Taking a Luxury European Cruise
Luxury European Cruise's are an animal all their own, and there really isn’t an industry standard about what one should or should not include. Some focus on specific regions, others focus on specific countries. Some typical itineraries will cover The French Riviera, Norway and the Fjords, The United Kingdoms and Ireland, Russia and Scandinavia, and the Greek Isles. Of course, there are a number of itineraries that cover different areas, or different combinations of places. But ultimately, it is the captain of the liner who determines where you’ll go and when. There is never any accounting for weather or politics: once, I was on a liner en route to Santander, Spain, but at the last minute we were diverted to a small coastal city. The next day, Santander was hit by a coast storm about two notches below hurricane strength. So when you pay for a luxury cruise, try to go with the flow. Plans shatter.
There are also special itineraries that hit a vein of major European cities—though the ship won’t spend a lot of time at any particular port. These are comprehensive trips through Europe, best for getting a tiny taste of various cultures and the scenery, though poor choices if you’ve an intellectual curiosity in any of the areas you’re visiting. These sort of cruises usually hit six or seven different countries, touching the same number of cities and lasting about fourteen days. European cruises aren’t always coastal: Europe has a great many inland rivers that allow for luxury sized liners. River cruises are a great way to experience a specific country in Europe, especially France and Germany. When you’re comparing Luxury European Cruise Itineraries, make sure you pay special attention to how much time it says you’ll be at port. You’re probably not going to Europe so you can see the inside of a ship; make sure you’ve got enough time at harbor to do what you want to do. And be aware that being in harbor during the daytime is radically different from being in harbor at night. In the daytime, you’ll have the option to see ancient ruins and museums; at night, you’ll see a lot more wild parties catering to crazy tourists. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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