Sailing from mid-November until April, MSC Magnifica will call at Hamburg, Ijmuiden (Amsterdam), Zeebrugge, Le Havre and Southampton during a series of seven-night cruises.

The line said the itinerary had been created following the popularity of UK-based “seacations” this summer as the cruise sector made its comeback and "ongoing demand" for Northern Europe.

Passengers will benefit from extended stays in port of up to 12 hours and embarkation will be possible in each city visited - sales open on Wednesday (6 October).

MSC’s UK and Ireland managing director Antonio Paradiso said the Northern Pearls programme would offer Brits "direct and convenient access" to some of Europe’s best cities "for a great winter cruise"

All guests aged 12 years and above must be fully vaccinated and passengers aged 2-11 must provide proof of a negative PCR test or antigen taken within 48 hours of their cruise departure.