European cruises are offered all year round. Of course, popular cruise destinations such as Northern Europe, Scandinavia and Russia (Baltic cruises) are generally offered only in the summer months due to their cold winter climate. Mediterranean cruises are offered year round with sunny destinations such as the Holy Land and Egypt offered during the late Fall and Winter months. Cruises to the mid Atlantic Canary Islands are also offered during the Winter months.

In the summer months it will be the warmest and also the busiest. Visit in the spring and fall for smaller crowds and more comfortable weather. For the best value cruise in the spring, late fall and winter.

In our opinion, these are the best months to cruise to the various regions of Europe.

Scandinavia, Russia and the Norwegian Fjords
Generally offered from late May to early September. July and August tend to offer long sunny days with temperatures in the mid 80’s with minimum precipitation.

British Isles and Western European Capitals
These cruises are offered during the summer months. Again, July and August are the best months to visit this beautiful (but rain prone) region. Mild temperatures, sunshine and less change of rain make these summer months the best time to cruise this historical area.

Western Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean (Greek Isles and Turkey and the Black Sea)
These cruises are offered all year round. However, connoisseurs know that the months of April, May, late September and October are the best months to visit this beautiful region. Temperatures tend to be cooler (low to high 70’s), the skies blue and clear, humidity low and fewer crowds lining up to see the famous sights. High summer tends to attract huge crowds and higher prices together with temperatures in the 90’s to low 100’s!

Holy Land, Egypt, Northern Africa and the Canary Islands
These itineraries are offered during the Fall and Winter months. You will enjoy fewer crowds, lower prices and pleasant weather Rain is generally not an issue, temperatures are in the mid 60’s to mid 70’s but the Mediterranean may be slightly rough in places. This is an ideal cruise for those seeking a vacation in Europe over the Holidays.

European River Cruises
These varied cruises depart from late March (to view the tulips in Holland) to just before the Holiday season (in order to shop in the Christmas Markets of Germany). Unless you are cruising for the two reasons just mentioned, May and June and late September are the best times. You will encounter fewer crowds in the small towns the ships call at and the weather will be very pleasant. There may be a chance of rain on the Rhine or Danube but nonetheless, this is a very pleasant time to visit the inland highlights of Europe. For cruises on the Volga in Russia, again the high season months of July and August are recommended as the temperatures will be pleasant (mid 70’s to mid 80’s) and the chance of rain is less. Fall cruises in Provence coincide with the grape harvest so this may be an interesting time to visit.

Due to the climatic changes that we have been experiencing these past few years, please note that these recommended times may or may not be totally accurate!

For more detailed information on routes, please refer to our route page.

For more detailed information on service and shipboard ambiance, please refer to our cruise line profile page.

For more information on types of cruisetours offered by each cruise line, you may wish to refer to our cruise line profile page.

In addition, a Europe cruise vacation can be extended either pre- or post-cruise by adding land components that allow you to spend more time in your embarkation port or visit a land locked destination like Paris. This is known as an Europe cruisetour vacation. For more information, please see "What are 'cruisetours'?"

Need help on reserving your next cruise? Call and speak to a Europe Cruise Expert: 1-800-565-2784, or e-mail us a Quote Request.

• Your well appointed stateroom or suite
• All ocean transportation between ports of call
• All meals and snacks (excluding specialty dining)
• 24-hour room service
• Most non-alcoholic beverages
• Onboard entertainment, including spectacular shows
• Swimming pools, whirlpools and saunas
• Fitness facilities & most sports equipment
• Lounges, night clubs, library & observation facilities
• Children & teen programs at sea
• Lectures on featured ports of call
• A selection of classes (dance, ice carving, etc.)
• Gratuities (only with Regent & Silversea)

• Airfare to/from your port of arrival and departure
• Government fees and local departure taxes
• Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages
• Spa & salon treatments
• Specialty classes (wine tastings, computers, etc.)
• Shore excursions
• Phone, fax, Internet and other business services
• Gratuities (except with Regent & Silversea)
• All other items of a personal nature

Here at Europe Cruise Experts, we specifically specialize in Europe cruises and cruisetours. Our team possess all the knowledge and expertise to answer any of your questions. We ensure that your European cruise experience is one to which you will most definitely want to return.

For a worry-free cruise or cruisetour vacation, call to book your next vacation with us, the Europe Cruise Experts, at 1-800-565-2784!

Other Nationals: Most foreign nationals will be required to have a passport and Visa to enter the United States and Canada. Please note that it is the passenger's responsibility to provide acceptable proof of citizenship and other required documents.

There are no refunds to passengers denied boarding due to lack of proper documents.

Additional coverage is also available for baggage protection, emergency evacuation and medical. Call one of our experienced Cruise Experts at 1-800-565-2784 to discuss specific coverage details.

If you should require cash for other expenses, automated banking machines (ABMs) can be found at all ports of call and on most cruise ships. Major credit cards are generally accepted everywhere.

