Since 2006, I’ve celebrated Christmas with friends and family in an unlikely setting — on the rivers of Europe. It’s a tradition that I have very much enjoyed and one that I plan to continue.

I love the cozy feeling of being on a vessel that transports me, and a hundred or so others, along the main arteries of Europe during this festive time of year. I enjoy bundling up to stroll historic city streets among the Christmas markets and returning to the ship to sip on hot mulled cider or, when the mood strikes, Gluhwein.

If you’re lucky, as I have been on a few Christmas cruises, snow will blanket the villages along the rivers. Last year, I trudged on powder with my family and friends through the uber-charming Rothenburg ob der Tauber. We felt like we were walking in a fairy tale. Christmas trees were decorated with red ribbons and sparkly white lights. Branches were laden with clumps of snow that had fallen from the rooftops. Icicles appeared like mini-stalactites from awnings, and under them, shop windows presented everything from wurst to gingerbread cookies, baked in Old World tradition.

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Cruising to or from Amsterdam? Why not do what the Dutch do and straddle a saddle? Hop on a bike and pedal your way through Amsterdam and the beautiful countryside.

Everyone, from crib to coffin, pedals a bike in Amsterdam. The entire country of the Netherlands is mostly flat and ideal for cycling, but the best part is that cyclists pedal along roads either with no cars at all (with tiny traffic lights for bikes) — or with drivers who actually pay attention to cyclists.

That is why Dutch cyclists are 30 times less likely to be killed than their stateside counterparts, according to Bicycling magazine. And that is why for tourists, cycling is a match made, well, in the Netherlands.

You can pedal in the city center, of course, but the real pleasure comes in getting out in the countryside. During my visit to Amsterdam, the rental agency, Mac Bike, recommended a route called “The Great Waterland Bicycle Tour.”

I followed the route, well described on the map, through Amsterdam, riding past charming canals, beautiful architecture, past pedestrians (and nearly over one or two who stepped in front of the bike) and alongside other cyclists and eventually found my way to the train station and the ferry across to Waterland, north of Amsterdam.

The ferries are free and transit every five minutes or so. A ramp lowers and you push your bike on.

In fact, I don’t think there is any public facility that hasn’t been set up for bikes. Even outdoor stairways, have a steel gutter to accommodate the bike’s wheels.

The ferry transit is only a couple of minutes, and I stood there among a throng of other cyclists waiting to reach the other side.

Once on the other side, I and the others pedaled off. After about an hour of pedaling past attractive countryside, I stopped for lunch in a beautiful seaside village, where I dined on a plate of mussels, french fries, salad, bread, applesauce and cole slaw.

Fortified, I pedaled again. I rode along a dyke through Uitdam and to the charming village of Marken, where the fishermen’s houses were built on poles.

The town is a tourist attraction, where all the homes are painted a dark green with red tile roofs.

During my ride, I learned at least two things about cycling in the Netherlands. The first was how to carry three ice cream cones on a bike. I saw a girl doing just that.

To carry three, she turned one cone upside down on top of the other so that she had only to contend with two cones in one hand. Smart.

I also learned how to carry twins. I saw a woman riding a bike with the front end having two wheels and a cart in between. Up front were the twin girls. I learned that this is quite common in the Netherlands.

I continued to ride to Monnickendam, a charming village, then to Zuiderwoude, where I could see the “Welcome to the town limits” and “You Are Leaving the town limits” signs as I pedaled in. There was a wonderful teahouse there.

I rode along the Amstel, past barges and boats to the small village of Ouderkerk ann de Amstel, older than Amsterdam. I stopped there to have an apple shortcake from a century-old bakery and a Witte beer at a restaurant dating back to 1624.

I picked my way back to the ferry. The complete circuit took more than six hours and was so enjoyable. I hope to do it again one day.

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Round up granny, grandpa and the cousins and head for the Last Frontier, Princess Cruises has announced a 12-night cruisetour option geared to families (who don’t mind taking the kids out of school to do it!), with five departures offered in May, 2012. The cruisetours include family-fun stuff to do, from a sternwheeler boat ride to panning for gold.

