Kotor, Montenegro

Sailing down the magnificently dramatic ria towards the charming city of Kotor remains one of my favourite cruise moments ever. The beautiful, natural scenery is reminiscent of a Norwegian fjord and is utterly breath-taking.

The city of Kotor is quaint and welcoming. The cobbled streets and narrow archways are perfect for exploring and shopping in some of the adorable boutiques that are dotted around. If you prefer to really stretch your legs you can walk the historical city walls, built to protect Kotor from potential invasions, all the way up in to the hills and enjoy the view of the city and the ria from above.

Another reason Kotor is so hot for 2013 is that the prices of food, drinks and clothes are all dramatically lower than the majority of other European destinations. Perfect!

Kotor Montenegro

Stockholm, Sweden

The Swedish capital is a perfect cruise port no matter what the weather or the time of year. The city has many wonderful attractions including the Vasa Museum, the imposing city hall building (which I highly recommend you venture inside), and The Royal Palace. Gamla Stan is one of Stockholm’s best attractions as it is one of the most well preserved medieval city centres in the entire world. The buildings are cute and colourful and it’s the perfect place to get lost wandering the streets.

In summer a boat trip around the archipelago is a must. Stockholm’s archipelago contains a staggering 30,000 islands and islets, many of which have beautiful summer homes for the people of the city.

Stockholm Sweden

Scotland

There are many reasons why you should visit Scotland, and 2013 is the perfect year to do so. 2013 is the Year of Natural Scotland, celebrating all of the stunning scenery and places that Scotland is blessed with. Scotland was also named as CNN’s ‘top destination for 2013’ and there’s so many reasons why.

There are many different cruise ports in Scotland suitable for ships of all sizes. If you stop in Greenock you can enjoy the beauty of nearby Loch Lomond, or the vibrant city of Glasgow only 25 minutes away. If you dock in Leith on the east coast of the country you’re within easy distance of Scotland’s capital city Edinburgh where you can visit the wonderful old town which contains the imposing Edinburgh Castle atop an extinct volcano.

Edinburgh Castle

2013 is the perfect year to embark upon a cruise holiday, all you need to do is decide where!

Thanks Emma