Cruising the Med in December... why is this a bad idea?

[Mickey's Spouse]

I have booked passage to Italy, Greece, Turkey and Egypt in December on NCL Jade. Lots of folk going on the cruise after that to the Holy Lands. But I can't seem to find anyone else going the second week in December.

 

Am I missing something? We're not beach people so I won't miss swimming. We're from the Northeast, so the cooler temps won't be foreign to us.

 

But I fear I'm missing something else. What is wrong with going to the Med in December? Are the Pyramids closed? Will the ruins in Greece be covered in snow? Is it hurricane season or something?

 

Please help me.

 

Thanks in advance....

[helpthejuggler]

Nothing really wrong, just the quiet time of year and still early days for the sailing. You would have to be staggeringly unlucky to have huuricanes in the med, but it will be cool.

 

We enjoyed a weekend in barcelona during december. Bright blue skies, warm in the sun, cold as the sun goes down late afternoon.

 

Go prepared with the right clothes, and it will be really nice. Uncrowded for seeing the sights, but you will need to check for off-peak entry times.

 

An example...in august there was a long wait to enter salgrada familia. In december no wait at all.

[euro cruiser]

It will be too cool to enjoyably take advantage of the outdoor activities on the ship, but on a Med cruise you don't spend much time on the ship during the day anyway.

 

The benefits of off season Med cruising are many, with the primary one being the lack of crowds. In December you'll also be able to visit Christmas markets.

 

The two downsides are a higher chance of rain, and shorter days. On port days you'll likely be starting out just before sunrise, and returning to the ship after dark.

[cruisemom42]

One possible reason I can think of for the scarcity of others on the cruise is that some people don't like to travel at that time because they are involved in holiday festivities or getting ready for them. But remember, Cruise Critic represent only a small percentage of the cruising public.....!

 

One other "downside" I can think of is that a few places may have shorter hours and/or a few shops/restaurants may be closed in ports that are primarily tourist or resort towns (e.g., Mykonos); you won't have any problems in major cities, of course.

 

Personally, I love to travel in Europe between November and the end of February due to the fact that there are far fewer tourists.

[dsrdsrdsr]

My mother's went to the Adriatic in December last year, and had a wonderful time. Including some time spent sitting on the balcony, since a balcony cabin cost only £100 more than an inside. Warm in the sun and out of the wind, cold in the wind and out of the sun, as you'd expect. Certainly a lot warmer than north east USA, assuming that's where you're from. Warmer than north-east England as well.

[cj_one2000]

After living in Europe now for over a year, I've noticed that in many parts of Europe, tourist destinations either close or have limited hours to accommodate the fewer crowds. I'm in southwest Germany, so our weather is similar to Paris and London in that it is cold, but not entirely too cold to be out and about sightseeing. That said, the mediterranean is a good 10-20 degrees F warmer than us, but like HelpTheJuggler said, when the sun downs down, expect it to be even colder.

 

Starting in late November and early December, there are many countries that have christmas markets that are fun to see and shop in. Hotel rooms are easier to get and rates are also lower. When looking at rooms in Barcelona, the price difference in January compared to June was anywhere 2x to 3x the cost. Ouch. So, you could benefit from the off-season travel.

 

I can't speak for Spain, Italy, Turkey, etc. but here in Germany a lot of main attractions like castles and more mainstream places like theme parks, close from November-March, some even as early as October. Restaurants seem to be the only places at times that are open in non-tourist months. In Germany, stores and some attractions are closed on Sundays as it is a government mandate for stores to close one day a week for employees to have a day off. The majority of businesses choose Sunday as this part of German is predominately Catholic.

[aquilegia]

There is no hurricane season in the Med, but the weather is unlikely to be good and could be very cold as it is winter. At the moment, they are experiencing problems in Italy due to heavy snow. I know we are now at the start of February, but this could just as easily have happened in December. Also, as others have said, opening times at some attractions will be more limited.

 

Of course, sometimes you get lucky with the weather, I hope you do.

[jocap]

We were on Jade 3 Febs ago, and it was wonderful visiting places like Ephesus, which I've only seen in sweltering heat and with 1,000s of others, with only people from the cruise....we could wander about, and stop where we wanted to, and still see our guide. But- it was cold, and even started to snow.

Yes, it's a Med climate, which means mild winters, but there could still be snow in any ports; there's bound to be rain, and it will get cold on an evening because the sun sets early.