“This is really the ultimate family vacation,” said Charlie Ball, president of Princess Tours. “Alaska is a wonderful travel destination with kids, so we wanted to make it easy and affordable to plan the perfect Alaska experience for everyone in the family.”

The cruisetour includes a seven-night Voyage of the Glaciers cruise plus a five-night land tour featuring one night at Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, one night at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge and two nights at Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge. On sea days, families can also take advantage of Princess’ onboard programs geared to children, including a special Junior Ranger program in Glacier Bay National Park.

In addition, special tour extras included in the fare are daily breakfast, Riverboat Cruise and El Dorado Goldmine Tour (from Fairbanks, travel on an authentic sternwheeler for a fully-narrated cruise along the Chena River and try gold panning), ”Direct-to-the-Wilderness Rail Service with Lunch” (gets families to wilderness lodge faster), Denali Natural History Tour (intimate tour of Denali National Park), and a visit to the Alaska Wildlife Center.

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It’s not often that you visit destinations where the locals and tourist authorities advise you to “get out of town.” But in Rostock, Germany, and the nearby seaside resort, Warnemunde, that’s exactly what many cruise passengers are hearing.

It’s not that they, or any tourists, are unwelcome in Rostock and Warnemunde. The Baltic ports see more than 150,000 cruise passengers annually, according to Cruise Europe statistics. So why encourage them to leave? Cruise tourism authorities in both destinations are aware of the appeal of Berlin as well as the fact that theirs are the closest Baltic ports to the German capital, only three hours away by train.

Berlin, however, requires a full day on excursions offered by many of the cruise lines. Should you visit Berlin and skip Rostock and Warnemunde? Not so fast. By give short shrift to Rostock and Warnemunde, you’ll miss two worthwhile destinations.

My advice: See Rostock and Warnemunde and save Berlin for another visit. Berlin deserves more than a one-day visit. To help you decide, following is a tale of two cities — plus one — to help you make an informed decision about how to make the most of your time.

Wonderful Warnemunde, Historical Rostock

Ships typically dock in Warnemunde, a seaside resort that was famed for its baths and spas in the 20th century. Today, Warnemunde is a bit as if Miami were to meet the Baltic. Beaches are wide and sandy; hotels and bars line the streets across from the beach. Simply strolling the beach, or bicycling, is reason enough to visit Warnemunde.

Only 10 miles from Warnemunde, Rostock is one of the three original Hanseatic cities. Founded in 1218, the city is also home to one of Europe’s oldest universities, founded in 1419. For the history buff, Rostock is well worth seeing. Moreover, getting to Rostock is easy. The train that departs to the city is within walking distance of the cruise terminal in Warnemunde

A few summers ago, I visited Rostock and Warnemunde on Holland America Line’s Westerdam. Disembarking for the day, I found help and maps in the cruise terminal. With information in hand, I boarded the train for the short transit to Rostock.

Once in Rostock city center, I transferred to a tram to get to the central square, Neuer Markt. From the ship to the central square took only about 30 minutes, including the transfer on the tram. In the tourist information center, situated on the square, I learned that the city features a town wall, gothic churches, charming shops and cafes.

I was advised to begin my exploration of Rostock at St. Peters Church, where I took the elevator up nearly 12 stories for a view of the city. Afterward, I walked the city squares and wide pedestrian streets, stopping for bratwurst before heading back to Warnemunde by boat.

In Warnemunde, I rented a bike near the train station and rode for a couple of hours along the promenade skirting the beach. Westerdam did not depart until 10 p.m., so after dinner on the ship, I walked back into Warnemunde. When I returned to the ship, the trains were returning with passengers who had opted for Berlin. As I watched them disembark, tired from the long journey but enthused about what they had seen, I was glad I stayed nearby. But as with most things, I had a tinge of “buyer’s regret” that I had not seen Berlin.

Berlin In One Day

On another Baltic cruise, I decided to head for Berlin from Warnemunde, nearly a three-hour journey by train each way. Here’s how to make the most of one day in Berlin if you’re not on one of the excursions offered by the cruise lines.

