Are cruises around Britain the answer for UK travellers in need of an escape? – Telegraph.co.uk

For cruise lovers who are miserable at being landlocked, unable to reach the shores of the Caribbean or Australia this year or, in the case of the Seychelles, until 2022 a cure may be found close to home.

In fact, theres a flutter of confidence that the hoops Britons must currently jump through to travel abroad could result in a surge of travellers looking to take to the waves around Britain.

Scotland and its islands, in particular, have been earmarked by cruise insiders as somewhere to watch, with one operator telling The Telegraph that despite such trips being domestic travel they will be very attractive for those wishing for a real escape.

Anticipation was raised further when Scotlands Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism, Fergus Ewing, set July 15 as a provisional reopening date for some businesses across the country as long as there are appropriate safety guidelines in place.

Since the industrys global voluntary pause in March, and with the larger international lines continuing in push back their restart dates, a key focus has been the exploration of home shores.

Viking Cruises stoked the embers of hope earlier this month when they announced that they were looking into the possibility of operating summer sailings around the UK. Dates and details on the itineraries have not been revealed, however, with the focus right now on feasibility and asking UK guests to register their interest.

The managing director of Saga Cruises, Nigel Blanks, said he expects a spike in interest for round-Britain cruises and that once they have the go-ahead from authorities they would be able to resume within three to four weeks.

There is still an appetite for cruise, said Peter Deer, the managing director of Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, adding: Some people will look to take their next holiday closer to home, and we can see that in our own numbers where UK cruises are some of the most searched for on our website. Cruise and Maritime Voyages, which last week moved their optimistic July 1 restart date back to August 25, reported an increase demand for 2021 British Isles cruises.

Domestic voyages appear to be the method in which operators are easing into post-pandemic sailing. Nicko Travel began Europes first river cruise since March when NickoVision set sail from Passau, Germany, on June 1. Hurtigruten begins a coastal service between Bergen and Kirkenes today, while A-Rosa and American Cruise Lines aiming to resume this week.

So will we see British holidaymakers following the same path? One of Telegraph Travels cruise writers thinks they should.

This could be an ideal time to explore Britains shores as our own country is a hidden gem when it comes to cruising, said Sara Macefield.

While many mainstream lines will not be operating this summer, theres a plethora of smaller specialist companies offering wonderful itineraries that explore Scotlands Western Isles, which are rich in marine life and different bird species, and cruises along the West Country coast or out to the Scilly Isles.

North of the border is where the loudest optimism is coming from. Various lines who operate small ships expressed confidence that they can provide safe, Covid-secure cruises that tick the box for those in need for time on the water while swerving strict quarantine rules.

And it would be a much needed boost to an industry that could lose millions in revenue due to coronavirus travel restrictions. More than 900,000 passengers had been expected to visit on ships this year, a 15 per cent rise on 2019.

One in 10 cruises begin in the Islands and the Highlands, according to industry body Martime UK, with those areas potentially losing more than 28 million.

Mary Waller and Scott Atkinson are the owners and crew of Red Moon Cruises. Theyve spent their lockdown aboard Red Moon, which usually offers cruises for up to four passengers but is often chartered as a private love boat by couples, and believe the west coast of Scotland is one of the most stunning sailing areas in the world.

We think that its highly likely that staycations in the U.K. will become more popular for the next few years and we hope of course that that will include cruises. We hope that British people will look harder at whats on offer here and investigate more unusual and alternative vacations.

They added: We are confident the appeal of the remote Scottish beaches and hidden anchorages we habitually visit will be very attractive for those wishing for a real escape.

St Hilda Sea Adventure said they definitely think that Scottish small ship cruising will become more popular and that they are receiving enquiries for 2020, while The Majestic Lines Fiona Forsyth told Telegraph Travel that its the small vessels that people are interested in.

I think people will be looking for the perfect, remote getaway and the west coast of Scotland would be appealing. As our ships only accommodate 11 to 12 guests we are a great alternative to the larger cruise ships, you are not mixing with a huge number of people and we can get into remote anchorages, and hopefully they will see more wildlife than they will people.

It would be a lot more viable to run the cruises if social distancing was reduced to one metre, she added.