Cunard to offer luxurious staycation cruises around the UK this summer on Queen Elizabeth

Cunard is to offer a series of UK voyages this summer on Queen Elizabeth, providing a ‘unique and luxurious staycation opportunity for British guests’. 

Sailings on the 2,081-passenger ship will be from Cunard’s home port of Southampton and will be in UK coastal waters.

More details will be revealed later this month. 

Fit for royalty: The interior of Queen Elizabeth is five-star-hotel standard, as this eye-catching image shows

Queen Elizabeth’s regal library

Cunard said its flexible booking terms would be applicable for these voyages, so guests ‘will be able to book with confidence’.

These new UK staycation voyages will replace a number of international sailings that will be cancelled ‘due to the current environment’.

Cunard president Simon Palethorpe said: ‘With the UK Government confirming that domestic travel is close on the horizon, we are introducing a series of exciting, shorter duration holidays for Britons looking for the perfect staycation in Cunard luxury this summer.

‘These will be sailings from Southampton, for UK residents, around the UK and will make the very most of the summer sunshine.

‘However, with international travel restrictions still in place, we unfortunately need to cancel a number of departures.

‘We know how much everyone is desperately looking forward to longed-for holidays overseas, so to all affected by this news, I am sincerely sorry for the disappointment this will cause.’

Sailings on Queen Victoria are now cancelled for departures up to and including August 27, 2021.

Queen Elizabeth’s summer Mediterranean fly-cruise season and all departures up to and including October 11, 2021, are cancelled.

One of the stately rooms – a Grand Suite – onboard Queen Elizabeth. She has room for 2,081 passengers

Cunard president Simon Palethorpe said: ‘With the UK Government confirming that domestic travel is close on the horizon, we are introducing a series of exciting, shorter duration holidays for Britons looking for the perfect staycation in Cunard luxury this summer.’ Pictured is a Queen Elizabeth room balcony

Queen Mary 2’s current programme is affected ‘by a number of factors’ and all departures up to and including November 12, 2021, are cancelled.

All guests whose cruises have been cancelled will automatically receive a ‘Future Cruise Credit’ worth 125 per cent of what they paid. This Future Cruise Credit can be redeemed against any new booking made by the end of December 2021 on any cruise on sale at the time of booking.

Alternatively, a 100 per cent refund is available through the form on www.cunard.com.

P&O Cruises is also offering UK staycation cruises this summer. Pictured is the line’s Britannia ship. It’s not known yet whether this vessel will be part of the staycation offer

Cunard and P&O Cruises’ UK voyages will be setting sail from Southampton (pictured)

P&O Cruises is also offering UK staycation cruises this summer.

The cruises, which will also sail from Southampton, will go on sale later in March.

To free-up ships to sail around Britain, P&O Cruises is also having to cancel some foreign voyages.

In normal times, all P&O Cruises sailings have international ports of call.

The cruise line said that all guests whose cruises have been cancelled would automatically receive a ‘Future Cruise Credit’ worth 125 per cent of what they paid.

Alternatively, a 100 per cent refund is available through the form on www.pocruises.com and may be requested until December 2021.

Details of which ships will be used for the P&O Cruises UK sailings and the itineraries have yet to be released.