Baltic Cruise Holiday Guides
If soaking up the sun is your idea of a great cruise holiday then the Baltics is probably not for you but if you love a wide range of ships, incredible ports of calls and also sights then the Baltics could be just the destination for you.
The Baltic Sea is an area of contrasts as it brings together the Northern European economic powerhouses with the culture of the former Soviet States and the friendliness of the Scandinavian countries and best of all, the Baltic Sea brings you great port after great port after great port so sea days are at a minimum and great days of exploration ate maximised.
The Baltics can be reached directly from a choice of UK ports for those not wanting to fly or from embarkation ports including Copenhagen, Stockholm and Warnemunde.
Cruises To The Baltics
Cruise Holidays in the Baltic
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that starts off of the North Sea at Denmark and continues through the Gulf of Finland to St Petersburg in Russia and takes in the Gulf of Bothnia between Sweden and Finland.
That opens up a whole host of possibilities and means that you can enjoy to visit destinations that are of interest to you and best of all, there are a wide range of cruise lines offering a range of cruise ships from big all action floating cities to small and intermediate ships offering a traditional cruise experience.
Cruises to the Baltics are offered from a select number of ports in Britain, with the widest range been from Southampton. It takes roughly 1 sea day to reach the Baltic which again gives you option as you can visit the region on either a 7 day, 10 day or 14 day cruise.
Baltic Sea Cruise Guide
The Baltic region offers many of Europe’s leading cruise port of calls, from ports full of history and culture to quieter ports full of nature and you can also visit some of Europe’s most popular capital cities for tourists.
The region is also easily accessible directly on a cruise from the United Kingdom, with many lines offering itineraries of the region from Southampton, but it is also easy to fly from airports across the British Isles to a number of ports in the region to start your Baltic getaway.
With all of that in mind, it is no surprise that so many people are looking to visit the region on a cruise but it is also no surprise that so many are looking for advice as it can be confusing to choose the length of your cruise, where to visit and where to start from- amongst many other questions that you will have about a Baltic cruise.
That is where you Baltic cruise guide comes in so handy as we look to answer as many of those question as possible and allow you to make the right choices for your upcoming holiday.
Popular Ports
Whilst there are a huge array of option when it comes to a cruise holiday in on the Baltic Sea, there are a number of ports of call that stand out as the most popular including Tallinn (Estonia), Copenhagen (Denmark), Helsinki (Finland), St Petersburg (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden), Oslo (Norway) and Riga (Latvia).
Baltic Cruise Destinations
Before setting out on a Baltic Cruise or booking your next holiday to Northern and Eastern Europe, make sure you read our in-depth guides to the great Baltic Sea cruise destinations.
Baltic Sea cruises are growing in popularity and it is no surprise as there are just so many great destinations on offer.
The Danish capital city of Copenhagen is the most popular stopping point for Baltic cruises to the country and what a great port of call it is.
Big enough to offers lots of options for a great day on shore but small enough to easily find your own way around, we always recommend looking for cruises calling into, or even starting/ending at Copenhagen.
Tallinn is the capital of Estonia and is by far the country’s leading cruise port and it is no surprise why. The walled city of Tallinn offers lots of attractions and with your boat moored up just a short stroll from the city centre, you can explore all that this popular tourist spot has to offer on your own.
Whilst the capital city of Helsinki is the major cruise port and is well worth visiting, there is lots more to this mostly rural country that makes exploring it a fascinating experience.
There are a number of great ports in Germany awaiting holidaymakers on a Baltic cruise including the likes of Hamburg, Kiel, and Rostock and thanks to the great public transport system in the country, you can explore the north of Germany on your own easily and cheaply.
Latvia is an often overlooked country for cruisers but it is quickly developing a reputation as a must visit country with the nation’s capital city of Riga offering a fantastic port of call.
Lithuania is another country that has often been overlooked but that is seeing more and more cruise lines offer as an option with the port town of Klaipeda been the major port of call.
The port of Gdynia, which offers easy access to the popular city of Gdansk, is the biggest cruise port in Poland and is where the majority of Baltic cruises will call into.
The majority of cruise holidays in the Baltic Sea will follow the same pattern of heading to St Petersburg in Russia, with many offering an overnight stay to allow holidaymakers to take advantage of all of the great sights, attractions, and places of interest in this historic and fascinating city.
