Types of Cruises - European Cruises
CRUISES IN EUROPE
European cruises and cruising in Europe is one of the hottest cruise markets these days.
European cruises, vary in length from one to three weeks, depending on how many cruising grounds – the north Atlantic, northern Europe and the Baltic, the British Isles, Iberia, the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas, even the Middle East and North Africa – are included.Europe is, in fact, one of the “hot” destinations for 2009 and remains one of the dominant markets in the cruise industry.
Many cruise lines are significantly increasing their capacity in Europe, including year-round deployments of large capacity ships and the introduction of new ships straight out of the shipyards of Europe.
With cruising considered a relatively “new concept” in Europe – it is estimated that only five percent of Europeans have taken a cruise vacation – some members of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) are also establishing their own European brands targeting the Spanish, French, German and UK markets.
The cruise boom in Europe has also fuelled the development of new itineraries and ports of call in the region.
These range from out of the way ports in Scotland and remote islands in the north Atlantic to ports on the Black Sea, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Albania and Dalmatian coast, to Tunisia and other North African ports, Sicily, Corsica, and “undiscovered” islands of Spain, Italy and Greece.
There is no better way to explore Europe than on its many river or canal cruises. These types of cruises take their guests into the heart of Europe. AmaWaterways, for one, has a luxurious, state-of-the art fleet in Europe (and elsewhere). Apart from the major rivers it also offers destination cruises to the breathtaking Douro River Valley in Portugal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a Provencal sojourn on the romantic Rhone River in France.
From north to south, hot weather to cold climates, luxury to casual, cultural to mindless self indulgence, there is a European cruise for every taste and lifestyle.
Photo courtesy The Yachts of Seabourn