Tips to book our first European cruise.

[KyleClark]

Hello All - we are seasoned cruisers here in the U.S. but we want to get out of our comfort zone and take a European cruise. We will fly from NYC and looking for a cruise where you don't have to travel and hour or two to see the attractions.  Is there such a cruise?  Any tips or anything you would do differently to enjoy this bucket list trip?

 

Thx..

Kyle

 

[LHT28]

Have you thought of  a River cruise?

[KyleClark]

1 minute ago, LHT28 said:

Have you thought of  a River cruise?

No, but I will now.  What do you like about them?

[ontheweb]

21 minutes ago, KyleClark said:

Hello All - we are seasoned cruisers here in the U.S. but we want to get out of our comfort zone and take a European cruise. We will fly from NYC and looking for a cruise where you don't have to travel and hour or two to see the attractions.  Is there such a cruise?  Any tips or anything you would do differently to enjoy this bucket list trip?

 

Thx..

Kyle

 

Be aware that Rome, Paris, Florence, Athens, and Berlin might be listed, but they are not really ports. All of them will take traveling to get to from where the ship docks.

 

[LHT28]

4 minutes ago, KyleClark said:

No, but I will now.  What do you like about them?

You usually dock in or close to the port city

Small ship with under 200 pax

 

You can find some good info on the River cruise forum

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/115-river-cruising/

[Turtles06]

29 minutes ago, KyleClark said:

We will fly from NYC and looking for a cruise where you don't have to travel and hour or two to see the attractions.  Is there such a cruise?  Any tips or anything you would do differently to enjoy this bucket list trip?

May I suggest that you think about what you would like to see in Europe/what places you would like to visit, and then consider if a cruise makes sense. 

[KyleClark]

3 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

May I suggest that you think about what you would like to see in Europe/what places you would like to visit, and then consider if a cruise makes sense. 

Yes,  that is the thing, we are not pointed in any direction. I think we would like to see enchanted places and beautiful places.  Maybe a mix of beach ports and culture.  That is why I am here, I don't know what we want but we want to experience something new.

[Turtles06]

31 minutes ago, KyleClark said:

Yes,  that is the thing, we are not pointed in any direction. I think we would like to see enchanted places and beautiful places.  Maybe a mix of beach ports and culture.  That is why I am here, I don't know what we want but we want to experience something new.

You should spend some time reading about Europe and decide what appeals to you. And/or get a travel agent. 
 

[dsrdsrdsr]

Cruises to Norway almost invariably dock close to the attractions, partly because the whole country is the attraction.  It's a bit lacking in beach resorts, though.

[Essiesmom]

Get a copy of Rick Steves’ Mediterranean Cruise Ports.  He tells you about the ports, what there is to see, how much you can do in the time you have, and how to DIY.  He also has one for Scandinavia and Northern Europe Cruise Ports.  Read up, choose some places you want to see, and then go to cruisetimetables.com to see who goes to those ports and their itineraries.  EM

[mom says]

Seriously,  if you want beach ports, stick with the Caribbean or Pacific cruises. Enchanted places only exist in fairy tales, but beautiful places can be found almost everywhere.

 

You need to do your own research. Perhaps decide on a region to start. Eastern Med.  Western Med. Great Britain circle. Scandinavia. BalticS.  In addition to the Med cruise guidebook that Essiesmom mentioned Rick also has one for Scandinavia and Northern Europe. Maybe check them out of the library and see what ports float your boat. So to speak.

[Toofarfromthesea]

2 hours ago, KyleClark said:

Yes,  that is the thing, we are not pointed in any direction. I think we would like to see enchanted places and beautiful places.  Maybe a mix of beach ports and culture.  That is why I am here, I don't know what we want but we want to experience something new.

 

You might take a look at some of Rick Steves' travel videos on YouTube.  He has videos on just about every part of Europe, and even some on cruises.  They might help you familiarize yourself with what's out there and you could see what appeals to you to begin whittling things down.  You can find them by going on YouTube and just searching on Rick Steves.

[SPacificbound]

If you haven't already, start familiarizing yourself with Europe, learn the maps, and what you really want to see first.

 

Our first trip to Europe was a flight to London, then we went to France, Germany, and Italy by rail. Then we discovered cruising!

 

A great first cruise could be Norway, Sweden, Finland, or Belgium, the Netherlands, etc. Or the Amalfi Coast, Italy, Greece, Croatia, etc. Spain and Portugal and the Canary Islands.

