Borealis arrived on October 28 for a 14-day refurbishment, including steel repairs, an overhaul of the shafts and propellers, as well a new application of underwater paint, supported by more than 150 members of Cammell Laird’s workforce.
The ship sailed out of Cammell Laird’s Birkenhead site at lunchtime on Saturday, ready to receive passengers for a cruise in search of the Northern Lights, which left the city on Sunday.
Strong connections with Liverpool
‘I would like to thank the people of Liverpool, Birkenhead and Cammell Laird for looking after our ship Borealis during her time in dry dock,’ said Peter Deer, MD, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.
‘We’ve been sailing from Liverpool for almost 20 years and we’re so proud to have this fantastic city as Borealis’ homeport. We cherish the relationship we have with the people in the area, whether that be our guests, our friends at Cruise Liverpool or the men and women of Cammell Laird who have worked hard to get Borealis refurbished in time for her upcoming sailings.’
Borealis joined the Fred. Olsen fleet in 2020, and has called Liverpool its homeport since sailing resumed in 2021, offering more than 50 sailings from the city. A report to the local authority’s culture and visitor economy committee earlier this year found Borealis had contributed more than £2.25m to the local economy by using Liverpool as its homeport.
‘As a family-run cruise line, we know how important it is to support local communities and we hope to continue to build these relationships in and around Liverpool for many years to come,’ the MD noted.
An opportunity for Cammell Laird
David McGinley, chief executive at the shipyard, said, ‘Cammell Laird was delighted to welcome Borealis and her crew to our facility, and be given the opportunity to showcase Cammell Laird's ship repair capabilities.
‘It took over 150 members of the Cammell Laird workforce, including apprentices, to complete the programme of works - which injected well in excess of a million pounds into the local economy.’
He concluded, ‘Contracts such as these deliver significant economic value to the Liverpool City region and we look forward to welcoming the Borealis again as well as other members of the Fred. Olsen fleet.’
Borealis’ upcoming sailings from Liverpool include the chance to visit both Northern and Western Europe, including a special two-week Christmas sailing to the Canary Islands before setting sail on an ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ cruise in February – the first time Fred. Olsen has offered a world cruise from Liverpool.
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