Destinations New to cruising Fly-cruises

Why a fly cruise is the perfect last-minute holiday

Offering you a ticket to the sunshine at any time of the year, our last-minute cruise and flight deals put exploring far-flung destinations on our Queens firmly on the map.

3 min 17 Dec 2025

Cristina Azorin

Cunard writer

What is a fly cruise?

Fly cruises explained: the perfect last minute holiday

How to book a fly cruise with Cunard

Last minute fly cruise travel tips

Ready to fly away to sea?

When there’s a whole world to explore why limit yourself to just one small part of it? Our fly cruise deals make it easy to expand your horizons, even when wanderlust sets in last minute. So why wait for our Queens to come to you? With flexible flight options and Late Saver fares on voyages sailing within 90 days, you could be escaping to the ocean sooner than you think, in a destination you never expected.

What is a fly cruise?

Fly cruises combine an airline flight and a cruise. Instead of boarding your ship in Southampton, you’ll fly directly to the destination where your cruise begins, then fly home again once it’s over.

Compared with a roundtrip sailing, a fly cruise opens up more of the world in less time. You could cruise in an entirely different continent (why stop at one?) and maximise your days ashore as well as your holiday time.

Fly cruises explained: the perfect last minute holiday

Opening up all corners of the world, no matter where you live, a fly cruise widens your choice of departure ports and destinations, perfect for when time is short.

Explore a world of destinations

Our Queens sail all over the world, so you never know where you might touchdown on a fly cruise. Depending on the time of year, you could be jetting off to the white sands of Miami or sailing alongside glaciers in Alaska’s Inside Passage. While these locations may be out of the question on a roundtrip cruise, a fly cruise puts them within reach. Once you discover how much bigger the world becomes on a fly cruise (and just how easy a holiday choice it is), the urge to spread your wings will never leave you.

Escape for less with Late Saver fares

Taking a last-minute fly cruise is also perfect if you’re looking for a holiday deal. As cruises get closer to their sail date, fares often go down to encourage late bookings.

For us, this window of time starts from 90 days before departure. It’s at this point that we introduce our Late Saver fare. This fare type allows you to sail on our Queens for less, in exchange for letting us assign your suite or stateroom. You’ll still be able to select the grade (subject to availability), but its location won’t be revealed until closer to your departure date.

Cross oceans in hours, not days

The main benefit of a fly cruise is the speed in which you’ll arrive at your destination – and the amount of time you’ll get to spend there. While crossing oceans by ship takes days, flying reduces this journey to just hours. You could be boarding a plane from the UK in the morning and sitting down to dinner on your Cunard Queen in an entirely new part of the world that same day. So why make the journey any longer than it has to? Fewer days spent sailing to your destination, means more time immersing yourself in it.

How to book a fly cruise with Cunard

Booking a fly cruise with us is refreshingly simple. You can book our flight and cruise deals on our website 24 hours a day, by calling our Customer Contact Centre, or booking with our Voyage Sales team on board.

Just choose your voyage in the usual way, and we’ll talk you through the flight options available, including luggage allowances, departure airports, and flight times.

If hotels are available for your itinerary, you’ll have the option to add these before you check out. If you decide not to, we can always amend your booking later if you change your mind.

Once booked, we’ll share all of your travel details, including flight information and hotel confirmations, so you have everything you need for your fly cruise in one easy-to-access place.

Last minute fly cruise travel tips

Ocean and air travel are a great team, offering a gateway to cruising far from home. The key to fly cruising at the last minute, however, is perfect planning. Nail this, and you’ll jet off with everything you need. Not least, peace of mind.

Pack smart

On fly cruises your luggage may arrive at your suite or stateroom a little later in the day than on a roundtrip voyage, so we recommend packing your first day’s essentials in your hand luggage and carrying this on board your ship. Think travel documents, medications and toiletries, and a change of shoes and clothes. You may also want to check local customs in the destinations you’ll be visiting on your fly cruise to ensure you pack culturally appropriate clothing for the days you step ashore.

For tips on how to maximise your lugagge allowance, check out our packing guide.

Check port entry requirements

As our ships sail all over the world, some fly cruise destinations may require you to obtain entry visas in advance of sailing. With this in mind, we recommend researching your ports of call before booking any of our last minute fly cruises to ensure you have time to get the visas you need to travel. As well as visas, don’t forget to also check that your passport has the correct validity for every port you’ll be calling at on your cruise itinerary and whether any travel vaccinations or medications are needed.

Obtain travel insurance

When you’re travelling, it always pays to protect your plans from unexpected changes. Obtaining cruise travel insurance is a requirement we ask of everyone sailing on our ships. For fly cruises, you’ll need to source appropriate cover for flights in addition to the destinations you’ll be visiting on the days you go ashore to make sure you’re protected for every part of your journey. Don’t forget to also include emergency evacuation and medical cover for pre-existing conditions in the countries you’re due to visit.

Ready to fly away to sea?

Whether you’re craving iconic cityscapes or island beaches, our last-minute cruise and flight deals offer a flexible and convenient way to see more of the world fast. Explore our fly cruise deals now and see how far your next voyage on our Queens could take you or discover our last minute cruise deals, including cruises sailing from Southampton. Also, for more fly cruise inspiration, take a look at our Fly Cruises stories.