From May cruising around Britain will resume, with many luxury ships setting sail on adventures around our beautiful coastline, offering new domestic routes for safer travel. For our cruise companies, 2021 is set to be a summer of ‘seacations’, and this offers a wonderful opportunity to experience Britain’s idyllic isles, charming cities and seaside treasures with stunning sea-views! We have all been deprived of holidays for such a long time, this new wave is sure to gently rock away our woes. Pack your suitcase and get to a port near you – the British coast is calling!

1. Cunard – British Isles Voyages

Cunard Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth

Cunard’s Summer at Sea luxury UK voyages on board Queen Elizabeth sail between July and October 2021. There’s four round-trips from Southampton, each sailing along the stunning UK coastline taking guests to experience the very best of the British Isles. From the Jurassic Coast, England’s only natural UNESCO world heritage site, Cornwall’s Land’s End, to Scotland’s Isle of Arran, Mull of Kintyre and Sound of Mull there’s plenty of choice. Enjoy exquisite fine dining, on-board spa and spectacular entertainment – as well as the scenic cruise port calls to include Liverpool, Greenock, Invergordon, Belfast, Newcastle as well as a maiden call for Cunard’s fleet to the Welsh port of Holyhead.

Four-night scenic British Isles Voyages are priced from £599 per person for a Balcony Stateroom, while a ten night British Isles Voyage will start at £1,299 per person for a Balcony Stateroom. Seven night Sun Voyages are priced from £899 per person for a Balcony Stateroom.

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2. Viking – England’s Scenic Shores

Viking Cruises
Viking Cruises

Three special ocean sailings along the coast of England have been launched by Viking setting sail this summer. England’s Scenic Shores are available exclusively for UK residents, and will sail roundtrip from Portsmouth. The eight-day ocean itineraries depart on 22 May, 29 May and 5 June 2021. Guests will be among the first to sail on board Viking’s newest ocean ship, the beautifully designed Viking Venus, which will be delivered in April. Explore the maritime city of Liverpool, admire coastal scenery and witness the natural wonders of the stunning Jurassic Coast. Celebrate Great Britain’s heritage with Privileged Access to a handpicked selection of private country estates and discover the history of those who lived there.

For eight days including four guided tours prices start from £1,490. Please request a quote for further information and to stay up-to-date on new voyages.

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3. Princess Cruises – All-Inclusive UK ‘Summer Seacations’

Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises has revealed a series of 14 short breaks and week-long cruises aboard their Regal Princess and Sky Princess ships, scheduled to sail from Southampton around the UK coast from late summer. The all-inclusive voyages of the British Isles will take sail from July 31 through to September 28, 2021. The scenic cruises and voyages will stop in ports to include the historic UK cities of Liverpool, Belfast and Glasgow, with itineraries ranging from three to seven nights. Guests will be able to enjoy ‘Truly Touchless’ experiences and personalised services through the cruise line’s new Covid-19 safety measures, to include touchless embarkation and disembarkation, keyless stateroom entry and on-demand food, beverages and retail items delivered anywhere on board.

All-inclusive fares for a balcony stateroom start from £539pp for a three-night scenic voyage; £599pp for a four-night cruise with up to one port; and £999pp for a seven-night cruise with up to three ports-of-call. All guests will have the opportunity to make their cruise all-inclusive by selecting the Princess Plus fare, which includes the line’s premium drinks package, unlimited MedallionNet Wi-Fi and gratuities for £30 per person per day. Booking are for UK resident COVID-19 vaccinated guests only.

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4. Tradewind Voyages – Golden Horizon’s dress rehearsal cruise along the south coast

Tradewind Voyages
Tradewind Voyages

Golden Horizon first dress rehearsal seven-night cruise along the South Coast departs Jun 22, 2021 before final preparations for her inaugural UK season starting in July. The five-star luxury week-long cruises aboard the luxurious Golden Horizon, a near replica of a 1913-built ocean-faring ship, and the world’s largest square-rigged sailing vessel, depart from Portsmouth. The journey heads west towards Weymouth, passing the Isle of Wight and the sandy beaches of Bournemouth. Stop overnight in Falmouth exploring southern Cornwall’s spectacular coastline, white-sand beaches and astonishingly clear-blue waters, up the Roseland Heritage Coast, docking in Fowey – a picturesque little town set on a steep hillside above the mouth of the River Fowey. Next port of call is Dartmouth, with its great museums and twin castles at the mouth of the River Dart, before the voyage ends in Poole, Dorset – a great jumping-off point to explore the Jurassic Coast or Brownsea Island.

Golden Horizon’s dress rehearsal cruise along the south coast was sold out at the time of publishing – however please do check the website for announcements of new voyages starting in the UK in July. Prices for a 7-day cruise sailing in the UK on Golden Horizon start from £999.

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5. Hurtigruten – The magnificent British Isles 

Hurtigruten UK
Hurtigruten UK

Hurtigruten UK have a selection of summer seacations, from 4-15 days, exploring the beautiful and scenic British Isles, from rugged English cliffs and remote Scottish islands to historic Irish cities packed with culture. Enjoy venturing to places that are off the beaten track, from remote beaches in the rugged Scottish Hebrides to the sandy coves and small fishing villages of England’s Cornwall. From the chalk cliffs of England’s Dover to Scotland’s windswept Shetland Islands, expeditions aboard The Hurtigruten allow you to really explore the coastline and isles, dropping anchor at little-visited natural harbours and beaches, or pulling up alongside historic Welsh ports and Irish cities. The wild beauty of the British Isles is enough to satisfy the curiosity of everyone, with an abundance of cultural drawcards and historical sites, as well as awe-inspiring wildlife havens to explore. What’s more, knowledgeable onboard Expedition staff can help you get the most out of your voyage, so whether it’s visiting a traditional Scottish island distillery, a historical English seaport, or a colony of seabirds, they will look into arranging it for you.

The Hurtigruten 15-day cruise British Isles – Picturesque Ports, Isolated Islands and Wonderful Wildlife, prices start from £2995, with breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

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Jessica Way

Jessica Way is an award-winning travel journalist, Editor of British Travel Journal and Dream Escape Magazine. She spends most of her time visiting extraordinary cityscapes, countryside and coastlines across the British Isles

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