Poison, Murder & Mystery Cruise A UNIQUE CRUISE EXPERIENCE FROM FRED. OLSEN YOUR INVITATION AWAITS
OPEN if you dare!
A Murder Mystery cruise like no other
Cruise from only
£2,499pp
*
Chance to dine with a Duchess!
**
A SPECIAL COLLABORATION BETWEEN MR FRED. OLSEN SENIOR AND HER GRACE, THE DUCHESS OF NORTHUMBERLAND
Poison, Murder & Mystery Cruise SAILS FROM ROSYTH (EDINBURGH)
10TH JULY 2015 16 NIGHTS • BOUDICCA • D1516
SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING DIFFERENT, SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL INDEED. Fred. Olsen is proud to introduce a unique experience, the like of which you will never have seen or heard of before. Imagine a cruise created around mystery, murder, poison, secrecy and suspense. One where, if you wish, you can be directly involved in our mystery extravaganza, as it evolves. This is special, very special – and not to be missed. The result of a creative collaboration between Mr Fred. Olsen Senior and Her Grace, The Duchess of Northumberland, this is a journey of the mind as well as the body that you will remember and cherish forever. We are delighted to say that the Duchess will be joining the cruise for part of the itinerary and we are hopeful that Mr Fred. Olsen Senior himself will be on board too. Let’s not forget, you can enjoy this great adventure as it unfolds, while Boudicca leisurely cruises to Lisbon, Spain, the Canary Islands and, finally, the UK.
FOR ADULT TRAVELLERS ONLY* The length and nature of this sailing are suited to the adult traveller; therefore only those over 18 are able to join.
GREAT VALUE PRICES A Fred. Olsen holiday is always great value and this cruise is no exception. Prices start from just £2,499pp and as you can see, we’ve created a super holiday for you from beginning to end - there’s so much to do and so much included.
FREE DOOR-TO-DOOR TRAVEL* OR UP TO £150PP ON BOARD SPEND* - IF YOU BOOK BY 31ST AUGUST 2014 For a limited time, on this sailing, we are offering you a choice of either free door-to-door travel for guests who live within 250 mainland miles of Rosyth (Edinburgh), or up to £150 per person on board spend*. So, your holiday starts from the moment you step out of your front door. Escape to a place where murder, intrigue and suspense rule, where a light is shone on some of the darker moments of human history and behaviour. With a carefully crafted line-up of entertainment never seen before, every day you’re on board we’ll present you with something different, something new. Whatever you do, don’t miss this brilliant, once-in-a-lifetime cruise! Join us and you’ll experience, discover and learn so much. You’ll return home with a wealth of stories you’ll want to share. So go on, we dare you, come join us for an exploration of poison, murder and mystery!
IN KEEPING WITH OUR THEME, YOU WILL ENJOY:
• A Murder Mystery experience like no other, lasting the entire length of the cruise – will you guess who dunit? • The chance to immerse yoursel f in the whole experience, by participating as a character* in the adventure – if you wish. For more information, visit our website www.fredolsencruises.com/ poison. Or if you prefer, sit back, rela x and let everything unfold around you. The choice is yours. • The opportunity to dine with The Duchess of Northumberland** if you have booked a Premier or Mar quee Suite • Seeing deadly poison plants up close • A guided tour of Alnwick Castle, its fabulous gardens and the dark er attraction: the famous Poison Gar den – followed by dinner and a Murder Mystery show • A presentation by The Duchess of Northumberland on the creation of the spectacular Alnwick Garden s • A daytime tour of the Pyramids of Güímar in Tenerife, including the world-renowned Poison Garden. In the evening, enjoy an outdoor performance in the grounds of the pyramid complex • A fantastic line-up of guest spea kers, including a forensic examiner, a venom specialist and an archaeo logist. There will also be interactive, ‘hands on’ demonstrat ions of poison making! • Felix Francis, younger son of thri ller writer legend Dick Francis, recounting his father’s career and the highs and lows of being an International Best-Selling Author • Performances by the Travelling Players, covering, amongst other subjects, Rasputin’s death, the Um brella assassin, the trial of Socrates, the Borgias, Cleopatra’s suicide – plus songs from The Little Shop of Horrors • Your sleuthing skills tested to the limit! • Other events and speakers to be confirmed and released nearer departure...
