On the Bristol Channel Balmoral will sail for 54 days from 26th May to 4th June and then her main summer session of July 26th to September 4th. She will sail on 33 different days from her principle departure points of the two-historic award winning piers at Penarth and Clevedon, on some days calling as often as three times during a day. There will also be of course be sailings from all the usual Bristol Channel ports and harbours. This year there are three new special sailings from Milford Haven, (20th to 22nd June) thought to be the first since 1978. One is around the Haven and River Cleddau, then a special bird watching nature cruise around Skomer, Skokholm and Grassholm islands. Then a wonderful direct sailing from Milford to Lundy Island giving almost four hours on the remote mystical island.

Balmoral will be at Lundy 12 times during the summer and will again hold her Annual Church service at the wonderful Church of St Helens on Sunday 6th August. With the ship raising money to go towards the church’s restoration appeal. She has a wonderful connection with Lundy going back to 1969 – with the exception of the islands own supply vessel MS Oldenburg no other vessel has called at Lundy more than Balmoral.

Balmoral will spend 7 days in June, 12 days in July, and 14 in September on the fabulous North Wales / North West Coastline doing many exciting cruises from Llandudno, Menai Bridge, and other places sailing often to and from Liverpool. The around the Isle of Anglesey under the two famous bridges is a cruise unique to Balmoral. Then a first time ever cruise, to sail from Wales to Port St Mary on the Isle of Man on Thursday 29th June, sailing from either Menai Bridge or Llandudno with three hours ashore. These cruises are proving very popular with many advance bookings taken.

The 2017 Timetable is packed full of popular and special first ever or unique trips all around the UK.
Very many of the countries seaside piers will be called at throughout the summer. Balmoral does very well what our piers were predominantly built for. That’s providing the means for large numbers of happy people to enjoy coastal cruising, viewing the wonderful scenery and sights this country has to offer from the sea.

With Balmoral being Britains most travelled excursion vessel it is hard to come up with “firsts” but several gems are contained within the programme. Such as a sailing from Rye up the Thames and under Tower Bridge on 7th June. Then on 12th June Balmoral will repeat last year’s very successful circumnavigation of the Swale Channel on her around the Isle of Sheppey cruise. There will be a long weekend of cruises from Whitehaven to the Isle of Man between the 21st & 23rd July which were incredibly popular last year. The South Coast will have a brief visit between 15th & 18th June. The Western Isles of Scotland has some splendid cruises between the 6th and 13th July with calls at Coll, & Treshnish Isles, Colonsay and a sailing to the sacred isle of Iona on 12th July. The River Clyde and its associated calling points will be again on Balmorals itinerary between 21st & 25th September.

All in all a very busy, exciting and certainly challenging season ahead. But Captain David Howie, his crew and the team at White Funnel together with Balmorals many wonderful volunteers all around the country are all looking forward to immensely.

Full details of all Balmorals sailings and to book tickets go to the White Funnel website at www.whitefunnel.co.uk or Telephone 0117 325 6200