Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady will sail a series of short "staycation-at-sea" voyages from Portsmouth this summer, the line has confirmed.
Two-, three- and four-night itineraries will be available across six "summer soiree" sailings in August designed to give people "a taste of the Virgin Voyages experience".
Itineraries will showcase the southern coast of England, and will be restricted to UK resident adult guests only who have been vaccinated against Covid-19.
It comes after Virgin Voyages on Wednesday (7 April) confirmed Scarlet Lady’s planned sailings from early-July through to mid-September had been cancelled.
Scarlet Lady and Virgin Voyages had been due to debut in March 2020, with its scheduled maiden voyages unfortunately coinciding with the onset of Covid-19 around the world.
"Virgin Voyages has been looking forward to sailing, and we’re so excited to announce our plans to sail from the UK," said Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson.
"Our team has curated such a fantastic experience for our sailors, and know this is a holiday they will love."
Three-night Long Weekender itineraries (Friday-Monday) will depart on 6 August, 13 August and 20 August, while four-night Summer WeekDaze itineraries (Monday-Friday) will depart on 9 August, 16 August and 23 August.
Tom McAlpin, chief executive and president of Virgin Voyages, said the ongoing uncertainty around sailing from the US had opened up a window of opportunity to sail ex-UK this summer.
"After more than a year of waiting and a major emphasis on a safe return, we’re ecstatic to announce these new sailings and bring sailors onboard to experience what it’s like to set sail the Virgin way," said McAlpin.
"We look at our UK summer voyages as a homecoming to pay homage to our British roots, and what an excellent way to kick-off our sailing season before heading back to PortMiami."
Virgin Voyages said guests could expect Michelin-inspired dining experiences, luxury spa treatments, unlimited fitness classes, and entertainment from local British talents.
Besides a vaccination requirement and capacity limitations, the line said additional testing and other health and safety protocols would be confirmed closer to time of sailing – and stressed these would be "in-line with the most up-to-date recommendations from the UK government".
"We’re committed to a healthy and safe start at sea and would never set sail without the proper precautions and considerations in place," said Virgin Voyages.
Itineraries will go on sale on Tuesday (13 April).