Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has opened a rare long-haul product for travelers who want both the Amazon and Antarctica on one round-trip sailing from the United Kingdom.
The line says Borealis will leave Southampton on January 5, 2028 for an 87-night Amazon and Antarctica Adventure, with the voyage going on sale July 22, 2026.
The traveler decision is not whether Antarctica is interesting in the abstract. It is whether this specific itinerary, early-booking window, Freedom Fare Price Promise, and solo-cabin offer fit a multi-month plan and a starting fare from 10,999 pounds per person.
- Ship: Borealis sails the 87-night Amazon and Antarctica Adventure.
- Departure: Southampton on January 5, 2028 on voyage S2801.
- Sale: Booking opens July 22, 2026 from 10,999 pounds per person.
- Scope: 28 ports across 17 countries and five continents.
- Early perk: Freedom Fare Price Promise and selected solo cabins through August 19, 2026.
What Fred. Olsen confirmed on July 21
According to the official Fred. Olsen press release dated July 21, 2026, the line is positioning the sailing as a one-of-a-kind Grand Voyage that pairs Amazon river scenic cruising with Antarctic Peninsula scenic days on a single round-trip from the UK.
The release names the ship as Borealis and the product as an 87-night voyage that calls at 28 ports across 17 countries and five continents. It states that sale opens on July 22, 2026 and that prices start from 10,999 pounds per person.
Martin Lister, head of product innovation at Fred. Olsen, said the sailing is the line’s first return to the Amazon for nine years.
He framed the Amazon segment as scenic river cruising with rainforest and wildlife access, and Antarctica as three days of scenic cruising past ice, glaciers, and peaks.
Independent trade reporting from Cruise Industry News on July 21, 2026 matches the same departure date, night count, port count, opening fare, and sale date. Use the Fred.
Olsen release as the primary authority, then treat the trade report as corroboration for the package outline.
The press materials also list Freedom Fare inclusions such as full-board dining with selected drinks at lunch and dinner, entertainment and enrichment talks, selected complimentary shuttle buses, fitness access, port taxes and fees, gratuities, and the line’s Satisfaction Guarantee. Those are package terms for Freedom Fare bookings, not a claim that every optional tour or premium cabin is included.
The itinerary map travelers should actually check
The published itinerary is long and should be read as a sequence of decisions, not as a brochure checklist. After Southampton, Borealis sails to Tenerife and La Palma, then into a Caribbean and Central American arc that includes Antigua, Samaná, Ocho Rios, Puerto Limón, Cartagena, Curaçao, Martinique, Grenada, Dominica, and Barbados.
The Amazon block includes river scenic cruising plus calls at Santarém, Manaus with an overnight, Boca da Valéria, and Alter do Chão before Fortaleza and Búzios. Rio de Janeiro is listed with an overnight stay, which matters for travelers who want city time without a same-day turnaround.
Farther south, the ship calls Puerto Madryn and Punta Arenas, cruises by Cape Horn, crosses the Drake Passage, and spends three days scenic cruising the Antarctic Peninsula. The return sequence includes Port Stanley, Montevideo, an overnight in Buenos Aires, Salvador, Mindelo, Las Palmas, La Coruña, and Southampton.
That path is not a classic expedition landing product. Fred.
Olsen’s language emphasizes scenic cruising and deck-level wildlife viewing from Borealis rather than a guaranteed multi-day Zodiac landing program. Travelers comparing polar products should keep that distinction clear against expedition-first options such as Deep Arrival’s Douglas Mawson polar expedition ship guide.
Borealis itself is the right ship identity for this story. The line is selling a smaller-ship Grand Voyage identity, not a mega-ship mass-market world cruise.
Readers who already research compact ocean ships can also use Deep Arrival’s Norway small-ship cruise guide as a planning bridge for how smaller vessels change port access and onboard scale, even though this sailing is South Atlantic rather than Norwegian fjords.
Sale timing, Price Promise, and solo cabins
The commercial window is as important as the itinerary. Sale opens July 22, 2026.
