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One travel style is very popular in Europe this summer: and that is cruising.
It’s actually cheaper and easier to explore Europe’s top destinations like Italy, Greece and Croatia by cruise this summer.
According to the latest figures, the number of cruises in the Mediterranean increased by 23% this summer compared to 2019 Report on the state of the cruise industry.
Here’s why more and more travelers are choosing cruises this summer to explore Europe’s Mediterranean:
Cheaper prices
The biggest reason you should take a Mediterranean cruise this summer?
It could be considerable cheaper than staying in hotels and traveling between destinations yourself!
For example, in July I’m taking a cruise with Celebrity Cruises that starts and ends in Athens, Greece, and visits several islands in Greece and Turkey, including the hotspots Mykonos and Santorini.
The total cost for this 7 day cruise is $1,700or about $243 per night. This is what that means:
- A cabin with a private balcony (shared with my friend who pays the same price)
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks every day on the cruise ship
- Premium package including extra drinks and free WiFi
- Transport to all islands we visit over the course of a week
- A $150 shipboard credit that I plan to use to pay for staff tips
Please note that these are the costs for a balcony cabin and a premium package. You can get an even lower price if you book an inside cabin and skip all the extras.
Now compare that with the costs of a hotel in Athens, Santorini or Mykonos: you can run a simple hotel $250 per night while a luxury hotel is easy $500 per night or more.
That’s just accommodation – you also need to factor in meals, transportation (ferries and inter-island flights in Greece cost $100+ each way), and activities.
Ultimately, taking a cruise is cheaper than visiting multiple destinations in Europe separately.
Easier to visit multiple destinations
Not only is it cheaper, but it is also easier to visit more places on a cruise. You can island hop around the Mediterranean in a way that is difficult to organize on your own.
My cruise goes to the Greek Islands plus a few stops in Turkey. It would be extremely expensive to visit all these islands individually and you would have to organize multiple ferries or flights.
Likewise, there are cruises that take you all the way up the coast of Croatia, Montenegro and Greece, reaching several exciting destinations in just a week.
Other cruises visit destinations in Italy such as Portofino, the Amalfi Coast, Sicily and Sardinia, or go to the French Riviera and the Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza in Spain.
Less hassle
One of the best reasons to take a Mediterranean cruise is that it’s simply less hassle!
Cruises are becoming increasingly popular because they offer a stress-free vacation.
You only have to unpack your things once and you sleep in the same bed every night, instead of having to change hotels every few nights as you change destinations.
You don’t have to worry about transport logistics and organizing trains, ferries, flights or rental cars.
All your meals are taken care of too, and you can even book shore excursions through your cruise line (or choose to explore the ports independently if you want to save money, which is what I do!)
Off-season offers
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Summer is a busy time for traveling to Europe’s top destinations like Italy, Greece, and Croatia.
Cruises can be even worse because if you have multiple cruise ships carrying thousands of passengers in port at the same destination on the same day, it can be crazy Busy.
The months of June, July and August are the busiest in the Mediterranean.
However, most cruise lines are now extending their Mediterranean cruises into what used to be the off-season.
You can find Mediterranean cruises in May, September, October and even November.
The fall season is becoming an increasingly popular time to travel as it is less crowded and cheaper. If you have the opportunity to take a cruise during this time instead of in the summer, I highly recommend it!
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
