Luxury European Cruises: Travel Europe in Style
A Luxury European Vacation is a Cruise Away
By Emily Iris Degn | Published on September 29, 2025
Situated at some of the most famous and recognizable destinations in the world, cruise ports in Europe are, in my opinion as a travel writer, elite. The continent is more condensed than some of my other favorite parts of the world, like South America, making it easier to visit more places in less time. Here in the Old World, you can see multiple cultural and ecological regions even in just a day. It’s ideal for travelers who, like me, crave new experiences, great hiking, wild swimming and access to historic sites.
Shopaholics can take pride in their finds — Europe is the main hub for the luxury industry, offering the most prestigious fashion, perfumes and automotive products on the market. If you’re an art connoisseur, check out the galleries that feature the original pieces you’ve seen in textbooks (a major perk for me as someone with an art history minor). For my fellow chefs and foodies, get ready to indulge in the most refined, award-winning restaurants on the planet. Even fantasy enthusiasts can step into their daydreams, with castles no longer confined to the page.
European luxury cruises are special, introducing passengers to diverse landscapes, traditions and foodways that stretch back millennia, all while entertaining the entire group. Read on and learn more about luxury trips to Europe with Royal Caribbean so you can plan your own!
High-end On The High Seas: What Luxury European Cruises Include
The world’s best luxury travel destinations are sprinkled across striking regions such as the Aegean Sea, the Adriatic Coast, the Norwegian fjords and the waters of the Canary Islands, and it’s all right at your fingertips as a Royal Caribbean cruiser. And, because you’re sailing, the high life doesn’t stop at the shore.
Luxury European cruises promise both land and sea fine dining, plush spaces and other high-end tourism favorites. Imagine the thrill of island hopping around the Mediterranean, making snow angels in the Alps or chasing the Midnight Sun in Scandinavia during the day, before feasting on lobster, steak dishes and tasting menu creations at night. No matter which cruise ports in Europe you’re visiting, you can end every day by kicking back in your own softer-than-clouds bed on the ship. Speaking as someone who’s dealt frequently with the discomfort of European hostel cots and ice-cold campsite showers, I can assure you that it really doesn’t get better than that.
Here’s what else is included in European luxury cruises from Royal Caribbean:
Brag-Worthy Meals
From the complimentary restaurants to the specialty eateries onboard, luxury trips to Europe mean endless dining options when you’re cruising with Royal Caribbean. For example, at Solarium Bistro Restaurant, one of the included venues, you can enjoy the Mediterranean-inspired bites al fresco under the stars. I recommend piling up on the buffet-style appetizers like the babaganoush, fresh mussels, barley salad, grilled peppers, Greek-style roasted potatoes and watermelon salad before digging into succulent seafood entrees like lemon-and-garlic-bathed shrimp. Just save room for dessert — if you love honey like me, get the loukoumades! And, if you’re in a suite, you get access to Coastal Kitchen, a Napa-meets-Tuscany fusion spot.
Meanwhile, specialty restaurants such as Hooked Seafood℠, 150 Central Park and Izumi bring the heat with winners like decadent sushi rolls, Gruyere-topped lobster, sunchoke velouté, pan-seared halibut, organic salads and, my favorite, coconut cream pie. Those craving a little VIP treatment can opt instead for Chef’s Table, an exclusive eatery with a prix fix menu. Dress up and savor unctuous dishes like smoked tomato soup or scallop carpaccio with yuzu vinaigrette and crispy quinoa.
When you’re cruising, luxury travel in Europe doesn’t just mean great food in port. It means spectacular meals from sea to shore and back again. So enjoy that street food and cafe-hopping on land. The flavor continues onboard.
Stunning Rooms
If you’re hopping around cruise ports in Europe with Royal Caribbean, you don’t need to worry about finding a place to stay. That’s such a time-consuming part of planning a European vacation anyway, so I love that it’s checked off my list when sailing. When enjoying luxury travel destinations of any kind, it’s nice to know that your quarters will live up to your expectations, and Royal Caribbean rises to the challenge.
Interior and ocean view rooms are great for minimalists, small parties and those who plan on spending more of their time on deck. Balcony staterooms are ideal for my fellow sea-gazers who want to spend their time watching the bright blue ocean in their own space. Each of these comes with:
- ● A dedicated stateroom attendant.
- ● Daily cleaning service.
- ● Exclusive bedding.
- ● Climate control.
- ● Closet and storage.
- ● An HD-TV.
- ● A safe.
- ● A hair dryer.
- ● Toiletries like shampoo, conditioner and body wash.
You can also upgrade for high-speed Wi-Fi, on-demand movies and laundry.
