Sardinia, Italy by pjt56 (creative commons)
Europe is one of the most popular destinations for cruises, and there are several compelling reasons why.
Attractive Coastlines And Islands
Many of Europe’s most important countries have attractive coastlines. The UK and Ireland are islands, whereas Italy consists all of coastline, apart from the northern part of the country. Italy also has the beautiful islands of Sicily and Sardinia. France, Spain, Greece and Portugal all have long stretches of coast.
Visit Several Countries In A Day
Because most European countries do not have the great land mass of the United States or Australia several can be visited in a short space of time. Even though the UK is an island, the French, Belgian and Dutch coasts are all a short distance away, for instance. A Scandinavian cruise also offers visitors the chance of visiting the north coast of Denmark and the southern coasts of Norway and Sweden in very quick succession.
Temperate Climate
Europe offers visitors a temperature climate for much of the year, especially in the Mediterranean. The northern part of Europe is best enjoyed on a cruise in the late spring and summer, and before temperatures begin to drop. Choosing what time of the year to go on a cruise is helped by the fact that cruise lines sometimes offer bargains at the last minute.
Historical Significance
The Mediterranean area is the cradle of Western European civilization, and much of that civilization needed the sea to grow and thrive. For anyone interested in history, cruising the Mediterranean will offer the chance of experiencing first hand a sea that was populated by ancient Greek and Roman seafarers over two thousand years ago.
Major Coastal Cities
As well as the close proximity of many of Europe’s major countries to each other, many major cities also lie on the coast. This is particularly true of the Mediterranean area, and includes Barcelona in Spain, Naples in Italy, Athens in Greece, Marseille in France, and Lisbon in Portugal.
White cliffs of Dover by maki (creative commons)
Iconic Landmarks
From the White Cliffs of Dover on the English coast to the famous Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, Europe’s large number of iconic landmarks will appeal to travellers with a keen eye for a good photo. An enjoyable way of fully taking in the sights on a cruise is to make a list of the landmarks you expect to see.
Baltic Cruises
Western Europe is the traditional route for travellers on a European cruise, but Baltic cruises offer the chance to visit both West and East. Beginning in Scandinavia and ending in Russia, one highlight of a Baltic cruise is visiting Russia’s second most important city, St. Petersburg.