SHORE TOURS CAN ENHANCE YOUR EXPERIENCE
nt, To add even more to your enjoyme a great selection of Shore Tours will be available (at additional cost). Visit ww w.fredolsencruises.com for more details.
Rosyth
Northumberland (from North Shields) (overnight)
Oporto
(from Leixões)
Lisbon
Madeira Tenerife Gran Canaria
PRICING PER PERSON Cabin Type Inside twin from Outside twin from Balcony twin from Suites from Single from
Price (per person) £2,499 £2,799 £4,099 £4,199 £3,899
There are a limited number of cabins available at the ‘from’ price. Prices correct at time of going to print, but are capacity controlled and may change at any time. Prices based on two people sharing.
THERE’S SO MUCH INCLUDED UISE: IN THE PRICE OF YOUR CR rse à la carte
se, from five-cou • All meals throughout your crui ht snacks dining to casual buffets and late-nig n day and early evening and afternoo • Tea and coffee throughout the tea with sandwiches & cakes • Air conditioned en-suite rooms uding dancing and cabaret shows • All evening entertainment, incl • A choice of daytime activities , swimming pools and Jacuzzis • Leisure facilities including gym Buffet • Captain’s Cocktail Party and Gala
WHAT HAVE WE GOT IN STORE FOR YOU…? Join us and our troupe of Travelling Players for the longest participatory Murder Mystery at Sea ever. Pick your character* and dress as a glamorous guest aboard an ocean-liner from the ‘20s. Get ready for a holiday like no other.
S TWISTS AND TURN … AT EVERY CORNER
on the tent unfolds both Our story of evil in tions of the exotic loca ship and in some ng e journey, includi we visit during th The s: g poison garden two world-beatin ick umberland’s Alnw Duchess of North , ar ramids of Güím Garden and the Py every ists and turns at Tenerife. With tw oven rw ot cleverly inte corner and the pl tivities… throughout all ac d e keenest eye an only those with th k ill be able to crac sharpest mind w this whodunit.
Day 1: Edinburgh
The story begins… Watch from the deck as the Travelling Players embark Boudicca with all their ‘baggage’. Why are they here? What dark secrets do they hold? Will they still be friends at the end? Do they know that renowned theatre critic Victor Timm is also on board? Guest speaker Peter Dean will give a fascinating lecture on his experience working as a Forensic Medical Examiner with the Metropolitan Police.
Evening… Join us in the show lounge for an introduction to
the Murder Mystery extravaganza. If you’ve opted to take part, find out more about your 1920’s character. You might even witness the first clue!
Day 2: At Sea Theme of the day: That most infamous of poisons – arsenic. A selection of trivia relating to our poisonous theme of the day.
Evening… Mystery guest speaker to be confirmed. Film of the Day: Arsenic & Old Lace.
1944 Cary Grant classic. A drama critic learns on his wedding day that his beloved maiden aunts are homicidal maniacs, and that insanity runs in his family.
Evening…In tonight’s performance, our travelling players help you learn more about the infamous Medicis of Renaissance Italy. A family who became synonymous with assassination plots by means of poisoned food or drink throughout the 1500’s. First Formal Night: 1920’s Theme. The first opportunity to dress as your character in a Gatsby-style extravaganza.
Day 3: At Sea Theme of the day: Ricin & Cyanide.
The afternoon performance by the Travelling Players will be dark comedy, as they prepare the poisoned meal that was at the centre of the intrigue around Rasputin’s death. Guest lecturer Dr Dan Jones gives deeper insight into Rasputin with his fascinating lecture Rasputin the Mad Monk: Seducer and Mystic. He was drugged, poisoned, beaten, stabbed and thrown into the icy River Neva. But who fired the shot that actually killed him?
