Cruising in the winter

[annim]

Hello all~

After a fiasco road trip through Spain last year, we decided to stick to what we know......cruising :) So we are booked on the Splendida for a trip the end of February. I've looked at the temps for that time of year, but what is it like at sea? Since it's winter, is it cold, rough and "bouncy"? Also, what's it like cruising with limited outside activities? (I would assume limited, altho I'm sure there's some hard-cores out there who don't mind being out in the cold). Any info appreciated, thanks so much!

[Miss_Cruiser]

Hello:)

 

After two cruising in summer, I am thinking the same thing as you. Is the sea rougher in the winter time?:confused: I know that the weather is something you can not tell for sure how is gonna be,..but anyway:) Does anyone have experience with winter cruising? I am thinking about Splendida, during winter time ( Western mediterranian sea) but I'm just not quite sure yet:D.

[Alex71]

We're booked on the Splendida over New Year's, and are much looking forward. Glad to be on such a large ship with lots to do, even when it's too cool to be outside on the pool deck. The Slendida can close a roof over the smaller pool deck, so we'll see if we can even swim in that pool.

 

I think the larger cities visited on this tour (Barcelona, Rome, Marseille) will be faboulous, even in colder and potentially rainy weather. The avarage January high in Tunis and Palermo is still 15 degrees, so a light jacket or a sweater will suffice there.

[AmoMondo]

We're booked on the Splendida over New Year's, and are much looking forward. Glad to be on such a large ship with lots to do, even when it's too cool to be outside on the pool deck. The Slendida can close a roof over the smaller pool deck, so we'll see if we can even swim in that pool.

 

I think the larger cities visited on this tour (Barcelona, Rome, Marseille) will be faboulous, even in colder and potentially rainy weather. The avarage January high in Tunis and Palermo is still 15 degrees, so a light jacket or a sweater will suffice there.

 

You will be able to swim in the pool. I was on the Fantasia one April and it was cold and raining when we arrived and boarded in Genoa. Outside pools were drained and unusuable but the one with the Magrodome was packed with kids and adults.

 

I've done a NY cruise out of Genoa and over to the Caribbean, we had 2 nights and one day of really rough seas, but after that it was fine. We did continue to head south and west and each day the weather improved and the seas got calmer. We were on the very much smaller Opera, so it probBly rolled more in heavy seas than a Fantasia class ship will.

 

It really is the luck of the draw.once had absolutely awful weather for a day and night in the Med in late May, so you can have rough seas anytime. I think it's more likely in winter though, although the Fantasia ships were specifically introduced for a year round service in the Med.

[ulek]

We have luck and have wonderful weather on New Years cruise 2011/2012 with MSC Fantasia. You can see the photos on my homepage.

https://sites.google.com/site/semestertips/msc-fantasia-yatch-club/english

[Skier52]

Hello all~

After a fiasco road trip through Spain last year, we decided to stick to what we know......cruising :) So we are booked on the Splendida for a trip the end of February. I've looked at the temps for that time of year, but what is it like at sea? Since it's winter, is it cold, rough and "bouncy"? Also, what's it like cruising with limited outside activities? (I would assume limited, altho I'm sure there's some hard-cores out there who don't mind being out in the cold). Any info appreciated, thanks so much!

We did a cruise from Genoa to Casablanca round trip on SPLENDIDA in Feburary this year.

 

We started in winter in Genoa as it was +2 C with snow on the surrounding hills. By the time we reached Barcelona the next day it was spring temperatures, warm when walking in the sun but decidely cool in the shade.

 

Casablanca had lovely weather, in the low 20s C. Gibraltar was rainy and cool.

So in a nut shell the weather was totally variable, except we had force 1 to 4 winds, so no bouncy conditions. Guess we were lucky on that score.

Out on deck I always wore a fleece, mainly because of the wind across the deck caused by the forward motion of the ship.

 

21 knots (Splendida's cruising speed) is a force 5/6 which may be adding to or subtracting from the actual wind which could give an apparent wind anywhere between force 1 to 9/10 (5 to 36 knots).

 

luck is going to be the major factor in the weather you encounter

 

 

We had a very enjoyable cruise and you can see my review here

 

 

http://www.cruisingmates.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=3331&p=47603#p47603

 

 

 

Pete