Prepare for a long day, which requires a 150-mile journey each way by train or bus to Germany’s capital.

Your goal is to see the major sites, including the remains of the Berlin Wall, historic Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building. You can do all that, and you’ll also have time to walk Berlin’s most famous boulevards and sample one of the city’s many museums.

After arriving at Berlin’s main train station get yourself on the S Bahn to the Zoologischer Garten (it’s only three stops – about 10 minutes). Once there, head outside to admire the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, destroyed in a World War II air-raid. The emotional effect of seeing the stark shell of the church is a powerful reminder of the devastating effect of war.

Board double-decker Bus 100 in front of the Zoo railway station for city tour using public transportation. Take a seat on top to enjoy the scenic ride that carries you through the Tiergarten (Berlin’s large city park), past the Reichstag, along Unter den Linden, and around Alexanderplatz, the open square and public transport hub.

Exit the bus at Museum Island, situated on the Spree River and home to four internationally renowned museums. Any one of them is worth your time, but as you are trying to maintain a schedule, limit yourself to the most popular, the Pergamon, home to original-sized, reconstructed monumental buildings such as the Pergamon Altar, the Market Gate of Miletus, and the Ishtar Gate, all consisting of parts transported from the original excavation sites.

Leaving Museum Island, stroll along Unter den Linden until you reach Pariser Platz, a prestigious address in prewar times that has returned to its former glory.

Surrounding the square are the American, French and British embassies, and on one corner is the beautiful Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin. Take a seat at an outdoor table at Restaurant Quarré and split a Chocolate milkshake, pricey, but worth the experience and the view — and plentiful enough for two.

From your seat outside Hotel Adlon, take time to admire Brandenburg Gate, once the formal entrance to the city and still a grand symbol of Berlin. When you’re done, head through the Gate, across Ebertstrasse, to the Reichstag. The first parliament of the German Empire, the Reichstag was opened in 1894 and housed the German parliament until 1933, when it was severely damaged in a fire supposedly set by a Dutch communist.

This fire proved to be a valuable excuse for the Nazis to suspend most civil rights and increase the state security apparatus. Following World War II, the Reichstag building again became the seat of the German parliament, and in October 1990, the official German reunification ceremony was held there. The building was completely reconstructed in a project led by architect Norman Foster and completed in 1999.

Check your watch. If time allows, take the free elevator up into the dome, which the locals call “the light bulb,” for stunning city views and to watch the democratic process take place below.

Head back to Ebertstrasse to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Also known as the Holocaust Memorial, the five-acre site has thousands of irregularly sized concrete slabs arranged in an unpredictable grid.

According to the designer’s project text, the slabs are designed to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere, and the whole sculpture aims to represent a supposedly ordered system that has lost touch with human reason. About a block away, you’ll find a sign marking the spot of the bunker where Adolf Hitler and his wife Eva Braun committed suicide.

Move on to Potsdamer Platz, a study in urban renewal and modern architecture, and continue to the Topography of Terror, a free, open-air exhibit on the organizations of the SS and the Gestapo, their crimes and their victims.

The site is bordered by a remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall. Checkpoint Charlie lies another 250 yards further east. After viewing the Topography of Terror, continue on to the Mauermusuem Haus am Checkpoint Charlie, which is open until 10 p.m.

From Checkpoint Charlie, walk up the other side of Friederichstrasse six blocks to Berlin’s most beautiful plaza, Gendarmenmarkt.

Twin cathedrals (French and German) topped by tall domes in the gorgeous Baroque style anchor this square, with the grand Konzerthaus standing between them.

Each church has attractions: On the south side, the Deutscher Dom offers a government history museum, while the Franzosischer Dom has a nice restaurant and a tower with wine bar and dizzying spiral staircase leading to a panorama view.

Find your way to double-decker Bus 200 to travel the opposite side of the Tiergarten to the Zoo, and make your way back to the main train station and back to Rostock/Warnemunde before your ship departs.

