Large-Ship Cruises

Celebrity Cruises' Constellation sails out of Amsterdam

Large-ship Cruises, aka Ocean Cruises, continue to be popular amongst travelers to Europe. They are a great way to see coastal areas of Europe including along the Mediterranean and in Northern Europe and Scandinavia. The ships are somewhat a destination on their own, with a multitude of dining options, entertainment venues, special activities for kids, teens and adults, world-class spas, refreshing pools and a whole lot more!

All of the major cruise lines have a presence in Europe at least part of every year. High season is during the summer – from June through August. The spring and summer are the only times of the year that I would advise sailing in Scandinavia and Northern Europe because of the weather. Year-round cruising is available in southern Europe, such as in the Mediterranean and Greek Isles. You can often find good deals in the low seasons when kids are back in school. Contact me to find the right sailing, at the right price, at the right time of year, for you!

There are too many different itineraries and ships to name individually, but most follow the same routing. Here are the general routes that cruise ships sail:

- Mediterranean Cruises – Often divided up as Eastern and Western Mediterranean. Eastern Mediterranean Cruises will often start in Venice and end up in Rome, after stops along the way in places such as Croatia and Greece. Western Mediterranean Cruises normally start or end in either Rome or Barcelona, with stops along the way in France and sometimes Sicily or the Balearic Islands. Some ships offer more off-the-beaten track ports of call on these itineraries including Turkey and Tunisia. The Mediterranean Cruises are ideal for family vacations and honeymoons.

- Northern Europe/Scandinavia – Ports of call on Northern Europe cruises (also called Baltic Cruises) usually include Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, St Petersburg, and Tallinn. Some of these sailings also include Amsterdam or the UK. These sailings are more adult-oriented, although cruise lines are now adding more kid-friendly ships as this market continues to grow.

- British Isles and Western Europe – These sailings usually depart from London, and will stop in ports such as Dublin, Amsterdam, Normandy, Belgium, and northern Germany. This is a great way to get an overview of the coastal areas of Western Europe and can easily be added to any land-based itinerary.

Most of the sailings are 10-14 days, although shorter cruises such as 4-days and 7-days are becoming more popular and are especially suited for family vacations. Have questions?

Need help finding the right cruise for your vacation? Just email me to begin planning your next adventure – Leila@worldclasstvl.com

Large-ships don’t appeal to you? Have a look at small-ship cruising, instead!