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Destinations New to cruising Cruise life

Should I book a fly-cruise or sail from Southampton?

If you're a first-time cruiser, you might be wondering if you should fly out to meet your ship or sail to your destination. There's no right or wrong answer here and a lot will depend on your personal preference, but to help you make up your mind we've put together the top reasons for choosing each one...

5 min 30 Sep 2022

Editorial Team

Author

Top three reasons to sail from Southampton

1. You start your holiday sooner

The second you step on board your ship, your holiday's begun. You can be relaxing by the pool, watching a theatre show, indulging in nights of fine dining or sipping cocktails on deck as your ship takes you to your holiday destination. With ease of sailing from Southampton, you'll be slipping into holiday mode in no time.

2. You don't have to fly

Flying not for you? If you're a nervous flyer then sailing from Southampton offers you a more relaxed way to travel. Obviously, cruising will take longer than a fly-cruise to reach your destination, but if you have the time, you can see your dream destinations in a more leisurely way and make the most of your ship on your days at sea.

3. You can take as much luggage as you like

Unlike flying, there are no stringent rules in place when it comes to luggage allowance when you board your ship in Southampton. Want to bring your own pillow? Or travel with 20 pairs of shoes? No judgement here. Just remember no item of individual luggage should weigh more than 23kg.

Sailing from Southampton is so easy, especially when travelling with the kids, we can take as much luggage as we need and don't have to worry about extra charges.

Caroline & Chris, travelled on Iona

Top four reasons to choose a fly-cruise

1. You'll arrive in your holiday destination sooner

When you fly out to meet your ship, you'll be in the heart of your cruise destination sooner. If you're off to the Caribbean or the Med, on a fly-cruise you can be there on the same day your holiday starts and be feeling that glorious sun on your back in no time.

2. You maximise your holiday time

If time is a factor and you've only a couple of weeks to explore, then a fly-cruise is the perfect way to maximise your adventure. As there's less time spent at sea, you can be immersing yourself in your holiday destination sooner and exploring more exciting stops on a shorter holiday.

3. Your flights and transfers are included in your price

With P&O Cruises you can relax knowing that your flights and transfers are included as part of your holiday price. And if that wasn't enough... we'll have representatives on hand at your airport to direct you to your coach for the transfer between your airport and the ship. When you book a fly-cruise with us, things really couldn't be easier.

P&O Cruises Azura returns to Southampton after refit in Hamburg proudly showing off her new livery.
Picture date: Saturday April 18, 2015.
Photograph by Christopher Ison ©
07544044177
chris@christopherison.com
www.christopherison.com

Being able to fly to Tenerife to meet Azura meant that we were able to make the most of our time off and see as much as possible.

Sophie & Matt, travelled on Azura October 2022

4. Our fly-cruise holidays are ATOL protected

Millions of UK consumers have been supported by the Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (ATOL for short) scheme, which is marking its 50th anniversary this summer.

The ATOL scheme, run by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, offers financial protection for British holidaymakers when they book a package trip that includes a flight.

The first ever ATOL licences were issued in the summer of 1973 as the popularity of overseas trips grew, and over the last 50 years ATOL has also grown significantly to financially protect more than 26 million passengers a year. Last year, ATOL protected bookings made up around £27.7 billion in sales.