The cruise brand’s UK and EMEA general manager Anthony Daniels said the roadmap outlined by Boris Johnson on Monday (22 February) was “a positive step to restarting the travel industry”, adding he was looking forward to welcoming guests back onboard “once it is safe to do so”. 

Hurtigruten had previously cancelled expedition cruises onboard MS Maud from Dover through to the end of May.

Daniels said the line was “in contact with the Foreign Office and the necessary international authorities” to confirm its “safe restart of expedition cruises currently planned from June”.

“Cautiously optimistic is how we have greeted yesterday’s news,” he added.

Johnson announced yesterday that a “newly reconstructed” Global Travel Taskforce would be launched to produce a report by 12 April into how international travel should be restarted.

He told MPs that as part of government’s four-step easing strategy, overseas travel would be allowed “no earlier” than 17 May.

Cruise lines and agents have welcomed the roadmap, with a source telling TTG they expected the industry to be represented on the new taskforce.