Evening… Tonight the Travelling Players present The
Umbrella Assassin where we discover more about the high profile murder of Russian Georgi Markov, killed by the deadly Ricin seed when he was stabbed in the leg by an umbrella. Don’t forget to keep your eyes and ears out for Murder Mystery clues cleverly interwoven into the script. The Boudicca showteam, in homage to Rasputin and his alleged poison-induced death, perform Boney M’s Rasputin in the Neptune Lounge – sing along!
Day 4: At Sea Theme of the day: The Unmistakable Mandrake.
A plant with a root that looks like a human which, legend has it, lets out a fatal scream if pulled from the ground. Throughout the day we present a selection of readings on the iconic Mandrake through the ages. Fascinatingly, this unusual plant has been referenced in The Bible, Shakespeare and Machiavelli and its roots have long been used in magic rituals.
Film of the Day: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Second in the world-famous Harry Potter series with scenes of the mandrake and the stunning Alnwick Castle.
transformed into a courtroom for the trial of Socrates, but which method of execution will he choose? What clues will this evening reveal?
Day 7: Funchal, Madeira
Film of the Day: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1968). The film version of Shakespeare's comedy performed by members of the Royal Shakespeare Company with stars including: Derek Godfrey and Barbara Jefford. Guest speaker today is Dr Mark Siddall. He’ll be cooking up all manner of poisons and potions in a hands-on, interactive demonstration, including a modern day ‘witches’ brew’
Evening… In an incredible feat of memory, The tongue-
Evening… Celebrity guest speaker to be confirmed.
twisting Periodic Table song, with all 118 elements described, is performed pre-show tonight. Listen out for those most deadly!
Day 5: Leixoes (for Oporto), Portugal
Day 8/9: Santa Cruz, Tenerife
Evening… The Travelling Players present the wonderful song
Theme of the day: Today the focus turns to two of The
A special treat today, as we visit one of the world’s best poison gardens at the Pyramids of Güímar. Guests will be taken on a tour around the garden and the pyramids. Amazing stories unfold when describing the collection of poisonous plants.
Duchess’ favourite poisonous plants: Belladonna and Hemlock. The Travelling Players tell the tale of the House of Borgia. A prominent family of the Italian renaissance who favoured hemlock as their poison of choice!
Film of the Day: Pirámides de Güimar. A documentary presentation of this remarkable garden to whet the appetite before the Shore Tour.
by Tom Lehrer Poisoning Pigeons in the Park.
Day 6: At Sea
To complement the theme, guest lecturer is Dr Dan Jones, who presents Lunch with the Borgias: The family that sleeps together kills together. Discover their darkest secrets!
Film of the Day: Kon Tiki (2012).
Based on the stories associated with the Pyramids of Güímar, legendary explorer Thor Heyerdahl’s epic 4,300-mile crossing of the Pacific on a balsawood raft in 1947. The intention was to prove that it was possible for South Americans to have settled in Polynesia in pre-Columbian times.
Evening… The Murder Mystery continues to develop
through this evening’s performance. The Neptune Lounge is
A stunning piece of theatre unfolds as we present a condensed version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Set at the beautiful Pyramids of Güímar complex, this wittly-narrated piece takes us through all the major scenes of the play with a full cast of actors, sumptuous costumes and a beautiful sunset backdrop. The play is full of references to plants and poisons.
Day 9: Las Palmas, Gran Canaria
Party night: The Captain invites you to a 1920’s themed party. Tonight sees major plot developments in our Murder Mystery. Come dressed as your character and quiz your fellow passengers some more. Maybe somebody is not who they say they are?
Day 10: At Sea Theme of the day: Opiates.
