In 2008, Europe cruises fares are the lowest the Baltic, Great Britain, Eastern Europe and Western Mediterranean while sailings in the Greek Islands and Turkey have the highest price tags. When budgeting a Europe cruise vacation, keep in mind that this year airfare is higher and shore excursions will be pricier due to the increase in the value of the Euro over the U.S. dollar.
AZAMARA CRUISES
Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest are both in Europe this Spring and Summer. Offering open-jaw itineraries between major cities as well as roundtrip cruises, the ship will roam from the western Mediterranean to the Adriatic, throughout western Europe, visit Morocco and offer a handful of 12-night Scandinavia and Russia trips. Two voyages encompass Egypt and Israel as well as the Mediterranean.
CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES
Carnival inaugurates its first-ever northern Europe cruise season with
the 2008 debut of Carnival Splendor. The 3,006-passenger ship will sail roundtrip from London to Copenhagen, Warnemunde (Germany), Helsinki, St. Peterburg, Tallin and Amsterdam between mid-July and the end of August. Earlier in the summer she will cruise the Mediterranean and Greek Isles.
CELEBRITY CRUISES
Celebrity brings four ships to Europe this year, offering Scandinavia and Russia, Norwegian fjords, western Mediterranean, north Africa, and eastern Mediterranean itineraries. Returning to shipboard life will be “Passaporto di Europa,” an onboard activities/entertainment program featuring the cultures of Europe. Examples include a French wine and cheese fair, a “taste of Spain,” “Dining under the Santorini Stars,” and “Carnevale di Venezia.”
CRYSTAL CRUISES
Crystal Cruises has already lowered 2008 Europe cruise fares by 10%. The cruise line has expanded its North Cape cruises to the Polar Ice Cap and offers a choice of 15 Mediterranean itineraries, including voyages through the Black Sea, Greece, Turkey and the Middle East. The line also features a series of “port-intensive” Med cruises and summer British Isles cruises featuring overnights in Dublin and Edinburgh. Perched on the far reaches of Europe, Greenland and Iceland are featured in Crystal’s fall transatlantic crossing.
CUNARD LINE
Queen Victoria’s inaugural season offers a wide variety of maiden call
voyages throughout Europe and the Mediterranean including the 12-day
Jewel of the Mediterranean voyage, departing Southampton on August 1,
the August 25 Jewel of the Mediterranean sailing from Barcelona and the
12-day Connoisseur’s Mediterranean voyage departing November 29 from
Rome with prices starting at $2,295.
HOLLAND AMERICA LINE
Holland America will position six ships, including the new Eurodam, in the region. They will sail on 57 unique itineraries from March through November in northern Europe, the Norwegian fjords, the Mediterranean, Greek Isles and western Europe. Nine maiden port calls will be featured including three in Sweden (Lulea, Hudiksvall and Karlskrona); Aalborg, Denmark; Newcastle upon Tyne and Barrow in Furness in England; Santander, Spain; Portimao, Portugal; and Split, Croatia.
HURTIGRUTEN
In 2008, Hurtigruten’s year-round Norwegian Coastal Voyage will again
feature a variety of theme cruises, including “Bridge Players,” “Watercolors and Art,” “Harmony at Sea” and “Winter Digital Photography.” The Coastal Voyage between Bergen and Kirkenes, above the Arctic Circle, calls at 34 ports and are available in 12-day roundtrips, seven-day northbound and six-day southbound voyages. Lofoten joins Polar Star and Nordstjernan offering a new 16-day air-inclusive “Spitsbergen Ultimate Voyage” from Bergen to the North Cape to the
Arctic’s Spitsbergen Islands. And, Fram offers air-inclusive sailings in Greenland, with PolarCirkel boat landings from May through September.
NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE
NCL offers its largest European deployment ever with three of its newest
Jewel-class ships — Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Jade and Norwegian Jewel
– in Europe for an extended season from May through November, offering
a wide range of itineraries. Check NCL for some of the lowest fares on Europe cruises.
