Fred Holidays has launched a brand offering expedition cruises to the trade.
Fred Expeditions will offer a collection of cruises from specialist expedition operators, some of which are not well known to the UK travel trade, in what the operator believes is a first for a UK tour operator.
“We saw a gap in the market for putting all these niche cruises under one roof,” said head of cruise Geoff Ridgeon.
Fred Holidays – set up by Fred Olsen Travel last year – has already set up a Fred River Cruises brand to add to its core portfolio of land-based holidays and city breaks in central Europe.
The new expeditions programme will focus on the Arctic and Antarctic and include cruises with lines such as G Adventures, Hurtigruten, Lindblad Expeditions, Oceanwide Expeditions, Poseidon Expeditions, Quark Expeditions and Silversea Expeditions.
On-shore activities offered will include camping, fishing, helicopter tours, hiking, mountaineering, kayaking, photography workshops, polar diving, ski-trekking and exploring the coasts via Zodiac.
Ridgeon added: “Historically the expedition market has not been the easiest for travel agents to source and can be confusing. We want to make it easier for agents to sell expedition cruises, particularly if they do not feel confident in selling it.”
The cruises will feature online at fredexpeditions.co.uk and information packs on the brand have been prepared for agents interested in selling the brand.
Prices start at £4,799 for an 11 day cruise only Antarctic Classic expedition with G Adventures, including ten nights on board accommodation in a category three cabin with a window on a full board basis on-board MX Expedition.