A concerted campaign to attract cruisers away from the Caribbean and Med and to the Baltic Sea has launched in the UK.

The project has encouraged 10 countries to work together for the first time, in the belief that the Baltic has untapped appeal to travellers unmoved by beaches and blazing temperatures.

The season for Baltic cruising is summer-only, from April to September, yet is the fastest growing cruise destination in the world.

The participating countries are Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Norway, Poland, Germany, Latvia, Finland and Sweden. "It is the first time we have had 10 countries working together," claimed project director, Bo Nylandsted Larsen.

The main turnaround port is Copenhagen, which can take five ships at any one time. According to Larsen, a typical Baltic cruise would start and end in Copenhagen, and take in Renne, Riga, Tallinn, St Petersburg and Helsinki.

An estimated 400 cruises operated in the Baltic last year, carrying 450,000 visitors - or 1,050 passengers on average. Americans make up half the passengers, followed by the British (60,000), Spanish and Germans.

"The great thing about a Baltic cruise is that you wake up every morning to a different culture and language. Even the currency is different," said Larsen. "To Americans it is unbelievable that they can do seven different countries in seven days."

But Larsen played down suggestions that while Norway is one of the 10 countries involved, it's domestic fjord cruising market may compete with Cruise Baltic. "Listen, I think the Norwegazin fjords compete more with Alaska, not the Baltic region," he said. "And let's face it, when you've seen one fjord, you've seen them all.

"With Norway, you are going for one thing only (the fjords) - with us, you are going for the variety and for nature too. It is nothing like the fjords."

For more information: www.cruisebaltic.com/uk - a competition to win a 12-night cruise for two runs until July 1

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