European Cruise Holidays
There are as many varieties of European cruises as there are cruise lines that would love to welcome you aboard. You can take a traditional European cruise that takes you to the major points of interest such as Rome, Venice, Naples, Palermo and Florence in Italy; Barcelona, Spain; and even Nice, France.
Such a tour will more than likely be fast-paced since the various countries in Europe are close enough together that a cruise ship can usually visit a different one each day. But tiring yourself out is worth it when visiting Europe because of all there is to see and do there.
Europe is especially easily accessible from the United Kingdom and many cruise ships operating in the UK will take you there. You can board a ship in an interesting port city such as Rome or Venice, and tack on a pre or post-cruise land tour. Rome in particular has much to be explored, including the Vatican, and other religious and historic points of interest.
Other European cruises begin in other port cities, such as Paris, France; Barcelona, Spain; and even Madrid, Spain. Find a cruise embarking in an area you particularly want to see and then plan some pre or post-cruise time there.
At one time European cruising was considered to be adults only cruising – not anymore. Since the season for Europe encompasses the summer months, many families have started taking advantage of all there is to see and do there. They bring along the kids so that they can experience first-hand the places and peoples they read about in their history books. Enterprising tour guides have put together special tours that appeal to youngsters by giving them plenty of hands-on interaction with the sights and sounds they are encountering.
And what would a trip to Europe be without sampling the food and wine of the local regions? Many cruise tours include meals in the various port cities, and it is well worth your while to book these experiences not just for the tour and what it encompasses, but also so that you can taste some of the regional specialities. The Tuscany region, in particular, is one that should not be bypassed without enjoying a fine meal complete with a good Italian wine.
Of course, there are “non-traditional” areas in Europe that can be explored as well. These include the regions of Northern Europe which include Copenhagen, Denmark; Oslo, Norway; Stockholm, Sweden; and St. Petersburg, Russia, among so many others. Some of these cruises are what are considered “re-positioning voyages;” that is where the ship is moved from one region to another. The nice thing about those voyages is that you can often spend some time both pre and post-cruise, exploring a different region of the world. For instance, Princess is doing a 28 day Northern Europe sailing in September 2008 that will begin in Copenhagen, Denmark; and end in New York City. What a contrast in cultures!
Then there’s the 14 day voyage that Seabourn Cruises is doing in September as well. That sailing will originate in Denmark and terminate in London – a great choice for cruisers from the UK who don’t want to fly all the way to or from America to take their Northern Europe cruise.
There are also a host of smaller ships providing European cruises this year. Many of them offer luxury amenities to their guests, including shore tours as a part of your cruise fare, an onboard guide who is an expert in the regions being visited, and other special amenities. These ships often don’t carry very many passengers, and so the experience can be personalised to the individual tastes of those onboard any given sailing.
Generally on these smaller ships, the food is geared toward the region being explored, and the meals are considered to be among the best at sea. Also, many of these smaller ships do not subscribe to the large ship dress code that is prevalent on so many lines today. On these smaller ships the dress is generally resort casual every night of the cruise.
See all the great destinations you can visit on a European Cruise Holidays
|