Cancellation of Bolette Cruise

[safarigal]

We just received this email:

 

As a family-run business, being honest with our guests is very important to us and I am sorry to say that we have had to make some changes to Bolette’s schedule this year. The winter is always a quieter period for cruising and this year a small number of sailings have not quite reached the guest numbers we were hoping for, at a time when fuel costs are particularly high for us all. In addition, we have an opportunity to bring forward some of the technical work we were planning to carry out during our short dry dock in 2023 – and therefore ensure this can be completed more efficiently.
  
In light of this, we have made the decision to cancel a small number of Bolette’s cruises this winter and I am sorry to say this includes your upcoming sailing with us.

 

We are very disappointed as it is not going to be easy to reschedule a cruise, but I suppose those are the risks of cruising at the moment!

[LandC]

Sorry to hear that safarigal.  It looks like Bolette’s cruises from 26th October to 20th December have been removed from the website.

 

This is the first time that I have seen this happen.  

[twotravellersLondon]

13 minutes ago, LandC said:

This is the first time that I have seen this happen.  

 

Given the historically high losses that FOCLs are currently  making and have already been reported to the Oslo Stock Exchange as part of the Bonheur ASA accounts... we won't be booking anything with FOCLs for the foreseeable future.

[Eglesbrech]

5 minutes ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

Given the historically high losses that FOCLs are currently  making and have already been reported to the Oslo Stock Exchange as part of the Bonheur ASA accounts... we won't be booking anything with FOCLs for the foreseeable future.

We have two future cruises. One imminent and one winter 2023.

 

I’ll be interested to see if the winter cruise on Borealis goes ahead.

 

I feel sorry for the OP being cancelled at the last minute like this, plans ruined. Just the way to lose yet more cruises.

[Host Hattie]

How disappointing, I was looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Fred Olsen @safarigal. Have you already got flights booked ?

[twotravellersLondon]

FOCLs is far from a tiny "family-run" business owned by the Norwegian equivalent of the "Fishermen's Friends".

 

The company is part of the multi-billion global conglomerate, Bonheur ASA, which had a revenue of NOK 2.30 billion in just the last quarter.

 

Bonheur ASA currently owns out-right or has a controlling interest in a dozen UK wind generating farms which are currently making twice as much as they did this time let year due to the rising cost of energy. As prices go up and up and up... so does Bonheur's revenue. 

 

Bonheur has the resources and the ability to sort out FOCLs, if the want to, and I very much hope that they do.

[safarigal]

1 hour ago, Host Hattie said:

How disappointing, I was looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Fred Olsen @safarigal. Have you already got flights booked ?

It is all rather annoying as we have booked our airline tickets already - but it's a good excuse to spend a couple of weeks in the UK if we can't get a refund!