Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines says its 19-night cruise from Liverpool to Canada in June 2028 sold out in less than two weeks.
It was the first of the line’s 39 new sailings for January to July 2028 to go on sale, released a week early on 30 September. Fares started at £2,599 per person for an inside cabin.
The rest of the programme opened on 7 October. Fred. Olsen says that day was the strongest for bookings in its history, beating a record it set only three months earlier.
Two records in three months
The previous record came on 22 July, when the line put its 87-night Amazon and Antarctica Grand Voyage on sale. By August, Fred. Olsen said bookings for 2027 were more than 40 per cent ahead of the same point a year before.
The line hasn’t said how many cabins it sold on either day.
Geoff Ridgeon, Fred. Olsen’s head of sales, said demand had “exceeded our expectations”. He thanked travel agents and guests “for their patience while we managed unprecedented levels of demand”.
Where the bookings went
The Canada voyage is Borealis, leaving Liverpool on 14 June 2028. She calls at Belfast and then crosses to Newfoundland, the Gulf of St Lawrence and Québec City, coming home via Cobh.
Fred. Olsen named three other sailings among the busiest at launch:
- Nine Nations of Northern Europe on Bolette, 13 nights from Newcastle on 30 May
- Italian Riviera and the Amalfi Coast, 18 nights
- Bermuda, the Bahamas and Puerto Rico on Balmoral, 37 nights from Portsmouth on 13 February
The 2028 programme also has departures from Rosyth, Norwegian fjords and British Isles sailings, Northern Lights cruises and fly-cruises to the Mediterranean and Atlantic islands.
The launch terms
Fred. Olsen’s Freedom Fare Price Promise applies to bookings made by 4 November. If the fare for the same sailing drops within the first four weeks on sale, the line gives an upgrade or onboard credit rather than a refund.
Until the same date, solo travellers can book some cabins without a single supplement.
The bottom line
The Canada cruise, Fred. Olsen’s first Canada sailing since 2024, has sold out 20 months before it sails, and the line says its 2028 launch was its biggest booking day yet. The Price Promise and single-supplement offer run until 4 November.