Another, the British Isles.

 

The cruise lines have lots of options, find what interests you have first, then start looking at itineraries. What you will see on an European cruise will be a little taste here, a little taste there, and then you will start discovering places you will want to go back to. 

 

There is also the option of- in Spring take a Transatlantic to Europe and then doing some on your own travel. Or in Fall you can take a Transatlantic that's coming back to the US.

 

Of course time enters into it also, how long can you be gone. 

 

The learning is great fun, and the more you see, the more you want to see.  😃 Have fun!!

[ldubs]

3 hours ago, dsrdsrdsr said:

Cruises to Norway almost invariably dock close to the attractions, partly because the whole country is the attraction.  It's a bit lacking in beach resorts, though.

 

Perhaps Baltic or British Isles cruise itineraries too.   

[hallasm]

My suggestion is a Norwegian Fjord cruise - maybe including Arctic and midnight sun (normally a longer cruise) in June / July.

However, be aware that some itineraries unfortunately include less interesting ports.
If the Norwegian Fjords are on the bucket list, be aware that two of the most famous ports: Flåm and Geiranger (UNESCO World Heritage List) cannot be visited by most cruise ships after 2026 (Zero Emission zones in the fjords).

[cruisemom42]

Surely there are a few places in Europe you've heard of or read about or seen in movies that made you say "I'd like to see that!"  The beautiful Amalfi Coast in Italy, or the Acropolis in Athens or an idyllic blue-and-white village on a Greek island. 

 

Start from there and do the research, as many have said. It will mean much more to you when you do it if the choices are yours rather than some random stranger's on the CC forum.

[George C]

I would for cruises leaving from Barcelona short taxi ride from airport to city , definitely spend a day or two there before your cruise. Some ports are very close to points of interest like Athens, Naples , Venice . Some are about 90mins away like Rome and Florence, I thought Florence was definitely worth the 90 min drive .

[edinburgher]

15 hours ago, KyleClark said:

don't have to travel and hour or two to see the attractions.  Is there such a cruise?

Unlikely to find an itinerary where each and every port is walkable from the ship, especially if the cruise extends to b2bs or even b2b2b.but some definitely are should you not mind a short public bus, taxi or shuttle bus to get you started., including eg, Dubrovnik,Split, and a few other Adriatic ports in Croatia, Slovenia and Slovakia,a number of Spanish ones such as Barcelona, Cartagena, Cadiz, Valencia, several Greek islands, Malta,  Kotor Montenegro,and many many more, far too many to list.

 

I would advise you avoid any which reference Rome, Florence, Venice (nowadays very few in Venice ), Naples (unless happy to stay in the city itself) le Havre (for Paris and Normandy towns/cities and D-Day beaches)

15 hours ago, KyleClark said:

Maybe a mix of beach ports

 

I would also advise you try to avoid the month of August, generally the hottest and most crowded month in Europe as many residents stake their main summer vacation and millions are on the move. .Beaches in Europe can be extremely crowded in the summer months, so if planning summer travel in Europe you can probably expect crowds whichever beach you visit, but especially so in August..You would probably enjoy a more relaxing and peaceful day by staying onboard when most other pax have gone ashore.

 

You really do need to read and read, and come up with a few ideas of your own before looking at itineraries which include your  ideas, to find which towns/cities are most easily reached by tender or from the docking berth.

 

And as others have already suggested, if you are not willing to bus, walk or taxi to the main city or town, a river cruise really might suit you better, or a land trip where you can fully immerse yourselves in the sights and attractions which most appeal to you, knowing you have enough time to do that. Or, as also already suggested, combine a land trip with a cruise, with several days both pre-and post cruise where your time will be your own to explore as you please.

 

And remember that European countries are located close to each other and connected by short flights and trains so really, it is for you to decide on your "to-do" list.

Edited September 5, 2023 by edinburgher

[Essiesmom]

 Eat he’s in Europe generally are pebbly, not the pristine powdery white sand of the Caribbean.  And remember, if the port is a 30-60 minute drive from the city, you are still in a foreign country, and the scenery can be interesting, educational.  EM

[jsn55]

What's great about a river cruise?  Everything.  More expensive than an ocean cruise generally but worth every penny ... waking up in a  new town watching the locals walk by is sublime.  Don't feel like a ShoreX?  Just walk off the ship and go exploring.  For an ocean cruise, I suggest the Baltic or a circumnavigation around the UK on as small a ship as you can find.  

