This 8-night round-trip from Portsmouth aboard Balmoral allows you to kick off the festive season in style by visiting four European cities that truly sparkle at this time of year. Hamburg has a dream of a traditional German market, with fairylight-festooned huts selling crafts and local food and drink, including gingerbread and spiced wine. Combine your market visit with sightseeing, taking in the likes of St Nikolai Church and the Chilehaus and perhaps enjoying a winter stroll along the River Elbe.
You’ll also call at Zeebrugge for tours of UNESCO-listed Bruges with its 13th-century belfry, chocolate shops, market stalls and decorated streets, at Gothenburg to see the Liseberg and Haga festive markets illuminated after dark, and a Copenhagen, where the Tivoli Gardens is a must-visit at this time of year, with illuminations, stalls offering everything from Nordic handicrafts to local delicacies, and rides for all ages.
Freedom fare from £899pp