Christmas cruises: which one should you choose - Mediterranean or Caribbean

Christmas cruises have a reputation of being a "must" for those who want to go on a winter vacation to wind down and return to the relaxing pace of summer. The high season for this type of holiday should not scare you: in fact, there are more and more discounts available as well as last minute deals for those who choose to go on Christmas cruises either as a couple or as a family.

An evergreen: Christmas cruises

Christmas cruises are truly timeless and definitely an emotion to experience at least once in your lifeti-me: let yourself be lulled by the sea that will bring you back to dreamy summer days and allow yourself to be pampered by all the comforts while visiting a different place every single day.

First time on a cruise? Get ready to board and experience a feeling of absolute wellbeing: you will live in a bubble - in a place where everything is designed to provide you with maximum of pleasure and fun. A cruise is the only vacation in which the journey to a new destination makes the holiday.

The face that the prices are inaccessible price is a myth to debunk! Starting from a minimum of 2 nights to a maximum of 7 -  the prices can vary per person between 300 and 2000 Euros. It all depends on the route chosen(whether the Mediterranean or the Caribbean), the departure port, and the optional servi-ces you decide to include in your package.

Christmas cruises provide a sumptuous holiday menu on board: from traditional to savory desserts all without neglecting the needs of vegetarians or gluten free necessities. The different restaurants avai-lable really satisfy everyone's tastes and also offer a rich selection of typical dishes from the various stops along your visit. This will make your Christmas cruise a real rollercoaster ride of the senses.
Crociere di Natale nel Mediterraneo: Italia, Malta, Spagna, Francia.

Mediterranean Christmas cruises: Italy, Malta, Spain, France

The most popular route to set sail in the Mediterranean during Christmas is a beautiful tour that touches the coasts of Italy, Malta, Spain and France.

It starts from Genoa and heads south towards Malta to three islands of the small Mediterranean archi-pelago.
On the island there are plenty of beaches of fine sand that overlook a turquoise sea and interspersed with caves which are all to be explored either independently or accompanied by specialized guides.

The cruise ship docks in the port of the beautiful Maltese capital, La Valetta. This is the same port from which the legendary Knights of Malta left to fight against the Ottoman Empire. Once your reach the land, you can admire the Cathedral of San Giovanni and the Palace of the Grand Master with the magni-ficent Hall of the Tapestries. If you take a walk through the narrow streets of the historical center, you will find with the characteristic colored bowls that are dated up to the sixteenth century Forte Sant’Elmo. Just take a look around to enjoy the beauty of the entire city which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Our Christmas cruise in the Mediterranean then departs the Isle of Knights to head towards the Spanish coasts.

As we come across the different ports in Spain, we discover artistic and architectural beauty of great im-pact, but also a full immersion of gastronomy which immediately reveals itself as we are welcomed to this land.

The Barcelona stop allows us to admire the Sagrada Familia and the park with Gaudì's sculptures; sip a sangria in the Gothic quarter and and a leisure walk to di some shopping. Madrid is more austere and calculated and offers a delicious taste of tapas, jamon serrano and a good glass of wine; Valencia will provide us with its unforgettable paella, and Malaga which is the outlet to the sea of Andalusia.

We will also learn that the border with Gibraltar is no longer the end of the world, but the beginning of a new adventure!

Our Christmas navigation through the Mediterranean ends on the French coast. From north to south its beautiful ports offer panoramas that few places in the world are able to compare. These views combine a natural landscape with a cultural, architectural and gastronomic one.

Must-see’s for Christmas cruises? Nice, Marseille and the delightful Provence. Every couple in love, but also individual travelers and families will experience the taste of the romantic holiday in this protected corner of the Mediterranean which is always accompanied by a gastronomic experience that is a pure "joie de vivre"!

Caribbean Christmas Cruises: Antilles and Jamaica

If your Christmas cruise is inspired mainly by the desire to escape the cold, then your only destination should be the Caribbean.

Here you will need more time. The average duration of this type of vacation is between 10 days and two weeks and offers a vast choice of naturalistic itineraries that will enchant: dreamy white beaches, crystal clear seas, backdrops of incredible beauty immersed in the coral reef, and swimming alongside colorful fish.
Inevitable stops? The Greater Antilles,Jamaica, and the paradises of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Re-public with a stop at seductive Santo Domingo.

If you want to do some shopping or have a close encounter with some dolphins all you have to do is reach La Romana.

The Lesser Antilles which are equally pristine offer the whitest beaches of Antigua, Barbuda, Martinique and Guadeloupe.  The most particular of all is formed by two twin islets - Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre - which are connected by a thin isthmus.

Christmas cruises to the Caribbean also allow you to alternate between visits to large cities with visits to small villages.

Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean and is located in the Greater Antilles archipelago. It welcomes us with the rhythm of reggae! Bob Marley, as well as his music, memories, atmospheres and his native places represent the soul of this magical place and is an indispensable reason to visit this pla-ce - especially on a cruise!

The Jamaican treasures are varied and are of dazzling beauty: they range from the high peaks of the Blue Mountains to the waterfalls of the Dunn river passing by the panoramas of the coast with its white san-dy beaches where you can enjoy the legendary sunset.

If you are an incurable sportsman you will be confused with all the options at hand: in Antigua you can book an entire day on board a catamaran in order to practice diving and snorkelling in the coral reef; at the Lake in Nassau you can take a dip to discover the precious backdrops of the Bahamas.
Kayaking and snorkeling can be practiced almost everywhere while alternating days on the beach with days of absolute relaxation.

Whatever your destination -  from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean - give yourself the gift of taking a Christmas cruise. It will be a difficult experience to forget.
 

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