Cruising the Mediterranean in April

Hello everyone.... just wondering if I could get some feedback...

I have always sailed Carnival and I am planning on getting married in Jan 2009. My wife to be would like to go on a European cruise but we understand that Jan is not the best weather to sail in the Mediterranean (so most cruiselines will not sail the Mediterranean).

I noticed that RCCL sails in April of 2008 (so I'm kinda assuming they sail in April of 2009...) Has anyone sailed Europe during this time ? How is the weather ?

If it works out I might move our wedding to April 2009.

April is suppose to be an excellent time to go to the Mediterranean.

If you do have a wedding just before the cruise, make sure you leave plenty of days to get overseas and stay a night or two pre-cruise. Also, stay a night or two post-cruise. Don't forget a passport!

The RCCL Brilliance has a 10 day cruise leaving on 4/10 and a longer cruise leaving 4/20. The pricing isn't too bad if you book right now. A balcony, Junior suite or suite will be perfect for a honeymoon.

We sailed in the Mediterannean in April of this year and the weather was very nice (60's and 70's) with lots less crowds then you find in the summer.

Keith

We sailed a few years ago beginning of May and at some places it was chilly...

Check www.wunderground.com for more details.

I would expect it to be quite a bit cooler in the Med in April than it is in Miami - it's quite a bit further north. However, the weather should generally be pretty good, with temperatures climbing as the month progresses. There could be some rain in April, however. One other thing to bear in mind - you'll probably find that many resorts and tourist attractions may not be fully open in April. In fact I see that Easter Sunday is on 12 April (Catholic/Protestant) or 19 April (Orthodox church) in 2009, and I suspect that many places may well stay pretty shut until after Easter, especially in the eastern Med. The good thing about springtime is that you'll see the spring! In the eastern Med especially springtime is when the landscape is at its best - in summer it can all become very brown and dry. Quite a lot of people suggest that early to mid-May is possibly the very best time of all: the landscape hasn't got too brown, the temperatures have risen to very comfortable levels, everything should be open, but nowhere is too crowded.

(As an aside, not many Americans realise how far north Europe is: for example Madrid and Naples, definitely in southern Europe, are on about the same latitude as New York, and there is nowhere in Europe on the same latitude as Miami.)

We cruised the Med. this past April...........mid April through May 1st. The weather couldn't have been better. Very comfortable temps in the 70's & sunny all the time. Only time we were hot was in Ephesus. Then the last day of the cruise when we reached Civativecchia it rained briefly. We stayed an additional 4 days in Rome & did have some rain then. There were crowds in some places, but they say not nearly as crowded as summer months. If I were to cruise the Med. again, April is definitly the month I would choose.

April is a wonderful month in the Med. But it may not be beach weather, so if that is what you are wanting, I'd recommend late May or early June.

However, if you're more interested in seeing the sights of the Med. than beaching it, April should be ideal for the reasons already stated (not too hot and fewer crowds).

We were in the MED. area for 17 days in May(that's pretty close to April, right ?)and I wore shorts in every port (12) and it was just right. We never beached-it, you can always do that in the Carib. That's also ahead of scheduled vacation time for most people so the lack of crowds should be to your advantage also.

I'd go for it IMO.

CIAO,

Hello,

I am getting married this coming April. We are leaving April 14th for a 12 night transatlantic cruise aboard the Brilliance of the Seas.:D I think that it will be the prime time for a med. cruise. You can great great deals on these types of cruises. What more could you want for a honeymoon? To get to go to Bermuda, Ireland, England, Paris all in one vacation! I have reviewed a lot before picking this cruise and all the reviews i have read are great and the weather seems to be around the high 60s low 70s.

Good luck no matter your decision!:)

Thank you all for the feedback -- your information is priceless..... thank you again...