European Cruises

Tour Europe by Ship - 2
Continued from page 1

ABOVE: The Mv Mozart is the flagship of the Peter Deilmann Cruises riverboat fleet. It has 100 cabins and cruises the Danube from spring through fall.

Four ways to cruise

European cruises fall into four categories:

Sea cruises

Dozens of ships offer cruising in the Mediterranean, the Baltic, the North Sea, and other coastal regions of Europe. These vessels are similar in concept to the transatlantic ocean liners of yesteryear, and they carry anywhere from 100 to 3,000 or more passengers in cabins and suites. Many newer ships offer private balconies, and nearly all have amenities such as swimming pools and nightly entertainment.

River cruises

On the Rhine, the Danube, and other great rivers of Europe, luxurious cruise boats glide past the local scenery and stop often to allow sightseeing on shore. These boats are low in profile, to fit under bridges, and they typically carry 50 to 200 passengers. (See our illustrated Viking Burgundy and Casanova reviews.)

 Barge cruises

From the 1800s through the mid-20th Century, small barges hauled freight over a vast network of canals and secondary rivers in Europe. Today, many of those barges have been converted into luxury cruise vessels. Because the typical "hotel barge" carries only 6 to 12 guests, barge cruising is more intimate than a ship or a riverboat. It's also slower-paced, with daytime stops and overnight mooring at small villages.

Yacht cruises

A few companies offer cruises aboard large sailing yachts in the Mediterranean and Aegean. These "soft adventure" cruises appeal to sailors and would-be yachtsmen.

Because most first-time cruisers prefer seagoing ships, mainstream cruising--especially "port-intensive" cruising--is the focus of this article.

Page 3: Port-intensive cruising

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