It’s been a long time coming – but the wait will soon be over.

In just over a week the first ship to set sail from the UK since the Covid pandemic – MSC Cruises’ Virtuosa – will depart Southampton.

It’s a hugely significant milestone for such a mobile industry brought to a halt by Covid and one that has worked its way back with collaboration and innovation.

There is a real excitement and sense of pride from Clia UK and Ireland’s chair Tony Roberts and director Andy Harmer when they speak to TTG over Zoom on Monday (10 May). 

“It’s incredible to think UK cruising resumes next week. In what’s been a really challenging year there’s lots to be proud of and positives to take. Not just in what we’ve achieved but the relationships that have been built,” says Roberts, who is also UK and Europe vice-president of Princess Cruises.

The industry has faced “a rollercoaster ride of changes” over the past 14 months he describes – with his biggest learning, fittingly, “to expect further changes”.

“This is still an evolution situation. From a personal perspective I’ve had to become very resilient in the last year and as an industry we’ve had to be too, to get through the changes.”

An ex-UK season unlike any other lies ahead, with 18 ships set to sail the British Isles – including some of the sector’s newest vessels. And, against an uncertain backdrop for overseas travel this summer, the opportunities waiting onboard are clear.

“What’s nice for the cruise industry is we do have certainty in our ability to operate UK cruises this summer and I think it’s going to be appealing to guests and to travel agents,” says Roberts.

“If you’re considering a staycation, which I think many people will be this summer, given there’s a bit of uncertainty, then a cruise is a great opportunity within that. 

“We all want to get back to international travel and the cruise industry is no different and it’s important we continue to move that forward but for people who are looking for some certainty, there is an opportunity for the UK cruises that are on sale. 

“If you want certainty about your summer holiday, then it may appear like a good opportunity at the moment.”

Although there is still some work to be done, as Clia works with government bodies to secure “a four nations approach” to domestic cruising between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“What’s encouraging is the Department for Transport (DfT) and English government have been talking to the devolved administrations and a key milestone was getting through the elections on Thursday (6 May),” says Harmer. 

“One of the key announcement recently was by the Scottish government and its restart of domestic tourism. We’ve asked that cruising is tied to that restart of domestic tourism as it is in England. What’s important is those elections are now out of the way and we can start working on getting some clarity as to when those changes can be made.”

What might the experience be like when cruises restart? Recent DfT guidance placed a 1,000-passenger limit on sailings until 21 June, with Roberts predicting capacity rising to “around 70-80%” by the end of the summer.

“I don’t believe lines are going to go from 1,000 passengers in May to being at 80% in June – the build up will be more gentle and build up capacity over time,” he says. “Then as the regulations change we’ll have more freedom to operate but only when it’s safe to do so.”

With domestic cruises fast approaching, the association’s focus turns to oceans overseas and Harmer says talks are continuing with the DfT and Foreign Office, with cruising now aligned with the government’s traffic light system, as outlined in the Global Travel Taskforce report.

Since July, 400,000 people globally have taken a cruise holiday, he says, adding how the UK industry can benefit from those sailings and gain best practice.

Roberts says Princess is “still plan to operate international cruises in October” and while there will inevitable be “a little bit of wait and see”, he’s hoping the sailings will go ahead.

“Hopefully we would’ve made sufficient progress by that time… but we should expect a continually adapting situation over the summer.” 

“It’s incredibly important the industry gets back to international cruising in the near future – that’s absolutely the focus of Clia and across the industry. 

An area where undoubtedly the cruise sector has made progress in during the pandemic is its relationships with government – building closer ties with officials and a better understanding of its work.

“One of the silver linings is the government bodies responsible for cruise are more aware [of the industry] and more aware of the work we do to keep our guests safe and how we look after our crew and the destinations we visit,” says Harmer.

“There was an awareness of cruise before – we’re a big part of the economy, worth £10 billion and 88,000 jobs – so clearly we were noticed and recognised but I think those links and collaborations we’ve taken over the past 14 months have been noticed and it’s been important for us and the government to build on those links.

“We’ll continue to retain those connections as we restart domestically and later internationally.”

For Roberts, he believes the sector’s resilience, ability to adapt and collaborate has been paramount.

“The past year have definitely sharpened those skills. It’s critical we continue to work together not just with government but the whole supply chain across the industry.

“This [domestic restart] is a milestone and to say that next week we’re resuming feels like a fantastic achievement.”