European cruises come in various types, including Mediterranean, Northern European, river cruises, and transatlantic cruises. Mediterranean cruises can be Western or Eastern, while Northern European cruises visit Scandinavia, the Baltic Sea, and the British Isles. River cruises travel along major rivers, and transatlantic cruises depart from the US and dock in Western European cities.
European cruises come in many variations. The most common types are Mediterranean, Northern European and river cruises throughout continental Europe. There are also transatlantic cruises that start in the United States.
Most Mediterranean cruises are classified as Western or Eastern Mediterranean. Western Mediterranean cruises usually travel to Spain, France and Italy. Some go as far as Portugal. They often start and finish in Barcelona or Rome. Popular destinations for a Western Mediterranean cruise are the French Riviera, Naples, Gibraltar and Lisbon.
Other European cruises visit the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Often, these cruises will also include Italy, commonly starting in Rome. These cruises will normally visit Greece, Türkiye and Croatia. Common stops include Athens, Olympia, Dubrovnik, Istanbul and some of the Greek islands.
Some cruises go around the Black Sea. These tours often include many of the same stops as an Eastern Mediterranean tour, including Greece, Turkey and Croatia. Also, a Black Sea cruise normally stops in Ukraine and Bulgaria.
Northern Europe cruises include several tours. A popular northern cruise visits Scandinavia, often with a focus on the Norwegian fjords. Fjords are inlets off the western coast of Norway. Other popular destinations on a Scandinavian tour are Copenhagen, Oslo and Helsinki.
Another popular northern cruise is the Baltic Sea. This tour allows stops in major Scandinavian cities such as Copenhagen, Helsinki and Stockholm, but also in Russia and other Baltic countries such as Estonia. These tours often visit St. Petersburg.
Many European cruises tour the British Isles, visiting England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. These tours will often depart from London. The most common stops along the way are Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh and Loch Ness.
River cruises across Europe are another option. River cruises travel along major rivers such as the Seine, Danube and Rhine. Since many European capitals are built on rivers, this option creates the opportunity to visit many capitals in one trip.
Transatlantic cruises are another popular option for European cruises. These typically depart from a city on the east coast of the US and dock at any number of Western European cities in the UK, France, Spain or Italy. Often, these cruises include a stop at a mid-Atlantic island, such as Bermuda.
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