The first Princess cruise ships are venturing back onto the water – 18 months after the quarantined Diamond Princess became a grim harbinger of the pandemic – in a symbolic moment for a sector hit hard and early by the Covid crisis.
“Initially it was quite emotional, because we haven’t been sailing for over 500 days,” says Tony Roberts, the UK vice-president for Princess Cruises. “The moment we welcomed the first guests onboard, it felt like we’d come full circle.”
Regal Princess spent the early part of this week sailing out for a three-night jaunt from Southampton, while a sister ship, Majestic US, returned safely from a week’s trip to Alaska.
“There are differences. You’re wearing masks when you’re moving round the ship. But it felt lovely to be back onboard,” says Roberts.
An even bigger sign of hope for the British cruise industry was the signal from the government that international cruises could now depart from these shores. Short domestic sailings have been operating, with limited passenger numbers, since early summer on other lines, including P&O,…
