Top 10 Countries You Can Surprisingly Visit On A Cruise
Taking that one step further, there are plenty of countries out there that even the most ardent of cruises may not realise that they have cruise ports in them, and maybe even there is a country in this list you have never heard about.
For the purposes of this list, I have tried to keep away from remote island nations where only 1 or 2 luxury ships will call there every year.
Instead I will try to focus on countries that have semi-regular visits from a range of different types of lines and ships but that you may still think- that’s surprising! when you read you can visit their on a seagoing cruise ship.
Our Top 10 Countries You Can Surprisingly Visit On A Cruise
Albania (Sarande)
There will probably be quite a few reading this list who may not have ever heard of Albania and perhaps even more who have but couldn’t find it on a map even if it had a large pin marker!
Despite that, it sits at the entry to the Adriatic Sea across from the busy port of Bari in Italy, it sits just to the north of the major holiday island and Greek cruise port of Corfu and in one of the world busiest cruise regions, the Med.
It is a perfect country for this list as there is a range of different type of lines that visit the country, you can visit there whilst sailing to some incredible ports but if you were to mention that you are going to Albania, friends and family would probably be surprised you can go there on a cruise.
Oman (Muscat)
When you think of the Gulf region, it is more likely to be dunes and desert that comes to mind rather than cruise ports, but it is a region that has really developed in this regard since the turn of the millennium.
It has been the more western facing destinations such as Dubai that has led the charge but places such as Oman are joining the bandwagon and opening themselves up to a wider range of cruise ships.
The capital of the country, Muscat, is also home to its main cruise port and whilst it is still mostly visited by more upmarket cruise lines, mainstream ones such as Norwegian and MSC do offer itineraries calling in there.
Jordan (Aqaba)
If you know anything about the Middle East, you will know that Jordan is largely landlocked and is mostly a rugged terrain and desert- not the best place for visiting on a cruise ship.
The fact that you can do just that makes it a surprising country ideal for this list but what adds to that is, it is actually an incredibly popular cruise port of call that you can visit on both mainstream and luxury ships and there is one of most bucket listed attractions awaiting you when you are there.
So to explain, the Gulf of Aqaba gives the country access to Red Sea, and therefore easy access to Europe and Asia via its only seaport at Aqaba.
That in turn gives access to the nearby ancient city of Petra, which if you don’t recognise by name, you will from a picture of it due to it featuring prominently in many tv programmes and even hollywood blockbusters, including Indiana Jones.
Lithuania (Klaipeda)
When I was researching my cruise of the Baltic, a couple of things surprised me starting with the amount of islands in the sea you can visit on a cruise ship and secondly that you could visit Lithuania.
It is a country I had heard of, and I knew it was a Baltic nation, but it just isn’t somewhere you hear people going to on a cruise.
A cheaper weekend getaway to Vilnius or Kaunas on a low-cost flight, yes but on a cruise no.
It also doesn’t help that cruises dock where the Dane River meets the Baltic Sea in the port city of Klaipeda- a city I had never heard of so if I read an itinerary calling in there, I wouldn’t associate it with Lithuania.
Brunei Darussalam (Muara)
Brunei Darussalam, or simply Brunei as it is more often referred to, is somewhere many will have heard of but most will know nothing about and that is for good reason.
The tiny nation is an enclave on the island of Borneo and surrounded by Malaysia and is famed for its strict laws and cultural norms that has seen it almost shun global tourism.
That in itself makes it surprising that a few cruise lines call in their every year, including mainstream lines such as NCL.
If you want an experience with a different and the chance to really get an authentic look at port and country not impacted by the effects of over-tourism, a stop off in Muara could be for you.
Madagascar (Nosy Be)
In my mind, Madagascar is remote island, that has been left to nature and wildlife and the only humans there are on wildlife expeditions or filming the next BBC documentary.
I do of course know that just isn’t the case and not only are their large cities there, but as is always the case, humans are destroying what is left for nature, but it is still surprising to me that it is somewhere you can visit on a cruise holiday.
Its not exactly on a major cruise route, so the options are somewhat limited, but there is still a decent range of lines and ships offering stops there on either South African or Indian Ocean itineraries.
Monaco (Monte Carlo)
Monaco is one of the smallest countries in Europe and its harbour is compact and full of luxury yachts.
It is also known as somewhere the rich and famous live or head to for some peace and quiet whilst getting away from the prying eyes of us mere mortals.
It is surprising therefore that the Principality welcomes cruse ships all year around and whilst many will have Monaco in their itineraries, they will actually dock across the border in France and bus you in but there are plenty that actually dock in its capital of Monte Carlo itself.
Some of those tie in with the iconic Grand Prix hosted around its winding streets but if you just want to do some celebrity spotting, laugh at the cost of things in its shops and walk around tis beautiful marina you can do by booking a cruise that docks in Monte Carlo.
Greenland (Multiple)
For this one, it is surprisingly that you can visit Greenland on a cruise as it is one of those countries that just feel so remote and so far from anywhere, that you just believe you cannot get to it without the need for an exploration.
I know from first hand that that just isn’t the case, but what is really surprising is the ease in which h you can visit Greenland and also the variety of ports you can visit there.
You can take a trans-Atlantic journey like I did between Iceland and the USA which stops off in Greenland or you can do round trips from port s across the northeast of America and eastern Canada but perhaps most surprisingly of all, you can take direct round trip cruises from the UK that goes to Greenland!
Poland (Gdynia)
I don’t know why it is the case but for me, I just never think of Poland for its coastline and certainly not for cruising, but not only can you visit there on a cruise, but you can choose from the majority of lines operating in Europe to go there on.
I think a big part of the issue is that it isn’t one of the country’s major tourist destinations that sits on its coast but the city of Gdansk.
So, whilst millions head to the likes of Warsaw each year, fewer visit its coastline for a holiday.
Another issue is that its cruise port is in the little-known city of Gdynia, around 20 kilometres from Gdansk but that that, many Baltic Sea cruises call in their making it to reach and well worth choosing an itinerary calling in there.
Faroe Islands (Torshavn)
The Faroes are a remote island chain in the north Atlantic Ocean, so its not exactly a major cruise route.
Even its capital city of Torshavn, there is only limited infrastructure and a small popular, so its perhaps not at the top of the list for many cruise lines when they are coming up with itineraries, but for me, that’s a great reason to visit there.
You can be assured of an authentic visit, a warm welcome and the chance to explore somewhere few have been before that and best of all, a growing number of cruise ships and lines head there each summer.
