New role for Braemar

[Mickb]

Villa Vie Residences, an innovative new cruise line revealed in September 2023, has announced acquiring the Braemar from Fred Olsen Cruise Lines.

The acquisition marks the beginning of a unique venture, transforming the Braemar into Villa Vie Odyssey, a residential cruise ship offering villa-style living on the high seas. 

 

[lohr500]

Also mentioned in this thread :

 

 

[London-Calling]

 

[showingdiva]

The ship was finally handed over to her new owners this week.   Going to Belfast for a refit / re-brand / make over,    Her first cruise sets sail from Southampton 15th May.

[Leither]

2 hours ago, showingdiva said:

The ship was finally handed over to her new owners this week.   Going to Belfast for a refit / re-brand / make over,    Her first cruise sets sail from Southampton 15th May.

And interesting to see that the captain, Jozo Glavic, is going with her. He was the captain who took us through the Corinth Canal on Braemar a few years ago.

[twotravellersLondon]

1 hour ago, Leither said:

And interesting to see that the captain, Jozo Glavic, is going with her. He was the captain who took us through the Corinth Canal on Braemar a few years ago.

 

And what a cruise that was... do you remember the standing ovation that he received from the passenger 

?

[Leither]

5 hours ago, twotravellersLondon said:

 

And what a cruise that was... do you remember the standing ovation that he received from the passenger 

?

I don't remember that but I do remember his always amusing 12 noon announcements. And that he left the cruise early to return for the birth of one of his children. He was also the captain on our first cruise, to Norway.

[twotravellersLondon]

Hope that some pf these bring back some shared very happy memories... it did for us when we looked them out.

 

We're so sad that the Braemar has been lost to general cruising and we do think that FOCL has missed a trick... we were booked on a cruise that was cancelled de to the pandemic and the ship has never cruised again.

 

Standing ovation in the Neptune Lounge is that last pic...

 

 

 

Happy Sailing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 7 by twotravellersLondon

[teenieleek]

That looks like a great trip.  Wish I’d been there.  

[richard_london]

She's on her way to Belfast.  First time she'll have been at sea since the pandemic.  Such a shame FOCL disposed of her. 

[Eglesbrech]

I drove down to visit family at the weekend and made a detour via Limekilns to see Braemar one last time. You could see she was on the move as her position had changed.

 

Another nice old ship gone. We had some great cruises on her.

[richard_london]

She sailed around in circles for a bit, for a moment I thought she wasn't going to go but maybe just testing compass and steering. But she's heading north now at a very sedate 7 knots and coming up on Aberdeen.