Sunday, March 31, 2024

THE 25 BEST Luxury Cruises to Europe with Prices on Cruise Critic

best europe cruise

Parents can relish in romance and relaxation amidst fairytale landscapes, and grandparents can relive stories of memories past with their loved ones. Whether on board or ashore, find activities created with every type of guest in mind on a cruise to Europe. See the many faces of the world with seasonal European cruise sailings from Princess. In the spring, shop France’s colorful outdoor markets for hand-crafted souvenirs.

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Featured European Cruises

Designed with single beds and a bit less square footage, these so-called studio cabins are clustered around an exclusive lounge reserved for solos. Special activities allow folks traveling alone to mingle and make new friends. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. If you want to see the Northern Lights in Norway, Seabourn’s wintertime Norway cruises are your best bet.

Best for solo cruisers: Norwegian Epic

Get away for a weekend to Belgium and the Netherlands or set off on a week-long adventure to the Mediterranean, Norwegian Fjords or the exquisite paradise of the Canary Islands. Cruise to Europe with Celebrity and you’ll enjoy the best of all worlds, from cultural immersion and culinary adventures ashore, to our contemporary, design-led ships. Rejuvenate your spirit in The Spa, unwind by the pool, and toast the end of another perfect day at the Sunset Bar as the lights of the shore fade away. Embark on a Mediterranean cruise along the coasts of Italy, Spain, Croatia, and Greece. Discover itineraries from a leisurely 7-night Greek Islands voyage to nine nights exploring the Italian coast and the lavender fields of Provence.

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Sing, dance, feast and celebrate in a way that only Europe — and Princess — knows how. Grand chapels and stone angels line the roads, whispering secrets of Rome’s past. On a cruise to Europe from Rome, arrive early to toss a coin into Trevi Fountain.

Walk past medieval buildings in Bergen, stopping by the Schøtstuene Museum on your way back. Or hike Mt. Fløien and revel in panoramic views of Norway’s woodlands, fjords and cityscapes. Seabourn Sojourn's voyages to the Canaries span 10 to 28 days and visit the islands of La Palma, Gran Canaria and Madeira, as well as Lisbon, Portugal. Fares start from $434 per person, per night, for an ocean-view cabin.

best europe cruise

Learn from local experts — like musicians, dancers, athletes and chefs — who come on board to show you the unique personality of each region. Or listen to stories from international crew members, many of whom call these lands home. Even kids can awaken their sense of wonder with our Youth and Teen Centers, created in partnership with Discovery™ and Animal Planet™. From thrilling kayak voyages in Flåm to relaxing beach days in Mykonos, find shore excursions that match every guest’s preference with Princess. In Rome, taste local delicacies like wood-fired pizza, fine wines and homemade gelato.

Explore the antiquities of Greece and the art treasures of Florence with an expert, or glide along Norway’s serene fjords to a soundtrack of tumbling waterfalls and birdsong. Celebrity can fulfill your dreams of exploring the Old World on a European cruise—and you’ll only have to unpack once. The two routes can be combined into longer 13-day sailings, meaning you'd sail round-trip from Bergen and see all the fjords. Seven-night northbound itineraries from Bergen to Kirkenes start at $331 per person, per night, for an inside cabin.

If that's not enough, attend enough daily activities, and you might be invited to a secret nighttime tour of the crew bar, drinks included. Expect a casual vibe where passengers dress up like mermaids, crew dress up like drag queens, and performers look like real people. Toss in an onboard tattoo parlor, a food court (it's not a buffet), free fitness classes and an app that lets you order Champagne to wherever you are on the ship, and you've got a product that has turned the cruise industry on its head. If your Europe bucket list includes the Greek Isles, you don't want to sail with children, and you enjoy a lively party atmosphere, you can't go wrong with Virgin Voyages' Resilient Lady. The third ship in the line's fleet, Resilient Lady offers some of the best cruises to the Greek Islands. The vessel sails five- to 12-night voyages back and forth between Rome and Barcelona, calling on ports that include Naples, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Marseille, Cannes and Florence (Livorno).