But suites might just be the most appropriate for luxury European cruises. They’re lavish, ultra-private and spacious even for larger parties. They include balconies, and on top of the amenities that other stateroom occupants enjoy, suite guests have access to special restaurants like Coastal Kitchen. Other perks, such as having a Royal Genie or a dedicated Concierge to help plan your adventures, are huge deals when every second counts. These are available depending on which class of suite you book, so keep that in mind when looking ahead to your upcoming European luxury cruises.
Enthralling Entertainment
Entertainment is the name of the game when it comes to successful luxury trips to Europe. Royal Caribbean complements all of those operas, theatre productions and outdoor concerts you’re enjoying on land with excellence at sea. Ice skating shows, parades, Broadway musicals, live orchestras and other entertainment options enthrall even in the most remote corners of Europe thanks to the ships’ plentiful venues.
Activations Galore
Cruise ports in Europe have plenty of things to do and gorgeous things to eat, so it’s great that it doesn’t come to a halt when you get back on the ship. In fact, Royal Caribbean cruises are packed with activities, from dance classes to escape rooms to entire festivals. The real challenge won’t be finding something to do, but narrowing it down.
Sailing Season: Timing A Luxury European Cruise
Luxury travel destinations in Europe are magical, regardless of when you choose to visit. Just one perfect time to go really doesn’t exist, but there are perks to coming during certain times of the year, depending on where you’re heading and what you want to get out of the trip. For example, if you’re dying to see Roman ruins in person, you might want to avoid the summer crowds and take a Mediterranean cruise during shoulder season.
Here’s the general run-down of what seasons are like in Europe:
- ● Autumn: Shoulder season (fewer crowds, less pricey), generally rainier, mild but cool temperatures, foliage and wine tourism opportunities (i.e., Germany’s Black Forest or Tuscan vineyards).
- ● Winter: Off-season or high season in certain locations (such as aurora hubs), less crowded than summer overall, generally snowy or rainy, cold temperatures, snow and aurora tourism opportunities (i.e., Finnish igloo stays or Norwegian northern light chases).
- ● Spring: Shoulder season (fewer crowds, less pricey), generally rainier, mild but cool temperatures, floral tourism opportunities (i.e., Dutch tulip fields or Parisian gardens).
- ● Summer: High season (more crowds, pricier), generally drier climate, hot temperatures, Euro beach and hiking tourism opportunities (i.e., Greek islands or Swiss Alpine trails).
Royal Caribbean: Best Luxury Travel In Europe
Luxury European cruises are a dream for so many reasons, but especially because they can bring you right up to both the most recognizable destinations on the continent and the most underrated spots. As someone who equally gets excited about finding secret black sand beaches in Iceland as they do about seeing Big Ben from London Bridge with crowds of fellow visitors, I think this might be my favorite reason for taking a European luxury cruise. You really can have it all.
Here are the luxury travel destinations I’d recommend you visit when you take a Royal Caribbean cruise to Europe:
If You Love Food
- ● Naples, Italy.
- ● Provence, France.
- ● Mykonos, Greece.
- ● Helsinki, Finland.
- ● Tallinn, Estonia.
- ● Bergen, Norway.
- ● Kusadasi, Turkey.
- ● Lisbon, Portugal.
If You Love Fashion
- ● Paris, France.
- ● Copenhagen, Denmark.
- ● Rome, Italy.
- ● Stockholm, Sweden.
- ● Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- ● Oslo, Norway.
- ● Barcelona, Spain.
- ● London, England.
If You Love Nature
- ● Santorini, Greece.
- ● Burgas, Bulgaria.
- ● Gran Canaria, Canary Islands.
- ● Inverness, Scotland.
- ● Kotka, Finland.
- ● Madeira, Portugal.
- ● Holyhead, Wales.
- ● Amalfi Coast, Italy.
- ● Flam, Norway.
If You Love History
- ● Brussels, Belgium.
- ● Aarhus, Denmark.
- ● Dover, England.
- ● Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
- ● Kotor, Montenegro.
- ● Athens, Greece.
- ● Ajaccio, Corsica.
- ● Cork, Ireland.
- ● Bremerhaven, Germany.
- ● Visby, Sweden.
If You Love Pop Culture
- ● Ibiza, Spain.
- ● Cannes, France.
- ● Venice, Italy.
- ● Berlin, Germany.
- ● Edinburgh, Scotland.
- ● Dubrovnik, Croatia.
- ● Liverpool, England.
- ● Dublin, Ireland.
If You Love Art
- ● Florence, Italy.
- ● Southampton, England.
- ● Koper, Slovenia.
- ● Hamburg, Germany.
- ● Istanbul, Turkey.
- ● Gdansk, Poland.
- ● Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- ● Split, Croatia.
- ● Glasgow, Scotland.
- ● Riga, Latvia.
Plan Your Next Luxury European Cruise
The best European destinations are just a Royal Caribbean vacation away, bringing you to the fashionable streets of Paris, the ruins of Italy or the wilderness of the north. These luxury European cruises can bring you closer to both the past and future, all while grounding you in the present.
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