Viking Cruises will be operating sailings for the first time since it temporarily paused operations back in March 2020 due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The cruise line will be offering three domestic cruises onboard new cruise ship Viking Venus, sailing along the coast of England on a roundtrip from Portsmouth. They will be offered exclusively to UK residents.
The England's Scenic Shores itinerary will be eight-day sailings, with three departure dates currently scheduled; May 22, May 29 and June 5. Viking has remained fairly tight-lipped about exactly what will be on offer but has said these details will be revealed "in due course".
All other previously scheduled Viking sailings through to May 31 remain cancelled. The new sailings will be some of the first offered on the brand's newest ship Viking Venus, due to be delivered to the company in April.
You can find out more on vikingcruises.co.uk.
The news comes after it was revealed domestic cruises could resume from May 17, when restrictions on foreign travel are expected to be lifted in England as part of the government's roadmap for easing lockdown restrictions.
Speaking about Viking's plans for domestic cruises the company's Chairman, Torstein Hagen, said: "We welcome the UK Government’s support for the return of safe domestic cruises as an important component in the travel industry’s recovery. In recognition of this support, and to celebrate the fact we have a British godmother—the esteemed broadcaster and journalist Anne Diamond—we have chosen to name our new ship, Viking Venus, in the UK on 17 May.
"We are in a position to restart operations quickly and to start sailing again in May because we have kept our ships crewed during warm lay-up throughout the past 12 months.
"We have been implementing our additional protocols, including daily quick and easy non-invasive saliva PCR tests for our crew, for almost six months now. With our new protocol enhancements in place, we believe there will be no safer way to travel the world than on a Viking voyage and we look forward to welcoming UK guests back on board very soon."
Viking isn't the only brand to be offering domestic cruises this summer. Both P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises have also announced plans to offer domestic sailings over the summer months.
It's not yet clear when international cruises could resume - and the Foreign Office currently continues to advise against cruise ship travel during the pandemic.
It's not just UK restrictions which will be a factor - as cruises sail to multiple destinations, they're also tied to ongoing restrictions around the world. As a result, cruise lines have been temporarily extending pauses in operations and cancelling sailings, with some cancelling through to September. (We have a guide on when cruise lines plan to restart where you can find more information).
Are you hoping to go on a domestic cruise this summer if restrictions are lifted? Let us know in the comments below.
