Belgium Cruise Ports
The Kingdom of Belgium, better known simply as Belgium, often has a bad reputation as a tourist destination but that is something that is certainly fading as more and more holidaymakers visit the country and its many incredible town, cities and rural villages.
The historic country has spent much of its existence been fought over the superpowers of Europe and many of its coastal towns and cities remain a place to visit for those wanting to pay their respects to family members who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War 1 and World War 2.
In more modern times the country has developed a reputation as a great short break destination, especially with many cruises and even trains leaving the United Kingdom on a daily basis bound for Belgium.
Belgium may not be able to offer bright sunshine and sunbathing conditions, although there are some beautiful beaches in the country, it is a great destination for those wanting to explore historic and cultural towns and cities including the likes of Antwerp, Ghent, Gent, Charleroi, Liege, Bruges and of course the Belgium capital city of Brussels.
From our point of view, one of the great aspects of the country are the options for visiting Belgium on a cruise holiday.
No matter what your preference is for a cruise holiday, from a NoFly cruise to a Fly Cruise and from a long holiday to a short break, you can enjoy visiting the country on a cruise.
Whilst the outdoor nature of the country makes it a summer destination for many, the great shopping opportunities and Christmas Markets on offer all make for a great short break destination in winter.
Cruises To Belgium
Cruise Holidays To Belgium
When it comes to cruise holidays that offer the chance to visit Belgium, you have lots of choice including each of the 3 main types of cruising.
If you prefer to not fly on holidays, there are lot of options when it comes to roundtrips from the UK including shorter holidays to Northern Europe and Scandinavia, with longer trips to the Baltics also offering a range of itineraries that stop into the country.
During the winter, there are a number of Christmas Market themed cruises that offers stops in Germany, The Netherlands and of course Belgium.
If you do not mind flying on holiday there are a number of options in the region including ports in Germany, Denmark and The Netherlands that offer holidays with the chance to visit Belgium.
You can also add on a few days in the port city of choice before or after your cruise to with a Fly Cruise or you can take advantage of a repositioning cruise, where you start in a port on the continent and sail back to the United Kingdom, or vice versus, which as infrequently offered.
Belgium Cruise Guide
If you have already booked a cruise holiday that features a stop in Belgium amongst its itinerary, our port guides bring you all of the information that you need to make the most of your time on shore whilst if you are in the process of researching whether a stop in Belgium is right for you and your family, or which port to visit, our guides bring you all of the information that you need to make an informed decision.
Popular Ports
Belgium has a number of ports that can accept smaller cruise ships but there are two stand out cruise ports in the country.
Zeebrugge, the port of Bruges, is the country’s leading cruise port and is also a popular ferry and cargo port which is located around 10 minutes from the popular tourist city of Bruges but it also offers easy access to Ostend, Ghent and Brussels.
Known locally as Oostende, the port of Ostend is located centrally in the popular seaside resort and whilst only smaller and medium cruise ships call into the port, a number offer overnight stays to really get to know the city and the Flemish region.
Other Ports
Antwerp is a city full of culture and history and is the perfect size for walking around on a day ashore from the smaller cruise ships that call in there.
Popular Cruise Lines
There is a wide choice of cruise lines when it comes to visiting Belgium, including some of the biggest ships from the biggest lines to smaller ships offering a luxury getaway and everything in-between with lines such as Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Celebrity Cruises and MSC Cruises offering itineraries featuring stops in Belgium from across the North of Europe whilst the likes of P&O Cruises, Cunard and Fred Olsen offer a range of NoFly options.
Belgium
Location: Northern Europe / North Sea
Capital City: Brussels
Currency: Euro
Language: Dutch, French and German
Demonym(s): Belgian
Top Ports: Zeebrugge, Ostend
Belgium is an historic country located on the northern part of the European mainland and just across the North Sea / Channel from the United Kingdom, so it is no surprise that the country features so many cruises including a port of call stop in the country.
Belgium is part of the European Union and borders The Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the southwest and whilst its culture and history is intrinsically linked to bordering those countries, it has developed its own unique culture and regional identities that make the country such a fascinating one to visit.
Known for been a flat country, most of the towns and cities that can be visited on a cruise are easy to walk around on foot and small enough to take it all in whilst been big enough to have lots on offer.
Best Time To Visit
Much of the attractions of the destinations offered in Belgium are simply walking around the historic town and city centres and with that in mind it is perhaps best to visit during the summer months although the country is also popular in the winter, especially late November-December when Christmas Markets can be found and enjoyed in most town squares.
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.
