Princess Cruises Adds Picturesque Portland as Port of Call on UK Summer Seacations

The benefit of a cruise holiday closer to home is that it gives you the chance to appreciate the amazing natural beauty and landscapes within the shores of the United Kingdom.

One such location is the Isle of Portland, in Dorset, a picturesque port of call that holds years of geological history within its shores.

The Jurassic Coast's most southerly point is a real explorer’s island, just begging for you to set foot upon its land and discover a land of stunning natural beauty.

Thankfully, you could soon be disembarking here, as the smart minds at Princess Cruises have added picturesque Portland as a stop to four of its UK Seacations voyages departing this summer, following a great response to the release of its initial block of itineraries.

From July through to September, MedallionClass ships Regal Princess and Sky Princess will sail roundtrip from Southampton on scenic cruises and voyages with stops in UK ports, with itineraries ranging from three to seven nights. As well as Portland, other ports of call include Liverpool, Belfast and Greenock.

All-inclusive fares with the newly-added call to Portland start from £599pp for a four-night cruise on Regal Princess with a call to Portland, departing on 5 September, and £899pp for a seven-night cruise on Sky Princess, calling at Portland, Belfast and Liverpool, departing on 28 September.

Getting ashore with Princess Cruises

Unlike some other UK cruises departing this summer, Princess is giving guests the opportunity to disembark for unique shore excursions.

In Portland, you’ll be able to go ashore on Princess-organised excursions, all designed to immerse you in this enthralling destination while staying safe thanks to enhanced health and safety measures.

You could join Princess for a drive through the picturesque village of Cerne Abbas before arriving to Athelhampton House, an exquisite example of Tudor architecture centred around the Great Hall, which was built in 1485. Here, the history seeps from its walls.

If you prefer a dreamier stroll, Portland has miles of countryside for you to discover. Admire the green hills, on which villages stand proud, before arriving at Corfe Castle, considered one of the most romantic spots in Britain – perfect for that special getaway with your loved one after months of being cooped up at home.

Alternatively, travel back in time to 1393 at the Abbotsbury Swannery and Gardens, founded by a group of monks from the from nearby Benedictine abbey. The Swannery is the only place in the world where you can walk freely through colonies of nesting mute swans, with 1,000 birds calling the sanctuary home. The Abbotsbury sub-tropical garden is also famous for its camellia groves and magnolias.

For those of you who prefer your military history, the Bovington Tank Museum has a superb collection of close to 300 military vehicles from 26 nations, from World War One to the present day, so you can follow the story of how innovation has changed war-time transport.

Princess Cruises UK & Europe vice-president, Tony Roberts, said: 'The response from travel agents and consumers for our new seacations has been fantastic, and in particular for our itineraries with UK ports-of-call.

'We’re delighted to be able to provide holidaymakers with even more choice with the addition of Portland to our Seacations series.

'Forming the Jurassic Coast’s most southerly point, Portland’s isolated location makes for stunning scenery, and with Chesil Beach and the Fleet lagoon being home to hundreds of species of birds, guests can look forward to some wildlife spotting too.'

While sailing on Regal Princess and Sky Princess you will be able to enjoy a touchless and personalised experienced thanks to Princess’ MedallionClass technology, which also supports new health protocols.

Features include touchless embarkation and disembarkation, keyless stateroom entry and the ability to order food, drink and retail items to anywhere on the ship.

All of these UK sailings on Regal Princess and Sky Princess (running from 31 July to 5 October) will be for UK resident, Covid-19 vaccinated guests only. The cost of any testing which may be required at the time of travel will be included in your fare.

Visit princess.com for more information.