In August 2023, I jumped onboard the Norwegian Gem and sailed from Athens to Venice, visiting Croatia, Montenegro, and Slovenia along the way. I have cruised many times before, but Norwegian Cruise Line blew me away. Their staff's service and the quality of their food never disappoint.
An important thing I did find, was cruising in Europe is vastly different to cruising in the South Pacific or Caribbean. In those island destinations, the number of passengers disembarking disperse and you can find a hidden beach and feel like you have the entire island to yourself. In Europe, this was not the case, and the number of people in these small European towns was overwhelming. I was lucky enough to have visited Greece on another trip, and had seen these towns without all the extra people, but for those who were on their first visit, it would have been quite confronting. Cruising is great for the relaxation aspect, of not needing to worry about how to get from A to B, to only unpacking once, but in Europe, be very mindful that you'll likely be sharing the destination with three or more ship-loads of people, and there is no-where to go.
