Other Destinations
But don’t think it’s either the Caribbean or nothing. For example, you can spend the holidays in Asia. One cruise line has a ship that departs Singapore on its way to Bangkok then to Hong Kong. Another offers the option of sailing in the South Pacific. The cruise begins in Tahiti and stops in the Cook Islands and Bora Bora before returning to Tahiti.
Inland Cruising
An alternative to cruising on the open seas during the holidays is cruising up and down the rivers of the world. The Old World, that is. Several European river cruise lines offer what are referred to as Christmas Market Cruises. These cruises explore the small towns and villages known for their traditional lavish holiday displays and markets.
Unlike the ocean holiday cruises, you can’t actually spend Christmas Day aboard a Christmas Market Cruise. The cruises only run during the days and weeks leading up to Christmas.
In Germany a Christmas Market Cruise travels the Rhine River. There’s a Belgium river cruise with an itinerary that includes Bruges, Brussels, and Antwerp. In Austria the river cruise cuts through Vienna on the Danube. In the Netherlands the port of call is the always popular city of Amsterdam.
The well-known resort area of Valkenburg in Holland is another destination of one of the European cruises. During the Christmas season the famed Valkenburg caves are used by local craftspeople as natural limestone grotto storefronts where they sell their products.
There’s also a post-Christmas tour on the Rhine, filling the niche for vacationers looking for something to do between Christmas and New Year’s. For revelers there’s also a New Year’s Rhine cruise.
