Explore with Ed Asks: Is A Fly-Cruise Right For You?

We’ve long been a fan of Explore with Ed, the food and travel blog run by Cardiff-based cruise fan Jamie Edwards. So we’re super happy that he’s taken the time to share his thoughts on fly cruise pros and cons with us – thanks, Jamie!

If you’ve never taken a fly-cruise (or indeed a cruise at all), you may be wondering what’s the benefit of flying to meet your ship instead of sailing straight from the UK.

Perhaps one of the most obvious benefits of a fly-cruise to somewhere like the Mediterranean or the Caribbean is being able to start your cruise in a warmer climate, where the sunshine is easier to come by. You may be lucky and experience good weather when leaving the UK, but sea conditions in this part of the world are more likely to deteriorate at any time of the year.

A no-fly cruise, however, can offer you more relaxing sea days at the start and end of your holiday, the points when you’d really value this time to unwind.

For those who can only cruise during school holidays or have limited time off, a fly-cruise opens up your options with many one-week cruises available across the whole of Europe.

Even though there are no-fly cruises that can take you around the whole world, it’s not possible to visit places like Eastern Europe or the Caribbean in less than two weeks from here.

A fly-cruise also gives you the ability to stay in the port city or country before or after your cruise. To have additional nights in places like Rome, Dubai, Miami or Hong Kong is a wonderful way to extend your holiday and could even help you relax into the new timezone after a long flight. This is particularly desirable if you’re planning on an adventurous port-intensive cruise.

One thing you should bear in mind when extending your fly-cruise holiday is luggage restrictions with your airline, unlike a no-fly cruise where there’s currently no weight limits on baggage.

In recent years, the UK has been lucky to have some awesome new cruise ships like P&O’s Britannia and Royal Princess. There are however a vast amount of ships that are based in foreign ports like Barcelona and are more easily reached by plane, such as the mega cruise ship Harmony of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) or MSC’s Meraviglia.

Giving yourself the option of a fly-cruise means you can enjoy the newest and most exciting cruise ships where ever they crop up. This may be a particularly important factor for those who don’t base their cruise holiday solely on the ports of call.

So there you have it! Do you usually opt for a fly-cruise or a no-fly cruise? Share your thoughts below and check out our latest deals over on our main website. Alternatively, you can give our friendly team a call on 0808 2746 777.