Is a Cruise a Good Way to See Europe for the First Time? Why I Chose One

I’ve never been to Europe.

When I started planning my first trip, I had to decide how I actually wanted to experience it. I could fly to Europe, choose one or two cities, book hotels, and figure out transportation between them.

Or I could take a cruise.

I chose the cruise.

Not because I think cruising is automatically the best way to see Europe. I haven’t taken the trip yet, so I can’t honestly say that.

But for a first trip, it made sense to me.

I Wanted to See More Than One Place

If I’m flying all the way to Europe, I don’t want my first experience to be limited to one destination.

Our seven-night cruise leaves from Southampton, England and gives us the opportunity to visit several European destinations during the same trip.

That’s what attracted me most.

I don’t expect a few hours in port to mean I’ve truly experienced a country. But it gives me a chance to get a small taste of several places and figure out where I might want to return later.

Instead of asking, Where in Europe should I go first?

The cruise lets me answer that question after I’ve seen a little of several places.

I Only Have to Unpack Once

This was another big factor.

Trying to visit several European cities on our own would mean figuring out hotels, trains or flights, check-in and checkout times, luggage, and transportation in places I’ve never visited before.

That’s completely doable, but it wasn’t how I wanted to spend my first trip.

With the cruise, we get on the ship in Southampton, unpack once, and the ship becomes our hotel for seven nights.

While we’re sleeping, we’re moving toward another destination.

That convenience has value to me.

But a European Cruise Has Its Own Complications

Choosing a cruise doesn’t make everything easy.

We still have to fly to London, get from Heathrow to Southampton, decide when to arrive before the cruise, and eventually make our way back to the airport.

There are also shore excursions to consider.

And the biggest disadvantage may be time.

A cruise can give me several destinations, but it can’t give me several days in each destination.

If I fall in love with one particular place, I’ll probably wish I had more time there.

That’s the trade-off I’m accepting.

Why It Made Sense for My First Europe Trip

For this trip, I’m not trying to become an expert on Europe.

I’m trying to experience it for the first time.

I like the idea of having one home base while getting an introduction to several destinations. It feels less overwhelming than planning a multi-city European vacation from scratch, while still giving us much more variety than staying in one place for the entire trip.

Will I feel the same way after seven nights?

I don’t know.

And that’s exactly why I’m writing this before I go.

When I return, I’ll come back to this question and compare what I expected with what actually happened.

Maybe I’ll decide cruising was the perfect introduction to Europe.

Maybe I’ll decide that next time I’d rather choose one country, book a hotel, and stay awhile.

Either way, I’ll know from experience instead of guessing.

For now, a cruise feels like the right way for me to see Europe for the first time.

We’ll find out in December whether I was right.