4 March 2021:
Following news this week that cruise lines such as P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, and even new line Tradewind Voyages, have re-evaluated their Summer cruise programmes from the UK, we thought we’d have a look at the reasons behind this and what we think we can expect from cruising from the UK in Summer 2021.
Will there be Cruises from the UK in 2021?
The short answer is “Yes, we absolutely believe so.”
The various cruise lines are all looking at what exactly is going to be possible as we all attempt to get travel, as a whole, restarted.
Under the current “roadmap” schedule holidays abroad could resume from 17 May, but that is very much a provisional date, with many targets for the government to hit before we can officially get going again. For cruise holidays, however, it is more likely that we would be looking at the later date of 21 June 2021, when we hope that there will be no legal limits on social contact. We also would need the FCDO to review its advice for cruise ship travel.
If We Can Travel, Why The Changes To The Cruise Programmes?
In the UK we’re extremely lucky to be so far ahead of the curve with our vaccination programme, but many countries are still behind us. So, whilst those of us that have been vaccinated would be able to travel with a far higher degree of protection against the virus, it doesn’t stop us carrying it (and the various strains) to other countries. And, therefore, there seems very little point in taking you to ports of call where the country’s borders are still closed to thousands of holidaymakers wishing to visit its shores.
How Are The Cruise Lines Approaching This?
Before we can even embark our cruise ship, the cruise line has to ready the ship. Bear in mind that the ships have all been occupied by a skeleton crew for a year now. Modifications have been made to ships, from new air conditioning and heating systems, to new protocols for social distancing and cleaning. All of this needs to be shown and taught to the returning crew.
If you take Sky Princess as an example, there are 1350 crew members that need to be flown in to join the ship, and they will all then require training before a single passenger steps aboard. That’s a mammoth task in itself… and then multiply that by the number of ships we hope to have sailing this summer.
What Are The Cruises Likely To Be?
The cruise lines will likely ease the ship, crew and passengers back into cruising. Starting small will be key.
We expect that ships will be sailing with drastically lower capacity than they’re capable of, with a view to increasing capacity as protocols are approved and finalised.
So far we’ve seen that the cruise holidays from the UK are going to be shorter coastal voyages, which generally means that you’ll enjoy scenic cruising and the facilities of the ship to the max!
As confidence grows throughout the summer, we would hope that we’ll also see ports of call gradually added to the programmes, with a view to being able to visit other countries by late September/October.
Don’t forget… we’re travel agents, and we’re here to help you with all your travel needs. That said, we aren’t scientists, engineers, politicians (sadly!), or even have a working crystal ball to see our travel future.
All we can say is that we’ll always look after you, and always be honest with you about what’s happening with your bookings through us.
We look forward to getting back out on the water with you all this Summer, or as soon as government advice and borders allow!
In the meantime, stay safe and remember Hope Floats!
If we can help with any of your travel plans this Summer or beyond then do get in touch. As part of the Travel Village Group we can arrange everything from Cruise Holidays to UK Staycations to Worldwide Escorted Tours, and so much more!
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