Baltic Bliss

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Founded in the year 1000, Oslo always has been a sheltered port. Norway’s capital city lies in the heart of Scandinavia and at the head of the 61-mile long Oslo fjord. Ships takes approximately four hours from the entrance of the fjord to the city center, sailing through cultivated land dominated by green hills and small houses.

Dominating the port is the Akershus Fortress, a medieval castle and royal residence built in 1299. The cruise port is next to the medieval fortress and City Hall, along a beautiful waterfront with shops, restaurants and entertainment.

Oslo is set at the head of the island-strewn Oslo fjord with an area of 96 square miles of forests, parks and recreational areas — including 343 inland lakes within the city limit. Oslo features a small and compact city center with most attractions within walking distance.

Visitors will find a wide selection of museums, galleries and shops (including tax-free shopping for both EU and non-EU citizens). Fine and affordable dining abounds at restaurants, cafes and bars. No fewer than six restaurants have earned Michelin stars. Oslo is home to the Nobel Peace Prize.

Take your desktop globe for a spin or pull out your atlas and cast your eyes on Europe. Look north, not south, to find the cruising region known as the Baltics.

Even experienced travelers sometimes confuse the Baltic with the Balkans. The two regions could not be more different. The Balkans fought long and drawn-out wars for most of the 1990s, The Baltics, on the other hand, remained peaceful, stable, safe and clean — just as they are today.

One of the world’s most popular and fastest-growing cruise destinations, the Baltic cruising region refers to the Baltic Sea, which stretches from southern Denmark to near the Arctic Circle. Along its shores are some of the world’s most fabled cities — Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, to name a few. All share a common climate, with the cruise season running from May through September, and a common history.

Cruise passengers set foot in lands once inhabited by kings and queens (who still exist in some of the Baltic countries), of Viking warriors and German merchants, of Tsars and seafaring wanderers. In many cities visitors see reminders of a time long ago: medieval town walls, cobblestone streets, castles, palaces and museums that house age-old artifacts.

The past decades have brought great change in the Baltics. Former Soviet-bloc countries in the Baltic region now embrace cruise passengers, and even though English is typically spoken as a second language in many of the port destinations, cruise passengers will hear a variety of tongues spoken as they stroll city streets.

Copenhagen and Stockholm, the Baltic Cruising Region’s primary turnaround ports (where most cruises begin or end), not only are conveniently connected to the rest of the world but also conveniently connected between the airports and the city centers and cruise terminals. Infrastructure is among the best in the world, and Copenhagen boasts not only the world’s best airport (according to one survey of travelers) but also Europe’s cheapest and fastest airport-to-city-center connections.

You might say that with all that is has going for it, the Baltics were “tailor-made for cruises.” Cruise passengers certainly think so. Year after year, they return in record numbers to cruise one of the world’s greatest destinations.