Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ Borealis set sail on its Around the World in 80 Days voyage from Southampton last week.

The cruise will follow as closely as possible in the footsteps of fictional character Phileas Fogg.

During the voyage, guests will cruise the Suez Canal and explore the temples of Luxor and Karnak in the Egyptian port of Safaga.

Borealis will also call in Mumbai and Singapore, including a visit to the UNESCO-listed Botanic Gardens.

From Singapore, there we be calls in to Japan in time to witness the cherry blossoms in bloom.

The line said that guests will also be able to “delve in to the Samurai heritage at Fukuoka and Osaka Castle”, and experience the temples, street food and architecture of Hong Kong.

Fred Olsen offering ‘exploration of a lifetime’

Fred Olsen head of itinerary planning and destination experience Martin Lister said: “The departure of a world cruise is always incredibly exciting, but this one is especially so as our guests will be reliving the journey of the famous fictional explorer Phileas Fogg.

“This global adventure has been handcrafted by us to allow our guests to experience some truly remarkable worldwide events, including the 100^th anniversary commemorations at the Tomb of Tutankhamun or witnessing Japan’s beautiful cherry blossom in bloom.

“This really is set to be an exploration of a lifetime. I’m so excited to be able to share it with our guests on board.”

In early February, Fred Olsen unveiled a new 20-night cultural exploration of the Adriatic and Mediterranean for its 2024/25 programme.

The line also celebrated a record number of bookings in January, including a 50 per cent rise in those trying the line for the first time, compared to January 2020.

At the time, Fred Olsen managing director Peter Deer said: “We have seen a phenomenal start to the year, with bookings – including those trying our brand for the first time – exceeding those in our last pre-pandemic year in 2019.”