Cruises are some of the greatest ways for exploring one of the most beautiful continents on Earth, Europe. Cruises will provide the real opportunity of visiting several countries or cities on a single tour without the hassle of finding transportation or booking any hotels from one specific place to another, and cruises will provide all of the features and amenities a luxury hotel would too. Cruise vessels will travel usually during the entire year to dozens of European towns or cities and river sailing will give travelers the real chance to go into the heart of Europe.
Choosing a Cruise
Before picking a vessel, you will have to decide what locations of Europe you will be visiting. The two major options will probably be northern cruise tours or Mediterranean cruise tours. If you will wish for more warmer temperatures, a wide variety of exterior activities, sunbathing and swimming, a cruise to the Mediterranean would probably be the ideal choice. The climate in this certain area will tend to be a bit more temperate even in the winter season. If you will be preferring a more cooler weather, you should try a northern cruise tour. These provide a wide variety of ports and especially perfect for cruisers who will be enjoying architecture, museums or other historical structures.
Mediterranean cruise tours are generally divided into west and east itineraries. Eastern itineraries will generally include Greek Islands, Croatia, Turkey or Italy. Western itineraries will often include Balearic Islands or Italy.
Northern cruise tours, which will often travel the Baltic Sea, will generally feature ports in Amsterdam, Helsinki, Copenhagen or Stockholm.
Other various cities common on cruises to Europe will generally include Athens, Barcelona, Paris or Rome.
A few cruise tours will hit Northern Europe or Mediterranean ports. These cruise tours are usually a lot longer, but will take passengers around the entire continent.
River cruise tours have become a very fashionable way for exploring Europe as well. European rivers or waterways will give guests the real chance to head father inland and visit a lot more places than with other ways of vacationing. For example, travelers will be able to go from Vienna to Amsterdam by simply using Danube and Rhine rivers. Or they can choose a vessel which will travel through Portugal or Spain.
When to Cruise
Cruises tours are generally provided routinely between April or May and October or November, but there are a few vessels which will travel during the entire year.
European summer seasons are generally quite warm, especially close to the Mediterranean. For this simple reason, many travelers will choose the milder temperatures of fall or spring. However, the high season will generally be from June through August for most cruises out there so these will be a lot more expensive. Northern cruise tours are the popular between May and September as this will be the period of time when temperatures are pleasant enough for enjoying a vacation.
Picking a Ship
European cruise companies employ vessels ranging from relatively larger to small, floating resorts which will include shopping centers, restaurants, swimming pools or casinos. The largest vessels resemble small towns, accommodating more than three thousand cruisers. These large vessels generally provide a smoother ride and are usually an ideal option for cruisers who are kind of worried of seasickness. However, smaller vessels have the real advantage of docking at more ports of call, which can only mean one thing – a much broader route.