Our trip on Jade was also one of our most memorable, and I'd repeat it in any winter month. ;)

Jo.

[cruise kitty]

We were in the W. Med the first two weeks of December, with Celebrity, a couple of years ago, (italy, france, spain, portugal) it was just beautiful, all the towns were decorated for Christmas & had Christmas markets.

 

No big crowds, when we were in Florence it seemed like we had the Academia all to ourselves!

 

My opinion, only downside was a few places were closed for the season, Eze village, for example, you could walk the streets & explore the buildings, but the village shops & restaurants were closed.

 

I'm looking to book for 2013, & keeping my fingers crossed that they'll keep a ship over there late in the season.

[Mickey's Spouse]

Nothing really wrong, just the quiet time of year and still early days for the sailing. You would have to be staggeringly unlucky to have huuricanes in the med, but it will be cool.

 

We enjoyed a weekend in barcelona during december. Bright blue skies, warm in the sun, cold as the sun goes down late afternoon.

 

Go prepared with the right clothes, and it will be really nice. Uncrowded for seeing the sights, but you will need to check for off-peak entry times.

 

An example...in august there was a long wait to enter salgrada familia. In december no wait at all.

 

Thanks for replying! Especially about the hurricanes.

 

Maybe a performance fleece jacket or North Face? Love the idea of sun in the morning and cooler in the evening. Perfect.

[Mickey's Spouse]

It will be too cool to enjoyably take advantage of the outdoor activities on the ship, but on a Med cruise you don't spend much time on the ship during the day anyway.

 

The benefits of off season Med cruising are many, with the primary one being the lack of crowds. In December you'll also be able to visit Christmas markets.

 

The two downsides are a higher chance of rain, and shorter days. On port days you'll likely be starting out just before sunrise, and returning to the ship after dark.

 

Thanks for the reply. In all of my cruises, I've never swam in the ship's pools, so I should be okay. Hadn't thought about the shorter days but now the port times make sense. Excited about the Christmas markets.

[Mickey's Spouse]

One possible reason I can think of for the scarcity of others on the cruise is that some people don't like to travel at that time because they are involved in holiday festivities or getting ready for them. But remember, Cruise Critic represent only a small percentage of the cruising public.....!

 

One other "downside" I can think of is that a few places may have shorter hours and/or a few shops/restaurants may be closed in ports that are primarily tourist or resort towns (e.g., Mykonos); you won't have any problems in major cities, of course.

 

Personally, I love to travel in Europe between November and the end of February due to the fact that there are far fewer tourists.

 

Thanks for the reply. Glad to see you like to cruise that time of year also.

[Mickey's Spouse]

My mother's went to the Adriatic in December last year, and had a wonderful time. Including some time spent sitting on the balcony, since a balcony cabin cost only £100 more than an inside. Warm in the sun and out of the wind, cold in the wind and out of the sun, as you'd expect. Certainly a lot warmer than north east USA, assuming that's where you're from. Warmer than north-east England as well.

 

Yes, I have a balcony. Thanks for sharing about your Mom's trip. And you are right, Northeast USA.

[Mickey's Spouse]

After living in Europe now for over a year, I've noticed that in many parts of Europe, tourist destinations either close or have limited hours to accommodate the fewer crowds. I'm in southwest Germany, so our weather is similar to Paris and London in that it is cold, but not entirely too cold to be out and about sightseeing. That said, the mediterranean is a good 10-20 degrees F warmer than us, but like HelpTheJuggler said, when the sun downs down, expect it to be even colder.

 

Starting in late November and early December, there are many countries that have christmas markets that are fun to see and shop in. Hotel rooms are easier to get and rates are also lower. When looking at rooms in Barcelona, the price difference in January compared to June was anywhere 2x to 3x the cost. Ouch. So, you could benefit from the off-season travel.

 

I can't speak for Spain, Italy, Turkey, etc. but here in Germany a lot of main attractions like castles and more mainstream places like theme parks, close from November-March, some even as early as October. Restaurants seem to be the only places at times that are open in non-tourist months. In Germany, stores and some attractions are closed on Sundays as it is a government mandate for stores to close one day a week for employees to have a day off. The majority of businesses choose Sunday as this part of German is predominately Catholic.

