stretching (done in Germany, at the Seebeckwerft AG's shipyard in Bremerhaven) were built new cabins and lounges.

The list of other stretched (elongated) cruise ships includes the fleet mates Balmoral, Boudicca, and Braemar, also the MSC Cruises ships Armonia, Lirica, Opera, the Phoenix Reisen's Albatros and the Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of The Seas.

During the 2018 drydock at Blohm+Voss (Hamburg), to the ship were added two fibreglass-bottomed boats, each with capacity 12 passengers.

Decks and Cabins

MS Boudicca staterooms (462 total, in 21 grades) include 102 Suites, 57 Balcony, 191 Oceanview and 64 Inside cabins. Most are sized 160-200-ft2 (15-19 m2). The ship has 4 wheelchair-accessible cabins. The largest is the Premier Suite (570 ft2 / 53 m2 including the terrace).

The boat has 10 decks, of which 8 are passenger-accessible and 6 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

The main dining room on Boudicca is divided into 3 venues: Four Seasons, Heligan and Tintagel. While breakfast is typically open seating, there are 2 seatings for lunch and dinner. Food display counters are offered for guests to help themselves for breakfast and lunch. Fred Olsen Cruise Lines features above-average cuisine. A number of popular British pub standards are offered, such as bangers and mash, spotted dick and toad in the hole. Breakfast buffets are quite repetitious. Self-serve deck buffets are provided at the Poolside Café and fast food items - at the Marquee Bar.

Follows the complete list of Boudicca restaurants and food bars.

• Main Dining Room Restaurants (Tintagel, Four Seasons, and the smallest Heligan Room; all offer open-seating buffet Breakfast (7:30 - 9:30 am) and Lunch (12:00 - 2 pm; Dinner is waiter-served, with two fixed seatings at 6:15 pm and 8:00 pm)
• Secret Garden Cafe (alternative buffet-style restaurant, open-seating; offers Breakfast 7:00 - 9:30 am, Brunch 10:30 - 11:30 am, Lunch 12:30 - 2:30 pm, Afternoon Tea 3:30 - 4:30 pm, Dinner 6:30 - 9 pm and Supper Club 11:30 pm - 12:30 am; also features a 24-hour open tea-coffee station)
• The Grill restaurant (former Poolside Cafe; alternative, buffet-style venue for breakfast and lunch; offers al-fresco dining)
• Marquee Bar (casual restaurant for lunch; al-fresco dining, with large, floor-ceiling panoramic windows; serves the pool area with alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Boudicca was "stretched" in the early '80s with the addition of a 91-foot midsection, and while the cruise liner is still keeping a classic profile, she has gained a significant amount of open-air sunbathing area on the top deck. In 2006 Boudicca underwent a renovation to bring the ship in line with the fleet's understated, old-world style. In January 2011, the vessel went into dry dock, during which the windowless gym was moved up to Deck 10, allowing more free space on Deck 4 for new inside cabins. The retail outlet Port Store was added. Carpets were replaced throughout the vessel, and enclosed lifeboats were mounted.

Follows the complete list of Boudicca lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Port Shop (duty-paid, sells essentials, hats, swimwear, toiletries, beachwear, sweets, books, snacks)
• Photo Gallery & Shop (offers digital images printing/transferring; personal video making; sells photo and video equipment at duty-free prices)
• The Heligan Room doubles as Arts & Crafts Room - during drydock 2018, Heligan Room was converted into "Indian Ocean Restaurant".
• The Iceni Room; Bar & Lounge; Cafe Venus
• Neptune Lounge (400-seat, ship's theater lounge/main entertainment venue for grand-style show productions in the evenings at 8:45 pm and 10:45 pm; during the day serves the Fred Olsen enrichment program, with various lectures and seminars, multimedia presentations, dance classes, workshops, bridge lectures, cards playing tournaments)
• Boutique Shops (duty-free luxury gifts, perfumes, cosmetics, fashion clothing, watches, fine jewelry, Fred Olsen logo merchandise)
• Library Lounge; Internet Room; Card Room (bridge-playing club lounge); Casino
• Bookmark Cafe (a la carte priced patisserie; offers luxury chocolates, specialty coffees, hand-made chocolates)
• Morning Light Pub (features stand-up comedy acts, live music performances)
• Lido Lounge & Bar (live piano performances; transforms into a disco in the late hours)
• Pool Deck area (swimming pool, 2 whirlpools, exercise pool, sunbathing area)
• Fitness Centre (Wellness complex; there is no Spa, but the ship offers Sauna Rooms and Treatment Rooms for massages)
• The Gymnasium (gym room, with floor-ceiling windows, modern equipment; hosts various exercise and dance classes)
• Beauty Salon (part of the Wellness Centre; offers hairdresser/barber services, facial/body treatments, manicure/pedicure, massages)
• Observatory Lounge (indoor observation lounge with piano, glass dancefloor, panoramic windows for 270-degree views; serves Afternoon Tea)
• Golf Nets; Tennis Court; Deck Games area (shuffleboard, quoits, darts, tennis tables, board games, jigsaw puzzles); Walking Track.

Itineraries

Fred Olsen Boudicca itinerary program was based on the Mediterranean and Northern European voyages with roundtrip UK departures from Southampton, Liverpool, Dover. Destinations included Europe's Arctic (North Cape), Norwegian Fjords, Canary Islands, British Isles, North Africa.