If you’re interested in a cruise vacation that offers the opportunity to visit several countries in a short period of time, you might want to consider a European cruise. In addition to visiting multiple countries in one single trip, a European cruise also offers a collection of unique excursions that highlight everything from art, culture and history to adventure, romance, and more.
European cruises come in all shapes and sizes. Offerings include: Atlantic Coastal Cruises, Baltic Sea Cruises, Greek Island Cruises, and Mediterranean Cruises, to name a few. There are more than 50 European ports of call including: Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Belfast, Brugge, Brussels, Cannes. Capri, Copenhagen, Crete, Dublin, Florence, Genoa, Helsinki, Ibiza, Istanbul, Lisbon, London, Marseille, Monaco, Naples, Nice, Oslo, Paris, Portofino, Rome, Santorini, Sardinia, St. Petersburg, St, Tropez, Stockholm, Venice, and Villefranche, to name a few. While there are dozens of different ports of call, there are around 10 popular ports including: Rome, Barcelona, Venice, Paris, Brugge, St. Petersburg, Oslo, London, Copenhagen, and Stockholm. Most European cruises last anywhere from 14 to 21 days, but seven-day itineraries and 21+ day itineraries are available as well.
Depending on a variety of factors such as season, cruise line, itinerary, accommodations, cruise ship, excursions, and departure city, a European cruise may cost several hundred dollars up to $1,000 or more.
If you want to save on a European cruise, there are several ways maximize savings. Cruise lines love advance booking, so you may enjoy special incentives, credits, and cash back just for booking far in advance. If you’re one to procrastinate, no worries, there are benefits for you too! If a cruise is not completely booked several weeks or so before the cruise is set to sail, prices are slashed. If you book last minute, you may enjoy savings up to 75 percent. Cruise lines will do anything to fill up those last few rooms!
Other ways to enjoy additional savings on a European cruise include: booking off-season, booking with a group/family, taking advantage of package deals, booking online, and booking with popular cruise lines that sail to Europe.
Keep in mind that most European Cruises sail during the spring, summer, and fall months, when the weather is pleasant. Cruise fares are most expensive mid-June through mid-August. Other times can be considerably cheaper, especially during colder months. There are several cold weather ports including: Gdanzk, Poland, and St. Petersburg, Russia. You can also enjoy savings on European cruises by booking on either the first or last cruise.
Some of the most popular cruise lines with frequent sailings to Europe include: Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America, Norwegian, and Celebrity Cruises. Royal Caribbean, Oceania, Orient Lines, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Lines and Carnival Cruise Line offer some of the best deals in the industry, with Carnival and Disney leading the pack. Top Luxury European cruises include: Crystal Cruises European cruise or Cunard Line’s European Voyage.
Besides special rates for groups and families, just about every cruise line has special rates for seniors. A senior is typically defined as a person who is 55 or older. To lock in special senior rates, you cannot book online. You must call a cruise travel specialist or book directly with the cruise line. Proof of age is required.
For more discounts and deals on European cruises, visit any of the following websites or contact a cruise travel specialist.
Kayak.com
Expedia.com
Orbitz.com
Travelocity.com
CheapTickets.com
VacationsToGo.com
Cruise411.com
Cruise.com