Cruise excursions around the UK

[eric4395]

Can anyone advise regarding port visits around the UK when cruises start up again. Is it a case you must take an organised excursion with the ship at places like Liverpool, Southampton etc 

[wowzz]

43 minutes ago, eric4395 said:

Can anyone advise regarding port visits around the UK when cruises start up again. Is it a case you must take an organised excursion with the ship at places like Liverpool, Southampton etc 

At present, the answer is yes, organised excursions only.

[Flatbush Flyer]

54 minutes ago, eric4395 said:

Can anyone advise regarding port visits around the UK when cruises start up again. Is it a case you must take an organised excursion with the ship at places like Liverpool, Southampton etc 

Let’s hope so.

[marco]

Don't know about cruises around the UK, but our QM TA has already just been canx.  And this was originally supposed to have been a TA last year.

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, eric4395 said:

Can anyone advise regarding port visits around the UK when cruises start up again. Is it a case you must take an organised excursion with the ship at places like Liverpool, Southampton etc 

best to check with your cruise line 

[John Bull]

18 hours ago, eric4395 said:

Can anyone advise regarding port visits around the UK when cruises start up again. Is it a case you must take an organised excursion with the ship at places like Liverpool, Southampton etc 

 

The situation is still fluid, and it will all depend on when you plan to cruise & the circumstances then.

Covid infections, hospitalisations & deaths in the UK have fallen consistently since the turn of the year and are currently the lowest in Europe. So day-by-day and restriction-by-restriction the UK is coming out of Covid lockdown and  is on-course for all restrictions (other than masks & social distancing) to be gone by 21st June.

 

But sadly mainland Europe is in a different place - most countries are experiencing rising figures and are entering a third spike in infections.

Even if the UK can keep to its "roadmap" without significant Covid increases, international travel is very likely to be restricted.

Currently no unnecessary travel is permitted in or out of the UK, and quarantining  (in some cases in Govt-controlled hotels) is required for all except truck drivers etc.

There's talk of reviving last summer's "safe travel corridors", and of countries being categorised in "traffic-light" colours (safe, medium risk, high risk) based on a country's infection level, vaccination level, etc - but those circumstances do change. Last summer some countries were removed from the safe list with just a few days' notice, resulting in cancelled or curtailed holidays or quarantines.

 

So the questions are whether your cruise will actually happen, and whether you'll be permitted to enter the UK unless you're a resident.

 

From mid-May a couple of Brit cruise lines are offering UK "cruises to nowhere" - 3 to 7-nights following the coast but no ports-of-call.

 

Jus a personal opinion, but I don't think the UK governments will require that passengers go ashore on ships' excursions. But just to complicate matters a little further, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland have devolved governments and they might have the power to require that - or to deny ports-of-call, which could result in revised itineraries or more sea-days.

And  (I'm a very cynical person🙄) cruise lines might unilaterally impose ashore-by-ship's-excursion-only (kerrrching).

 

If your cruise is next year, hopefully you can ignore this post. Fingers-crossed, perhaps ditto for this  September.

 

Much of this post is JMHO

 

JB 🙂

Edited April 5, 2021 by John Bull

[wowzz]

49 minutes ago, John Bull said:

From mid-May a couple of Brit cruise lines are offering UK "cruises to nowhere" - 3 to 7-nights following the coast but no ports-of-call.

More than a couple John. Saga, P&O,  Princess, Cunard, Celebrity, Fred Olsen and MSC,  just off the top of my head. 

[babs135]

31 minutes ago, wowzz said:

More than a couple John. Saga, P&O,  Princess, Cunard, Celebrity, Fred Olsen and MSC,  just off the top of my head. 

Disney as well I believe.  Going to be very crowded round Britain !!!

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, wowzz said:

More than a couple John. Saga, P&O,  Princess, Cunard, Celebrity, Fred Olsen and MSC,  just off the top of my head. 

 

Viking also starting at end of May

[John Bull]

On 4/5/2021 at 11:29 AM, wowzz said:

More than a couple John. Saga, P&O,  Princess, Cunard, Celebrity, Fred Olsen and MSC,  just off the top of my head. 

 

On 4/5/2021 at 12:01 PM, babs135 said:

Disney as well I believe.  Going to be very crowded round Britain !!!

 

On 4/5/2021 at 3:09 PM, Heidi13 said:

 

Viking also starting at end of May

 

 

OK, guys - I get the drift 😛

 

JB 🙂