WINTER SUN – SPANISH DISCOVERY CRUISE

Wednesday 14 January 2026 -14-nts Borealis (adults only) from Portsmouth
With a whopping £225pp ONBOARD SPEND & INCLUSIVE DRINKS with Lunch & Dinner (wine, beer, soft drinks)
FRED OLSEN HAVE OVER 64% RETURNING CUSTOMERS - WHICH OF COURSE, SAYS IT ALL!

Imagine ……. in less than a year from now, being picked up by a luxury coach at a local pick-up point, to board your cruise ship ‘just down the M27’ in Portsmouth!
Solent Events on Tour has  the opportunity to offer you
a relaxing cruise, warm Mediterranean colours away from our chilly UK winter and the sights and sounds of  some fascinating destinations in Portugal, Spain and the Balearic Islands …. and NO flying! 
January 2026 doesn’t look so glum after all, does it?! 

CRUISE DETAILS:
Cruise: S2602 •
Cultural Spanish Discovery • Departs Portsmouth • Wednesday 14 January 2026 • 14-nights • Borealis  • Luxury return coach to Portsmouth from home area PLUS £225 per person onboard spend • Complimentary Private Drinks Party for Solent Events clients – TBC!

Akin to all Fred. Olsen’s cosy, friendly small ships, Borealis, sister ship to Bolette, is a modern, but traditional type of cruise ship. If you joined us for our Canaries Cruise in January 2023, you will remember what a delightful cruise ship Bolette was – and sister Borealis is just the same!

With more and more of the ‘ultra-modern, Butlin’s on Water’ ships being introduced year on year, we still say ‘SMALL IS BEST!’ and as Fred Olsen’s beautiful Borealis is small enough to navigate the most picturesque of waterways, you are able to enjoy hours of scenic, flat cruising where the big ships cannot go.

Ocean-cruising on Borealis is cruising in home-from-home comfort – with no internet base Apps to stress you out! Fred.Olsen ships offer a warm, civilised atmosphere and features comfortable accommodation, stylish restaurants and plenty of open-deck space.

Borealis features a wonderful series of lounges, bars, elegant restaurants and wide-open deck spaces, as well as 702 beautiful cabins and suites; perfectly suited to the Fred. Olsen style of cruising. From January 2026, Borealis will be exclusively for adults, so you can relax in the company of other like-minded guests.

Enjoy Scenic Discoveries from the perfectly-appointed Observatory, where guests are able to see outstanding natural scenery and iconic landmarks, accompanied by commentary from our on board teams; sample delicious Treats of the Region in the Auditorium with talented chefs to prepare dishes that are local to the exciting destinations we visit. The friendly crew will be on hand throughout your cruise, providing the personal service they’re known for. 

You’ll have the chance to unwind on board with a whole day at sea before arriving in La Coruna, Spain  . To make your experience even more special, Fred. Olsen’s ‘Journey Planners’ have designed a unique programme of Signature Experiences which will allow you to discover real insights about the culture and nature of the places we are visiting 

Shore Tours at each port of call will be available to book around 8-13 weeks prior to departure. The Signature Experience team have carefully researched and hand-selected some wonderful tour options for you, designed to help you see the real destination and not just the tourist hotspots.

Go Stargazing The stargazing sessions that Go Stargazing astronomers hold on deck will be informal, informative and entertaining. You will enjoy laser-guided tours of the constellations, learn how to identify planets and view deep-sky objects such as galaxies and nebulae using binoculars. You can take home this knowledge and share it with family and friends.  Witnessing impressive night-time views and using incredible facts and figures from astronomical distances to the sizes of stars, our on-deck stargazing sessions are designed and delivered in a way that makes them unforgettable.

San Sebastian Festival This cruise has been perfectly timed to experience the San Sebastian Festival in Palma. Every year, San Sebastian celebrates its patron saint’s day with a huge fiesta. One of the main attractions of this occasion is the Tamborrada drum parade, which was first hosted in 1836 as part of the carnival. Legend says that the soldiers who were marching through the city daily were being mocked by the residents, but the Tamborrada parade has now grown to be a beloved yearly ritual where the drummers wear the same uniforms as the soldiers who were stationed in the city, and is an event not to be missed.

Besides the generous £225pp SPECIAL on-board spend to indulge yourself during the cruise, you can also take advantage of Fred. Olsen’s popular, great value, pre-bookable NEW PREMIUM Drinks Package for 2026, saving you £’s on your cruise (only £24.99pppn) … especially as prices worldwide are rising daily ….. and it’s much cheaper than on the larger ships!   

So if you would prefer to spend half of January cruising in sunnier climes and are interested in SMALL ship cruising with only 710 cabins (max 1,360 passengers & 537 Crew) and a cosy home-from-home atmosphere, please contact us as soon as possible, especially as our maximum group size will be 25/30 pax.

The itinerary, cabin details and deck plans can be found below.

SOLOS SPECIAL OFFER:  TBC

TO SUMMARISE:
All prices include:
ONBOARD SPEND £225pp 
TRANSPORT to and from the port of Portsmouth;  SOLENT EVENTS TREATS & PRIVATE DRINKS PARTY (TBC)!
DRINKS with Lunch & dinner (wine, beer, soft drinks) NEW FOR 2026!

