The Mediterranean is the world’s largest inland sea. The continents of Europe, Asia and Africa surround this majestic sea, and the body of water is considered to be one of the great wonders of the world. The area is gorgeous; therefore, luxury cruises on the Mediterranean are very popular.

The best time to take a luxury cruise on the Mediterranean is from April to November because the weather is nicer. The major port countries on the shores of the Mediterranean include Spain, France, Italy, Monaco, Greece and Turkey. Other popular stops are the islands of Malta, Crete and Sicily.

Luxury cruises in the Mediterranean offers guests the opportunity to explore parts of Asia, Africa and Europe. Travelers can easily reach the beaches and major port cities without the stress of crowded trains or airports. Travelers can explore the great legends of the sea while relaxing on a luxury cruise ship. The port stops offers guests a chance to explore the city or just relax on the beach. Guests are spoiled with outstanding service, delicious cuisine and lively nighttime entertainment.

One of the most well-liked luxury cruise liners in the Mediterranean is the Regent Seven Seas. This is considered a smaller vessel, as the capacity is only from 200 to 700. This cruise will offer its guests quality service, excellent dining and luxury accommodations. The ship normally departs from Rome, Venice, Athens, Monte Carlo, Barcelona or Istanbul, and the duration of the trip is 7 days. Some of the stops along the way might include Florence, Marseilles, St. Tropez and Croatia.

Another luxury cruise in the Mediterranean is Crystal Cruises. Most of their cruises are 7 to 12 days and will offer visitors spectacular views of the sea, as well as stops at historic cities. For couples who are looking for romance, this is the cruise to take. The romantic French Riviera is just one of the fabulous stops that you can discover on the cruise.

The Silversea Silver Cloud is a liner that offers guests superb accommodations with luxury service. You can depart from Athens, Istanbul, Rome, Venice, Barcelona or London. These cruises last anywhere from 7 to 12 days.

If you really want to travel in style, you can take a cruise aboard a yacht. The Yachts of Seaborn offer luxury cruises for 7 to 30 days. Some of the departure and destination ports include Lisbon, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Rome, Venice, Athens and Istanbul.

Mediterranean cruises are normally all-inclusive; therefore, your drinks, shore adventures and sometimes, even airfare are covered. Port taxes and other fees will vary, and guests need to ask if they are included in the airfare. Many luxury cruise lines include tips in the price.

A luxury European cruise will motivate and astound you, as it will be an experience of a lifetime. Whether they are taking a short break or a longer holiday, guests will find breath-taking beaches, fascinating historical sites, interesting culture and many more things when taking a cruise in the Mediterranean. It will be an unforgettable holiday.

If you tend to stick to a tried and tested holiday formula it might just be time to give something new a go. In recent years the travel market has broadened its market and started to  offer its customers a far broader range of holiday opportunities.

For a long time, the cruise holiday was thought to be the province of rich and leisurely, as our classic conception of what it means to go on a cruise tends to entail a long voyage lasting several weeks on a five star boat, complete with a smattering of well known celebrities and aristocrats. But thanks to high street travel bookers such as Thomas Cook there is now a much wider range of cruise holidays available for the average holiday maker with a modest budget and a week or two off work.

If you’re passionate about European history then one of the most appealing choices is likely to be the famous German Rhine Cruise. This is an unforgettable trip that will allow you to gaze upon, and indeed explore, the fairytale castles scattered along the banks of the Rhine. Many such cruises continue northwards into the Netherlands and include a tour of the country’s artistic highlights, such as the Reich and Van Gogh museums.

But if culture isn’t your top priority, there are plenty of other cruise deals up for grabs. If fine wining and dining is your passion, then look no further than Portugal for your perfect cruising opportunity. A cruise along the Douro River encompasses a long weekend in Porto, prior to departure. This beautiful city is famous not only for its rich Port wine, but also for a range of different gastronomic delights, including ‘Bacalhau’ – a fresh, salted fish dish served with seasonal vegetables and lashings of local wine. Upon departure, you will be given the opportunity to take a tour around some of Portugal’s most spectacular vineyards, winding steeply upwards from the banks of the river.

For more information about shorter and cost effective cruise deals, simply head down to your local travel agents and see which destinations and packaged prices catch your eye.

When you think of cruises – it may not immediately spring to mind that they can also take the form of a weekend break. But more and more people are now taking to the seas around Europe in search for relaxation and sightseeing.

Departing from Southampton, P&O Cruises run a series of three-night cruises visiting France and Belgium. Calling at Zeebrugge, there is the opportunity to visit the quaint city of Bruges, medieval Ghent or Brussels, before sailing on to Le Havre for tours to Paris and other attractions in Normandy.

