The Scenic Group, which includes Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and Emerald Cruises, has confirmed that its river cruise programme on the Douro will resume from 30 July 2021.

Both lines will run their original schedules, offering eight-day round-trips from Porto. Scenic Group said in a statement it was “anticipating these limited sailings will sell out very quickly”.

All guests must be fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to departure.

The statement added that the group will be “providing British holidaymakers with full flexibility by offering deposit-free bookings until the government’s proposed traffic-light system is confirmed”.

The lines also “intend to preserve their originally published itineraries and included excursions as much as the global health environment at the time allows”.

Scenic Group UK MD Colin Downing said: “We’re so excited to be safely restarting operations and ultimately welcoming back our guests, after more than a year of suspended operations.

“We can’t wait to return to Portugal this summer and have an incredible lineup of sailings for our guests to experience.

“This is just the first step to getting our ships back sailing on Europe’s rivers. We continue to work closely with CLIA and the relevant government authorities to ensure a safe return to each river as soon as possible.”

Prices for Emerald Cruises’ eight-day itinerary start from £1,945pp, while Scenic’s eight-day Delightful Douro itinerary is priced from £2,545pp.

Alongside the deposit-free offer, Scenic and Emerald Cruises are also offering additional discounts across the 2021 Douro programme.

Guests can save up to £700pp with Emerald and enjoy unlimited free drinks on board with a premium drinks package, while those travelling with Scenic can also benefit from a saving of up to £700pp.

• Hear more from Scenic Group UK director of sales Joseph Grimley, as part of the CTN Cruise Corner series.