 

Thanks for the reply! I wonder what the chances are of me getting anywhere close to the Vatican on Christmas Day?

[Mickey's Spouse]

There is no hurricane season in the Med, but the weather is unlikely to be good and could be very cold as it is winter. At the moment, they are experiencing problems in Italy due to heavy snow. I know we are now at the start of February, but this could just as easily have happened in December. Also, as others have said, opening times at some attractions will be more limited.

 

Of course, sometimes you get lucky with the weather, I hope you do.

 

Thank you! I'm used to snow, so I'll be okay. So long as they keep the ruins open, and the museums, I'll be okay. I hope!

[Mickey's Spouse]

We were on Jade 3 Febs ago, and it was wonderful visiting places like Ephesus, which I've only seen in sweltering heat and with 1,000s of others, with only people from the cruise....we could wander about, and stop where we wanted to, and still see our guide. But- it was cold, and even started to snow.

Yes, it's a Med climate, which means mild winters, but there could still be snow in any ports; there's bound to be rain, and it will get cold on an evening because the sun sets early.

Our trip on Jade was also one of our most memorable, and I'd repeat it in any winter month. ;)

Jo.

 

Thank you! How was touring in the snow? Are the drivers used to it or was it really scary riding because you thought they were going off road?

[Mickey's Spouse]

We were in the W. Med the first two weeks of December, with Celebrity, a couple of years ago, (italy, france, spain, portugal) it was just beautiful, all the towns were decorated for Christmas & had Christmas markets.

 

No big crowds, when we were in Florence it seemed like we had the Academia all to ourselves!

 

My opinion, only downside was a few places were closed for the season, Eze village, for example, you could walk the streets & explore the buildings, but the village shops & restaurants were closed.

 

I'm looking to book for 2013, & keeping my fingers crossed that they'll keep a ship over there late in the season.

 

Thanks for the reply. I love the idea of no crowds. Perfect!

[Starry Eyes]

I like touring during the off season. The lack of crowds is the best part. I'd rather be cool, possibly wearing a jacket or layers, than too hot in peak summer, sweltering in the crowd. Do check to see if the venues of interest are open. Also remember the days are much shorter...less daylight may mean less optimal touring, probably the biggest downside for us.

[jocap]

Thank you! How was touring in the snow? Are the drivers used to it or was it really scary riding because you thought they were going off road?

No, this was Turkey, which is a modern country- top class coaches, and excellent roads.....and a guide who was married to someone from my home town! They're pretty used to the influx of tourists, as many millions of North Europeans go there for holidays all year round, or even live there.

We did find it chilly on the decks of Jade at night.....cold breezes and some rain, so we found that we were wearing the warm clothes we'd worn to the airport in snowy Britain were handy.

Very snug and warm inside Jade, though!

Jo.

[hubofhockey]

Too cold at sea for me. We actually like going to New York in December and don't mind being outside for limited periods of time in the cold. But we are outside and out on the ship too much to enjoy a Med cruise in the winter.

[Mickey's Spouse]

I like touring during the off season. The lack of crowds is the best part. I'd rather be cool, possibly wearing a jacket or layers, than too hot in peak summer, sweltering in the crowd. Do check to see if the venues of interest are open. Also remember the days are much shorter...less daylight may mean less optimal touring, probably the biggest downside for us.

 

Thanks for your reply. I don't mind the cold so long as I have my layers and a hat. I love the idea of low crowds but I must say the weather they are experiencing right now has got me concerned. :(:(

[Mickey's Spouse]

No, this was Turkey, which is a modern country- top class coaches, and excellent roads.....and a guide who was married to someone from my home town! They're pretty used to the influx of tourists, as many millions of North Europeans go there for holidays all year round, or even live there.

We did find it chilly on the decks of Jade at night.....cold breezes and some rain, so we found that we were wearing the warm clothes we'd worn to the airport in snowy Britain were handy.

Very snug and warm inside Jade, though!

Jo.

Thanks for the reply. Inside is the place to be!!!

[Mickey's Spouse]

Too cold at sea for me. We actually like going to New York in December and don't mind being outside for limited periods of time in the cold. But we are outside and out on the ship too much to enjoy a Med cruise in the winter.

 

Thanks for your reply. I don't mind the cold but all this snow and ice has got me scared. And I have a feeling Cairo/Alexandria might be out as a port of call. I'm hoping for a lot of inside the ship activities.