Northern Europe

Northern Europe has the medieval cities of the Baltic Sea, the dramatic Norwegian Fjords, the historic cities and islands of Western Europe and the volcanoes of Iceland.

Northern Europe has the medieval cities of the Baltic Sea, the dramatic Norwegian Fjords, the historic cities and islands of Western Europe and the volcanoes of Iceland. The Baltic is surrounded by historic medieval cities boasting some wonderful art and architecture. The grandeur of the Norwegian Fjords, edged by snow-capped mountains and dotted with glaciers, are only rivalled by those of Alaska. Western Europe offers cities like Amsterdam, London and Dublin and voyages that cruise around the British Isles and out to Iceland.

The Baltic Sea
Crossed by the trade routes of the medieval traders of the Hanseatic ports, the Baltic is fringed by historic cities to explore. St Petersberg has its baroque palaces of the Czars and priceless art treasures and Tallin its fairytale towers and turrets. The cities of Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen provide a glimpse of Scandinavian life and history. You can also visit historic Gdansk in Poland or Berlin from the port of Warnemunde. Cruises depart from the UK, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Hamburg and are normally 7 to 12 nights long.

Norwegian Fjords
Cruises call at the gateway cities of Bergen and Stavanger before plunging deep into ice sculpted fjords like Hardangerfjord, Sognefjord or Geirangerfjord. Here you will find a world of tiny villages flanked by steep cliffs, cascading waterfalls and glistening glaciers. Cruises depart from the UK, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Hamburg and are normally of 7 nights duration.

Western Europe and Iceland
There are a variety of different routes that can be cruised. Some follow the coast line of Western Europe calling at Dutch, UK, French and Spanish ports going as far south as Lisbon in Portugal. Others may circumnavigate the coast of England Wales, Ireland and Scotland calling at major cities like Dublin, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh as well as visiting outlying islands like Guernsey, the Scillies and the Hebrides. Some lines specialise in Hebridean Island cruising. Longer cruises will go as far as the Greenland east coast or volcanic Iceland visiting Reykyavik and calling at the rugged Faroe Islands and the Irish coast en route.

WHEN TO CRUISE?

The main season is from May to September when the weather is generally dry and temperatures range from moderate to warm.

The best months for cruising the Norwegian Fjords are June and July when the days are longer but the weather can turn cool at any time. Expect changeable weather in Western Europe and the Fjords while The Baltic is more settled in the summer months.