Cruise Itinerary: Southampton, Malaga, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Venice, Split, Palma de Mallorca, Lisbon, Vigo and Southampton

An interesting cruise that visits 5 countries and 8 ports the N216 Ventura Central Mediterranean Cruise on 03 July 2012 with P&O Cruises is scheduled to last 17 nights.

Mediterranean cruises from Southampton often take a couple of days at sea before docking for the first time. This P&O Ventura cruise is no different and the first port of call is Malaga which is reached on day three of the cruise.

After departing from the Spanish city of Malaga, Ventura heads towards Greece to visit the island of Corfu where the day might be spent visit ancient monuments or relaxing on one of the many sandy beaches that this large Greek island has to offer.

The 12th century walled city of Dubrovnik, rather like Corfu has numerous historic buildings to explore and is an interesting place to visit before the ship heads to Venice. To visit Dubrovnik you may need to use a tender though the ship is due to dock alongside.

Ventura N216 then heads to Venice; so much has been written about this canal ridden car less city that I don’t need to spend anytime talking about it, while Split, back in Croatia is another matter!

Split is situated on the Dalmatian coast and is, or rather was, a Medieval port of note; it sits opposite the Kornati archipelago which offer the P&O cruiser an abundance of shore excursions to choose from; don’t forget; these are not free! Split is reached by tender.

From Split the cruise heads back to a more traditional holiday destination; Palma de Mallorca on the island of Majorca which is technically Spain. The N216 Ventura Central Mediterranean Cruise on 03 July 2012 then heads to Portugal and the capital city of Lisbon.

The last port revisits Spain & Vigo in particular; after a day in this large fishing port P&O Ventura heads home to Southampton arriving on the 20th July 2012.

N216 Ventura Central Mediterranean Cruise 03 July 2012 P&O Cruises

Cruise Itinerary: Southampton, Bergen, Andalsnes, Olden, Stavanger, Southampton

Departing Southampton on the 14th July 2012, the A216 Azura Fjords Cruise with P&O Cruises visits 4 ports in Norway during the 7 nights of the cruise. This is a cruise from Southampton and is classed as a Norwegian Fjords cruise.

After a full day at sea Azura docks in Bergen a city with a tremendous amount of history almost dating back to the the times of the Vikings. One way to appreciate the beauty of the area is via the funicular railway to the top of Mount Fløyen.

From Bergen the Fjords cruise heads to Andalsnes; this port gives access to the Troll Wall which is best reached on a shore excursion. The Troll Wall has the highest vertical drop in Northern Europe; 6,000 feet in total. One word of caution; Andalsnes is reached by tender.

Olden is the third of the four cruise ports visited on the A216 P&O Cruises Azura Fjords Cruise and offers passengers a number of shore excursions ranging from scenic land tours to tremendous Fjord views. Don’t forget that shore excursions are not included in any cruise price.

The final port on the Azura A216 cruise is the “Cradle of the Vikings” port of Stavanger; here P&O Cruises passenger may consider visiting the island of Sør Hidle, which has been described as the World’s northernmost palm tree island and is a garden full of exotic plants.

The cruise heads back to Southampton and is scheduled to arrive in port on the morning of 21 July 2012.

A216 Azura Fjords Cruise 14 July 2012 P&O Cruises

Cruise Itinerary: Southampton – Rotterdam – Copenhagen – Stockholm – Helsinki – St Petersburg – Tallinn – Gdansk (Gdynia) – Oslo – Southampton

The 14 night Grand Princess Baltic Heritage Cruise on 07 July 2012 visits 8 ports in 8 countries; the countries are Holland; Denmark; Sweden; Finland; Russia; Estonia; Poland and Norway. This Baltic’s cruise is a cruise from Southampton and is being operated by Princess Cruises.

Grand Princess heads straight to Rotterdam in Holland where the offerings include a visit to Amsterdam or the Van Gogh Museum or maybe Anne Frank’s House while others will enjoy a simple canal cruise.

Copenhagen which is the second port of call is home to the Tivoli Gardens which boasts to be one of the oldest amusement parks in the world; for those less hell bent on adventure, Copenhagen offers a plentiful supply of Museums and Palaces/Castles.

