A Carnival-owned cruise line just announced fully vaccinated June cruises in the UK

• P&O Cruises announced its Ultimate Escape sailings along the UK coast from July to September.
• The cruises will sail on P&O's Britannia and Iona ships for three to seven nights.
• Only UK residents who've been vaccinated against COVID-19 will be allowed on the cruises.

UK residents eager for cruising to return will finally get to sail aboard a cruise ship this summer - as long as they have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

On March 17, Carnival Corp's UK brand, P&O Cruises, announced its Ultimate Escape UK sailings from July to September. This new collection - which will cruise along the UK coast - is made up of shorter trips on P&O's Britannia ship, and week-long sailings on its new Iona ship.

The Britannia sailings will shuttle guests on three, four, and six-night cruises starting at £449, about $620, per person. This price then goes up for the seven-night Iona sailings, which will start at £1,199, about $1,670, for its maiden trip.

Besides prices and duration, the two ships' sailing timelines will also look different: Britannia will sail from June 27 to September 19, while Iona will only be cruising from August 7 to September 18. Despite these differences, both ships will be departing from Southampton, England and will include all the classic cruising amenities, from fine dining to live shows to spas.

"As we have spent the majority of the last year at home, to be able to have a restorative and relaxing break, sit on deck with a sea view in the summer sunshine and then enjoy an indulgent dinner and show - it's certainly what we all need this year and we cannot wait to have our guests back on board," Paul Ludlow, president of P&O Cruises, said in a statement.

However, these sailings won't be anything more than a staycation for locals: the cruises will only be available to UK residents who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at least seven days before the trip. This vaccination decision stemmed directly from the "advanced progress of the UK vaccination program and strong expressed preference on the part of our guests," the cruise line said in a press release.

"While there is still uncertainty about holidays abroad this summer, we are delighted to be able to offer our guests the ultimate escape here in the UK with the reassurance that we will take care of everything," Ludlow said in a statement.

Besides the vaccine mandate, the cruises will also be implementing health protocols that have been created with experts, scientists, and the UK government. This includes mandatory travel insurance, social distancing measures, and mask-wearing "in certain areas of the ship." The crew will also be quarantined and tested throughout the sailings.

P&O joins a growing list of cruise lines that have made COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for either guests, crew, or both, including Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Richard Branson's Virgin Voyages.

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