European cruises are old-worldly, charming and completely unique and offer an incredibly different experience than the typical family beach holiday.
Traversing the waters, your brood will be blessed with skylines of spires that break from historical town centres, crumbling castles and forts that stand mightily above cliff faces, epic monuments that hide behind medieval walls and colourful port towns that welcome you with open arms.
With dozens of countries to see and endless cities, towns and villages to visit, you can explore Europe for years and barely see it all. European cruises are great for giving a taste of what the continent has to offer. Some of the most common itineraries for European cruises include:
Mediterranean cruises run year-round, while cruises in cooler European areas, like the Baltic, only sail during the warmer months.
If you're looking for the best time to go, peak season for Mediterranean cruises would be during the middle of European summer in July and August. This is also generally the most expensive time to go. If you're looking for a mix of favourable weather and prices, look into a cruise in the shoulder seasons - May and June or September and October - you should still find warm days where temperatures hit the low to mid 20s, especially for cruises going to Italy and Greece.
For more tips, you can check out our first-time cruiser's guide.
Family holidays don't come cheap - especially when you're flying your brood all the way over to Europe for the cruise of a lifetime. And if something doesn't go as you planned - be it a missed port due to bad weather, a bag getting lost on the way to your cabin or someone in your family gets sick and is confined to the cabin - you'll want to make sure you're covered for it.
All those scenarios can be covered by the right cruise travel insurance policy.
Up to 50% off + FREE upgrades on select cruises at Flight Centre
Princess Cruises: Up to 50% off cruise fares
Up to 71% off international holiday cruises
3+ nights last-minute cruises from US$89
Greece: Blue Star Ferries tickets from EUR€20
Find where you should be cruising to in January for exotic sights, incredible food and even better views.
Sip, relax and eat delicious gourmets with your special one while enjoying the scenic views of Sydney Harbour this Valentine's Day.
All the best super cheap deposits and heavily discounted sailings in this year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday cruise sale.
Cruising is a great vacation option for young adults and modern ships are full of enough activities, bars and nightlife to keep you entertained through your whole trip.
You’ll never feel alone on these top cruises for solo travellers.
With teens-only hang outs, on-boat parties, pools and shore excursions, these cruise lines are far from basic.
Discover which cruise lines take you around Australia in style, with world-class entertainment, globally inspired dining options and coupon codes to help you save on your next booking.
Get the most out of Vivid Sydney this year and hop on a Vivid cruise for the best views of the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and more.
