Best cruise destinations in the North Seas today: Take photos in front of some of its most famous landmarks, including The Little Mermaid sculpture (also known as “The Most Famous Lady in Denmark,”) the Amalienborg Palace, and the gorgeous Tivoli Gardens. If you want to experience the city from a unique perspective, you can also take a boat tour through the many canals of Christianshavn, which can be a pretty romantic jaunt, too. After another day at sea, your boat will dock in Nynashamn, Sweden. Sign up for a day excursion to nearby Stockholm and tour its famous City Hall (where the annual Nobel Prize ceremony takes place) and walk around the stylish neighborhood of Ostermalm. Discover more info on cruise booking.
As a cruise industry veteran and general manager at Viking Cruises, Sujith Mohan has crisscrossed the world visiting numerous fascinating destinations by ship. Antarctica tops his list of memorable journeys. A number of expedition lines offer itineraries to this remote part of the world that can span anywhere from eight days to four weeks, including National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions and Quark Expeditions. Major cruise lines like Viking Cruises and Celebrity Cruises also travel to this region. Whichever cruise line you choose, prepare to get close to seals, whales and various species of penguins by kayak or Zodiac boat and marvel at the snowcapped icebergs on an adventure to remember.
Monaco provides an interesting mix of culture and scenery for cruisers – especially those interested in racing. Hop aboard a Windstar Cruises yacht for an intimate seven-day voyage; you’ll enjoy stops in ports like Rome and Portofino, plus exclusive access to special Grand Prix events and Formula One races in Monte Carlo. If you’d like to explore Monaco without the racing theme (or on a bigger vessel) consider a Mediterranean voyage on Oceania Cruises, many of which include a stop in this picturesque region. The Cyclades, southeast of mainland Greece, are some of the most beautiful islands in the world, including Delos, known as the birthplace of Apollo. The Cycladic isles of Santorini and Mykonos are no strangers to major lines like Silversea Cruises and Celebrity Cruises, but booking a private yacht may promise an even more memorable experience. “Between the geographical makeup of the Cyclades Islands and the mythic nature and narrative behind each stop, the exquisite and traditional m/s Erato yacht is the ideal vessel to tour the Aegean Sea,” says Kathy Stewart, the regional director of Western Europe for tour operator Butterfield & Robinson. “This private excursion has it all: an enviable mix of biking and hiking adventures, authentic Greek culinary experiences both on ship and on land and ancient history woven throughout.”
Some top Aegean destinations include Franchini, Nafplion, Crete, and the islands of Hydra and Spetses. These are places brimming with unique Greek culture, history, and arts. The Aegean actually contains over 2000 islands – meaning that a cruising holiday here is full of opportunity. Just like the Ionian Islands, the Aegean is well set-up for anyone wanting to do a sailing holiday in Greece. The islands here offer quality amenities, helpful ports, and plenty of calm places to dock. Some other top destinations in Greece for a beach holiday include Vassiliki, Porto Heli, Horto Pelion, and Kos. If you’re after the dream European summer holiday, it could hardly get better than Greece. Although the uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic is still palpable, you can book your Mediterranean yacht cruise in 2021 with confidence. This year, most of us feel that we need time to relax from day-to-day stress and recharge our batteries more than ever.
At the moment, the official event calendar for summer 2021 gives as confirmed some parties in July-September period. Events organised under the most strict anti-Covid measures and with limited assistance so, most likely it will be possible to enjoy, even if not 100%, discotheques and clubbing. Ibiza, the second smallest of the Balearic Islands, is one of the world’s most attractive islands, a gathering point for countless celebrities from the worlds of fashion, cinema, music and sport. The wonderful thing about the so called “White Island” is that it has as many faces and provides as many options as visitors can desire: beautiful safe white sand beaches, cosy coves, a relaxing inland with rural villages, lively coast towns with a rich heritage and the best nightlife you could ever dream of. Situated next door to Saladeta, just a 20-minute drive out of San Antoni, is Cala Salda, one of the most visited beaches in this part of Ibiza. It’s more rocky than sandy, but the waters are so beautiful that no one is put off by this: indeed, Salada gives you a feeling of being in some remote tropical paradise rather than just a few kilometres from one of Ibiza’s largest towns. Its superb location, the tranquility of the bathing and the clarity of underwater vision for snorkellers mean this should be on the itinerary of every beach junkie visiting Ibiza. The Best Time for Mediterranean Yacht Cruises? Summer is the best time to visit the Mediterranean, and it is definitely the high travel season in this part of Europe. The millions of people from all around the world flock to the Mediterranean’s beaches during summer months for much-deserved summer break due to the region’s pleasant climate. The summers in the Mediterranean are sunny and hot, and the sea is warm. However, the best time for Mediterranean yacht cruises is late spring (May-June) or early fall (September-October) when the temperatures and the sea are pleasurably warm, days are sunny, and the crowds in popular destinations are far fewer than in summer.
Especially popular is the sea area between the northern coast of Sicily, Calabria and the Aeolian Islands. Sicily has an area of 25,426 km² and is the largest island belonging to Italy. It is separated from the Italian mainland by the Strait of Messina. In the north it is bordered by the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the east by the Ionian Sea and in the east and southwest by the Strait of Sicily. Sicily has a largely mountainous landscape, and is the home of Mount Etna – the tallest, largest and most active volcano in Europe. The north and east coasts are made up of high cliffs with numerous bays and sandy beaches. Going south the land is flatter and the beaches become longer. The coastline measures a total length of 1152 km. The capital city of Sicily is Palermo, which lies on a bay on the north coast. The city has many historic attractions, important church buildings, palaces, squares and museums. Other major cities are Catania, Messina and Syracuse.
This is a much more touristy option but the Balearics still make a beautiful European sailing destination, and you can avoid the crowds if you know-how. The cluster of Spanish islands include Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca and Formentera; all major holiday spots known for their sun-drenched beaches and sparkling blue waters. Also include a few stops to the pretty, unspoilt towns of Deia in Mallorca and the secluded Ibizan bay of Cala Llentrisca.
Mondello is an overgrown fishing village flipped into a 19th-century Liberty resort for Palermo’s elite. Imagine Nice, served with a frutti di mare side. A wide arc of beach is backed by more foodie treats. Like mobile carts selling lemon granitas and arancina (fried rice balls). Alicudi is the Sicilian island that Instagram forgot. Irregular ferries and passing yachts call ciaoto the island’s 100 inhabitants. Islanders share a pastoral diet of wild figs and prickly pears served alongside a sustainable daily catch. That’s good news, because this tiny island has no shops, no ATM and no problems. Discover extra details at https://www.cruisebooking.com/.
The sunny Mediterranean coasts of France and Italy boast some of Europe’s most glamorous ports. There’s Alghero in Sicily, with its historic city walls and cobblestoned centre, Cannes, with its iconic Boulevard de la Croisette, and dazzling St Tropez, where you can kick back in chic seafront bistros and bars. If you want to tick off several of the Mediterranean’s magnificent port towns in one trip, join a voyage on the Royal Clipper, a large, full-rigged sailing ship which mixes traditional elegance with modern comforts.
While cruise fares don’t vary too much from one booking agent to the next, you should still always compare prices on a few sites before you book. Just like with hotel rooms, some booking sites buy cruise cabins at a group rate and are able to sell them cheaper, while others may be able to get you a free upgrade or will foot the bill for bonuses like onboard credit and prepaid gratuities to nab your business. It always pays to compare before you book.