Count Royal Caribbean in among the cruise lines that will offer cruises from the UK this summer.
Royal Caribbean announced Anthem of the Seas will begin sailing from Southampton beginning July 7, 2021.
Anthem will offer a combination of 4-night cruises to nowhere in early July and 5- to 8-night British Isles cruises, starting 15th July, that feature visits to destinations such as Liverpool, England, Kirkwall in Scotland and Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The new Anthem of the Seas sailings will go on sale April 7th.
All crew members onboard will be fully vaccinated, and at this time, the cruises are only available to be booked by UK residents above the age of 18 who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and those under the age of 18 with negative test results.
The cruise line says current health and safety measures, like others, may evolve as they are evaluated on an ongoing basis.
Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley celebrated the news of Anthem sailing from the UK this summer, "The UK is a place we hold near and dear to our heart at Royal Caribbean. We miss our UK guests and are as eager as they are to get back to cruising from Southampton."
"We are delighted with the UK government’s recent announcements regarding cruising and excited to set sail again with a phenomenal ship and favorite such as Anthem of the Seas. After a tough year, we all need a holiday, but no one more so than the emergency services, NHS, social care sector and armed forces who will have the long-awaited opportunity to get away and relax with total peace of mind."
Details on the health and safety measures to be implemented for the summer cruises in the UK will be announced at a later date.
With Anthem of the Seas restart, it becomes the 6th ship that will be able to restart cruises this year, following a number of ships Royal Caribbean has announced plans for new sailings this summer.
- Adventure of the Seas from Nassau, Bahamas
- Vision of the Seas from Bermuda
- Jewel of the Seas from Cyprus
- Odyssey of the Seas from Haifa, Israel
- Grandeur of the Seas from Barbados
Announcements like this have been the slow and methodical means Royal Caribbean has been able to resume cruises while the United States maintains its ban on cruise ships.
Thank you giveaway
In addition to announcing the new sailings, Royal Caribbean said it will also offer 999 staterooms to the UK's first responders.
As a way of saying thank you to the people who have worked so hard during the global health crisis, Royal Caribbean will offer 999 free staterooms on its first Ocean Getaways to those UK residents in these professions:
- Emergency services
- National Health Service (NHS)
- Social care sector
- Armed forces
To be eligible for one of the free sailings, UK residents must be able to show proof of an official Blue Light Card, which is available to those working in the emergency services, NHS, social care sector and armed forces.
Pre-registration for guests eligible for one of the 999 free staterooms open on 13th April, and final names will be drawn from a ballot by the end of April.
Pre-registrations will be entered into a ballot to be drawn by the end of April. F