Bookings made by August 19, 2026 can use Fred. Olsen’s Freedom Fare Price Promise, which the line describes as reassurance that the cruise will not be offered at a better price within the first four weeks of sale.
That promise is time-bounded. It is not a permanent lowest-price guarantee for every later cabin category or every later promotional window through 2028.
Treat August 19, 2026 as the hard decision date for the early-protection offer.
During the same early period, the line says solo guests can benefit from a selection of cabins with no single supplement. That is a meaningful cost change for single travelers, but it is limited to a selection of cabins rather than every inventory type on Borealis.
Starting fare is 10,999 pounds per person. That number is an opening floor, not a promise that every balcony, suite, or late booking will price near the floor.
Confirm live cabin inventory, fare code, and cancellation terms on the booking path before treating the floor as your quote.
Reservations contacts in the release include the line’s phone desk and ABTA travel agents. If you are booking from outside the UK, confirm currency, deposit schedule, passport rules for each country on the route, and medical or age requirements that can apply to long polar-adjacent sailings.
Who this product fits, and who should wait
This product fits travelers who can leave work and home for nearly three months in early 2028, want both Amazon river scenery and Antarctic scenic days without a second long-haul reposition, and prefer a UK round-trip that avoids a one-way reposition flight for the main cruise segment.
It is a weaker fit for travelers who need multi-landing expedition operations, for families who need shorter school-year windows, or for guests who want a pure Caribbean winter cruise without the South American and polar blocks. The night count is the real filter.
Medical readiness matters more than on a seven-night Caribbean run. An 87-night voyage that includes Drake Passage scenic days and long ocean legs rewards travelers who check medical forms, travel insurance, and onboard medical limits early rather than after deposit.
Passport and visa planning is also multi-country work. The published port list spans Europe, the Caribbean, Central America, South America, the Falklands, Cape Verde, and the Canaries.
Do not assume a single visa waiver covers every call for every passport.
If you are still comparing ship scale and newer ocean products rather than polar-specific expedition ships, Deep Arrival’s newest cruise ships overview for 2026 and 2027 can help frame how current fleet introductions differ from a long Grand Voyage on an existing smaller ship like Borealis.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Want Amazon and Antarctica on one UK round-trip | Review the full S2801 port list and night count before deposit. |
| Can book between July 22 and August 19, 2026 | Use the Freedom Fare Price Promise window and check solo inventory. |
| Need expedition landings more than scenic days | Compare true expedition products instead of assuming Zodiac access. |
| Travel solo on a fixed budget | Confirm which cabin categories waive the single supplement now. |
| Cannot leave for 87 nights in early 2028 | Skip this voyage rather than forcing a partial match. |
- Mark the sale: Opening day is July 22, 2026 for live inventory.
- Use the window: Price Promise and selected solo offers run through August 19, 2026.
- Audit time off: The cruise itself is 87 nights from January 5, 2028.
- Check documents: Map passport, visa, and insurance needs for every country on the list.
- Match product type: Expect scenic polar days, not an automatic expedition landing program.
For readers who clear those filters, the practical next step is simple. Open the live Fred.
Olsen booking path on sale day, compare cabin categories against the August 19 protection window, and only deposit if the full 2028 calendar still works.
When does the Fred. Olsen Amazon and Antarctica Grand Voyage go on sale?
Fred. Olsen says the voyage goes on sale July 22, 2026, with an opening fare from 10,999 pounds per person.
When does Borealis leave Southampton for the 2028 Grand Voyage?
Borealis departs Southampton on January 5, 2028 for the 87-night Amazon and Antarctica Adventure under voyage code S2801.
What does the Freedom Fare Price Promise cover on this sailing?
Bookings made by August 19, 2026 can use the line’s Freedom Fare Price Promise for the first four weeks of sale; it is not an unlimited later-season guarantee.
Is this an expedition cruise with Antarctic landings?
Fred. Olsen markets three days of Antarctic Peninsula scenic cruising from Borealis; do not assume a multi-landing expedition program unless the final cruise documents state one.
Are solo travelers offered no single supplement?
During the early sale window through August 19, 2026, the line says a selection of cabins is available with no single supplement.
