CRUISES on board the Queen Elizabeth have been cancelled after an outbreak of Covid-19 among its crew.

The cruise liner which was hit by several positive covid cases while off the coast of Weymouth was due to return to service after suspending sailings due to the pandemic.

Now though, Cunard, the company which operates the ship, has said that it has been unable to complete the "final essential preparations" due to the outbreak and is now delaying its return until August 13.

This now means that the first five scheduled voyages on board the ship have been cancelled after the "small number of cases" were identified amongst new crew joining the ship.

Cunard president Simon Palethorpe said: “Working in conjunction with Southampton Port Health we took immediate steps to successfully contain the situation and we have limited the number of new crew joining the ship.

"This has meant, however, that we are not able to complete the final essential preparations or deliver the comprehensive training schedule to the full required contingent of crew prior to the first scheduled sailing."

The first cruise for the ship was due to be a trip to Cornwall from Southampton on July 19.

The company president added: “We know how much everyone has been looking forward to these coastal holidays but after such a long period it is critical that all our crew are trained in the new procedures and refreshed in the very special White Star service which makes a Cunard voyage so memorable.

"“We apologise to those guests whose voyages have been disrupted with this four week delay and we very much look forward to welcoming guests back on board from August 13 as Queen Elizabeth sails from Southampton on a seven night cruise showcasing the highlights of Britain’s coastline.”

All guests booked on to the affected voyages will receive a full refund or a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) worth 110% of the value paid.