Balmoral
Fresh from a stretch and a refit, Fred Olsen's latest addition cruises into Singapore on her maiden arrival, the Balmoral. Below, the Balmoral makes her final turn past Sentosa Island to enter the safety of Cruise Bay and berthing at Singapore Cruise Centre.
History
Built for Royal Cruise Line as the Crown Odyssey (Odyssey), she was the second new build for the Greek line headed by Pericles Panagopoulos. The original shipyard order was for a pair of ships but only the first, the Odyssey, was ever built.
Before the completion of her first year with Royal Cruise Line (Royal), the line was bought by the Kloster group in a 1989 acquisition. Kloster continued to run Royal separately but in 1996, in the face of continuing financial difficulties, Kloster decided to rationalize their brands under the core Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) umbrella. The result was the dissolution of Royal and the ships being assimilated into NCL. In the same year, the Odyssey was renamed the Norwegian Crown (Crown).
Four years down the road, NCL decided to move the Crown to their newly acquired Orient Line subsidiary in 2000. She was renamed again but back to her original, the Crown Odyssey (Odyssey). A short 3 years later, NCL changed directions and decided to bring the Odyssey back into the mainline fleet and focus on cruises out of the Northeast. On completion of her Orient Line duties in 2003, the Odyssey underwent a refit in Singapore and re-emerged yet again as the Norwegian Crown (Crown).
Finally, in 2006, the Crown/Odyssey's schizophrenic identify crisis was over as she was sold to Fred Olsen. Before taking delivery of the Crown, Fred Olsen wanted to expand on their investment. In 2007, they sent the Crown to Blohm + Voss (Germany) for 67 days to add a 30m mid-section. This stretch added an additional 186 cabins, 60 of which were balconies. Fred Olsen has a tradition of their ship names starting with the letter B since the 1800s. On Feb 13, 2008 the Balmoral, as she was renamed, made her first cruise for Fred Olsen.
Design
To understand the origins of the Crown Odyssey (now Balmoral), we must first look to the genus of her pedigree, the Royal Princess (now Artemis for P&O) of 1984. While the Princess was built at Wärtsilä shipyard in Helsinki, the Odyssey was built at the venerable Jos L Meyer in Papenberg (Germany), the largest privately held shipyard in Europe. The architect for both ships was a Dane by the name of Knud E. Hansen.
Sleek, futuristic, clean lines, all outside cabins and plenty of balconies, the Royal Princess was way ahead of her time when she was delivered in 1984. Take the Royal Princess apart and put her back together again, discarding the left over bits and voila, you have the Crown Odyssey. Sound too farfetched? Here is the breakdown. Below is a picture of the Royal Princess (now Artemis) when she last visited Singapore in 2007.
The first clues are those familiar steel sideburns framing both the front and aft of the Artemis superstructure (above) and likewise on the Balmoral below. Although the direction of the forward sideburn has been reversed on the Balmoral and designed in a thicker version, they are clearly apparent before the first lifeboat and after the last.
Trying to throw us off track, the funnel on the Balmoral has been given a disk collar at the top but the silhouette does not lie. The funnel of the Balmoral even today, although more raked than its predecessor, is of the same shape and design of the Artemis replete with wire rib finishing at the top.
The aft Horizon Lounge located at the base of the Artemis funnel has been moved, lock stock and barrel to the forward part of the Balmoral situated just behind the bridge. The comparison is less obvious since NCL tacked on the obtuse fitness center above the bridge (more on that later). The Observetory Lounge, as it is called on the Balmoral has the same cantilevered windows leaning outward that are unmistakable features from the Horizon Lounge, of the Artemis (above). To round off our investigation, in the photo below, take notice of the life boats hung mid superstructure and the generous use of windows instead of portholes.
These ships were created for 2 different companies and built in 2 different shipyards but they have a kindred spirit thanks to the creative eye of Mr. Hansen.
Vital Statistics
| Name(s): | Balmoral (ex-Norwegian Crown, ex-Crown Odyssey, ex-Norwegian Crown, ex-Crown Odyssey) |
| IMO: | 8506294 | | | | | |
| Call Sign: | C6II4 | | | | | |
| Builder: | Jos L Meyer Werft, Papenberg (Germany) |
| Yard Number: | 616 | | | | | |
| Delivery: | 1-Jun-1988 | | | | | |
| Gross Tonnage: | 43,537 | | | | | |
| Length: | 218.2 | m | 715.9 | ft | | | |
| Beam: | 28.2 | m | 92.5 | ft | | | |
| Draft: | 7.3 | m | 23.8 | ft | | | |
| Passengers: | 1,350 | lower | 710 | cabins | 1,778 | max | |
| Engines: | MaK father and son arrangement with 2 x 8 cylinder MaK 8M601 and 2 x 6 cylinder MaK 6M35 diesels producing a total of 21,300 kW (28,942 hp) | |
| Propulsion: | 2 x controllable pitch propellers | | | |
| Thrusters: | 2 x bow | | | | | |
| Speed: | Cruising | 20 kts | Max | 22.5 kts | | | |
| Owner: | Balmoral Cruise Ltd. (UK) | |
Reconstruction
When NCL decided to bring the Crown Odyssey back from the internationally focused Orient Lines to the Caribbean, she underwent a significant refit in Singapore. To update the ship and keep her competitive with the fitness craze that gripped the cruise industry in the early millennium, the best viewing area on the ship, open deck atop the bridge, was sacrificed to add a gym and spa. The new fitness center is encapsulated by the extension of Deck 10 forward and gives the ship the look of having a swollen forhead.
So where is the best view now? Don't ask the passengers, who are crowded on the front of Lounge Deck 7, ask the crew. In the picture below, the crew are the only ones that have access to the space above the Observertory Lounge while passengers fight for inches of rail at the narrow forward viewing area. This limited viewing area is a major drawback similar to that of the SuperStar Libra and is especially disappointing for a ship designed to sail the world. Unfortunately, the surgically implanted superstructure was inherited by Fred with little choice but to make the best of it.
Some ships look better stretched and a good example are the Royal Viking Line trio which Fred Olsen now has 2. Today, when looking at the Boudicca or Black Watch compared to their original, stubby configurations as the Royal Viking Sky and Royal Viking Star, the lengthened ships look more balanced and aesthetically pleasing. The Balmoral fits in that bucket as well with the added length helping to balance out her large funnel and enlarged forward superstructure.
Current & Future
Fred's got style and they have pegged the UK market with high tea, clotted cream and scones. Value for money and tradition has helped fuel Fred Olsen's expansion over the last decade. The Balmoral is a significant investment for Fred Olsen and now their largest ship. Already on the books for 2012 is a cruise to mark the 100 year anniversary of the Titanic disaster following the exact route of the ill-fated liner. Forward thinking like that, is impressive, if not eerie.
As the UK population continues to retire, Fred Olsen seems well positioned to capitalize on the pensioners desire for travel. The Balmoral will be key in the successful future of Fred Olsen so we expect to see her well into the next decade.
To see more images of the Balmoral in Singapore, visit our gallery here.