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Helsingwhat? That was the response from some cruise passengers who stepped ashore in the Swedish town of Helsingborg this morning. “It’s been a long time since school geography,” said one man from the United Kingdom. “I’m afraid my knowledge isn’t sufficient enough to have known about Helsingborg.”

But he and other passengers disembarking Grand Princess said they were impressed by the city in the south of Sweden.

“I’m very impressed,” said Jim Hough, from Banks, Oregon. “I’m a city manager, so when I come, I look to see how well-kept the town is, and Helsingborg is very well kept. Everyone is obviously very proud of what they have here. I’m so glad it was put on our itinerary, because now I believe I’ve seen the real Sweden as opposed to the metropolitan Sweden.”

“We’ve been to the major cities, which is great,” added another passenger, “but this is a small city and we feel closer to the local population and not swamped by long queues of tourists.”

A couple from Detroit remarked on the cleanliness of Helsingborg. “It’s very fresh and interesting,” they added.

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I checked into my hotel in Budapest, Hungary, and checked out a week later in Passau, Germany. Each evening, sometimes after I had fallen asleep, my hotel moved, from Budapest, to Bratislava, to Vienna, to Durnstein and Melk on the same day, to Linz and finally Passau. If you’re scratching your head, I’ll let you in on a secret: My hotel was a river cruiser.

River cruisers combine the best features of motorcoaches (in that they get you from one destination to the other) with the best features of a deluxe hotel (in that you are transported in comfort).

You need not sit with your nose pressed against the windows of a bus as you move from one destination to the next. Instead, you admire the scenery from the ship’s sun deck as you are transported along with your accommodations.

Nor will you have to obligingly put out your luggage by 7 a.m. (or earlier) to be loaded onto the motorcoach before it sets off to the next destination. You’ll unpack only once during the course of your cruise as you move from one city to the next.

Sitting on the top deck of a ship under brilliant blue skies, gaze on fabled landscapes dotted with castles, villages and vineyards. A flight of stairs down, and you have all the amenities of a modern hotel: a restaurant, bar, lounge, fitness facilities, spa, and a comfortable stateroom.

What’s more is that river cruisers become part of the destinations where they dock. A simple gangway from the floating hotel allows passengers to come and go just as they would at a destination-based hotel.

The only difference is that later on, the floating hotel will untie from the docks and cruise to the next destination. Make sure to keep an eye on your watch. You wouldn’t want to miss the boat – er, hotel.

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Glacier trekking, flight-seeing and snowmobiling are just some of the adventures awaiting Crystal Symphony passengers this summer in Northern Europe. In addition to the fascinating cultural sightseeing at museums and historic places that one normally associates with a Northern European cruise, Crystal Cruises has 300 Crystal Adventures on its menu of shore activities for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts who want to explore the region’s natural attractions.

Of course, you can still find your way to the historic treasures or even the ballet theater, but the excursions offered through Crystal Adventures also allow you to do and see things that visitors to Europe frequently miss. From May through August, the Crystal Symphony will offer eleven- to 15-day Baltic and Northern European itineraries, with calls at ports throughout Sweden, Denmark, Russia, Finland, Norway, Poland, Germany, Iceland and the British Isles. Experiences ashore run the gamut, including:

• A spelunking cave expedition through Trollkirka Caves in Norway
• Private car and helicopter explorations of Helsinki’s Neo-Classical architecture, Olympic Stadium, opera house and other highlights in Finland
• Special opera or ballet performance at the famed Mariinsky Theatre in Russia
• High-speed sailing on an adrenaline-filled adventure in a state-of-the-art V.O.60 Volvo professional ocean racer

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Few industries have experienced the kind of growth that has characterized river cruising. There’s good reason: River cruising is a great way to see interior Europe.

Companies like AmaWaterways and Uniworld are moving along with their newbuilds.

Part of the reason for the success of river cruising lies in its ability to transport guests to areas that would be inaccessible to ordinary deep-ocean cruise ships. And unlike land-based tours, which often involve multiple motorcoach rides and hotel changes, river cruising allows passengers to unpack once, yet enjoy a multitude of fascinating ports. Every night, you return to the same ship, mingle with the same friends, and sleep in the same bed. River cruising is like a land tour coupled with the convenience of a traditional cruise.

