European river cruises selling out fast
Christmas-themed trips are especially popular, but last-minute bargains are still available in the Caribbean
It may sound strange as we enter spring, but now is the time to think about booking that fall or winter cruise getaway.
Of course, this isn’t necessary for every ship or every destination, but with so many new ships coming out this year on the oceans and rivers, booking your cruise well ahead has never been more important.
This is particularly true if you’re trying to hop aboard one of the newest crop of megaships to come out this year. I’m writing this piece from on board Carnival Cruise Line’s brand-new Carnival Horizon in the Mediterranean — a voyage that is sailing full. Demand for new ships is always great, but with Carnival Horizon’s maiden season in the Med, it sold out for another reason: the ship is only here for a few weeks before relocating to New York and, eventually, Miami. More on this cool ship in a future column.
The same holds true for Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss, which makes its official debut in Alaska in June. It will sail round trip from the Port of Seattle, and is quite possibly the ship with the most buzz on the West Coast this season.
But while it is still possible to hop on board many ocean-going cruises at the last minute if you’re not particular about your stateroom choice or sailing date, river cruises through Europe are a different matter. Take a look at any river cruise line’s website and you’ll see swaths of voyages already sold out months in advance.
For fall, this is particularly true of the Christmas Markets river cruises that take place between Nov. 25 and Christmas Eve each year. Once a sleepy, off-season voyage that only a handful of vessels operated, I’ve watched these festive cruises become more popular since I first set sail on one eight years ago. And even though there are more lines and more vessels than ever sailing these memorable cruises, they sell out well in advance every year — especially on the classic Budapest-to-Nuremberg (or reverse) run that sails the Danube. There’s nothing like spending the holidays in Germany and Austria, and experienced river cruisers know it.
The one region of the world where you can still hop on a last-minute cruise and still snag a deal is the Caribbean. Cruisers are the real winners here, with ships old and new sailing so many itineraries that a deal is never far from reach.
Visit fromthedeckchair.com for cruise news and voyage reports.