From the capital city of Stockholm, complete with one of the most beautiful entrances to any port in the world, to the always popular Gothenburg and to the up and coming city of Malmo, Sweden has lots to offer visitors on a cruise.
Whilst many associated cruises to Norway with the Norwegian Fjords, cruises from the UK to the Baltic Sea go past the south coast of the country which makes it worthwhile picking a holiday that stops at the capital city of Oslo of the small but beautiful Kristiansand.
Popular Cruise Lines
The vast majority of cruise lines that operate in Europe offer cruises to the Baltic Sea including P&O, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Royal Caribbean, MSC, Princess and Costa.
Baltics
As with every sea, there is no real start and finish line when it comes to the Baltic Sea and there will not be a ‘welcome to the Baltic’ announcement waiting for you on your cruise but the entrance to the Baltic Sea is the closest you will come to that.
As you sail down the Oresund Straight between Denmark and Sweden, you are greeted by the impressive sight of the Oresund Bridge- one of the biggest bridges in Europe that links Copenhagen with Malmo via a tunnel and road/rail bridge.
For much of the history of the region, the sea and coastlines were all about trade with many capital cities sitting on the Baltic Sea coast and the body of water acting as a major trade route, especially for Russia oil.
Another major industry of the region is ship building with major shipyards at Gdansk, Gdynia, Szczecin, Kiel, Karlskrona, Malmo, Rauma, Turku, Helsinki, Riga, Ventspils, Liepaja, Klaipeda and Saint Petersburg and with many of those either fromerly building cruise ships or currently building cruise ships, there is a good chance that when you take a Baltic Cruise, your ship maybe heading home!
Over the last decade or so, a big change in the region has occurred and it is now tourism that has become one of the biggest industries and with so many of the major tourist destinations on the coast and at or near to ports, it is no surprise that Baltic cruise holidays have become so popular.
Best Time To Visit
Due to the cold weather, ice and difficulty in navigating the sea in the winter, a Baltic Sea cruise is almost fully a summer getaway destination with some cruise lines only offering itineraries between May-October whilst some do start in April.
Baltic Cruises From UK
The great news for all those who are wanting to set sail from the UK to the Baltic region is that it tends to be one of the most popular choices for cruise lines operating out of these waters.
That gives plenty of choice when it comes to the size and style of ship, the cruise line and also for the ports of call offered.
Most cruises from ports such as Southampton and Newcastle will be around 10-14 nights in length although there is often the opportunity to sail for longer and extend a trip to include more Scandinavian ports of call.
So if you have ever wanted to visit the Baltics but love to avoid flying on holiday, the great news is that you can via a number of lines and ship offering Baltic cruises from UK.
Baltic Cruises From Southampton
When it comes to NoFly cruises of the Baltic Sea, there is one port that stands out head and shoulders above the rest in Britian and that is the port of Southampton.
If you want to pick from the widest range of cruise lines, from the widest range of itineraries and from the widest range of dates- the Port of Southampton is the top pick for choosing a cruise of the Baltic Sea.
The majority of cruise lines that operate out of the UK will offer journeys to the region from Southampton with the main cruising season been between May-September.
Baltic cruises from Southampton always prove to be a popular choice, so when you find the right cruise, we would recommend booking early.
Baltic Cruises From Newcastle
If you are based in the North of England or in Scotland and do not want to make the long trip down to the south coast, there is the opportunity to enjoy Baltic cruises from Newcastle, although the options are much more limited and you will more than likely have to cruise onboard a smaller and older vessel.
With such little choice of ships, lines and itineraries cruising from Newcastle to the Baltic Sea, you will likely have to pay a higher fee when compared to cruising out of Southampton.
Here at CruiseHols.co.uk we bring you all of the information you will ever need to choose the right cruise destination for you and your family.
Our destination guides include everything from ports to attractions and excursion to the positives and negatives of the destination.
From the stunning natural beauty of Scandinavia to the fascinating culture of the Baltic States and from the large cities of Northern Europe to enjoying some of the world’s newest and largest cruise ships- a cruise across the north Sea to the Baltic Sea makes for a fantastic getaway and one that is enjoyed by cruises from across the globe right for these very shores.
If you are looking to visit the Baltic states on a Baltic sea cruise make sure you read our in-depth guide to Baltic Sea cruises first.
If you have already booked, our guides to each of the great ports of call in the region allow you to make the most of your time onshore whilst if you are yet to book, our Baltic Sea cruise guide will make it easier to choose the right ports to visit.