Bruges is known for its canals, beautiful medieval buildings, fine chocolates and elegant lace, and is found a short drive though the Flemish countryside away from the port of Zeebrugge. The historical old town is atmospheric, with twisting cobble-stoned streets amid centuries-old buildings bisected by a lattice of canals.

A guided walk is an excellent way to see the picturesque city with its market place and merchant guild houses, Belfry Tower, Town Hall and the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Within the Basilica, a Romanesque chapel from the 10th century, and a 15th century gothic chapel house a venerated relic of Christ – a preserved piece of cloth said to stained by blood wiped by Joseph of Arimethea from the body of Christ after his crucifixion. The relic was brought to Bruges from the Holy Land in 1150 and is openly displayed in a silver tabernacle. A canal boat ride along the serene waterways of this romantic city is another fine way to experience Bruges.

Further inland from Bruges, is the less touristy, but similarly medieval city of Ghent. Most of the city centre is pedestrianised and best seen on foot, by bike, or from a canal cruise. Ghent is known for its fine local beer and strong mustard. In the centre of the city St. Bavo’s Cathedral is an impressive sight, and is home to a number of impressive art treasures including the famous painting ‘The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb’, painted by Hubert and Jan van Eyck around 1432. Climbing the 444 steps of the Cathedral’s tower gives an excellent view of the city.

Brussels is within easy reach of Zeebrugge and is a fascinating European city, where France and Flemish culture combine, and history blends with modernity. Historic Art Nouveau and Baroque architecture is found alongside the expansive bureaucratic quarters of the European Union which is headquartered here. Near the Central Station, the Old Town area is perfect for a walk around the St Hubert Arcades and Butchers’ Street, with their plethora of restaurants and cafés. The shopping in Brussels is fantastic, especially for fine chocolate shops, and it is perfect for a pre-Christmas visit. At this time of year, don’t miss the extensive Christmas market.

From Le Havre, Paris – the most famously romantic city in the world – can be visited in a day. The ‘city of light’ probably has more familiar landmarks than any other city in the world, so first time visitors will be spoilt for choice. If you’ve seen the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Seine and the museums, take a wander through the city’s avenues and backstreets for a different take on the city, or visit another destination from La Havre. Honfleur, famous for its seafood restaurants; Rouen, the historic capital of Normandy, and the sites of the D-day landings are close to Le Harve and feature in the cruise excursions offered.

A mini-cruise is an excellent way to maximise your holiday over a weekend break. For longer breaks, P&O have programmes of cruises all over the world, including the Caribbean, Scandanavia, South America and the Indian Ocean.

Barbados, “the pearl of the Caribbean”, is 20 miles of soft coral and is a small island that is pear shaped. It is actually an enormous and ancient coral reef approximately one million years old. The water, which permeated the reef, produced magnificent underground caverns such as Harrison’s Cave in Bridgetown. Here you will see stalagmites, stalactites, waterfalls, and deep emerald pools, all of which you can see in an electrically operated tram.

Because of 340 days of sunshine per year, the beaches on Barbados are glorious. Water sports are popular including fishing, scuba diving, fishing, sailing, water skiing, and snorkeling.

At Cobblers Cove, which is styled as an elegant English Country House on one of Barbados’ best beaches, you can swim with the sea turtles. You can also enjoy a gourmet restaurant with culinary demonstrations by Chef Porteus and a wine tasting.

If you prefer rum, go to the Heritage Park and Rum Factory, which produces the ESA Field, a white rum preferred by connoisseurs. There is free admission at this first rum distillery which was inaugurated in 1996 and is on a former molasses and sugar plantation which dates back 350 years.

The Andromeda Botanical Gardens in St. Joseph features six acres of hibiscus, orchids, ferns, palms, and more. There is a stream with waterfalls and pools. These spectacular gardens were started in 1954 by a local horticulturist.

At the Animal Flower Cave in the parish of St. Lucy, which is in the most northerly point of the island, you can see the sea anemones that live in the pools in a cave. The Flower Forest with its brilliantly-colored flowers is also a sight to see.

Garrison has the Barbados Museum, which is in what was the British Military Prison with an upper section built in 1817 and a lower section built in 1853. It contains artifacts from the island’s early inhabitants and “Yesterday’s Children”, which is a gallery giving an educational travel back into history. There are also historical maps and furnishings from an 18th century plantation house.

St. Nicholas Abbey was built around 1650 as one of the Western Hemisphere’s three Jacobean plantation houses. It has the famous curved gables and is decorated with antiques. The sugar cane fields continue to be cultivated, and they have reconstructed a sugar refinery right on the property.