The third port is Stockholm; built across 14 islands this city has a plethora of historic buildings to entice the visitor too. The Gamla Stan in Stockholm is one of the largest and best-preserved medieval city centers in Europe. Plenty of passengers on this Grand Princess Baltic Heritage cruise can see most of what Stockholm has to offer on a canal boat should they wish to get straight back on the water once the ship docks.

The cruise then makes it way to the Finish city of Helsinki before reaching the Russian city of St Petersburg where the ship will be docked alongside overnight in order for passengers to really experience this popular tourist haven.

The final three cities on the Baltic Heritage Cruise aboard Grand Princess are Tallinn in Estonia; Gdansk via the port of Gdynia in Poland and Norway’s Oslo. The ships will dock in Southampton on Saturday 21st July.

Grand Princess Baltic Heritage Cruise 07 July 2012 Princess Cruises

Cruise Itinerary: Southampton – Brussels/Bruges (Zeebrugge)- Copenhagen – Helsingborg – Oslo – Southampton

The 7 night Caribbean Princess Scandinavia Round Trip Cruise, 01 July 2012 with Princess Cruises is a cruise from Southampton that visits 4 ports in 4 countries; Belgium; Denmark; Sweden and Norway.

The first port is Zeebrugge where Princess Cruises have a number of shore excursions available; these are not free and need to be paid for. You have plenty of options including Brussels and the Manneken-Pis; Bruges & Gent and their canals or maybe a trip to Flanders & Ypres.

Caribbean Princes then heads to the Danish capital city; Copenhagen. Copenhagen is often called the Venice of the North; it is built across main2 islands and is surrounded by small islets. Within the area around this old yet modern city are numerous castles and palaces should you have a kink towards heritage.

The Caribbean Princess Scandinavia Round Trip Cruise then heads to Helsingborg in Sweden which is at the top end (north easten side) of the Oresund which separates Sweden and Denmark; Copenhagen is in the south western corner of the Oresund and so not far from Helsingborg. For some unknown reason Princess Cruises offer a shore excursion across the Oresund bridge from Helsingborg; the bridge actually connects Copenhagen with the outskirts of Malmo.

The final port of call is the Norwegian capital city, Oslo. This historic city was founded in 1048 and has many interesting places to visit. These include a cruise along the Oslofijord or maybe a cultural visit to the Norwegian National Gallery.

From Olso, Caribbean Princess heads back to Southampton to disembark on Sunday 8th July 2012.

Caribbean Princess Scandinavia Round Trip Cruise 01 July 2012 Princess Cruises

R208 Aurora Baltic Cruise Itinerary: Southampton – Gothenburg – Copenhagen – Stockholm – Helsinki – St Petersburg – Tallinn – Riga – Oslo – Hamburg – Southampton

The 17 night R208 Aurora Baltic Cruise on the 03 July 2012 visits 12 ports in 8 countries and is a cruise from Southampton with P&O Cruises.

This really is an exceptional Baltic Cruise that visits 12 great ports with the added bonus of docking alongside in three of them to give extra time to explore the surrounding area. The three ports with overnight stops are Copenhagen; St Petersburg and Hamburg.

The 8 counties visited on the cruise are Sweden; Denmark; Finland; Russia; Estonia; Latvia; Norway and finally Germany. The first of these is Sweden when the Aurora R208 Baltic Cruise docks in Gothenburg.

From Gothenburg P&O Cruises Aurora heads to the Danish capital of Copenhagen. Arriving on 6th July the ship will be alongside overnight. One thing you might want to try is a trip to Malmo; not necessarily for sightseeing, more a case of travelling on the relatively new Øresund Bridge which now connects Copenhagen with this Swedish city. It is a toll bridge and it links Northern Europe to Scandinavia; it is well known for being the bridge used in the Swedish/Danish TV series The Bridge.

After Copenhagen, Aurora heads back to Sweden visiting Stockholm before making its way to Helsinki in Finland and then the Russian city of St Petersburg where the R208 Aurora Baltic Cruise spends another night alongside. St Petersburg is a great place to visit; I will not go into details here as you will get information from P&O Cruises about what is available when you book (I believe).

