Virgin Voyages, which is part of  Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group of companies, said it would offer a short series of cruises in the UK waters in the summer.

Scarlet Lady, the first ship of the line, would offer three and four night cruises from Portsmouth, starting on 6 August, with the final cruise scheduled for 23-27 August.

The ship was delivered by Fincantieri early last year, but has not carried passengers yet because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Scarlet Lady is due to sail for Miami after the completion of its UK cruises.

Photo: Scarlet Lady seen in Liverpool in early 2020