Balmoral Departs Southampton on 71-Night Mediterranean Voyage
The voyage combines eight cruises, with shorter segments of eight to 11 nights embarking from Valletta, Piraeus, Heraklion and Limassol.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Balmoral departed Southampton on September 30, 2026, for its 71-night “Exploration of the Mediterranean” voyage. The itinerary covers 39 destinations across Southern Europe, North Africa and the Atlantic islands.
The extended sailing combines eight individual cruises, giving passengers the option to join for shorter segments lasting eight to 11 nights.
Segment embarkation ports span the United Kingdom, Spain, Malta, Greece and Cyprus: passengers can join in Southampton, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Alicante, Valletta, Piraeus, Heraklion or Limassol.
In Greece, Balmoral will stay overnight in Heraklion and make two-day calls at both Piraeus and Thessaloniki. Istanbul and Kotor are also scheduled for overnight visits, as is Alicante on Spain’s Mediterranean coast.
Other destinations include Mytilene in Greece, Marmaris in Turkey, Trapani in Italy and Melilla in Spain, alongside a call in Corsica. Malta appears twice in the itinerary.
The Atlantic portion includes an overnight stay in Funchal, Madeira. Canary Islands calls comprise Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arrecife de Lanzarote and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Balmoral, which entered service in 1988, is Fred. Olsen’s smallest ship by gross tonnage. The 43,537-gross-ton vessel accommodates 1,275 guests at standard occupancy, according to the operator’s specifications. It underwent upgrades during a drydock in England in late 2024.
Fred. Olsen did not issue an executive statement with the departure.
Balmoral is scheduled to return to Southampton on December 10, 2026, before resuming no-fly, roundtrip cruises to Northern Europe and the Canaries through late April. Its 2027 deployment also includes Mediterranean and Canary Islands itineraries departing from Piraeus, Alicante and Malaga.