Guests are reminded to pack in preparation for all types of weather conditions. It is always best to bring a pair of walking shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat, regardless of your cruise destination.

On the final night of a cruise, passengers will be asked to leave larger luggage items outside of their staterooms for transport. As a result, all guests should bring an overnight bag for toiletries and valuables, in preparation for disembarkation the next morning.

Other cruise lines offer greatly reduced pricing for children, provided that they are the 3rd or 4th passenger in a stateroom.

Carnival Cruise Line offers their Camp Carnival® program, featuring supervised activities for children 2-15 years of age as well as a selection of activities available for teens 16 to 18 years of age.

Celebrity Cruises offers children's programs for four separate age groups: Ship Mates (ages 3-6), Celebrity Cadets (ages 7-9), Ensigns (ages 10-12) and Admiral T's (ages 13-15 and 16-17). Onboard counselors are always available and activities take place daily.

Princess Cruises offers supervised activities at its Youth and Teen Centers. Nickelodeon is available for viewing on your stateroom TV. However, children under the age of two are not permitted in the Youth Center.

Royal Caribbean International offers Adventure Ocean® programs for children 3 years of age and older, with age groups categorized similarly to Celebrity Cruises' programs for children.

Princess Cruises offers a babysitting service at the Youth Center. There is a $4.00 per hour, per child charge when the ship is at port.

Norwegian Cruise Line offers private babysitting services that can be arranged between the hours of 12:00pm and 2:00am. These arrangements must be made 24 hours in advance and there is a fee.

Cruise ships commonly feature a wide variety of activities, including sports, shopping, bars, casinos, night clubs, dance lessons, theater performances and spa services - Just to list several highlights. Onboard your ship, a daily program of exciting shipboard events will be provided. Your biggest concern will most likely be deciding on how to spend your day!

Other smaller ships restrict the number of passengers to an amount much lower than the ship's maximum capacity. This allows for a larger, more comfortable space ratio combined with an intimate environment.

All cruise ships feature fitness facilities, where guests may choose to exercise in the gym, attend an aerobics class, jog, swim, or play a game of basketball. On some ships, there are putting greens, golf simulators or tennis courts.

Generally, cruise lines offer an early seating (typically around 6:00pm) or a late seating (typically around 8:00pm) in the main dining room for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Other lines may offer open seating (your choice of dining whenever and with whomever you wish), flexible dining times and many alternative dining options. With so much variety, it is best to ensure that you identify your preference to your European Cruise Expert agent during booking.

If you consider yourself sensitive to motion at sea, we suggest booking a mid-ship stateroom (i.e., closer to the center of the ship), where motion is minimized. You may also wish to consider applying a Transderm Scopolamine patch behind the ear, medicated to treat motion sickness. It is available by prescription (except in Canada, where a prescription is not required) and may create side effects, so please consult your doctor for more information. If you do not wish to resort to medicated treatments, consider wearing a Sea-Band wristband the minute you embark. Available at major drug stores, this discrete acupressure device can suppress nausea without any drug side effects.

Please note that the use of irons is strictly forbidden in cabins, as they are potential fire hazards. As an alternative, all cruise ships offer laundry services for a nominal fee and some ships offer self-service laundry facilities. The use of other self-heating devices may also be restricted; please contact your European Cruise Expert agent for more information.

On casual evenings, open neck shirts, slacks, casual dresses or skirts and sports outfits are acceptable.

On semiformal evenings, ladies may choose to wear dresses or pantsuits and men wear coats and ties.

Formal evenings suggest evening gowns, cocktail dresses for women, and tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits for men.

Several lines feature more formal dress codes or can be completely casual. Be sure to speak with your European Cruise Expert agent to find the best ship to suit your preferences.

Gratuities are usually paid on the last evening of the cruise and guests will be provided with labeled envelopes. Passengers may then either choose to personally hand cash gratuities to the staff, or have the amount charged to their shipboard accounts.

*Please note that Norwegian Cruise Line has a fleet wide mandatory $10 per person, per day automatic charge for gratuities.

*Additional tipping onboard luxury lines Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Silversea Cruises is not expected; they are included in your cruise fare.

Furthermore, prices for cruise vacations and airfare (if applicable) are subject to change at any time, and many of our exclusive promotions cannot be advertised online. Contacting us by phone or e-mail will allow you to receive not only the best service and pricing, but also the most updated promotion availability.

Call and speak to a friendly, professional European Cruise Expert today at 1-800-565-2784, or you can also send us a Quote Request.

If you cannot find a specific cruise or cruisetour vacation, simply call us at 1-800-565-2784 and speak to one of our Cruise Specialists, who would be more than happy to assist you in your specific vacation of choice.

You may also wish to call and speak to our Cruise Experts directly at 1-800-565-2784 for planning your next dream cruise vacation.