The twin attractions of the Mediterranean and Scandinavian regions bring with them ecstatic summers, sunny beaches and rich cuisine on one side, and pristine landscapes, eclectic cultures and historic cities on the other. It is no surprise that Mediterranean and Scandinavian regions are popular choices for vacationers worldwide. Surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, this part of Europe is starkly different from the colder climes of Northern Europe. Visitors to the Mediterranean coast can enjoy the iconic nightlife of Mallorca in Spain, soak in the sun at the beautiful beaches of Greece, explore the historical monuments of Dubrovnik in Croatia or even take a romantic stroll through the ancient villages of Italy.

Scandinavia is a study in contrast. With majestic fjords, imposing mountain ranges and modern cities, Scandinavia is mix of rich natural beauty and architectural wonders. Visitors to Scandinavia must make it a point to visit the Stockholm metro station for its brilliant design, stay at the Kirkenes Snow Hotel in Norway, and also experience the culture and spirit of great cities like Copenhagen and Helsinki. Nature lovers will enjoy visiting the Northern Lights in Finland and relaxing at the Hoyvika Beach in Norway, which has a surprisingly Mediterranean feel. While there are many ways to explore Mediterranean and Scandinavia regions, a cruise package is one of the most popular ways to explore this region. There are many attractive Mediterranean and Scandinavia cruise packages that provide visitors a great mix of luxury, convenience and affordability.

Mediterranean Cruise Packages: Here are some of the best Mediterranean cruise packages for the summer of 2017

7 Days Majestic Mediterranean (Princess Cruises)
Take a 7 days cruise through the Mediterranean and Mainland aboard the Majestic Princess starting at US$ 1,249 per person. The cruise starts from Barcelona, and covers major ports of call like Cartagena, Gibraltar, Toulon, Genoa and Florence, before ending at Rome. The ship sails on 16th April and 14th May.

7-Day Western Mediterranean from Barcelona (Norwegian Cruise Line)
A 7 day Barcelona roundtrip cruise in the Western Mediterranean region with the Norwegian Epic covers the cities of Naples, Rome, Florence, Cannes and the resort city of Palma. The ship sails every Sunday starting 23rd April till 27th September. Prices start at US$ 599 per person.

10 Night Italy & Greek Isles Cruises (Celebrity Cruises) 
Unwind with a 10 nights cruise roundtrip from Rome aboard Celebrity Reflection, starting at Civitavecchia. This is a round trip that takes you through major ports of call like Messina and Valletta in Italy and Mykonos in Greece. Starting at US$ 2,149 per person, the ship sails on 19th May, 9th June, 30th June, 21st July, 11th August, 1st September and 29th September.

8 days - Greece, Albania, Croatia, Italy (MSC Cruises)
Enjoy the Mediterranean with MSC Poesia, starting at US$ 939 per person starting and ending in Athens. This cruise takes you to Sarande, Dubrovnik, Venice, Bari, Katakolon and Mykonos. The ship sails on all Wednesdays in June, 5th July, 19th July, 26th July, all Wednesdays in August and on 16th, 20th and 27th September.

11 days- Classical Empires, Barcelona to Lisbon (Oceania Cruises)
The Sirena by Oceania takes you through Western Mediterranean on an 11 days’ cruise trip from Barcelona to Lisbon. The cruise cover ports of call like Saint Tropez, Livorno, Rome, Cartagena, Malaga, Seville and ends at Lisbon. With cabin prices starting at US$ 2769 per person, the ship sails on 17th July.

7 Night Western Mediterranean Cruise (Royal Caribbean)
Take a 7 night cruise on the Mediterranean aboard the Freedom of the Seas. On this roundtrip cruise from Barcelona, the major ports of call covered are Naples, Rome, Florence and Marseille. The ship sails on 21st, 28th May and all Sundays in June & July, on 6th, 13th, 20th of August and 3rd and 10th September at a price starting at US$ 1,261 per person.

12 Night Adriatic Dream (Holland America)
Book a 12 night cruise trip from Rome to Venice aboard MS Westerdam. Major ports of call are Messina, Valletta, Corfu Island, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Korcula, Koper and ends in Venice. The ship sails on 27th April and 28th June at a starting price of US$ 1,599 per person.

8 Nights Croatia Inside Passage Voyage (Azamara Club Cruises)
This 8 night cruise round trip Venice aboard Azamara Quest covers major Croatian ports like Zadar, Hvar, Kotor, Dubrovnik, Korcula and Koper before ending at Venice. The ship sails on 5th May at a starting price of US$ 2,899 per person.

8 days - Breezes of the Mediterranean (Pullmantar Cruises)
Explore the Mediterranean on an 8 day cruise trip aboard Sovereign. This is a Barcelona round trip cruise that covers Naples, Rome, Livorno, Villefranche-sur-Mer, and La Seyne-sur-Mer. The ship sails on 1st April, 8th April, 22nd April, all Saturdays of May and June, starting at US$ 495 per person and on all Saturdays from 1st July till 30th September at a starting price of US$ 469 per person.

Scandinavian Cruise Packages: You can also pick from one of the following Scandinavian cruise packages:

11 Days Scandinavia & Russia (Princess Cruises)
Enjoy this Berlin roundtrip cruise covering the ports of Tallin, St Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo. Regal Princess has a number of deals starting at just US$ 1,549 per person and the ship sails from May to September.

12 Days British Isles (Princess Cruises)
Explore Northern Europe and Britain on a 12 day roundtrip cruise starting at US$ 1,399 per person. The Caribbean Princess sails from Southampton through the beautiful routes of Belfast; Cobh - Cork; Dublin; Edinburgh; Glasgow; Guernsey; Invergordon; Le Havre - Paris; Southampton - London; Stromness, Orkney Island. The ship sails on 1^st May, 25th May and 18th June.

9 Days Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Russian Federation (MSC Cruises)
The MSC Fantasia starts at the port of Kiel in Germany and covers the major ports such as Copenhagen, Stockholm, Tallin and St Petersburg. The ship sails every alternate Saturday of April till June starting from 29 April. It also sails every alternate Saturday from 1st July till 9 September. Cruise packages start at US$ 879 per person.

7 Nights Scandinavia & Russia Cruise (Royal Carribbean)
Relax aboard the Serenade of the Seas while visiting major ports of call like Stockholm, Tallin, St. Petersberg, Helsinki and Copenhagen. Book your tickets for this exciting cruise starting at US$ 910 per person. The ship sails on 20th and 27th May 2017, and also on 12th August 2017.

9 Days Baltic Marvels (Oceania Cruises)
Enjoy a trip through the Baltic Sea aboard the Marina. The cruise starts at Copenhagen and takes you on relaxing journey to the Baltic Capitals of Berlin, Tallin, St Petersburg, Helsinki and Stockholm. The cruise starts at US$ 1,539 per person and sails on 12^th June.

8 Nights Norwegian Fjords Cruise (Celebrity Cruises)
This is a roundtrip journey from Southampton (London), UK starting at US$ 1,399 per person.  Celebrity Eclipse takes you to the Norwegian ports of Alesund, Bergen, Flaam, Geiranger, and Stavanger. The ship sails on 29th April and 26th August.  

Author The author is a travel blogger and writes about popular holiday destinations and cruise packages. In this particular article, he talks about popular cruise package options and attractive cruise deals for Mediterranean and Scandinavian cruises in 2017.