From the Opiate Wars in South China to the poppy fields of Afghanistan, opiates have had a surprising impact on the world. Find out more during our opiate filled day!
Evening… The plot thickens tonight, as the Travelling Players
Film of the Day: The Little Shop of Horrors, a toe-tapping musical about the ultimate killer plant!
give their rendition of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s epic poem Kubla Khan. Written whilst high on opiates, it is a masterpiece that has endured the test of time. The mystery unfolding offstage is as intriguing as the one being played onstage.
Evening…Tonight the Boudicca Show Team give us a selection of songs from The Little Shop of Horrors. With some amazing video and stage effects to bring killer plant “Audrey 2” to life.
Day 11: Lisbon, Portugal
Day 15: Newcastle
Film of the Day: Romeo and Juliet
Expect a wonderful visit to The Alnwick Garden, where guests will meet the intoxicating inhabitants and become familiar with some well-known killers close up.
More today from Dr Mark Siddall, with his absolutely fascinating Poison in History talk. Not to be missed.
The Travelling Players will be accompanying guests to the garden for their final performance. Is that a safe thing to do in the country’s finest poison garden?
The day’s film will be Baz Luhrmann’s modern take on this classic, staring Leonardo DiCaprio.
The Duchess of Northumberland joins Boudicca Evening… The Elizabethans knew a lot about the effects of
plants on the human body, both good and bad; Shakespeare certainly reflected the fear of a painful death by poison in a few of his plays. Tonight our Travelling Players recite some of the more famous speeches and scenes from his works with murder and poison at the core.
Day 12: At Sea Theme of the day: Women and Poison Day.
It is well known that poison is the number one choice of murder weapon by women. Today we uncover some of history’s most infamous femme fatals.
Day 13: At Sea
Evening… A pre-show vignette on Cleopatra, poisoned by her own fair hand. She has been immortalized forever by Shakespeare and Hollywood.
Day 14: At Sea
Today sees the last major opportunity for grilling all the Murder Mystery characters, checking for all the clues and evidence.
Evening… Everyone is invited to a final cocktail reception being thrown by the Travelling Players.
Day 16: Newcastle
Evening…The winner will be announced tonight and able to receive their prize. How well will you and your canny fellow guests have done at quizzing the characters and working out whodunit?
WHO’S ON BOARD... We have been fortunate to be able to secure these prominent speakers.
FELIX FRANCIS
MARK SIDDALL
Younger son of thriller-writer legend Dick Francis Felix spent 17 years teaching physics before taking on the role of managing his father’s career, co writing and number of novels including ‘Dead Heat’ and ‘Silks’. After Dick passed away in 2010, Felix took up the mantle ensuring Dick’s work will live on, penning three more novels. Felix will tell about the astonishing career of his father and the ‘trials’ of being an International Best Selling author.
Curator American Museum of Natural History An expert on evolutionary biology and poisons, he is currently researching Darwinian selection and the diversity of hemotoxic venom proteins of leeches. Mark is renowned for his ‘Toxicology Theatre’ – a hands on interactive experience delivered in Monty Python-esque style.
PETER DEAN Dr Peter Dean is Her Majesty’s Coroner for Essex For many years he has captivated audiences, recounting his many and varied experiences and examining some of the most gruesome cases in the history of crime.
