The new 5,200 guests P&O Iona sailed into Southampton on Sunday ahead of her naming ceremony.
Dame Irene Hays, chair of Hays Travel, Britain’s largest independent travel agency, will name the LNG-fueled ship and a specially produced Nebuchadnezzar (equivalent to 20x 750ml bottles) of Alex James’s Britpop cider will smash against the hull of the ship to bring it a good fortune in the future.
P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said “It is a landmark day for both P&O Cruises and for the travel industry as a whole.
“We are on the cusp of a bright new beginning and Iona’s arrival into Southampton this morning is very visible evidence of this much-anticipated future.
“Our guests are longing to get back to sea and Iona’s summer season of UK coastal cruises, including her maiden voyage on August 7 up to her namesake island of Iona, has seen overwhelming demand.”
Adults wishing to sail onboard Disney Cruise Line’s Magic at Sea UK itineraries must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, the line has confirmed.
Bookings for the summer voyages – departing from Southampton, Liverpool, Newcastle and Tilbury – went on general sale Friday (30 April).
The line’s Disney Magic will sail mostly two and three-night voyages, as well as some four-night cruises, featuring “a treasure trove of activities” involving Mickey and Minnie Mouse and characters from Frozen and Marvel.
In an update to its protocols, Disney said it would implement “multiple layers of health and safety measures” including “full Covid-19 vaccination” for adults, Covid testing, health screenings, face coverings, reduced guest capacity, physical distancing and enhanced cleaning.
Disney Cruise Line president Thomas Mazloum said: “Our teams are bringing tremendous ingenuity and fun to these new cruises, tailoring them with care to the times we are living in, yet filling them with everything you’d expect from Disney, from great service and entertainment to immersive dining experiences and magic for the whole family.”
The 4,000-guest vessel will launch in June 2022 with a season of three and four-night cruises to Nassau, Bahamas and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, from Port Canaveral.
Marella Cruises has revealed details of its brand new itineraries sailing UK shores in summer 2021.
According to a press release, the Marella Explorer will set sail from Southampton on UK itineraries from June 25, 2021, sailing to new ports of call including, Belfast, Dublin and Liverpool.
The Marella Explorer 2, the cruise line’s adult-only ship, will also offer UK sailings from Newcastle from July 10, 2021, with even more UK ports of call.
“After pausing our operations for more than a year, we are delighted to announce our UK summer program and welcome our wonderful customers back onboard our ships. The safety and well-being of both our crew and passengers remain our priority which is why we have vaccination and testing protocols for all sailings from UK ports this summer,” said the Managing Director of Cruise TUI UK & I, Chris Hackney.
“Domestic sailings are a great step for the cruise industry and has given us the opportunity to take our customers to new destinations full of culture and history whilst still being close to home. We’re looking forward to this new adventure on the British seas and are dedicated to making sure our customers have the most memorable and exciting cruise with us,” he added.
The Marella Explorer will sail seven new UK itineraries during the summer 2021 season, “perfect for those looking to explore via sea the history and culture of some amazing British cities and towns,” the cruise line said. All itineraries will have recommended excursions from our onboard destination services team to offer guests options to make the most of their time ashore.
According to Marella, Sail the South Coast itinerary is a “great taster and for those new to cruising with a three-night itinerary from Southampton, visiting Dover for Canterbury Cathedral and Portland for the beautiful Abbotsbury Swannery & Gardens.”
“Cruisers looking for a longer break can experience the new Sail the Irish Sea. Departing in August from Southampton, it will visit popular cities including Liverpool, Dublin and Cobh in the Republic of Ireland,” the cruise line wrote.
Marella is also offering a number of Scottish itineraries, including ‘British Sights and Seas’ which will visit five Scottish hotspots. The history-rich itinerary has a day at sea before exploring Invergordon, the old historic town of Kirkwall and the rich culture of Leith and a visit to Edinburgh Castle before heading to Newcastle and then back down to Southampton.
A Taste of the West Coast will also see Marella Explorer sail to Greenock, the capital of Northern Ireland – Belfast and Holyhead before finishing the itinerary in Portland.
Anyone aged 18 years and older will be required to have had both COVID-19 jabs at least seven days before travelling. All under 18 year-olds, excluding infants under the age of two who will not be able to sail as they are exempt from testing, will be asked to have a lateral flow test.
All itineraries, except for those with Newcastle as an embarkation point, go on sale on April 16, Marella said. Newcastle sailings are expected to go on sale by the end of April.
UK sailings are available only for UK residents with a permanent UK address and a valid passport.
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