Great For:
- Couples
- Solo travelers
- Families with older children who will appreciate tours, history, etc.
- History buffs
- Culinary travelers
- Retirees or those with more vacation time
Best Time To Go:
May-September
- This is the time period most cruise ships sail to The Mediterranean
- If you can go toward the beginning or end of the season, you may be able to get
a stateroom at a lower price
Advantages of a European Cruise
- See the sites while only unpacking once
- Enjoy the comfort of an English-speaking crew
- Dine with the convenience of meals onboard ship, if you choose
- Rest easy as you’re transported between each city
- Go inland to visit other major cities that are not seaside; the cruise line provides
transportation inland when necessary
- Pay for your vacation in advance, then just enjoy the trip!
Major Ports of Call
There are dozens of ports throughout Europe that welcome major cruise ships. A few
of the most popular include:
- Athens (Piraeus), Greece
- Barcelona, Spain
- Dubrovnik, Croatia
- Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Southampton, England – especially for trans-Atlantic cruising
- Venice, Italy
Major European Cruise Regions
Western Mediterranean
- West coast of Italy, southern coasts of France and Spain, and islands such as Corsica,
Mallorca or Ibiza
- Some Western Mediterranean cruises venture further west, to Gibraltar and Portugal
Eastern Mediterranean
- Adriatic coast of Italy (Venice), Croatia, Greece and Turkey
Northern Mediterranean
- Scandinavian capitals like Copenhagen, Denmark; Stockholm, Sweden; and Helsinki,
Finland, and Baltic Sea ports such as Tallinn, Estonia, and St. Petersburg, Russia
- West coast of Norway and its spectacular fjords
- British Isles of England, Scotland and Ireland
- North Sea ports of Brussels, Belgium; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and Hamburg,
Germany
European Cruisetours
If you want to explore what lies beyond the stunning coastline of Europe, consider
taking a cruisetour.
A cruisetour combines a cruise ship voyage with a hotel stay in one or more European
cities prior to or at the end of your cruise, providing a wonderful way to make
the most of your airline ticket.
Let Cruise Holidays Gerlind and Luana Sievert help you choose a cruise that will make the most
of your budget and meet all of your expectations for a fabulous European vacation.