ENIOR S N E S L O . D E R F R M shipping and Norwegian Mr Fred. Olsen is a , he since the age of 26 d, energy pioneer an nies pa m co ng ldi of the ho has been Chairman s. This group of companie of the Fred. Olsen famous n Cruise Lines, the includes Fred. Olse mber of nu a d nd & Wolff an ship builders Harla s. ion organizat other travel related business d. Olsen’s primary For some time, Fre rvices se ng idi ov energy; pr interest has been focus industry and a real to the Oil and Gas ative ov gy - building inn on renewable ener wind e or fsh managing of ‘Windcarriers’ and of the an m air Ch o was als energy projects. He 20 d 02. As a between 1980 an Timex Corporation ded a great ar aw or he has been successful innovat ctorates, Do ry ra luding hono many accolades inc rship. honorary Professo Fellowships and an th al passion for art wi Fred. Olsen has a re ard bo on d un fo ces being many original pie e th the other vessels of the Boudicca and t in es er int s Lines fleet. Hi Fred. Olsen Cruise led s, nt pla us no cially poiso horticulture, espe in en rd Ga n iso Po n his ow The to the creation of e, ac Gr endship with Her ed Tenerife and his fri ag is n se Ol r umberland. M lo Duchess of North Os in ing sid re n, ian citize 85 and is a Norweg land. of his time in Scot h uc m g din but spen
DR DAN JONES Eminent Historian and Archaeologist Dr Dan Jones will be speaking on a range of titles including Boudicca, the Borgia’s and Rasputi guaranteed to titillate the most discerning in their quest for yet more murder, mystery and mayhem!
Poison, Murder & Mystery Cruise A COLLABORATION BETWEEN
MR FRED. OLSEN SENIOR AND
HER GRACE, THE DUCHESS OF NORTHUMBERLAND
HER GRACE, THE DUCHESS OF NORTHUMBERLAND Jane Northumberland is the visionary behind The Alnwick Garden, the largest visitor attraction in the North East. It is a registered charity which aims to raise aspirations and run charitable programmes for the educatio n and well-being of the local community. It offers local people access to projects, events, services and opportunities and it aims to promote a healthy, fulfilled quality of life. Alnwick Castle and The Alnwick Garden welcom es over 800,000 visitors each year. Jane has travelled worldwide and around the U.K. giving over 400 lectures about The Alnwick Garden and its charitable ethos. She is particularly interested in natural poisons and aphrodisiacs and has built one of the only Poison Gardens in the world in which every plant is a killer.
Poison, Murder & Mystery Cruise
* These terms and conditions are in addition to Fred. Olsen’s standard Terms and Conditions that apply to all bookings. Fred. Olsen’s full set of Terms and Conditions are available on our website, fredolsencruises.com and on request. We advise all passengers to review these before booking. Information shown is correct at time of going to press (July 2014). Some ports may be at anchor, intermediate days are at sea. We reserve the right to amend itineraries for operational reasons. pppn is per person, per night. Some of the activities mentioned are chargeable, optional tours which are bookable six weeks prior to departure, subject to availability. Prices are correct at the time of going to print, but may change at any time. Please call for the latest prices. Itinerary is flexible, speakers and order of presentation may change. Character places will be limited in number and will be offered on a first come, first served basis. Free door-to-door offer is applicable for departures within 250 mainland miles of your home, any additional mileage must be paid to the taxi company at the time of booking. You may be required to share a cab for all or part of the journey. Passengers may elect to use the door-to-door service the day before departure but will then be responsible for finding their own way to the port, at their own expense, on the day of departure. Once your complimentary transport arrangement has been confirmed by the transport provider; if you subsequently fail to take this arrangement and not cancel with the transport provider, then you will be liable for the cost, your on board account will automatically be charged and your return journey cancelled. Not combinable with on board spend offer. Offer ends 31st August 2014. On board spend is per person (maximum of two people per booking) and varies, depending on cabin type and is not combinable with Free door-to-door offer. There is no cash alternative or refund offered for unused on board spend. Offer ends 31st August 2014. Adult travellers only: Passengers for this cruise, D1516, must be aged 18 or over at the time of departure.**Only guests booking a Premier Suite or Marquee Suite will be eligible to dine with Her Grace, The Duchess of Northumberland, subject to her availability. All engagements with Her Grace, The Duchess of Northumberland, are subject to her availability. We would like to keep you up to date with relevant offers and news from Fred. Olsen. Should you prefer not to be contacted, you can opt out at any time by advising us by email to: emailresponse@fredolsen.co.uk, by telephone or by post, specifying your full name and address. E&OE