Fred Olsen Cruise Lines became the first cruise line to complete an international ex-UK sailing since the restart of cruising, as its MS Borealis ship returned to the United Kingdom from Iceland on Monday, August 23.
MS Borealis set sail for Iceland's rugged landscapes on August 14 with ~800 passengers onboard. It was the first international cruise to set sail from British waters since UK cruise ship operators paused operations in March last year.
The cruise called into Reykjavik, Isafjordur, Eyjafjordur, and Seydisfjordur, and passengers were able to leave the ship and explore ashore in organized shore trips.
There were a number of procedures that the cruise line and guests had to complete to make the voyage to Iceland possible, including pre-registration forms and testing before arrival into Iceland and returning to the UK. All passengers were also required to be fully vaccinated.
Fred Olsen currently has two ships in service - Borealis and Bolette, both offering more international sailings from September 2021.
Borealis (fka MS Rotterdam) was purchased by Fred Olsen from HAL-Holland America Line in 2020, along with the sistership Bolette (fka MS Amsterdam).