The cruise ship BALMORAL (ex NORWEGIAN CROWN) from Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has been docked on November 16, 2007 at about 7 am in dry dock ELBE 17 at Blohm + Voss Repair – a company of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. This ship will be extended by a 30.20 metre long midship section at the shipyard in Hamburg.

With this new section, 186 additional passenger and 53 additional crew cabins are being created. Furthermore, 60 new balconies will be installed and various public areas will be newly constructed or modified.

The 30.20 metre long, 28.21 metre wide, 1,800 t midship section was produced by the Schichau Seebeck Shipyard in Bremerhaven in a subcontract by Blohm + Voss Repair. The launch took place on October 6, 2007, and the new section arrived floating at Blohm + Voss Repair on October 30, 2007.

On January 18, 2008, the BALMORAL will leave the shipyard for sea trials in order to be delivered to Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines in Dover, Great Britain, on January 22. On January 30, 2008, the BALMORAL will depart for a two-week cruise to the Canary Islands and then begin its journey to Miami, USA.

The BALMORAL – named after the summer residence of the British Queen Elizabeth II at the Dee River in Scotland’s Aberdeenshire – was delivered to Royal Cruise Lines in 1988 by the shipyard Meyer Werft in Papenburg under the name CROWN ODYSSEY. After the takeover of Royal Cruise Lines by Norwegian Cruise Lines 1989, the ship was renamed NORWEGIAN CROWN. In 2006, the NORWEGIAN CROWN was sold to Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. Subsequently the cruise ship was chartered by Star Cruises/ Norwegian Cruise Lines until November 2007. After the reconstruction at Blohm + Voss Repair, the cruise ship will resume its voyages under the name BALMORAL.

The BRAEMAR (ex NORWEGIAN DYNASTY, CROWN DYNASTY, CUNARD DYNASTY), built in 1993, modernised in 2001 and operating under the flag of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, is also expected at Blohm + Voss Repair in May 2008 for extensive modification work. The currently 163 metre long and 22 metre wide cruise ship will be extended by an approximately 30 metre long midship section, just like the BALMORAL.