Best European cruises for couples: Viking Star

As restrictions ease, the traffic is bound to pick up in 2022, which already is looking like a year when ships will sail full due to pent-up demand. Let Princess pick you up from the airport and take you directly to your ship or hotel when you arrive, even if you didn't book your airfare through us. A uniformed Princess representative meets you at the airport after you've retrieved your luggage and transports you directly to your ship or hotel without you having to worry about the logistics of navigating a new city.

best europe cruise

Smart Casual means you look comfortable yet tasteful in a dress, skirt, long pants, or jeans with a stylish top or button-down. Throughout the ship, casual resort wear, sundresses, shorts, polos, or button-downs are appropriate, paired with sandals, low heels, and loafers. In main and specialty dining, we ask guests to refrain from wearing swimsuits, see-through cover ups or robes, bare feet, tank tops, T-shirts, and baseball caps. Europe is so full of incredible cities, islands, villages, and historic landmarks that it’s hard to choose between them to craft a vacation itinerary.

Cruise lines are testing the waters with a limited number of ships and new health and safety protocols in place with most cruises restricted to passengers who have been vaccinated. Dive even deeper into the flourishing cultures abroad with More Ashore late-night departures and overnight stays on select European cruise itineraries. Visit one of Dublin’s pubs and enjoy a night of Irish song, dance and Guinness. Go glamping in Alta and spend the night under the evening sky for a chance to see the Northern Lights. Or dance into the evening at a party in Mykonos — an island famous for its nightlife.

Elevate your experience to the next level at The Retreat, with sumptuous, all-suite accommodation, access to a private sundeck and tranquil lounge, and dining at the exclusive Luminae at The Retreat. Immerse yourself in the vibrant cultures of Europe on a voyage beyond your imagination with Celebrity. Taste wines grown on the slopes of Mount Etna, or feast on tapas on the beach in Barcelona.

If you're a senior traveler who loves great food and excellent wine, one of the best luxury European cruises you can book is a Canary Islands cruise on Seabourn's Seabourn Sojourn. Ultraluxury lines such as Seabourn and Silversea are in the mix for summer 2021, along with boutique lines such as France-based Ponant and Windstar, with its 148-passenger, four-masted Wind Star sailing ship. It's difficult to imagine something more romantic than sailing through the alluring cities and charming countryside of Europe. Between the castles, towers and ruins, Europe is teeming with ancient architecture. On a European cruise, sail into Le Havre and choose to visit the beaches of Normandy or ascend the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Walk through the Colosseum in Rome, and stop by Livorno to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Disney Dream sails three- to 12-night cruises to Northern and Western Europe, the British Isles and the Mediterranean. Cruise fares start from $308 per person, per night, for a windowless inside cabin. You can visit ports like Belfast and Liverpool on cruises from Southampton; Florence and Rome (Civitavecchia) on Barcelona sailings; and Reykjavik, Copenhagen and Lisbon on open-jaw itineraries. If you are uneasy about returning to Europe this year, consider making up for lost time in one fell swoop. You can alternatively book a 37-night segment to visit 33 places in the Mediterranean, or a 53-night segment that will get you from Lisbon to Stockholm, including the British Isles, Scandinavia, and Russia. After a pandemic year without any European cruises available to Americans, sailing options are returning for the summer 2021 season.

However, it's Norwegian Epic that has a presence in the Western Mediterranean, offering solo cruisers a chance to explore Europe on a ship with staterooms just for them. Plus, all cabins on Viking's ships have balconies, which is great if you want some fresh air but feel like keeping to yourself. Complimentary room service is available 24/7, so you can order dinner to your cabin for a relaxing alfresco dining experience for two.

It encompasses some 45 countries and includes such cruise regions as the Mediterranean, the Baltic and Northern Europe, the British Isles and the Canary Islands. New from Lindblad Expeditions in April 2022 is a unique cultural exploration cruise from Lisbon to Bordeaux. The itinerary begins in Porto, Portugal, and continues through Basque country to the epicenter for French wine, Bordeaux, with a strong focus on food and drink throughout the cruise. Ships will sail at reduced capacity and popular attractions are unlikely to be crowded.

