Cruises are back – here are the best value trips to book this summer

FINALLY, after more than a year on pause, cruising returns to the UK this summer with Brits among the first in the world to be allowed back on board.

Delighted cruise firms are racing to bring ships back into service with new rules to ­protect passengers and crew.

All aim to show that cruising can restart safely and the sailings are the first step in a gradual resumption for the travel industry sector worst hit by the pandemic.

Some larger operators have chosen to take it slowly, offering scenic cruises without ports of call for vaccinated passengers only, and others will visit selected UK ports.

Prices are incredible value compared with a similar holiday in the UK. With fine dining, entertainment and more included, they offer a great choice for cruise fans this summer.

Here, Lisa Minot looks at the options for those looking to head back out on the ocean.

P&O

SAILING FROM: June 27.

DO I NEED A VACCINE? Yes – proof of both jabs.

BRITAIN’S biggest cruise line will finally get to showcase its fabulous new ship, Iona, as it joins Britannia, offering a series of sailings “where the sun shines brightest” off the coast this summer.

Britannia will offer three and four-night breaks and one six-night holiday from June 27 to September 19. Iona offers seven-night itineraries running from August 7 to September 18.

Prices start from £449 per person for a three-night break on Britannia.

Iona’s seven-night maiden voyage starts from £1,199 per person and will see the new liner sailing Scottish waters before dropping anchor off the island of Iona, her namesake, with a celebratory extended stay until sunset.

For the short cruises on board Britannia, the idea will be to follow the sunshine on departures from Southampton on sailings along the south coast of England.

And for Iona’s week-long cruises, the ship will roam further afield, taking in Scotland, the Inner Hebrides and Iona on one itinerary and the Channel Islands and coast of France on its second.

On board, guests will be able to enjoy more than 30 different places to eat, multiple bars and lounges and, of course, West End-style entertainment and live music.

Iona will also feature aerial acrobatics in its new SkyDome, a unique glass-roofed space that will welcome guests to dive into a pool by day and take to the retractable stage by night for live shows and dancing.

P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said: “After the challenges of the past year, everyone deserves a treat and this series of cruises will provide ­memorable and much-needed UK getaways.

“While there is still uncertainty about holidays abroad this summer, we are delighted to be able to offer our guests the ultimate escape here in the UK with the reassurance that we will take care of everything. Also, we really will look at the weather forecast each cruise and aim to take our ships where it is warm and sunny.”

Princess

SAILING FROM: July 31.

DO I NEED A VACCINE? Yes – proof of both jabs.

PRINCESS Cruises will go further in the search for sun when it restarts short breaks and week-long trips on Regal Princess and Sky Princess.

With cruising allowed in UK and European waters provided the ship is within 72 hours of a UK port, Princess may sail into French and Spanish waters in August and September.

Regal Princess will offer 14 voyages from July 31 to September 23 and Sky Princess will offer eight from August 30 to September 28.

Longer cruises will include calls at UK ports including Liverpool, ­Belfast and Greenock.

The cruise line is highlighting its Covid-safe Ocean Medallion wearable device, which replaces a traditional cruise card and cash and allows for touchless check-in, simplified muster drills and the ability to order food, drink and shopping to anywhere on the ship.

Prices will offer superb value compared with a similar holiday in the UK, with a three-night all-inclusive cruise from £539pp and seven-night cruise from £999 with up to three ports of call.

You can book before May 3 with just a £50 deposit.

Fred Olsen

SAILING FROM: July 5.

DO I NEED A VACCINE? Maybe not – the company welcomes vaccines but wants a “multi- layered” approach and will ­follow government guidance.

FRED Olsen’s smaller ships are perfect for exploring UK coastal waters this summer and the company is planning 11 British sailings including maiden cruises for its newest liners, Borealis and Bolette.

The “Welcome Back” programme will include departures from Dover and Liverpool with three, four and five-night scenic sailings taking in the British coast and its islands including Shetland and Orkney and the Isles of Scilly.

Borealis will be first to set sail, with a three-night scenic maiden voyage from Liverpool on July 5, with Bolette departing on her three-night first outing from Dover on August 16.

