Cruise Holidays and European River Cruises
Cruising suits the way our travellers like to see a place. You unpack once, the scenery moves past the window, and the harbour or garden you want to visit is a short walk from the gangway rather than an hour's drive away.
Our cruising holidays range from four nights on a river boat through the Dutch canals in tulip season to small-ship sailing among the Dalmatian islands, ocean cruises to Arctic Norway, and island-hopping by boat around the Isles of Scilly. Each one is escorted, with the coach, rail or flight arrangements built in.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Cruise Holidays Tours
River boats are long, low and carry far fewer passengers, and they tie up in the centre of towns rather than at industrial ports. The water is flat, so motion is rarely an issue. Ocean cruising gives you bigger ships, more on-board facilities and evening entertainment, and the ability to reach places like Arctic Norway. Our programme includes both, so it is worth reading the individual tour page to see which style a holiday follows.
It depends entirely on the holiday. On our Croatian small-ship and Dutch river itineraries, guided visits are generally part of the package and listed on the tour page. On the Fred Olsen ocean cruises to Norway and Scotland, excursions are specifically not included and are arranged separately. Always check the inclusions on the tour you are looking at, and ask us if anything is unclear before you book.
Not necessarily. The Keukenhof river cruise travels by private coach from local joining points and through the Eurotunnel. The Fred Olsen cruises sail from UK ports with return transfers to the port included. The Isles of Scilly and Channel Islands holidays go by ferry from Penzance and Poole. Our Croatian sailings do include return flights and transfers. The tour page states the travel arrangements for each departure.
Yes. Solo travellers join our open group departures regularly and cruising suits them well, as there are shared meals and plenty of company on board without any obligation. A single supplement usually applies for sole occupancy of a cabin, and the amount varies by holiday — some itineraries hold a small number of single cabins without supplement. Ask us what is available on the departure you have in mind.
That varies by ship and by grade. Our Fred Olsen prices are based on an inside cabin, which can be upgraded at extra cost. The Dutch river cruises are priced on a standard or main deck cabin, and the Croatian small ships offer cabin accommodation with midweek cabin service and a change of towels and linen. Cabins on any vessel are compact by hotel standards. We can talk you through the deck plans and grades available.
More than people sometimes expect. Old towns such as Korčula, Dubrovnik and Bruges are cobbled and often built on slopes with steps, and guided walks there are done on foot. Island landings in Scilly involve stepping between a small boat and a quay. Gardens and harbour fronts involve standing about. If you are unsure whether a particular itinerary suits you, please ring us and we will go through it honestly.
European river cruising in spring
The Dutch and Flemish waterways are at their best in April and May, when the bulb fields between Leiden and Haarlem come into colour and Keukenhof opens its gates for its short annual season. Our Keukenhof river cruise sails a compact route — Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam — with time at Volendam and the windmills of Zaanse Schans, and four nights in the same cabin throughout.
River boats sit low in the water and tie up in the middle of towns, so you step off into the centre rather than at a distant cruise terminal. There is no swell to speak of, which is one reason people who have been unsure about ships often get on well with rivers.
Travel out is by private coach from local joining points and through the Eurotunnel, so there is no airport at either end. Cabin grades, drinks arrangements and the exact running order vary between departures — the individual tour page has the detail.
Small-ship sailing in Croatia
Croatia's Adriatic coast is made for small ships. The islands lie close together, the old towns are walled and compact, and a vessel carrying a few dozen passengers can moor where a large liner cannot go at all. Our Dalmatian itineraries link Split, Makarska, Korčula, Hvar and Dubrovnik, with guided walks in the old towns and time to swim from the deck when the sea allows.
These holidays are flown out and back, with transfers at both ends, and they include cabin accommodation, breakfast and a three-course lunch each day, a captain's dinner and an English-speaking tour manager on board. Some departures add olive oil and wine tasting, or a day in the Kornati National Park.
The Krka waterfalls and Zadar's sea organ appear on the nature-and-culture version of the route. Days are relaxed rather than packed.
Norwegian fjords and the Arctic north
Our ocean sailings to Norway go with Fred Olsen from UK ports — Newcastle, Tilbury and Southampton among them — which means no flight and no baggage allowance to worry about. Return transfers to the port are included, as is full board, evening entertainment and use of the on-board leisure facilities.
Winter sailings head for Lysefjord's cliffs and Bergen, or further north into the Arctic Ocean where the aurora is possible on clear, dark nights. Nobody can promise the Northern Lights; what you can rely on is the coastline, which is remarkable in any weather.
One thing to know: on the Fred Olsen cruises, shore excursions are not included in the tour price and are booked separately. The scenic Scottish sailing among the Small Isles and Loch Hourn works the same way.
Cruising closer to home
Not every cruise crosses the Channel. The Isles of Scilly holidays travel by ferry from Penzance, with return boat tickets to Tresco, St Martin's and St Agnes included, so the sea crossings are short and the base is a hotel on St Mary's. Tresco Abbey Garden grows things that would not survive a Yorkshire winter — proteas, aloes, palms — thanks to the Gulf Stream and a good deal of shelter.
The Channel Islands tour sails by ferry from Poole and splits the week between Guernsey and Jersey, with a day on Herm. In Scotland, a rail and sail itinerary uses the West Highland Line and island ferries from a single hotel base at Loch Lomond.
These are gentler options for anyone who likes the idea of being on the water without a long voyage.
