Flybe to launch cruise initiative

Flybe has announced a new deal to offer British travellers a cheap way of cruising to the Mediterranean sun.

The new brand of Flybe Cruise, launched in conjunction with cruise firm Voyana, is set to offer a new holiday platform for customers flying into Southampton airport, where they can depart on a cruise ship to several locations in Europe and beyond.

Destinations include the Canary Islands, western Europe, the Baltic, the Norwegian Fjords and even the Caribbean.

Simon Lilley, director of marketing, at Flybe, explained: "The cruise market is discreet and therefore with our dominance into Southampton tapping into this growing customer base will provide an added dimension.

"This is not a move back to package holidays… 40 per cent of cruise passengers out of Southampton live in a Flybe catchment area across the UK and therefore Flybe offer the ideal vehicle to commence their journey."

Some 1.5 million passengers travelled by cruise in 2005, linking the UK with some of the world's most glamorous locations in one of the most stylish ways of travelling.