Borealis will cruise from Liverpool to Scotland and then on to the Faroe Islands on her July 17 departure from Liverpool.

The ships were bought from Holland America Line and previously sailed under the names Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Carrying up to 1,400 guests they have six restaurants and 11 bars and lounges as well as two pools.

Viking & Tradewind

SAILING FROM: May ??22??.

DO I NEED A VACCINE? Jabs will not be required for the cruises but there will be daily Covid tests for guests and crew.

LUXURY cruise line Viking will kick off a series of cruises around the UK by naming its newest ship, Viking Venus, in the UK on May 17 – the day international travel restarts.

It’s tradition for ships to have a godmother to bring luck and the new boutique luxury liner’s is broadcaster Anne Diamond.

It will sail round trips from Portsmouth on May 22, May 29 and June 5 on eight-night cruises calling at ports including Liverpool, Tresco in the Isles of Scilly and Portland.

Pricing details for the cruise will be announced shortly at vikingcruises.co.uk.

 TRADEWINDS Voyages’ Golden Horizon is the world’s largest square-rigged sailing ship and offers the chance for a magical historic journey.

The ship’s four-night Cities Of The North West sailing, departing Greenock in Glasgow on July 21, will call at Port Rush and Belfast in Northern Ireland before arriving in Liverpool.

The full-board cruise starts from £849pp. See  luxurycruiseandmore.com.

MSC

SAILING FROM: May 20.

DO I NEED A VACCINE? No – either proof of vaccine or a ­negative test taken within 72 hours before sailing.

MSC has already welcomed more than 50,000 Italian guests on its ships in the Med as it became the first European company to restart operations last summer with cruises around Italy.

Now it plans to roll out all the lessons it learned on its first UK departures on the MSC ­Magnifica. On Friday it announced a series of short cruises, kicking off on May 20, followed by seven-night sailings visiting UK ports – and all are welcome. It is the first cruise line to welcome children since the pandemic.

MSC Magnifica, which has been sailing from Southampton since 2018, has introduced Brit-friendly features including ­kettles in every cabin, Yorkshire tea, Marmite at breakfast and scones for afternoon tea.

UK managing director Antonio Paradiso said: “Our hope is to offer every type of holidaymaker the chance to escape this summer, from grandparents to teens and even the smallest of passengers.”

Full details will be released soon at msccruises.co.uk.

Cococay is going to be ok

VACCINATED Brits could be cruising the Caribbean from June 5 as the Royal Caribbean Group announces its return.

Sailings with subsidiary Royal Caribbean start on June 12, with high-end sister line Celebrity Cruises setting sail a week earlier on June 5.

Departing from its new home port of Nassau in The Bahamas, RC’s Adventure of the Seas will be crewed by vaccinated staff during its seven-night Caribbean and Mexico sailings.

Bookings open on Wednesday for the one-week itineraries, which will dock for two days at RC’s private island, Perfect Day At CocoCay, Grand Bahama Island and Cozumel in Mexico.

Along with being vaccinated, UK holidaymakers must provide evidence of a negative PCR swab test taken no more than five days prior to arrival in The Bahamas to meet the island’s own Covid regulations.

Children under 18 with a negative test result within 72 hours of embarkation will also be allowed aboard.

Right choice

The UK Government is to allow foreign travel from May 17 at the earliest.
Michael Bayley, president of Royal Caribbean International, said: “We are excited to get back to delivering memorable holidays in the Caribbean, gradually and safely.

“The vaccines are clearly a game changer for all of us, and with the number of vaccinations and their impact growing rapidly, we believe starting with cruises for vaccinated adult guests and crew is the right choice.”

Celebrity Cruises will have the same rules on passenger admission.

Sailing from St Maarten, the newly renovated Celebrity Millennium will also be crewed by vaccinated staff during its new seven-night Caribbean itineraries, with non-vaccinated kids also allowed aboard.

Bookings open on Thursday for the week-long itineraries, which stop at either Aruba, Curaçao and Barbados or Tortola, St Lucia and Barbados.

St Marteen requires evidence of a negative test taken 72 hours before arrival.

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