Fred. Olsen’s Bolette to sail first world cruise in 2025

As part of the ‘Voyage of Exploration Around the World,' which gets underway on January 6, Bolette will sail Brazil, Chile, French Polynesia, Australia, South Africa, and more destinations.

The 106-night voyage includes the opportunity to visit iconic sites in the southern hemisphere, such as Sydney Harbour and the Opera House, the Moai statues on Easter Island, and South Africa’s Table Mountain and Signal Hill.

Prices start from £12,499 per person and passengers can receive up to £600 per person to spend on board or free door-to-door transfers covering up to 250 mainland miles from the port.

Following in explorers’ footsteps 

Martin Lister, head of itinerary planning and destination experience at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, explained, ‘This extra special voyage for Bolette’s first world cruise has been hand-crafted by our team of journey planners to enable our guests to sail in the wake of famous historical explorers and will follow a similar route to the first world circumnavigation by [Ferdinand] Magellan and [Juan Sebastián] Elcano in 1519. 

‘It will also cruise the south coast of Australia as British navigator Matthew Flinders did in 1801, and will call into places visited by the likes of captain James Cook and Alexander Selkirk – the Scottish sailor who was the inspiration for Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe novel.’ 

Lister went on to say that passengers will see ‘some of the world’s most impressive vistas, experience diverse culture and encounter wildlife, as well as explore some of the lesser known and less frequently visited gems like Robinson Crusoe Island.’ 

Highlights

Highlights in South America include Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf Mountain in Brazil, the Chilean Fjords, Latin American culture with tango in Argentina, and wildlife, such as Magellan penguins which are native to the region. 

From there, passengers will visit Bora Bora and Tonga, while iconic landmarks and natural wonders such as the Blue Mountains await in Australia.

The final leg of the journey will see passengers discover Africa and the Indian Ocean, with the chance to see the Big Five in South Africa and reach the remote island of St Helena in the South Atlantic.

Full programme 

On setting sail from Southampton in the UK, Bolette will journey to Lisbon in Portugal, cruising by the Cristo Rei statue and the Abril 25 Bridge, as well as the mouth of the River Tagus, passing the Belem Tower and Discovery Monument.  

After that, the vessel heads to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, followed by Praia, Cape Verde.  

South America comes next, starting with Rio de Janeiro and Ilhabela in Brazil, Montevideo in Uruguay and Buenos Aires in Argentina. In Chile, passengers will cruise the Magellan Strait before calling at Punta Arenas. They will then cruise by Cape Deseado before heading to the Chilean Fjords, staying overnight in port. Valparaiso, Robinson Crusoe Island, cruising by Alejandro Selkirk Island and Hanga Roa follow. 

Before crossing the International Date Line, Bolette will sail French Polynesia, cruising by Pitcairn Island and calling at Papeete and Bora-Bora, prior to reaching Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.

Nuku’ Alofa, Tonga, precedes Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Albany and Fremantle in Australia. 

Calls at Port Louis, Mauritius, and Reunion – both in the Indian Ocean – are in advance of stops in South Africa, the vessel calling Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Cape Town, where Bolette will stay overnight in port. 

Luderitz and Walvis Bay in Namibia continue the programme, before the ship heads to Jamestown, St Helena, followed by Dakar, Senegal in West Africa. 

Santa Cruz de la Palma, Spain, and Funchal in Madeira, Portugal are the last destinations on the itinerary, before the ship returns to Southampton.