Cruising Northern Europe
June is the Best Time of Year to Explore Scandinavia and the Baltic
Jun 10, 2007
June sees the beginning of the busiest season for Baltic cruises, in a region of Europe absolutely made for cruising. If you're planning to visit Scandinavia, Russia and Eastern Europe by ship, check out a new website to find out all you need to know about the 19 destinations in 10 countries participating in the Cruise Baltic project.
The 10 participating countries are Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden. Together these countries offer no less than 19 ports of call, each with its unique sights, characteristics and superb opportunities for visitors. Highlights in the Baltic include the fantastic Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg; following the midnight sun to the far north, where on June 21 there will be 24 hours of daylight; taking a day cruise around Stockholm's beautiful archipelago; sampling fresh berries and mushrooms from the markets in Helsinki; wandering through the fairytale streets of medieval Tallinn; and checking out the designer stores of Copenhagen's ritzy Strøget shopping area. Some of the cruises transit Germany's Kiel Canal, a masterpiece of engineering and a fascinating few hours on deck watching the countryside drift by.
To explore these ideas further, the website is also divided up into themes, among them Northern Lights, Kings & Tsars, Modern Architecture & Design, City Life & Outdoor Events, Great Shopping & Fine Food and Ancient & Modern. In reality, though, any Baltic cruise offers the opportunity to sample most or all of these themes, as the region is so diverse. Some cruise lines also offer theme cruises to the region, exploring topics like classical music, or Russian history.
Cruise ships depart for the Baltic region from Southampton and Dover in the UK, Amsterdam and Copenhagen. There's no shortage of choice but there are different ships and itineraries suited to different tastes. Try P&O Cruises or Princess Cruises for a family vacation at sea - both have excellent children's clubs which helps when you have small kids, as these are fairly culture-intensive itineraries. For a luxury cruise, you can't beat Crystal Cruises, which operates two five-star ships, one of which, Crystal Symphony, has a comprehensive Baltic season this summer. If you're looking for a more relaxed, Brit-friendly cruise, Fred. Olsen has a busy schedule out of Dover all summer long. One tip for first timers to the region: if you're choosing a cruise to St Petersburg, make sure it overnights in the city, as there is so much to see you need at least two days.
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