Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines returns to Rosyth for summer sailings

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has today (7th June) returned to the Port of Rosyth, marking the start of a summer season of sailings aboard its 1,325-guest ship, Balmoral.

A total of eight cruises will depart from Rosyth between June and August 2025, offering guests the chance to enjoy scenic and cultural discoveries closer to home and further afield.

Highlights include scenic cruising past Fingal’s Cave and the remote Scottish isles, exploring Arctic Norway under the glow of the Midnight Sun, uncovering the heritage of the Baltic with visits to Riga, Tallinn and Copenhagen, and whale watching in Icelandic waters. Guests can also enjoy the chance to sail the beautiful River Seine through the heart of Normandy.

Later today, Balmoral will depart Rosyth on a 10-night Scotland, Scilly Isles & the West Country cruise. The itinerary features a host of scenic cruising moments including sailing past the Duncansby Sea Stacks, the Needle, Old Man of Hoy, the Small Isles, Dutchman’s Cap and Fingal’s Cave. Calls into Lerwick, St Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly, Falmouth, Dartmouth and Portsmouth offer opportunities to step ashore and explore.

Doug Glenwright, Guest Experience Director at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “Our summer 2025 sailings from Rosyth offer a hand-crafted mix of scenic cruising and enriching destinations.

“Guests can marvel at Norway’s majestic fjords, witness Iceland’s striking volcanic landscapes, and uncover the rich histories of the Baltic capitals.

“Balmoral’s smaller size also allows us to sail the serene River Seine – a rare opportunity to experience river cruising aboard an ocean-going ship. Each itinerary has been carefully designed to showcase the beauty of the world around us, while offering the warm, personal service we’re known for.”

Rosyth is one of Fred. Olsen Cruise Line’s 2025 departure ports, alongside Liverpool, Portsmouth, Southampton, Newcastle, Dover and Southampton.

Upcoming highlights on Balmoral sailing from Rosyth include:

Balmoral’s 10-night L2513 ‘Norway’s Arctic Islands and Mountainous Vistas’ cruise, departing from Rosyth on 17th June 2025. Prices start from £1,599 per person.

  • Explore Arctic Norway in the summertime
  • Witness the Midnight Sun and see Torghatten
  • Travel along the iconic Atlantic Ocean Road

Itinerary: Rosyth, Scotland – Crossing the Arctic Circle, Norway – Cruising by Reine, Lofoten, Norway – Leknes, Norway – Svolvær, Norway – Cruising Tjeldsundet Strait, Norway – Tromsø, Norway – Sortland, Vesteralen, Norway – Cruising by Seven Sisters Mountain Range, Norway – Cruising by Torghatten, Norway – Kristiansund, Norway – Rosyth, Scotland
For more details: Visit L2513 ‘Norway’s Arctic Islands and Mountainous Vistas’

Balmoral‘s 13-night L2514 ‘Fairytale Castles and Old Towns of the Baltic’ cruise, departing from Rosyth, Edinburgh on 27th June 2025.Prices start from £1,799 per person.

  • Discover the enchanting cities of Riga, Tallinn and Copenhagen
  • Immerse yourself in Estonian life at the Song & Dance Festival
  • Uncover the Hanseatic history of the Baltic region

Itinerary:Rosyth (Edinburgh), UK – Copenhagen, Denmark – Warnemünde (for tours to Schwerin Castle), Germany – Klaipėda, Lithuania – Riga, Latvia – Tallinn, Estonia – Saaremaa, Estonia – Rosyth (Edinburgh), UK

For more information: VisitL2514 ‘Fairytale Castles and Old Towns of the Baltic’

Balmoral’s 10-night L2515 ‘Exploring the Land of Fire and Ice’, departing from Rosyth on 10thJuly 2025. Prices start from £1,699 per person.

  • Discover Iceland’s extraordinary glaciers, geysers and waterfalls
  • Immerse yourself in Iceland’s wellness culture of hot spring bathing
  • Experience whale watching on a tour from Balmoral

Itinerary: Rosyth, Scotland – Cruising by Duncansby Sea Stacks, Scotland – Cruising Pentland Firth, Scotland – Cruising by the Needle, Scotland – Cruising by Old Man of Hoy, Scotland – Torshavn, Faroe Islands – Seyðisfjörður, Iceland – Akureyri, Iceland – Ísafjörður, Iceland – Reykjavik, Iceland – Rosyth, Scotland
For more details: 
Visit L2515 ‘Exploring the Land of Fire and Ice’

Balmoral’s 13-night ‘French Rivers with Normandy & Bordeaux’ cruise, departing Rosyth on 20th July 2025. Prices start from £2,099pp.