The Best New Cruise Ships of 2023

big cruise ship

These types of ships are only able to dock at larger, well-trafficked ports. The overall environment is intimate because there are fewer guests. Wonder of the Seas® brings even bigger adventures to the award-winning Oasis Class. Like eight unique neighbourhoods, including the Suite Neighbourhood. A totally redesigned pool deck with more ways to soak up the sun – or shade – than ever before. The most immersive AquaTheater ever, with a game-changing surround-stage that makes you feel like part of the action.

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For cruise companies and passengers, there are a number of benefits to larger cruise ships. Still, for those who have watched cruising evolve over the years, it is fascinating to compare the sheer size of these feats of engineering. For anyone who loves a good statistic, cruise ships have them in spades. We’ve compiled a brief history of ship size as well as the scope of engine rooms, anchors, and more for readers to marvel over.

P&O Iona (P&O Cruises)

There are a wide variety of restaurants available, ranging from fast food to five-star cuisine. In terms of itinerary, there are things to do that are common and more unusual than those that are included in larger ships. This ship will be joined in 2025 by sister-ship MSC World America, set to sail stateside. It features many of the same components of other ships in the class, like the adults-only Solarium, Central Park, and the AquaTheater.

Harmony of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

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Carnival is entering the Big Ship Wars with a splash, adorning Mardi Gras with the first roller coaster at sea (no, this is not a joke). The ship also will have Carnival's largest waterpark ever, a far broader array of suites than earlier Carnival ships and new dining venues such as the first Emeril Lagasse restaurant at sea. In determining how big a ship is, we listed the size, category, and which cruise lines had the best ratings. What size cruise line you choose will depend on your own preferences and what you expect from your experience. For some, it may not be necessary to go aboard a large cruise line when a smaller vessel is better suited for their tastes. They contain all the “WOW” factor that guests expect from cruising these ships.

big cruise ship

Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas

Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas is the flagship of the Quantum class cruising Asia and the South Pacific half the year, before spending summer in Alaska. It made its maiden voyage in 2014 and holds 16 total decks (14 guest decks) and 2,094 staterooms. MSC Grandiosa is a part of the Meraviglia Plus-class, which currently has five sailing ships.

It entered service in 1948 as Swedish American Line’s Stockholm and ended with the bankruptcy of Cruise and Maritime Voyages in 2021. Even though dynamic positioning systems have revolutionized how cruise ships can maneuver and stop, cruise ships today still employ the iconic anchor. There are typically between four and six engines on any given cruise ship, and they measure up to 45 feet long, 27 feet high, and can weigh about 275 tons. Multiply that times four and you’re looking at more than 1,000 tons of engines alone. For the most part, these decks are accessible to ship crew only, and house the majority of crew rooms and their rest areas. But “below deck,” is also where restricted areas such as the morgue and holding cells are located.

MSC World Europa (MSC Cruises)

However, those ships come in just under the 185,000 gross tons seen with Smeralda and Toscana. One of the world’s biggest cruise ship, Symphony of the Seas®, the travel adventures are larger than life. From epic onboard thrills to revolutionary dining and entertainment, this ship will change how you vacation no matter what kind of experience you’re after.

big cruise ship

This ship contains 2,747 staterooms and can accommodate 5,000 guests simultaneously. Suites are equipped with floor-to-ceiling screens and are elaborately furnished. The ship has a Vanity Spa, Casino Royale, Splashaway Bay Waterslide for children, a royal theater, aqua theater, 10 jacuzzis, and four swimming pools. Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas is the second ship in the five-ship Quantum-class. Anthem of the Seas debuted in 2015 and has 16 decks (14 guest decks) along with 2,090 staterooms. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) Encore is a part of the four-ship Breakaway Plus-class, a class known for mimicking small cities with numerous outdoor activities.