OCEANIA CRUISES
With destination-rich voyages a top priority, Oceania has added several
new ports this year in its 42 different Mediterranean and Greek Isles itineraries. Among the new ports are Pula, Croatia and Alghero, Italy and the line also features a new 14-day Barcelona to Istanbul trip that includes Egypt and Israel as well as Greece, Turkey and Italy. With a range of itineraries that traverse of virtually all of Europe, from Russia to the Greek Isles and Black Sea, sailings range from 10 to 16 days.
PRINCESS CRUISES
Six ships will call on 115 ports, including five new ones, on 32 itineraries. Two ships – Crown Princess and Pacific Princess -make their European debuts, and Princess will offer five new itineraries, including a “Classical Europe” option that combines the best of Scandinavia and Russia with the Mediterranean in a single voyage featuring the 710-passenger Royal Princess. New ports include Sarande,
Albania; Dartmouth, England; and Scrabster, in Scotland.
REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISES
Seven Seas’ newest offerings in Europe include several maiden port calls
in the Adriatic, including Kotor, Montenegro (on Seven Seas Navigator’s
Venice to Istanbul itinerary departing May 24), Koper, Slovenia (Seven
Seas Voyager’s Piraeus to Venice voyage departing May 26), and Hvar,
Croatia (Seven Seas Navigator’s voyage from Venice to Piraeus, July 26).
The company is also featuring a series of “air inclusive” cruise
packages, with Economy Class or Business Class air included depending on
category of accommodations chosen.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL
Debuting in April, Independence of the Seas, the third of Royal Caribbean’s new Freedom Class ships, will be deployed in Southampton in the United Kingdom where she will be the largest ship ever to be home-ported in Europe. In all, the line will have a record seven ships sailing European itineraries that encompass 63 ports. Home ports for Royal Caribbean will include Barcelona (Voyager of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas), Rome (Legend of the Seas), Venice (Splendour of the Seas), Southampton (Independence of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas) and
Harwich (Jewel of the Seas).
SEABOURN CRUISE LINE
Seabourn is introducing two new “Grand Harbors of Europe” cruises mixing
marquee ports with less-known “Seabourn Secrets” along the western coast
of Europe. Departing from Lisbon on May 12 and Dover on September 18,
the 14-day cruise features overnight stays in such ports as Amsterdam, Antwerp and Dublin as well as intriguing ports like Pembroke, Wales; Belfast, St. Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly and Liverpool. Two-for-one international business class airfares add value to available savings to 35%.
SEADREAM YACHT CLUB
Operating two of the smallest ships in the CLIA fleet (100 passengers), SeaDream will spend 176 days in Europe in 2008, with SeaDream I and II
sailing the Mediterranean, the Adriatic, the Aegean (including Croatia), and even to North Africa (Tunisia). Embarkation and debarkation ports include Barcelona, Seville, Tenerife, Lisbon, Nice, Monte Carlo, Rome, Venice, Athens and Dubrovnik.
SILVERSEA CRUISES
Silversea’s Silver Cloud, Silver Wind and Silver Whisper offer nearly 60 voyages of seven to 15 days to the Mediterranean and Europe. New destinations include Formentera, the smallest of Spain’s Balearic Islands; Belle Ile, the charming French island off the coast of Brittany; Germany’s Sylt island in the North Sea; and historic Sibenik on Croatia’s southwest coast.
WINDSTAR CRUISES
Windstar will offer 40 sailings in Europe and 30 sailings in the Greek Isles. New this year are two Adriatic itineraries. One, offered on specific departure dates in June, July and September, is a seven-day voyage on Wind Surf or Wind Star, from Venice to Dubrovnik featuring Koper, Slovenia; and Pula, Rijeka, Zadar, Split and Korcula, all in Croatia. The other, departing in June, August and September, is a seven-day trip between Dubrovnik and Venice, with stops in Koto, Montenegro; Ploce, Hvar, Sibenik and Rab in Croatia as well as Trieste.