The Cruise Report With Cruise Specialists Cruise Reporter Ralph Grizzle

Glacier trekking, flight-seeing and snowmobiling are just some of the adventures awaiting Crystal Symphony passengers this summer in Northern Europe. In addition to the fascinating cultural sightseeing at museums and historic places that one normally associates with a Northern European cruise, Crystal Cruises has added 50 new Crystal Adventures to its menu of shore activities for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts who want to explore the region’s natural attractions.  Read more... (207 words, 1 image, estimated 50 secs reading time)

Royal Caribbean wants you to set your own schedule for meals and other cruise activities. Following a cruise-industry trend that is now close to universal, the cruise line has enhanced its dining program, offering guests greater flexibility, personalization and convenience. The new programs are called My Time Dining and My Family Tine Dining, and they allow guests, including families, to choose when they will drop in to eat.  Read more... (374 words, 1 image, estimated 1:30 mins reading time)

The novelist Selma Lagerlof once referred to Stockholm as “the city that floats on water.” Built on 14 islands, Stockholm does indeed appear to be floating, particularly on the endless summer days, when the sunlight shimmers on the rippling waters.  Read more... (252 words, 4 images, estimated 1:00 mins reading time)

If any particular region of the world is best suited for cruising, it’s Europe. Whether you want to tour the Mediterranean or Northern Europe, cruising is the mode of transportation that provides the greatest exposure to destinations while eliminating logistical challenges. And no matter where your ship takes you, your lodging will be consistently comfortable, and dining will be sumptuous, plentiful and familiar.

Such ease perhaps explains why there are more ships scheduled to cruise Europe in 2009 than ever before. Moreover, with a cruise, costs are known and controlled in advance, which is particularly helpful when budgeting for your travel.

On a cruise, you’re isolated from much of the expense of Europe, as your accommodations, meals and some shore excursions included in the price you pay for the cruise in U.S. dollars before you leave home.

Convenience and value aside, the destinations are the reasons to cruise Europe, and there are three primary destinations to consider: the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Continent’s rivers.

The major cruise lines offer an assortment of itineraries to both the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, often referred to as Baltic or Scandinavian cruises. Itineraries to the Med or Northern Europe provide excellent access to many of the great cities and cultural capitals. River cruises take travelers for a closer look at the inland cities, villages and landscapes.  Read more... (1009 words, 5 images, estimated 4:02 mins reading time)

Royal Caribbean is aiming one of its big guns at the year-round European market. The line has announced that its Independence of the Seas, capable of carrying up to 4,300 guests and equipped with a resort’s worth of restaurants and amenities, will operate year-round from Southhampton starting next year.  Read more... (218 words, 1 image, estimated 52 secs reading time)

A European cruise is ripe with learning and exploration opportunities for families. For children who are mature enough for a vacation that is not necessarily sun-splashed or a thrill a minute, a cruise may be the best way to do Europe because it’s not nearly as rigorous as most land tours.  Read more... (255 words, 2 images, estimated 1:01 mins reading time)

Good news for family cruising as shipyard construction continues in Germany on two new ships for Disney Cruise Line, and the first pieces of steel — including a mouse silhouette, appropriately enough — have been cut and are being assembled.  Read more... (233 words, 1 image, estimated 56 secs reading time)

Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 will be the place to see and be seen for filmmakers and actors connected with the Tribeca Film Festival. As the new official cruise line of this important New York film festival, Cunard Line will offer exclusive film programming aboard specific transatlantic cruises this year and next, and many of the actors, directors, producers and others involved with these films will be on board for discussions and presentations.  Read more... (159 words, 1 image, estimated 38 secs reading time)

Stockholm a fairly compact city, so it’s easy to get around and explore. You can walk or bike to most places of interest in Stockholm, or, in this city of islands, you can hop on a ferry.  Read more... (147 words, 3 images, estimated 35 secs reading time)

The ice is melting, and the natural habitats of the Antarctic ice fields are threatened by an increasing herd of tourists, which is why 28 nations with scientific and business interests on the southernmost continent have agreed to limit the growth of tourism to the region. Last week, the 50-year-old Antarctic Treaty was updated with restrictions on the size of cruise ships that land passengers there and the number of people they can bring ashore at any one time.  Read more... (197 words, 1 image, estimated 47 secs reading time)