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Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas

MSC Meraviglia is the first ship in MSC's Meraviglia-class and received the "8 Golden Pearls" award, which recognizes sustainable and environmental stewardship. This meritable ship has 18 decks, 15 of which are accessible to guests, and 2,244 total staterooms. If all goes as planned, the record-breaking vessel will begin sailing in the Caribbean in January 2024. The new mega-liner is set to debut at the end of 2020, and will have more than 15 spots to eat on board. That's a long way from just having a buffet, dining room and maybe another restaurant or two like you would have found on much older cruise ships.

In 1988, Royal Caribbean — now widely recognized as sailing the world’s largest ships — built what’s considered to be the first modern mega-ship, Sovereign of the Seas. Accommodating more than 2,600 passengers across 11 passenger decks, Sovereign measured 880 feet long and 106 feet at the beam. Until Utopia of the Seas launches in 2024, Sun Princess will be among the twenty largest cruise ships afloat on the world’s oceans. The ship’s first cruise is set for February 2024, and will debut Princess Cruises' largest number of dining options, offering guests 29 choices.

This premier ship has 20 decks along with 2,614 staterooms and suites onboard. Costa Smeralda was named after a popular tourist destination in Sardinia. Given the recent troubles the industry has faced it may take some time to replace those older, smaller ships with larger vessels. But there's no question that the trend definitely is moving that way. With more space, there are also more chances to earn money from passengers.

At the time, it was 10 decks high (seven passenger decks), 882.5 feet long, with a 92-foot beam (the widest part of the vessel). It could accommodate 2,408 passengers across first, second, and third-class cabins. Some of the newest luxury cruise ships now use Liquefied natural gas (LNG). Modern cruise ships like Symphony of the Seas are significantly larger than the Titanic, with some being over three times bigger in length and amenities. The largest cruise ship in the world is Icon of the Seas by Royal Caribbean, which is 1,198 feet long. To put these comparisons into perspective, a table delineating the size differences provides insight into how expansive cruise ships have become, affirming their status as the titans of maritime travel.

Guests can experience multicourse meals accompanied by a fabulous bottle of wine. With several dining options to choose from and a variety of culinary categories, guests are certain to find cuisine they will enjoy. Second is the Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Pearl, which boasts the same statistics as the Norwegian Gem. Considered to be the finest Oasis-class ship worldwide, it weighs 226,963 gross tons. For instance, Arvia features a unique Skydome area that is a pool area with retractable roof by day and an entertainment venue by night. It also features its own rum distillery onboard, meaning you can take home rum literally made on the ship.

Royal Caribbean’s leaders say they view liquified natural gas as a “transitional fuel,” and that they hope to continue to reduce the environmental impact of their ships moving forward. Icon of the Seas will also be the first ship in the cruise line’s fleet to run on liquefied natural gas and fuel cells, which are similar to batteries but do not need to be recharged. Water is the main byproduct of fuel cells—which combine oxygen and hydrogen to produce energy—which should help the ship reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. That's about three times the size of the average ship built in the 1990s.

But the king of the fleet — and the largest cruise ship in the world — is Icon of the Seas. The previous world’s largest cruise ship was also a Royal Caribbean vessel, Wonder of the Seas, which spanned 1,188 feet long and featured 18 decks. MSC World Europa is the second largest cruise ship powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and takes the cruise line into a new era of sustainability, which it’s taking very seriously. The 7th world’s biggest cruise ship features more than 30 different dining venues and a new thrilling 250-foot Drop slide located aft of the ship. Drop us an anchor below to share your perfect-sized ship and amenities.

Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas became the new world’s largest cruise ship when she was delivered to the cruise line in November 2023, at a massive 250,800 gross tons and a length of 1,198 feet. The LNG-powered vessel will also have a guest capacity of 5,610 at double occupancy, which can reach a maximum of 7,600. Since being delivered from the shipyard to the cruise line in November 2023, Icon of the Seas overtook Wonder of the Seas as the world’s largest cruise ship. The new-class Icon of the Seas is an impressive 250,800 gross tons and can hold 5,610 passengers at double occupancy. The giant ship that Meyer Turku built in Finland can also hold 2,350 crew members.

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