The ports in Estonia and Latvia are Tallinn & Riga while Norway’s entry to this cruise; starting to sound like the Eurovision Song Contest now; is Oslo. From Oslo Aurora heads to Hamburg where the ship once more docks overnight to give you time to seek out a final memory of this cruise which ends back in Southampton on July 20th 2012.

R208 Aurora Baltic Cruise 03 July 2012 P&O Cruises

J209 Arcadia Baltic Cruise Itinerary: Southampton – Brussels/Bruges (Zeebrugge) – Copenhagen – Tallinn – St Petersburg – Helsinki – Stockholm – Oslo – Southampton

One P&O Cruises cruise that is selling out fast is the J209 Arcadia Baltic Cruise on the 17 July 2012. This is one of a number of 14 night cruises from Southampton; this one visits 8 ports across 7 countries as it shows off how great Baltic Cruises can be.

From Southampton, P&O Arcadia heads to the Belgium port of Zeebrugge where shore excursions are bookable to either Brussels or Bruges as well as other tourist destinations. From Zeebrugge the cruise heads to wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen!

Copenhagen has a plethora of things to do including checking up on Viking history to tours around the city. Vastly different to Copenhagen is former Medieval capital city of Tallinn; now a major port/city in Estonia. More antiquated findings can be had in the next port of call; St Petersburg.

St Petersburg has had a remarkable history and has buildings to match; what is so great about the Arcadia J209 cruise is the night alongside which gives almost two days to explore. Whether it be a visit to the Ballet or the Palaces of Catherine and Peterhof, whatever you do in this city will be a highlight.

Helsinki, in Finland is often called the pocket sized metropolis; it is the capital of the country and offers tourists opportunities to explore both ancient and modern. Helsinki is surrounded by an archipelago of islands, maybe these might tempt during your day there.

From Finland to Sweden and Stockholm in particular as the cruise continues around the Baltic Sea; next on its list of historic cities is the Norwegian city of Oslo; here a quick cruise to a nearby Fjord may be to your liking? Whatever you do, make the most of it as the ships will soon be heading back to Southampton for disembarkation.
J209 Arcadia Baltic Cruise 17 July 2012 P&O Cruises

J209 Arcadia Baltic Cruise 17 July 2012 P&O Cruises

Cruise Itinerary: Dover – Cadiz – Mahon – Ajaccio – Toulon – Barcelona – Gibraltar – Dover

A 15 night Mediterranean cruise that visits 6 ports, the M1217 Braemar Western Mediterranean with Corsica Cruise on 20 July 2012 is a Fred Olsen cruise from Dover.

The cruise ship Braemar visits three Spanish ports along with a French and a Corsican one; OK, I know, another French one, as well as the British port of Gibraltar. The first port is Cadiz on the southern coast of Spain and around a little over 100km from Gibraltar; it is roughly the same distance from Gibraltar as is Marbella. Cadiz though means travelling west up the coast while Marbella is east from Gibraltar.

OK Geography lesson over! From Cadiz, Braemar then heads to the Balearic Island of Menorca; technically in Spain and docks at Mahon. For those who have not been to Menorca before, Fred Olsen offer a full day island tour; a half day island tour or if you fancy it, transfer to the beach; prices are unavailable right now.

The next stop is on another island, that of Corsica with Ajaccio being the town visited, unless you partake on any of the shore excursions that is!

The second French port and the first on mainland France is Toulon from which the M1217 Braemar cruise heads to that ever popular Spanish resort city of Barcelona. Heading south, Fred Olsens’ Braemar stops in Gibraltar at the foot of Spain and then heads back to Dover for disembarkation.

M1217 Braemar Western Mediterranean with Corsica Cruise 20 July 2012 Fred Olsen Dover – Cadiz – Mahon – Ajaccio – Toulon – Barcelona – Gibraltar – Dover

M1217 Braemar Western Mediterranean with Corsica Cruise 20 July 2012 Fred Olsen

Jewel of the Seas Scandinavia & Russia Cruise Itinerary: Harwich – Copenhagen – Stockholm – Helsinki – St Petersburg – Tallinn – Gothenburg – Harwich

The Jewel of the Seas Scandinavia & Russia Cruise on the 26 July 2012 is a cruise from Harwich that takes in the best of the Baltics. The cruise is on-board Jewel of the Seas, one of Royal Caribbeans large activity heavy cruise ships.

