See our Advertiser Disclosure and Editorial Note here.
My family has a big European trip planned for next summer (2022). We’re visiting Paris for a few days and then taking a train to Switzerland. I’ve booked two apartment rentals, one in each country. While I’d like to visit more cities, the thought of constantly moving hotels/apartments doesn’t appeal to me.
I’m already planning ahead to 2023, and we are aiming for another trip to Europe. We hope to spend a few days in Russia, but we’d also like to see more countries. It’s hard to pick a second home base with so many choices that are a short plane ride away from Russia. So, we are considering taking a European cruise.
Pros of a European Cruise
Convenience: On a cruise, we don’t have to change hotels. We sleep in the same bed every night. Transportation from city to city (and country to country) happens while we enjoy evening shows and sleep overnight. We wouldn’t have to figure out planes/trains/automobiles to get to multiple cities.
Cost: A cruise is mostly all-inclusive. It includes lodging and most food and entertainment. With two teenage boys, having access to included food could save us money. Eating out in Europe isn’t cheap.
See More/Do More: Most European cruises are port-intensive, often visiting a new port/country every day. This would allow us to maximize each day we are in Europe and see a variety of places. If we fall in love with a place, we can always plan a subsequent land vacation.
No Cooking: When we rent an apartment on vacation, I still end up shopping for meals and cooking. It’s not truly a vacation for me. But on a cruise ship, everyone (including me) gets a break.
Cons of a European Cruise
Not as Immersive: Seeing Europe on a cruise ship is not as immersive as seeing it on land. Eating breakfast and dinner on the cruise ship means we would miss out on experiencing local food. Visiting a city for one day isn’t the same as staying overnight for several days.
Not Customizable/Flexible: On a cruise, we can’t pick and choose the cities we visit. We have to choose from itineraries set by the cruise lines. We have to adhere to a strict schedule while in port, which means we don’t have as much flexibility with tour times and durations.
Long Distance from Ports to Attractions: Some of the Mediterranean ports are located 1-2 hours from the main attractions (like Rome and Florence). This translates to a lot of time on a bus and makes for a very long day.
Final Thoughts
While 2023 seems like a long ways off, many cruise lines are already selling European cruises for that summer. Disney and Royal Caribbean are the only two lines that don’t yet have their Summer 2023 itineraries available. We likely would not pick Disney Cruise Line due to the cost, but I am excitedly awaiting to see Royal Caribbean’s European itineraries.
Have you taken a European cruise? How did it compare to a land-based vacation in Europe?
CLICK HERE TO VIEW VARIOUS CREDIT CARDS AND AVAILABLE SIGN-UP BONUSES
Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
Sitting on a plane in Amsterdam, heading to Budapest for a Viking Danube river cruise. My wife and i are veterans of the big ship cruises since we have 2 girls, now grown with children. This is our first river cruise. I agree with Sarah, we always arrive a day or two early and many times stay a day after- you get the best of both worlds. There is flexibility with most costs already paid.
@Sam I hope you have a wonderful time on your river cruise! That’s on my list for sure!
The ship is a floating resort with ample dining options, entertainment and activities. There are also tons of attractions to explore when you’re at port in each destination. But it can be expensive! And there’s limited space for luggage so if you have more than one suitcase, expect to pay even more money on the spot or have your luggage sent separately by air which takes time and costs extra fees. The food is great but sometimes too salty because people from different cultures prepare dishes differently as well as portions being smaller due to Europeans not having large appetites like Americans do. You may get bored quickly without much going on during the day or night unless you want to spend a lot of money up front for excursions that aren’t always worth the money.
@b2bleadwings You’re right that some of those excursions can be very expensive. We found that to be especially true on our Alaska cruise.
I prefer MSC for euro cruises. Some areas like Florence are a long way from the port and not worth it but Rome is a short train ride. I like MSC because they let you embark and debark at various ports unlike Carnival, NCL, Disney etc. Cruising might rule out some cities but will expose you to local places you might not normally visit like Sicily or Marseille. They offer excursions but the best ports allow you to walk the town on your own. As a part time travel agent I find the Rick Steves books invaluable but his Med cruise port books is a bit dated as his tv show on the topic. Rudy Maxa or Samantha Brown might offer more up to date shows. European cruises are a great value and also offer a language break at the end of each day.
What about a river cruise? You are right in the cities when you disembark?
@Beth I would LOVE to go on a river cruise. It’s on my bucket list for sure. For this trip we will be traveling as a family of five, and the river cruises are just too expensive. Once my kids are grown and flown, I’d like to go on a river cruise just my husband and me.
Do both! A few years ago we did a Mediterranean 7 day cruise starting in Barcelona and visiting Italy and France. We arrived a 4 days early in Paris and drove from Paris to the Loire Valley to Carcasonne to Perpignan which is where we dropped the rental car and took the train into Barcelona. So we got to have the luxury of a car to see things on our timeline, but then we got to have the luxury of not having to change hotels and not having to find restaurants that were appropriate for our group every night! It was great! And Rick Steves has a book about Mediterranean Sea ports that tells you exactly how to use the trains to get into places like Rome and Florence so you don’t have to spend a zillion dollars on private transfers! Once we got back to Barcelona we flew back to Paris and spent 3 days there sightseeing before flying home.
@Sarah I definitely need to check out that book about the Mediterranean ports. Sounds like a great trip!
We did a 12 night Carnival Mediterranean cruise years ago. Yes it is different than a land tour but you do get to see so much more as far as sights – and it’s nice have those forced breaks (AKA sea days) to recover a bit! We were always the first ones off the ship on port days and did all our own excursions. It was funny because we got to know other families who were as die hard as we were, waiting on the gangway for the ship to dock at 6AM, and started comparing notes and booking taxis and trains together. You do miss out on the lingering in a place and experiencing the culture. We were able to spend extended time in Paris, London, and Rome before and after the cruise which allowed us to do that too.
@Wendy That sounds like a fantastic cruise! 12 nights, wow!
Cruising a great way to see the Mediterranean or Baltic. Using a Greek isles cruises for example, it is logistically difficult to fly to all the special islands like Santorini, Mykonos, Corfu, and etc. Cruising is much easier. Some countries and cities have to be done on a land tour like Paris, Switzerland, and Austria. Some work well with cruises because you might not want to take a detour to see Monaco, Barcelona, Naples (Capri/Amalfi/Sorrento), Ephesus, and etc. if you had to fly from your main destinations but will see them on a cruise.
@Jackson a Greek Isles cruise is very appealing to me.