The UK government is reportedly working on a package of measures that would include the restart of cruising from the country in late January, Travel Weekly reports on its website.

The measures would include the reduction of quarantine period for arrivals from countries where this is necessary from 14 to seven days. A new testing regime that would be introduced to take effect on 2 December, when the present month-long lockdown in England is expected to end, would also be part of the measures.

“It will initially be trialled for passengers on flights returning from a small number of destinations before being rapidly expanded if it proves successful. Ministers are also expected to agree a package for a restart of the UK cruise industry from late January providing lines can demonstrate they have stringent testing and infection control measures in place,” Travel Weekly reported.

“Foreign cruises may resume in the following months if cruise operators agree to take full responsibility for repatriating any passengers or crew stranded due to the virus,” the report added.

The UK source market has generated about two million passengers annually in the past few years, but all operations came to a standstill in July, when the Foreign & Commonwealth Office – as the country’s foreign ministry is called – introduced a guidance against cruises.

Since then, P&O Cruises has taken delivery of Iona and Saga Cruises of Spirit of Adventure, neither of which has carried a single fare paying passenger as a result of the situation. Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ two second hand acquisitions from Holland America Line are also waiting to boar their firstpassengersunder the new ownership of the vessels.

The crisis also led to the collapse of Cruise & Maritime Voyages, a destination focused budget operator of chartered in second hand vessels.