Exchange rate makes European cruising the best value

Holland America, looking to promote its European itineraries, made a great point to us recently: the weak dollar means that buying a Mediterranean cruise in dollars can save those from the US a bundle versus paying Euros for a land vacation.

One US dollar buys you only .76 Euros at the moment, which isn't too far off from a historical low. So if you pay for hotels, meals, and tours in Euros, you'd be pulling a lot more greenbacks out of your bank account than you used to.

On the other hand, with a cruise vacation, all your major expenses are paid in dollars, in advance, giving you the full value of your hard-earned bucks.

Of course, a cruise has always been the best way to see Europe and the Baltic, since so many of the most spectacular cities put down their roots as sea ports, so are accessible by cruise ship. Consider just a few of the amazing places you can experience:

• Venice, Italy
• Florence, Italy
• Barcelona, Spain
• Stockholm, Sweden
• Tallinn, Estonia
• St. Petersburg, Russia
• Santorini, Greek Isle
• Athens, Greece
• Palma de Mallorca, Spanish Isle