Baltic cruises are great in July; normally not too hot and often benefiting from lovely weather. The cruise itself has many highlights including a night alongside in the Russian Baltic city of St Petersburg; however before arriving there the cruise heads out of Harwich too Copenhagen in Denmark.

From the Danish capital, Jewel moves on to her first visit to Sweden; Stockholm. The second Swedish port is Gothenburg, this is the final port on the cruise. The other ports are Helsinki in Finland and Tallinn in Estonia with St Petersburg dissecting them.

This Scandinavia & Russia Cruise on the 26 July 2012 has lots of shore excursions available for the passengers; these are paid for on the ship itself although you could technically do this before you cruise.

The correct order for the itinerary is as listed above; Harwich to Copenhagen, on to Stockholm in Sweden then Helsinki followed by St Petersburg, Tallinn and finally Gothenburg before arriving back in Harwich.

Jewel of the Seas Scandinavia & Russia Cruise 26 July 2012 Royal Caribbean

Jewel of the Seas Scandinavia & Russia Cruise Itinerary: Harwich – Copenhagen – Stockholm – Helsinki – St Petersburg – Tallinn – Gothenburg – Harwich

If you a looking for a great cruise on a great ship then the Jewel of the Seas Scandinavia & Russia Cruise on the 14 July 2012 could be what you are after. Royal Caribbean offer this 12 nights cruise from Harwich on Jewel of the Seas to six ports in the Baltics.

The cruise visits Sweden twice; Denmark; Finland; Russia and Estonia with Copenhagen in Denmark being the first of port. Copenhagen offers the cruiser plenty of sightseeing opportunities as well as a place just to relax and take in the setting.

The second port is actually quite a way from Stockholm however there is plenty of time to explore the local area or take a shore excursion to the city.

From Stockholm, Jewel of the Seas cruises to Helsinki in Finland before making an overnight stop in the Russian city of St Petersburg. From St Petersburg this Scandinavia & Russia cruise heads to the port of Tallinn in Estonia before making its way back to Sweden and a stop in Gothenburg.

The final leg of the cruise is the return from Sweden to Harwich.

Jewel of the Seas Scandinavia & Russia Cruise 14 July 2012 Royal Caribbean Harwich – Copenhagen – Stockholm – Helsinki – St Petersburg – Tallinn – Gothenburg – Harwich

Jewel of the Seas Scandinavia & Russia Cruise 14 July 2012 Royal Caribbean

D1215 Boudicca Spitsbergen & the North Cape Cruise Itinerary: Rosyth – Kristiansund – Tromso – Longyearbyen – NY Alesund – Honningsvag – Leknes – Olden – Bergen – Rosyth

Cruising from the Scottish port of Rosyth, the 15 July 2012 D1215 Boudicca Spitsbergen & the North Cape Cruise with Fred Olsen is a 16 nights cruise that visits 8 Norwegian ports; two of which are in the Svalbard archipelago.

This Norwegian Fjords cruise from Rosyth heads towards Kristiansund arriving on Tuesday 17th July after having spent the Monday at sea. From Kristiansund Boudicca heads to Tromso where she docks alongside late at night allowing a whole day to explore in and around this city famous for having a fair number of old wooden buildings.

After departing Tromso, Boudicca D1215 spends another day at sea before arriving in the Svalbard archipelago and the island of Spitsbergen. Longyearbyen is the main administrative center of Sptisbergen; it also has the largest population; a massive 2,040 people!

The second port of call on Spitsbergen is NY Alesund which is one of the worlds most northern places where people live all year round; be it mainly 30-100 (depending on the time of year) research station workers.

After cruising for a full day back to mainland Norway, the D1215 Boudicca Spitsbergen & the North Cape Cruise arrives at the North Cape city of Honningsvag before travelling to Lofoten Island situated in the Lofoten archipelago. The port of call on Lofoten Island is Leknes. Sadly the nights of the midnight Sun ends a week or so before the cruise arrives.

The final two ports on this memorable cruise are Olden & Bergen; cruisers get to spend a full day in both of these ports before cruising back to Rosyth where the D1215 Boudicca cruise disembarks on Tuesday 31st July 2012.

D1215 Boudicca Spitsbergen & the North Cape Cruise 15 July 2012 Fred Olsen