Cruises to Resume in the UK on May 17th

Cruising may be sailing out of England sooner than we thought! United Kingdom Maritime Minister Robert Courts appeared in a virtual meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Maritime and Group and announced the return of domestic cruising in the region starting May 17, 2021. The decision comes after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled his four-step plan to reopen the region by June 21, 2021. 

Speaking to the All Party Parliamentary Maritime and Group, Courts pointed out the significant health and safety procedures cruise lines have implemented and that this is an important first step to build confidence in an industry arguably hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. Allowing cruising to return is just part of the wider economic recovery plan set forth by the UK government. 

P&O Cruises, one of the most popular UK cruise lines, previously announced they would suspend sales for cruises sailing before June 21, 2021. In a series of tweets this morning from the cruise line account, P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow expressed his pleasure with the announcement from the government. 

“We are delighted that the Government has acknowledged that UK domestic cruise holidays can begin from May 17. Whilst it will take some weeks after this date for us to restart our operations we are very much looking forward to welcoming guests on board this summer for our series of Ultimate Escape staycations – UK coastal cruises. Details of these, with ships, dates and itineraries will be announced later this month.”

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There are conditions to the restart, however. All crew members will be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine prior to passengers arriving onboard. 

There’s no word on when non-citizens could board a cruise ship in the United Kingdom, but this is an excellent step forward for the industry as a whole. 

Have you taken a cruise in the United Kingdom before? Let us know in the comments below!