Five reasons to cruise Europe with Norwegian Cruise Line
With an unprecedented six ships in Europe for summer 2019, you can choose your favourite ports of call from the Baltics to the Med
Close-to-home launch points
The thing about an NCL European cruise is the hassle factor — or the fact there isn't one. With Europe on our doorstep, it can mean either short flights or no flights to reach the ship: many itineraries sail from Southampton, or from cities a mere hop from the UK — Amsterdam and Copenhagen are just two of the gateways.
More ships
Let out a collective cheer: this summer heralds an unprecedented six NCL ships navigating through European waters, so the company is cramming more ports and more landmarks than ever into its itineraries. Among them is the Norwegian Pearl, which launches from Amsterdam and steams north to the brooding cities close to the Baltic Sea then onto the Norwegian fjords before heading south to Rome.
Norwegian Gateway, having had a transformational facelift last year, sets sail from Copenhagen, while
Norwegian Epic bobs around the western Med taking in destinations such as Barcelona, Cannes, Tuscany and many more.
Range of destinations
For a guaranteed hit of culture, cracking cuisine and coastal thrills that'll knock your socks off, NCL European itineraries pick out the continent's sweet spots, from the dramatic volcanic terrain of Santorini to the gasp-inducing waters of the Norwegian fjords and the enduringly hip scene in Palma.
Excursions
When it comes to excursions, NCL is firing on all cylinders. There are in-demand ballet performances in St Petersburg, tours around grand Majorcan fincas dripping in bougainvillea, sedate kayaking trips on calm seas beyond Dubrovnik's city walls, and camel rides through Lanzarote's Timanfaya National Park where you'll spot the smoking volcanic craters of the Fire Mountains.
Onboard facilities
Picture a day spent munching pastries and sticky jams on deck with views of the glittering ocean, exploring world-class cities, retreating to the spa for a blissfully quiet massage, and taking a dusky swim in the ship's pool. Not to mention musing over the liner's menus: your hardest decision every evening will be picking a different cuisine: French, Japanese, Brazilian? Every nook of NCL's cruise ships are comfortable and ahead of the game — you'll soon realise NCL really has thought of everything.
With a fleet of 17 ships, NCL sails to 123 countries around the world with more than 300 ports of call. Visit the website to discover more.
