Cunard has become the third line in a week to announce that it will be cruising around the UK this summer.
P&O Cruises started the ball rolling, quickly followed by Princess Cruises, which means that Southampton will at least be back in business locally while the international market is waiting for the pandemic to ease.
Cunard will offer a series of UK voyages on Queen Elizabeth, providing a staycation opportunity for British guests. More details will be revealed later this month.
Sailings will be in UK coastal waters and will replace a number of international sailings that unfortunately will be cancelled due to the current environment.
Cunard president Simon Palethorpe said today: “With the UK Government confirming that domestic travel is close on the horizon, we are introducing a series of exciting, shorter duration holidays for Brits looking for the perfect staycation in Cunard luxury this summer.
“However, with international travel restrictions still in place, we unfortunately need to cancel a number of departures. We know how much everyone is desperately looking forward to longed-for holidays overseas, so to all affected by this news, I am sincerely sorry for the disappointment this will cause.”
- Sailings on Queen Victoria are now cancelled for departures up to and including August 27, 2021.
- Queen Elizabeth’s summer Mediterranean fly cruise season and all departures up to and including October 11, 2021 are cancelled.
- Queen Mary 2’s current programme is affected by a number of factors and all departures up to and including November 12, 2021 are cancelled.
All guests whose cruises have been cancelled will automatically receive a Future Cruise Credit worth 125 per cent of what they paid and can be redeemed against any new booking made by the end of December 2021, on any cruise on sale at the time of booking. Alternatively, a full refund is available.