Cruise ship set for Lerwick Up Helly Aa visit
A CRUISE ship is set to visit Shetland on Lerwick Up Helly Aa day next year to allow tourists the chance to soak in the festival.
The Fred Olsen cruise ship Balmoral, which can carry up to 1,350 passengers, is scheduled to arrive in Lerwick early on Tuesday 27 January before leaving late night after the procession.
The Wintertime Landscapes of the Norwegian Fjords trip is due to visit Stavanger and Haugesund, before arriving in Lerwick.
Advertising the voyage, Fred Olsen Cruises said it had arranged for the Lerwick stop to coincide with Up Helly Aa.
“We have planned this itinerary to include an extended call into Lerwick to allow you to join in with the festivities of the annual Up Helly Aa festival,” it said.
“This traditional fire festival has roots in ancient Norse traditions and celebrates Shetland’s Viking heritage.
“Organised by local communities, it is led by a squad of Viking warriors known as the Jarl Squad, with the leader, known as the Guizer Jarl, representing a different character from Norse mythology or history.
“One of Europe’s largest fire festivals, it involves various events and culminates in the burning of a replica Viking longship.”
Fred Olsen Cruises had advertised for a similar journey in 2020, which would have taken place in January the following year, which was then cancelled due to Covid.
The Balmoral will take passengers from Southampton to Shetland via Norway before returning to England again, on a 10-night voyage.
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