Black Sea
Rich in culture and history, it's a great way to see this area is aboard a small ship. It offers every bit as much history and culture, alongside fabulous blond beaches and increasingly sophisticated cities, many of which are rich with stunning baroque buildings (despite also being products of the Soviet era). You can look forward to a wide variety of experiences on a Black Sea cruise -- one day soaking up the sun on the honey-sanded beaches of Varna in Bulgaria, the next exploring the cobbled medieval streets of nearby Nessebur.
You could find yourself discovering the magnificent parks and fine architecture of Odessa, the region's most sophisticated city; drinking in the history of Sevastopol, where the Light Brigade made its legendary Crimean War charge; or visiting Yalta, where Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill gathered to redraw the map of Europe at the end of World War II.
There are beaches in most ports, but the majority of visitors are more concerned with culture than sunning themselves. Lovers of fine scenery, meanwhile, will find some of the coastal roads -- particularly the clifftop route from Feodosia to Sevastopol - unforgettably spectacular.