[Szt]

We have done a couple of European cruises and have learned a thing or two along the way. 
1st: Don’t plan to arrive in Europe the same day as the cruise embarks. There are just too many chances for things to go wrong. The first cruise we took was out of Barcelona. We routed our flight through Amsterdam. Instead of a 4 hr layover, we arranged for a 48 hr layover. That gave us 2 wonderful days on one of my favorite cities. Transportation to and from the airport is easy in Amsterdam.  That allowed us to arrive in Barcelona early in the day with a very short flight. There was a pre cruise excursion we signed up for. We were picked up at the airport, with our luggage, had a wonderful, well organized tour, then taken directly to the port. Easy peasy. The 2nd European cruise we flew into Milan. We spent a few days there, then took a train to Trieste. Itinerary said cruise began in Venice, but it was actually Trieste, a two hour train ride away. The train from Milan to Trieste was about 4 hrs and very inexpensive. Italian trains are notoriously unreliable. So we planned to arrive in Trieste the day before our cruise. We were so glad we did. There was a strike on RailItalia, as there often is. We missed our first train due to a cab driver that never showed. The train we did get on was not non-stop. The connecting train was cancelled. We ended up arriving in Trieste about 6:00 pm (as opposed to 10:30 am as planned). We would have missed the ship had we planned to arrive on embarkation day. It turned out there was a huge yacht regalia (I think that’s what it’s called). It was the first since Covid and the whole town was one big festival. It was so fun. But, again, without good planning, we wouldn’t have been able to find a room. 
On return, we traveled to Venice from Trieste and spent the night there. Then flew out of Venice. By giving ourselves extra days we got to see more, and not stress over delays. 
European Ports: Kotor was the surprise favorite for us. The history and culture of Montenegro is so fascinating. 
Malta was our favorite from the first cruise for the same reason. 
Most of the stops in Greece bring you right to the port. Most in Italy do not. But as an earlier post said, it’s not hard to get where you want to go in Europe. 
Rome- we hired a driver right at the port who took us the hour into Rome and showed us everything! Got back with time to spare. Did the same in Kotor and Malta

Sicily- took the ship’s excursion to Taromina. LOVED it! Wish we had more time, but appreciated the security of knowing we got with the excision. The port town was yuck. 
Villefranche- it’s a tiny town on the French Riviera. So cute. We looked at the excusion itineries and did them ourselves using trains, in reverse. Took the train to Eze- awesome town made even better because we had the morning there to ourselves. Ship tours flooded the town in the afternoon when we were leaving. We trained to Nice and back

to Villefranche. Did it all for a fraction of the price of excursions. 
Lots Of towns have hop on hop off buses that pick up in port. To reach towns further from port- you can hire local driver in most places and get an education from a local as you are driven through the countryside. 
Sorry such a long post. 
 

 

[happy cruzer]

If it is your first time visiting europe, you can spend alot of time doing tons of research that may not pay off.

 

Most pick one of two cruise itinaries  for their first trip - British Isles or Med.  Just pick one of those is the shoulder season and most likely you will be hooked and will do other options in the future.  You can't see it all in one trip 🙂

 

[Toofarfromthesea]

18 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Perhaps Baltic or British Isles cruise itineraries too.   

 

I've never been, but maybe Greek Islands?

[YourWorldWithBill]

A quick note: most of the places you'll probably see on whatever cruise you choose are less crowded in spring and fall (before June and after August). Most cruise bookings are becoming full no matter what time you go, but we always choose the times I mentioned.

 

Before we experienced some of the great sites that others have mentioned we took a cruise around Iceland and loved it! The most visited sites are all near the coast. But as others have said, the Mediterranean and Norway are great.

[Toofarfromthesea]

5 hours ago, jsn55 said:

What's great about a river cruise?  Everything.  More expensive than an ocean cruise generally but worth every penny ... waking up in a  new town watching the locals walk by is sublime.  Don't feel like a ShoreX?  Just walk off the ship and go exploring.  For an ocean cruise, I suggest the Baltic or a circumnavigation around the UK on as small a ship as you can find.  

 

In a way it is like the difference between flying and taking a train.  If we had flown from Minneapolis to New Orleans we wouldn't have seen much, while our river cruise down the Mississippi let us see a lot.