Eastern and Central Europe

 

The collapse of the Soviet Union changed the political map of Europe. East Germany, Poland and the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia all broke away from the Eastern Bloc, and Russia itself began opening up to the West. St. Petersburg is now the premier port of a Baltic cruise, with ships docking here overnight to allow passengers ample time to explore this magnificent city. Tallinn (Estonia) and Warnemünde/Rostock (for Berlin) are popular ports of call on a Baltic cruise, with Riga (Latvia), Klaipeda (Lithuania) and Gdansk (Poland) also receiving ships, though in fewer numbers. The German ports of Kiel and Hamburg (on the North Sea) also receive cruise ships.