Seven European Christmas market cruises priced from £579pp
Sailings on the Danube, Seine and other European waterways combine festive city visits with departures from late November to mid-December.
MSC Cruises lists the lowest starting price among the seven itineraries. Its seven-night voyage departs on 27 November from Southampton and visits Hamburg, Rotterdam, Cherbourg and Le Havre, with fares from £579pp.
Also departing on 27 November, Tui’s five-night Danube cruise calls at Bratislava and visits Austrian Christmas market destinations including Vienna, Krems and Linz. Prices start at £1,219pp, including flights and transfers.
Ambassador Cruise Line’s six-night sailing leaves London Tilbury on 1 December and visits markets in three countries through calls at Hamburg, IJmuiden and Zeebrugge. Fares start at £629pp.
Fred Olsen’s Balmoral departs Southampton on 10 December for the Seine, including an overnight stay in Rouen and a visit to Zeebrugge for access to Bruges. Prices begin at £1,149pp.
VIVA Cruises offers a five-night Seine round trip from Paris aboard VIVA Beyond. Departing on 13 December and priced from £895pp, it includes visits to Les Andelys and Rouen in Normandy. Riviera Travel’s five-night Danube itinerary leaves Budapest on 15 December, visits Bratislava and Vienna, and returns to Budapest. It starts at £1,049 per person with flights and transfers included. Viking’s 11-night sailing departs on 16 December, combining the Main and Moselle with visits including Mainz and Bamberg before two nights in Prague. Prices start at £3,795pp, including flights and transfers.