  • Sail along the picturesque River Seine, only possible on smaller ships
  • Join a tour to France’s capital and experience Parisian life
  • Discover the enigmatic Mont Saint-Michel from St Malo 

Itinerary: Rosyth, Scotland – Bordeaux, France (overnight) – Cruising Girdonde and Garonne Rivers – Getxo, Spain (for Bilbao) – St Malo, France (anchor port) – Cruising River Seine, France – Rouen, France (overnight port) – Honfleur, France – Rosyth, Scotland
For more details: 
Visit L2516 ‘French Rivers with Normandy and Bordeaux’


For further information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ sailings from Rosyth, visit www.fredolsencruises.com/cruises-from-scotland
Book online or call Reservations on 0800 0355 242 (Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 10am to 4pm), or contact your ABTA travel agent.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines launches Summer Sale

Hand-crafted sailings from Newcastle and Rosyth from £699 per person

Balmoral in Olden, Norway

Travellers looking to get away in the months ahead can enjoy hand-crafted sailings from the north from just £699 per person, plus up to £200 on-board spending credit, as part of a Summer Sale unveiled by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. 

The Summer Sale covers cruises from May to September 2022, and offers savings of £150 per person on Norway and British Isles sailings, as well as £200 per person off European short breaks or Arctic and Scandinavian cruises.

In addition, these savings run alongside an on-board spending offer, with up to £200 per person credit available on selected cruises.

Balmoral in Alesund, Norway

Clare Ward, Director of Product and Customer Service at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “With travel getting easier, we want everyone to be able to enjoy a well-deserved break in the months ahead. The world really is opening up for summer, and we are so excited to be able to share it with our guests again.

“Whether you are looking to venture to the scenic Norwegian fjords in all their summertime splendour, immerse yourself in the history and culture of some fascinating towns and cities in Northern Europe or witness the breath-taking Midnight Sun, you can be sure that each cruise has been hand-crafted to show you the very best of the destination when you visit.”

Some of the highlights of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Summer Sale from Newcastle and Rosyth are:

Balmoral’s nine-night L2215 ‘Arctic Fjords & Midnight Sun’ cruise, departing from Newcastle on 6th June 2022. Prices start from £1,249 per person (was from £1,399 per person). Enjoy £100 per person to spend on board, or £200 per person when booking a suite.

Itinerary: Newcastle, England – Leknes, Norway – Cruising Austnesfjorden, Norway – Cruising Trollfjord, Norway – Tromsø, Norway– Bodø, Norway – Cruising by Black Glacier, Norway – Cruising Nordfjorden, Meloy, Norway – Cruising Seven Sisters Mountain Range, Norway – Cruising Torghatten, Norway –  Cruising Rørvik, Norway – Ålesund, Norway – Cruising Hjørundfjord, Norway– Newcastle, England

For more details: Visit L2215 ‘Arctic Fjords & Midnight Sun’  

Balmoral’s five-night L2220A ‘Summertime Norwegian Fjords in Five Nights’ cruise, departing from Rosyth on 19th July 2022. Prices start from £699 per person (was from £849 per person). Enjoy £50 per person to spend on board, or £100 per person when booking a suite.

Itinerary: Rosyth, Scotland – Olden, Norway – Cruising Nordfjord, Norway – Cruising by Hornelen, Norway – Ålesund, Norway – cruising Hjørundfjord, Norway – Rosyth, Scotland

For more details: Visit L2220A ‘Summertime Norwegian Fjords in Five Nights’  

Balmoral’s 10-night L2224A ‘Discovering Castles, Palaces and Cultural Landmarks of Northern Europe’ cruise, departing from Rosyth on 19th August 2022. Prices start from £1,699 per person (was from £1,899 per person). Enjoy £150 per person to spend on board, or £300 per person when booking a suite.

Itinerary: Rosyth, Scotland – Fredericia, Denmark – Klaipeda, Lithuania – Gdansk, Poland – Sassnitz, Germany – Szczecin, Poland – Kiel Canal Transit, Germany – Rosyth, Scotland

For more details: Visit L2224A ‘Discovering Castles, Palaces and Cultural Landmarks of Northern Europe’ 

Nationwide, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Summer Sale features sailings from £399 per person, with up to £250 on-board spend, with regional departures available from Southampton, Dover, Liverpool, Belfast, Newcastle and Rosyth.

Olden, Norway

For more information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Summer Sale, go to

fredolsencruises.com/summer-sale. 

Book online, call the friendly Reservations team on 0800 0355 242 (Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm), or contact your ABTA travel agent.