THE MEDITERRANEAN + THE GREEK ISLES
May and early June, before the summer rush
A benefit of SeaDream Yacht Club: its twin 112-passenger yachts can stop in smaller ports. The May 30 sailing, round-trip from Civitavecchia, Italy (seven nights from $5,299, all-inclusive), on the SeaDream II, features three days on the Amalfi Coast.
Oceania Cruises’ May 20 voyage from Istanbul to Lisbon (10 nights from $4,199 with airfare) on the 684-passenger Nautica incorporates destinations rarely found in the same itinerary, including Tunis, Tunisia, and Malaga, Spain.
Seabourn Odyssey hits popular Greek isles (Mykonos, Santorini) on its May 16 sailing from Venice to Istanbul (13 nights from $7,699, all-inclusive).
NORTHERN EUROPE + ICELAND
July and August, for the white nights
Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Viking Odyssey itinerary, leaving July 6, combines the Norwegian fjords with a trip to the Arctic Circle on the 700-passenger Seven Seas Voyager (20 nights from $17,599, all-inclusive, with airfare).
The August 13 journey on the Azamara Quest (12 nights from $4,799, all-inclusive), visits traditional Baltic ports (St. Petersburg, Russia, and Tallinn, Estonia), and includes two nights each in Stockholm and Amsterdam.
Tauck is one of the few companies to offer Iceland-specific cruises. Explore Grimsey Island and the Snaefellsnes peninsula on a round-trip voyage from Reykjavik (seven nights from $6,690, all-inclusive), on Ponant’s upscale ships.