European river cruises are by far the most popular. The rich mix of culture and history resonates strongly with passengers, who find themselves returning to “The Old World” year after year.

For those unsure about where to begin, theme cruises help to highlight some of the most fascinating times and places to visit, from spring Tulip Time cruises that explore the natural beauty of the Netherlands to the popular Christmas Markets voyages.

For many, a Europe under snow is a breathtaking way to spend the holidays with friends and family. A European river cruise also offers an astonishing array of river cruise ships.

Operating the line’s Imperial Jewels of China, Roof of the World and China’s Cultural Delights itineraries, these 12-to-17-day cruisetours offer guests the best of both worlds: a six-day river cruise along the famed Yangtze coupled with a land-based tour of Asia. Days are filled with the exploration of some of China’s most impressive sights, including a visit to the legendary Terra Cotta Army; a stop at a local night market in Xian; a fully guided monastery tour in Lhasa; a trip to Shanghai’s famous Bund, and of course, visits to the Great Wall of China and Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Guests will also be able to visit the school in Jingzhou, China that was set up expressly by Viking as a way to give back to the community. Enjoy a performance by the schoolchildren before returning to your ship and continuing your Yangtze adventure.

River cruising is also quickly gaining popularity in Russia, where ships ply the legendary Volga River. A true departure from the ordinary, these itineraries sail to places like Moscow, Uglich, Yaroslavl and St. Petersburg and offer passengers a tantalizing glimpse behind the former Iron Curtain into modern-day Russia. River cruises through Egypt have remained popular despite that country’s recent political unrest, with passengers drawn by the continuing allure of the Valley of the Kings. River cruising is also taking hold in Portugal, where smaller ships are uniquely suited to exploring the country’s Douro River, which winds through the legendary port wine-producing region known as the Douro River Valley.

With an unprecedented amount of ships, destinations and itineraries to choose from, travellers should ask themselves not why they should take a river cruise, but why they have waited so long to do so.

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The port of Falmouth’s greatest asset has always been its prime location, sheltered by Pendennis Point and lying within the third largest natural deep water harbor in the world. It is Falmouth’s dramatic unspoilt scenery that has made it the Royal Duchy of Cornwall’s leading south coast resort.

Known locally as Carrick Roads, this unique natural harbor came about at the end of the ice age. As the global ice melted and sea levels rose, the river valley flooded creating a huge inlet to what we know today. Carrick Roads remains deeply rooted within Falmouth’s culture and heritage.

During the reign of Henry VIII, 450 years ago, two twin castles were built at either side of the entrance as a defense against an invasion of the French. Today, cruise passengers will sail into Carrick Roads to the heart of the town, where the twin forts of St Mawes Castle and Pendennis Castle can be seen on either side.

To view cruises to England, click here.

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Scotland has not been an independent nation for 300 years, but the country continues to sustain its own capital: Edinburgh. And all the attributes that one would expect from a capital city can be found here. One of the most visible is the Edinburgh Castle, visible from almost any part of this second-largest city in Scotland (Glasgow is larger).

Rendering the city a profile that could be described as dramatic, the castle towers high on a cliff. Resolute stone statues of the legendary Scottish Kings Robert the Bruce and William Wallace guard the walls that have witnessed centuries of Scottish history. Edinburgh Castle is one of the main tourist attractions in Britain.

The crown jewels are kept in the castle, as is the Stone of Scone. Used in connection with coronations of the monarchs of Scotland and, later, the monarchs of England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, the Stone of Scone was returned to Scotland in 1996 after being kept for 700 years in London’s Westminster Abbey.

The Scottish Parliament is also based in Edinburgh, situated in the Holorood area. While it is unclear if the seven hills that surround the city have anything to do with the capital status, it is a fact that both Rome and Lisbon, the capital cities in Italy and Portugal, respectively, are also famous for being built on seven hills.

To view Northern Europe cruises, click here.

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