ON BOARD DAILY you will enjoy:
Breakfast (restaurant or buffet dining), lunch with INCLUSIVE DRINKS (restaurant or buffet dining), afternoon tea, 5-course à la carte dinner with INCLUSIVE DRINKS (restaurant or buffet dining), late night buffet & self-service 24hr tea & coffee • Varied daytime activities when at sea • Lectures & talks • Swimming pools, Jacuzzi, Gym, Atlantis Spa facilities• Choice of live evening entertainment • 3 formal nights (not compulsory!)

Cabins from only £1,699pp

£225pp ONBOARD SPEND
Interior fr. £1,699pp; Portholes £2,099pp; Oceanview fr. £2,199pp; Terrace £3,199pp and Suites fr. £3,899pp (Sharing a Twin/Double)

What's Included?

What's Not Included?

For your peace of mind and financial protection, our cruise is arranged in conjunction with Fred Olsen Cruise Lines.

Lin with Ellie Fulcher – Sales Manager Groups & Infinity
onboard Bolette in Southampton 

FREE £225pp ONBOARD SPEND & DRINKS AT LUNCH & DINNER FOR EVERYONE!!

The customer friendly DRINKS PACKAGE on  Balmoral is currently  £24.99pp per night (total £174.95pp) and is therefore great value. – FREE option for all bookings made 31 January 2024!!  It should defnitely be considered if you like an alcoholic/non-alcoholic cocktail drink – or two every day as they soon add up …..!

NB. Fred. Olsen does not permit guests to bring their own alcohol on board for consumption.

i) more than one glass of wine/alcoholic drink with your lunch & dinner 
PLUS ii) a glass or two of Cava, cocktails, beer, cider or soft drinks whilst relaxing between meal times or pre-dinner
PLUS iii) sitting by the pool, one of several lounges & bars, or after dinner in the theatre 
It also gives you peace of mind about not receiving a large bar bill at the end of your 8-day cruise! 

There is a convenient waiter-service in each venue, plus you may also order at the bar.

The package must be booked and paid for up to 2 weeks before departure. If booked when on board, the price rises to £34.99pp per day – (Approx £245pp)!

The Drinks Package consists of  the following, unlimited:
BEERS, LAGERS & CIDER (incl non-alcoholic Carlsberg)
HOUSE WINES  by the glass
White: Sauvignon Blanc; Chenin Blanc; Chardonay/Semillon; Eisberg Sauvignon Blanc
Red: Merlot; Pinotage; Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot; Eisberg Cabernet Sauvignon
Rosé: Cinsault-Rosé; Cabernet Sauvignon-Rosé
CAVA
COCKTAIL of the DAY
HOUSE SPIRITS (25ml)
Vodka; Whisky; Gin; white Rum; Brandy; Irish Cream
MINERALS (incl diet)
Pepsi; Lemonade; Tonic Water Ginger Ale 
JUICES (by the glass)
Orange; Apple; Pineapple; Cranberry; Tomato
WATER – still & carbonated

PLUS  @ 50% discount: 
Cocktails, Premium  & Branded Spirits from the normal drinks menu

PLUS – from cabin/room service:
Orange/grapefruit juice; Milk; Teas/coffee & decaf
All other drinks from the Room Service Menu are chargeable to your account

Items not included:
Champagne; Prosecco Special Selection Red & White wines, Sparkling & Dessert wines; Drinks from cabin mini-bar; via duty free or cabin shopping; room service; coffee/teas in bars & Bookmark Café; drinks taken ashore.

Complimentary Drinks 
Coffee and Tea are available 24 hours a day in the Palm Café
Soft drinks (eg: orange juice; cranberry; water etc) available during restaurant open times
Cabin tray with kettle, tea & coffee,  daily fresh carafe of water, water glasses, mugs, spoons.

FOR YOUR INTEREST & COMPARISON – Bar Menu prices 2024/25
Spirits £3.50/£6 (25ml); Draught Mixers £1; Glass wine £6; Bottle wine £23 to £43; Lager £5/£6 pint; Cider £5/£6 pint; Ale £4/£6; Bottle Champagne £55 to £240; Glass Champagne £14; Prosecco DOC Spumante £26; Cocktails/Martinis £7; Non-alcoholic cocktails £4; Liqueurs £4;  Soft drinks – cans & bottles: £2 to £4; Water £2.50 to £3; Milkshake £4; Cappucino/Americano £3

The small print!
DRINKS PACKAGE TERMS & CONDITIONS:
Minimum age: 18 to consume alcoholic drinks
The all-inclusive Drinks Package is for the sole use of those on the package and the all-inclusive cabin card must be presented each time a drink is required – without exception (it’s the same system if you ‘purchase’ a drink on your account without a package!).
Drinks within package are only available during bar/restaurant opening hours.
Only one drink per card may be ordered and this must be consumed before further drinks are requested (for obvious reasons!)
Draught products are only available in selected bars and not in the restaurants or cafés as not all the facilities have ‘pumps’.
Canned beers and ciders will be served opened for consumption.
Fred.Olsen reserves the right to refuse service to any guest deemed intoxicated and in breach of safety regulations to themselves or others.
Any infringements to the above Terms & Conditions may result in the package being withdrawn.

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