Why you Should Choose the Baltic for your Next Cruise.

If you’re like me and you have an obsession with travel destinations off the beaten track you’ll love this guest post by Victoria Brewood of Pommie Travels. Warning: If you read it you’ll probably start having romantic & adventurous notions of sailing from the Baltic states to Russia!

Baltic cruises tend not to be as popular as others, simply because you’re going to Northern Europe where it is cold, as opposed to somewhere south and hot like the Mediterranean or the Caribbean. Since Northern Europe can experience cold harsh winters, the Baltic cruising season runs from May until September, when the weather in the region is at its warmest. You can never quite predict the weather, but the most popular months are July and August.

Riga at Night. Photo by Abi Skipp.

There is, however, so much more to Europe than the Mediterranean.  One of the wonderful things about the Baltic is the incredible destinations and sights you will see. Cruises around the Baltic usually start in Copenhagen and call at places like Stockholm in Sweden, Helsinki in Finland, St. Petersburg in Russia, Tallinn in Estonia, Riga in Latvia, Gdansk in Poland and Oslo in Norway.

On a Baltic Cruise you’ll experience something very different and unique. The Baltic is an area of outstanding natural beauty and highlights include the Festival of White Nights in St. Petersburg and the natural phenomenon of the Midnight Sun, as well as the mighty fjords of Norway.

You’ll see breathtaking natural scenery, magnificent palaces and cities rich in history.  The countries in Northern Europe are famous for their classical music, ballet and art.  You will be able to explore Europe’s past, including the Russian Tsars, World War II, and the rise and fall of Communism.  So if you’re not already convinced, here are some great reasons to visit the Baltic for your next cruise:

You can get some great deals– Hotels and restaurants in the Baltic can be very expensive, so you can often save money by choosing a cruise.

English is widely spoken– With the exception of Russia, English is spoken very well in the Northern European countries, so you’ll have no problem communicating with the locals.

The ships dock close to the sights– Once your ship docks it is very easy to get around and see

Embarking on any cruise is always fun.

the sights. Many of the cities are easy to walk around- step off the boat in Oslo and you are literally slap bang in the town center. In Tallinn the city is a ten-minute walk from the port. There are two ports in Helsinki depending which port you dock in, but either one is close to the town. Smaller boats dock at the ferry port, which is just a short walk from the town, whilst the larger ships stop at the commercial port, which is a 15-minute ride away on a shuttle bus.

Stunning Natural Beauty– The Baltic is an area of outstanding natural beauty with magical scenery including fjords, forests and waterfalls. It occupies a basin formed by erosion of glaciers during the last few ice ages.  See the Midnight Sun, which is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer months, where the sun remains visible at midnight and stays in the sky for 24 hours. The White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg is an annual arts festival during the Midnight Sun period with classical ballet, opera and music events.

Fjords in Norway. Photo by Joestump.

You can start your cruise in the UK– Several of the ships start in the UK if you prefer not to sail, and Copenhagen in Denmark is only 90 minutes away by air of you want to fly to meet your ship. With companies like Ryanair and Easyjet you can get some very good deals to Denmark.

Exciting cruise ships– There are a wide variety of cruises and ships traveling around the Baltic and Northern Europe during 2011.  This year the new Queen Elizabeth from Cunard Cruise Line will sail in the Baltic with round trip cruises from Southampton or Hamburg. The elegant, luxury ship relives the high society events from the 1930s and 1940s. Her predecessors were the original Queen Elizabeth and the QE2.

The brand new Marina from Oceana Cruises will sail itineraries from Dover, Stockholm and Copenhagen. It has capacity for 1,258 passengers and is popular with foodies who want to dine on some of the finest cuisine at sea. It has six restaurants, including two gourmet restaurants- Red Ginger and Jacques.

Cruise ships always have beautiful interiors.

The Cruise Lounge in Copenhagen– When you depart from Copenhagen you are invited to use the capital’s private hospitality centre called the Cruise Lounge. This exclusive lounge in the pedestrian zone provides a comfortable place away from the ship for you to relax.

Culture and History– Baltic cruises allow you to explore Northern Europe’s rich history from the Vikings to the Tsars and Imperialist Russia, to World Wars I and II. Learn all about the Iron Curtain that divided Eastern and Western Europe during the Cold War, and the rise and fall of Communism with the break up of the Soviet Union. Take a day trip to Berlin to see Checkpoint Charlie where the Berlin Wall divided West Berlin from Eastern Germany, visit Westerplatte near Gdansk to see where the first battle occurred in World War II, and visit the Palace where Rasputin was poisoned in St. Petersburg.

Highlights at every port– Cruises to the Baltic stop in cosmopolitan cities with elegant architecture, art galleries and museums. You’ll visit chic Baltic capitals like Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki, as well as the highlight of your Baltic itinerary, St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg is full of lavish architecture and palaces, and is home to the Hermitage, containing over 3 million works of art and artifacts. Spend a night at the ballet and spend your days wandering around sights like St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Palace, and Park of Peterhof, outside Peter the Great’s Summer Palace. Visit captivating but lesser-known places like Tallinn in Estonia, Gdansk in Poland and Riga in Latvia. Take a cruise that visits the Norwegian Fjords where you can see the magic of the Norwegian landscape.

*Please remember all photos on this website, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted and property of BeersandBeans.com, NarikosNest.com & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you want to use one of them please contact me first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!

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