European Cruise Advisor

Given how well the European Cruise market has held up in 2009, even with the recent credit crunch, it probably well worth your while to start looking into cruises scheduled for the summer of 2010, that’s if you want to make sure that you get the date, cabins and ships of you choice before all the best bargains are snapped up.

If you’ve previously this summer, been cruising the Caribbean, then choosing a ship for European waters is a whole different kettle of fish!

On a European cruise, you will find that spending time aboard ship is not one of the main activities, its the shore excursions that count. This is totally different from a Caribbean cruise experience. For example, if you have been on the atypical Caribbean cruise you will remember that you will have spent far more days at sea, so therefore the crux of you enjoyment aboard ship is what facilities and entertainments it has to offer. This differs somewhat to the European Cruise where passengers can expect to spend much less time at sea and more time travelling and touring the ports of call.

This, of course means that the criteria for picking the ideal European cruise, in my opinion should be as follows; The Itinerary, Your stay in Port and finally the expected Dress Code.

When it comes to ships, try and compare the length of time that each will be docked at port, especially if you are visiting a destinations that’s got lots too see and do, for example Venice in Italy. That way you will make the most of the time you have ashore.

Check the dress code of the ships you are looking at too, make sure that you don’t end up packing loads of formal wear and suites when the expected attire is casual, equally the opposite is true, if there lots of evening functions you will need to have enough suitable outfits for the entire cruise.

Another good tip is to not bother with getting a cabin with a sea view, since most of your travelling is overnight and you spend each day in port, there’s not much point really. Much better to save some money and get and internal cabin leaving more money to spend on the critical shore excursions and day tours. After all there not alot of point having a room with a view that you are not spending a great deal of time in.

If you are looking for casual dining options then Norwegian cruise line, Princess and Oceania are you best bets, this is a great option if you intend to spend all your time out and about each day, after all who wants to get dressed up every night when your all worn out for having some much fun exploring those European destinations!

An Italian holiday will always involve a necessary amount of planning before you go any where near packing your bags or purchasing boarding tickets. Whilst you are deciding and weighing up your options, you should consider that as a romantic cruise destination, a European river cruise across Italy is hard to beat. Whether you finally opt for a large cruise liner or a much more intimate yacht or pleasure cruiser and Italian river cruise makes an excellent choice for a vacation.

If exploring the nooks and crannies of Italy, with a number of islands and inland waterways to visit, you can quite easily combine the sea with the land to create yourself a unique holiday experience where you will get plenty of time to take photographs and take home memories of this wonderful place.

With regard to the times of year that are most suitable for river cruises in Italy you should probably choose sometime between May and August, for an optimal weather conditions, consider the extreme heat of the Summer months however, because Italy can get quite hot during this time.

Getting a one or two week river cruise in Italy is really easy, simply search on the Internet to find respectable tour operators that will be able to line you up with a vacation package that meets your needs. Prices will vary depending on the levels of accommodation that you want as well as the duration of your stays. If you want to have pre-arranged tours for shore excursions that this will be usually included in teh package you choose, or if you are more adventurous, you can arrange all your own trips.

Making sure that Venice is one of the destinations that’s included in your River cruise is a must. With its winding waterways steeped in architecture and history its breathtaking an unmissable.

Overall Italy as a destination for a River cruise is highly recommended with much to do a see you can have a wonderful vacation here no matter the weather.

Planning a cruise can be exciting, planning a European cruise can be even more exciting especially if you are going to visit countries that you have never seen before. with so many fantastic countries as the destination for a European cruise, it almost impossible not to have  great time. With each place offering so much, whether is be local cuisine or cultural heritage, planning you cruises just comes down to where you want to visit most of all.

When you are choosing a cruise, they will usually come in packages, and in each case usually but not always, will encompass trips to various regions or countries that are close together.

For example, if you want to take a Eastern Mediterranean cruise, then you will most likely be interested in visiting Italy, Turkey, Greece and the Greek Isles. In this case the main ports of call be be for Turkey, Istanbul, Greece, Athens or Italy which is Rome or perhaps Venice. depending on which cruise package you choose the direction that you travel will mean the order in which you visit each of these places. Most definitely there will be other ports of call on a cruise like this so you will have plenty of chances to take on some interesting shore excursions. With many place of archaeological interest in this part of the world whether it be art galleries or ruins there’s something for everyone whatever their interests.

An alternative to the eastern Med cruise would be one that is more focused on the western reaches of the Mediterranean. In this case you be visiting countries such as Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, Portugal and Monte Carlo to mention but a few. You can pick and choose your favourite destinations then match this up with a cruise package that meets your requirements. With so much culture to take in all of these places are worthy of any Mediterranean European cruise vacation.