Fred. Olsen Sr and Duchess of Northumberland launch cruise
By
Michele Witthaus |
An unusual cruise concept went on sale on 25 July as Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines announced it is to attempt the world’s biggest and longest running murder mystery enactment onboard Boudicca in summer 2015.
The Guinness World Record bid will take place as part of the line’s 16-night Poison, Murder and Mystery Cruise which will set sail from Rosyth, Edinburgh, and take in Leixoes, Funchal, Santa Cruz, Las Palmas and Lisbon before ending in Newcastle. The cruise will include visits to two renowned poison gardens, at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland and the Pyramids of Guimar in Egypt.
The idea for the cruise emerged from a friendship between the Duchess of Northumberland, who developed the Alnwick gardens, and Fred. Olsen Senior, who owns a poison garden in Tenerife. Both will be onboard for the themed cruise and jointly promoted the cruise at an event hosted in the Tower of London on 24 July. They will be joined on the ship by Felix Francis, son of novelist Dick Francis, who will lecture on his father’s work, and representatives of Peel Entertainment Group, who will develop the murder mystery narrative. ‘Expert witnesses’ will include a forensic specialist from London’s Metropolitan Police as well as other poison experts. There will be opportunities for guests to learn about poisons and they will be invited to ‘Dine with the Duchess’.
Fred. Olsen Senior remarked: “In this country, everyone wants to be an actor. This cruise is different, which is exactly why it’s interesting. Maybe it will lead to a different form of experience onboard, something that you will remember.” Asked how the cruise line would encourage guests to get into the spirit of the murder mystery, he said: “Everything depends on people so it depends on our passengers.”
Guests will be able to go online before the cruise and choose a character that they will be onboard, explained sales and marketing director Nathan Philpot. “This cruise is a response to a desire for adventure and unique experiences. It also addresses a significant interest in gardening among our guests.”