Crochet Odyssey Cruise Europe 2026 - Bookings Closed

Europe and crochet on the brain!? We have a European crochet cruise in October 2026 aboard Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas for an official Crochet Crowd Crochet Cruise.

Many locations I haven't been to yet in my life. Best yet, we can explore it together. Whether it's your first time or maybe you have tips for others on what they "must see" while visiting.

Bookings close on August 15, 2026.

Dates & Sailing

Our programming is mixed within the cruising times and dates to make this more of an adventure.

• Saturday, October 10 - Departing Ravenna, Italy - Activity Package Give Out. Wear your Cruise T-Shirt Today. (Meet Up To Be Scheduled)
• Sunday, October 11 - Cruising the Bay of Kotor & Montenegro - Sky Lounge 8 am to 11 am. Helipad Meet Up with closed-toed shoes. If you have mobility issues, you will need to climb a ladder to get up.
• Monday, October 12 - Sea Day (workshops) - Sky Lounge 8 am to 11 am. Afternoon Breakout Sessions. Added Bonus Trivia.
• Tuesday, October 13 - Santorini, Greece. Ice Rink Private Party. Come as a skater. An ice skater can be a figure skater or hockey player. Do not bring hockey sticks.
• Wednesday, October 14 - Athens, Greece - Free Day to Yourself
• Thursday, October 15 - Sea Day (workshop morning). Afternoon Break Out Session. Mama Mia meets The Crochet Crowd.
• Friday, October 16 - Split, Croatia. Farewell at Dizzy's Bar (on board).
• Saturday, October 17 - Arrive in Ravenna

In This Project

• Dates & Sailing
• Previews
• Bookings
• Dedicated Email for Faster Service
• Part 2 of 2
• Organizing
• Currency in Canadian Funds
• Programming
• Launch Expectations
• Pre-Tour in Venice
• Show Mikey Your Version of This Project

We have two back-to-back events for this, but unfortunately, as we get closer to the time, the Venice Pre-Cruise Adventure is now closed for bookings because the hotel is full. The good news, though, is that we still have spaces on board the cruise ship for an amazing crochet cruise.

Previews

Venice is now closed for bookings. Everything is set.

We have space on board the cruise ship to continue the fun.

The starting location will be Venice, Italy. We will finish near the same place, so you can go home the same way.

Bookings

We have two dedicated agents for our tour through Expedia Cruises. We also have a dedicated phone number and email for faster contact.

• Joanne O'Brien (lead agent) EXT 155
• Jodi Turkstra (admin) EXT 134

Phone Numbers

• Hamilton, Ontario 905-631-1700
• TOLL FREE 800-522-0866

Dedicated Email for Faster Service

TheCrochetCrowd@expediacruises.com (Goes to both agents).

Keep in mind that if you book these locations without our agent, you will not be able to access the spaces or receive the activity packages we offer. You need to book through an agent to be included.

Part 2 of 2

You can continue your Venetian Journey and go with us on an official Crochet Crowd Cruise on the Adriatic Sea. You can click the picture to download a printable PDF.

This part of our tour is open to those with accessibility challenges, such as scooters, walkers, and canes. Royal Caribbean will take care of your needs. However, being in Europe, Royal Caribbean does not provide sign language interpreters.

Prices are in Canadian Dollars. We are limited to 90 crocheters (friends and family are not included in this number; many are bringing spouses and friends on this cruise, but not doing the crochet portion).

We will have some comparisons to the other crochet cruises we have done.

Organizing

• Karen Ellis will be our event planner, and our agent, Joanne, will coordinate the trip.
• We will have a pre-cruise option tour package to visit Venice and e the experiences before the cruise. We encourage this add-on package as it may be once in a lifetime for you.
• Packages from our agent can include fully inclusive travel plans from your home airport, airport transfers, a pre-tour, a cruise, and a return trip home. You can only book through our agent for the pre-tour and cruise to keep our entire party together. Of course, if you prefer to make your travel arrangements to Venice, you are welcome to do so. Our agent can expedite the process seamlessly for you.
• For Europe, we will share an activity package of yarn with you to do workshops on board. While the cruise is port-intensive, meaning several stops, we will have activities on board, including crocheting and socializing.
• For non-crocheters accompanying our crocheters, their rates are reduced as they will not be participating in the workshops or receiving the activity package, which includes the yarn and other materials that crocheters will be playing with. However, these people will be invited to private events we have scheduled on the cruise ship that do not involve crochet stitching in groups.

Currency in Canadian Funds

We have opted to charge in Canadian Dollars for this adventure. The United States dollar is known to be stronger than the Canadian dollar. The currency exchange benefits Americans and allows Canadians to budget better.

As of this morning, July 20, 2025, $1000 CDN = USD 728.15. USD goes further. Your credit card will auto-convert when you book. For Americans, the price may look high, but once the conversion is done, the price will auto-correct during the conversion of dollars.

Programming

We have figured out the programming for this cruise. If you haven't used the techniques before, you will have the opportunity to learn new ones. You can also share with your fellow cruisers the skills you already know to make it a connected community.

Launch Expectations

We plan to open our bookings on September 4, 2025.

Due to conference room sizing on board the ship, we have a limit of 90 crocheters for this adventure. You can bring family or friends with you. If you are not doing the crochet portion, they will receive a discount as they won't get an activity package or join you in the crochet workshops. We will have them join you for the planned private onboard events. Workshops are usually 90 minutes long.

Pre-Tour in Venice

We have secured a hotel to hold our entire group. Our pre-tour can only hold 90 people. Unlike the cruise ship, where we can have 90 people plus family and friends who are not crocheters, we are limited by the capacity of what we can move around in Venice.

We understand that some people may not want the pre-tour or have mobility restrictions for Venice, and may prefer to go directly to the cruise ship to start their adventure with us.

We have limitations on mobility for the pre-tour:

Due to the environment, we cannot provide Venice with an accessible mobility option. If mobility is an issue, sign up only for the cruise ship portion, as the ship can accommodate your needs. We've selected a smaller ship to make getting around the cruise ship easier.

• Able to walk and keep up with the group, as the city is a walking city.
• Guests will need to board boats, gondolas and water taxis.
• Ability to walk up and down stairs, plus go over bridges. We cannot accommodate wheelchairs or walkers on the pre-tour; please sign up for the cruise only if this is an obstacle.
• Ability to walk on uneven surfaces, gravel, cobblestones, and grass.
• Guests must be able to get on and off a tall coach bus for those continuing onto the cruise and stopping at a festival along the way.
• Guests must be able to handle their own luggage without assistance. Pack smart, not the kitchen sink.