This cruise region has a number of advantages. For US passengers it offers familiarity with the culture, the geography, and the attractions offered by the major cities (Mancini, 2000). For European passengers it provides an easy departure from home ports. The countries and ports are, for the most part, highly sophisticated (Cruise Europe, 2005) and able to cope with the complex demands that accompany the arrival of the largest of cruise ships. A number of cruise brands, such as the Cunard

Line and P&O Cruises in Southampton, have traditional roots in this region. Indeed, historically the UK is the home of cruising.

The season for cruising in northern Europe is relatively short, but the ports are popular so traffic can be concentrated for the short cruising season (Wild and Dearing, 2004c). Wild and Dearing (2004c) note that the majority of passengers for this type of vacation are likely to be first, North American passengers; secondly, UK passengers; and thirdly, German passengers. When marketing cruises in Northern Europe, cruise companies can focus on the British Isles, the Baltic, Iceland, the Arctic and the North Cape, the Norwegian fjords, and Western Europe (Wild and Dearing, 2004b: 17). The following describes key destinations from this area.