It is true that there are many once-in-a-lifetime experiences to be had on No Fly Cruises from UK ports. That’s why at No Fly Cruises we’ve done away with the expression altogether and replaced it with ‘once-in-a-cruise-time’ as we just know that it’s a regular rather than a singular thing to be wowed at sea!
The world is quite literally your oyster on a No Fly Cruise and this was demonstrated in our blog about the longest no fly voyage that visited pretty much every region of the world. However, closer to home there are some phenomenal experiences to savour, and you don’t even need to leave your cruise ship for these ones.
So, these are 5 of the most inspiring no fly cruise experiences that you can embrace from the comfort of the deck or even your balcony, if you have one.
1) The Northern Lights
Some say that witnessing the Northern Lights is nothing short of magical. It’s a seasonal phenomenon, so to get a chance of witnessing it you’ll need to aim for a cruise between November and March, which is essentially peak season for the beautiful Aurora. We’ve all seen the stunning brochure photography, the hazy and green-pink swathes of beautiful lights set against the perfectly dark skies of the places far from the city lights. Who needs fireworks when nature throws its own complimentary show!
The added good news is that there are quite literally loads of options during these months with a variety of cruise lines for your no fly Northern Lights voyage. And don’t forget, you’ll also likely get to visit other Arctic Circle destinations too on many of these cruises.
>> No Fly Cruise Lines that visit: Fred. Olsen Cruise Line, SAGA, Hurtigruten, P&O Cruises
2) Kiel Canal Transit
>> No Fly Cruise Lines that visit: Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, Oceania Cruises, SAGA, Hurtigruten, P&O Cruises
3) Under the bridge downtown!
It’s just too iconic! Cruising under the world famous Tower Bridge in the heart of London is just amazing. Not only have you experienced the truly unexpected and unique berth alongside HMS Belfast (see our Tower Bridge Port page for more on this) but you are now cruising beneath one of the most famous bridges there is and along the most popular banks of the Thames. And take our word for it, this bridge doesn’t just open for anyone. If you want to see a ship with every passenger on deck for sailaway, Tower Bridge is the cruise to do, but as an operator it is an extremely expensive berth and it is of course size-of-ship restrictive, which all adds to its absolute uniqueness as a cruise experience.
They say a picture says a thousand words, well we’ll just leave the image with you…
>> No Fly Cruise Lines that visit: Silversea Cruises, Oceania Cruises
4) Stockholm Archipelago
This was an immediate suggestion from our editorial team from past cruising experiences. Perhaps lesser-known as big cruising experiences go, a cruise through the beautiful Stockholm Archipelago is what cruise memories are made of. Imagine a selection of around 30,000 islands and islets with breathtaking views from the deck or balcony, a maze if you will of waterways, each with its own tale to tell. This route to Stockholm has it all, beaches, cliffs, colourful ancient villages and fishing boats and lush green backdrops. The shipping routes from the Baltic to Stockholm pass through the archipelago and it is an absolute gem of an experience as there is always something to see.
>> No Fly Cruise Lines that visit: Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
5) Corinth Canal Transit
The famous Corinth Canal transit looks tight with 100-passenger ships, so you can imagine how it feels on Fred. Olsen’s 900-guest Braemar as pictured, which is in fact the largest ship to ever transit the Canal! Yes you can quite literally touch the sides of this incredible 4 mile man-made canal which neatly connects the Ionian Sea with the Aegean Sea.
To sail between the canal’s incredibly hand-carved cliffs, there is a sense of spectacle and drama rarely seen at sea. And the tightest part of the Canal is just 81 feet! It’s a rare experience for a cruise and even rarer for a no fly cruise but you can do it if you have around 25-days to spare.
>> No Fly Cruise Lines that visit: Fred. Olsen Cruise Line
Images in this post courtesy of respective cruise lines and © of the cruise lines