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Additionally, the holiday season brings a festive spirit to the Mediterranean cities, with charming Christmas markets and captivating decorations. Let’s delve into the details of each season to help you determine the perfect time to embark on your Mediterranean cruise. Several luxury lines like Silversea, Crystal, and Seabourn offer lower single supplements than most other lines (averaging 10 to 25 percent extra). • Airfare is not included in a cruise rate unless it’s specifically advertised.
Understanding Mediterranean Seasons
Are there certain activities that you are most interested in experiencing during your Mediterranean cruise? Visiting in the off-season may coincide with festivals and events you wouldn't get to see during the summer months. I've been to Santorini when four mid-sized ships (approximately 5,000 passengers) were in port and found it challenging to walk through the narrow maze of shops, restaurants and hotels. It was crowded enough that I was concerned about returning to the ship on time because the lines at the cable car that takes cruise passengers down the cliffs to the tender dock were so long. With 15,000 people in port, I don't know how you'd be able to walk through town at all.
Shoulder Season
Or shop local markets with a celebrity chef in Corfu and learn about the region’s delicacies. Peak season for Western Mediterranean cruises runs from April through November, with stops generally in Spain, France, Italy and Malta. The Canary Islands and the warmer Eastern Mediterranean (Croatia, the Balkan countries, Greece and Turkey) welcome cruises between April and December, with a sprinkling of winter cruises from select lines.
Current Weather and Forecast
We included passenger counts from Trieste, Ravenna and Venice and found June numbers as high as 6,000 passengers arriving, but as low as 4,000. The numbers are lower than Santorini — but then, Venice has a far more complicated crowd control scenario. Compare that with an April or November stop there, where the daily cruise passenger load tops out around 3,000.
Tips for Winter Cruising:
However, the draw of ideal summer vacation weather in June will bring more crowds than you’ll see in the shoulder season. Sitting down to a fresh plate of seafood paella and a glass of chardonnay is a lovely experience year-round. Whether you cruise the Mediterranean in the winter, spring or fall, you’ll have plenty to see, taste and explore –– all in one voyage. From Athens to Barcelona and everything in between, the Mediterranean offers unforgettable experiences all year. Most major cruise lines send at least one ship to the Mediterranean every year. Even Carnival Cruise Line, known for its affordable cruises out of U.S. home ports, offers some Mediterranean sailings, as does Disney Cruise Line, which typically bases its ships near its theme parks.
The best time to cruise the Mediterranean - The Points Guy
The best time to cruise the Mediterranean.
Posted: Sat, 24 Sep 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Cruising the Mediterranean allows you to see the places of your dreams in a single journey, and there are options for every type of traveler. Whether you prefer uncrowded fishing villages or glamorous coastal cities, you’ll find something to take your breath away at any time of the year. The key to a pleasurable journey regardless of the season is to prepare ahead, know what to expect and remember to relax –– you’re exploring one of the most desirable regions in the entire world. Overall, many Mediterranean destinations rarely see extreme temperatures on either end of the spectrum, but the weather is still something you’ll want to consider.
Lines like Viking and Hurtigruten offer Northern Lights sailings to the region's northern reaches from January through March. The cheapest time for Caribbean cruises runs from late summer into fall, when hurricane season is at its peak. If this is the only chance you have to cruise, keep in mind that itineraries can change or be canceled depending on the weather. Whatever your reasons, there is not a bad time to cruise the Mediterranean. My favorite is April for the confluence of reasonable fares, pleasant weather, manageable crowds and an abundance of itinerary and ship choices, but I have loved sailings in other months as well. Most ships stay in Europe through summer before beginning a global dispersion between October and November.
Mediterranean Cruise Ports in France
Well, consider hopping between the region’s very best beaches aboard a luxury sailing yacht (billionaire bankroll not required). Celebrity Cruises’s contemporary Celebrity Edge offers a full spring-through-fall season of Mediterranean sailings during 2023. Plus, find unique culinary concepts like Le Petit Chef, which features tabletop 3-D projections of “mini-chefs” from Italy, Spain, France, and Japan who present specialty dishes from their respective homelands. And there’s the Dinner on the Edge open-air venue, where rotating menus, often featuring items sourced from port, are presented on a cantilevered platform floating 13 stories above sea level.
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Tour some of Nice’s most beloved attractions like Castle Hill and Place Massena, or explore hidden gems like the Russian Cathedral and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. The tiny Mediterranean island of Malta is home to the stunning capital city Valletta, where you can explore a number of historic sites and monuments. Spend some time at St. John’s Co-Cathedral, wander through Barrakka Gardens, or relax on one of Malta’s many picturesque beaches. Split is the second-largest city in Croatia and is known for its beautiful Roman architecture, including Emperor Diocletian’s Palace. Explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site and take in some of Split’s best sights, such as the Port of Split and Marjan Hill.
An avid cruiser, Chantelle has explored many parts of the world through her travels. She is also a dedicated National Parks enthusiast and loves to hike in these beautiful locations. To further her expertise in the industry, Chantelle has taken numerous courses to become a specialist in various destinations, including the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico, and Alaska. Through her blog and advising business, Chantelle shares her love for travel and helps others plan their dream vacations. To avoid any potential travel delays or complications, it is advisable to arrive at least a day before your cruise departure.
Beginning in March, we found dozens of ships scheduled to visit Venice, Corfu and Santorini. Holland America, Princess, Seabourn, Oceania and Regent Seven Seas Cruises all have ships ready to sail the Med in March. In April, the list of mainstream, premium and luxury lines cruising Mediterranean waters grows larger, and includes Windstar, Royal Caribbean, Silversea and Celebrity Cruises. Peak-season cruises tend to be more expensive, so if you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, consider traveling during the shoulder seasons (spring and autumn). If you want to enjoy wine tastings while in port during your Mediterranean cruise, tasting rooms are usually open for visitors during the entire cruise season.
There are a handful of longer sailings that sail from Athens or include Istanbul, western Turkey, Israel and even Alexandria, Egypt. Among popular cruise lines, only Viking includes stops in Santorini in winter, and only Costa offers cruises that include Venice in the winter. Norwegian's winter Mediterranean itineraries are focused on Spain and Portugal. Mediterranean cruises typically depart anywhere from Atlantic-facing Lisbon, Portugal, to the west to Istanbul, Turkey, to the east, with literally hundreds of ports (some points of embarkation) in between.
In the winter of 2025, Windstar will announce five different itineraries for the season; we’ll keep you posted. Everyone has their favorite list of the best Mediterranean cruise ports (as evidenced by the discussion I just had with TPG's cruise team about which to include). Some travelers want to hit all the most popular cities, while others prioritize the ability to walk right off the ship into the heart of the town. Some ports are better for historical attractions, others for cafe culture or outdoor activities. And if you're after the best of those European summer vibe, it's a hard time of year to top.
Others head east to the Greek Islands, where passengers alternate days sipping ouzo at a beachfront taverna with trips to ancient sites. The Bermuda hurricane season lasts from June through November, as it does for the Caribbean and U.S. But the island is generally far less likely to be struck than either of those regions, and a strike is most common between late August and October.
Popular destinations are beginning to get busy in June, but the summer crowds have yet to descend. You should think about pre-booking big attractions, though, to avoid standing in line. Your time is much better spent enjoying coffee in some sunny piazza or enjoying a gelato.
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