Weather; Balearic and Alboran Seas

I'm looking at a couple of Barcelona-to-Barcelona voyages and wondered for those that have cruised in the Balearic and Alboran Seas in the fall if you would give me a sense of what the weather is like in early/mid October versus early November. The only difference between ports on the voyages are as follows:

1. Oct 7 - 17; Casablanca and Tangier
   
2. Oct 30 - Nov 8; Gibraltar
   

Will be stopping at Casablanca on Whisper October 20 -- Weather there today (AccuWeather world) is 75 and partly cloudy. Anticipating temps like that mid-October if that helps.

Thanks dusababy! Have a great TA! I'll be interested in what you experience at Casablanca when you're there.

FWIW we think that the Hassan II mosque is unmissable - it really is the most impressive structure and we found the guide very informative about its construction and use.

The rest of Casablanca is, how shall I put this politely, er, a dump!

FWIW we think that the Hassan II mosque is unmissable - it really is the most impressive structure and we found the guide very informative about its construction and use.

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First time in Africa, stumblefoot? Congrats! Will Antarctica in 2020 make 7 for you then?

We did an Oceania cruise in this region in early November 2008. Weather was pleasant enough from what I remember. Shorts or light pants were comfortable in most places. I don't remember too many bad seas. We often did Med cruises in October / November to avoid some of the crowds.

We enjoyed a day in Gibralter a few years back, when we drove there from Spain. Cool place. Enjoy whichever cruise you choose! And catch up, we've been to all 7 already. :D

Good to know JP.

DW’s birthday coincides with the October voyage on the Spirit. But, if weather is good and still warm(ish) in early November, then we may select that voyage because it’ll be on the new Silver Moon. Of course, we’d miss the stop in North Africa if we selected the Moon and would still need to get back to Africa one day after the Antarctic voyage in order to catch up with you and Chris. [emoji6]

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Thanks for the reco Tothesunset! This would be our first time stepping foot on the African continent, so are open to all recommendations.

 

 

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We took the SS tour in Casablanca which included the mosque, Royal Palace, a tour around the city and a stop in the centre for shopping. I must say Casablanca did not seem the sort of place where an independent wander would be fulfilling.

As for Gibraltar - I spent some time there in my military days maybe 30 years ago and thought then that more than half a day wandering around including a trip to the top of the rock was probably enough. Stopped there last year and saw no reason to change that assessment! But the view from the rock is unmissable even if the charge to use the cable car is cheekily ambitious. It's a decent walk from the port into town - a mile perhaps? - but the town is small and easily navigated.

Good to know JP.

DW’s birthday coincides with the October voyage on the Spirit. But, if weather is good and still warm(ish) in early November, then we may select that voyage because it’ll be on the new Silver Moon. Of course, we’d miss the stop in North Africa if we selected the Moon and would still need to get back to Africa one day after the Antarctic voyage in order to catch up with you and Chris. [emoji6]

Us too - we have DONE all 7 :D:D:D

Good to know Tothesunset. Do you have any thoughts on Tangier?

And, Rojann, I think you had done all 7 continents three times over by the time we met you and Ron! [emoji1]

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Good to know Tothesunset. Do you have any thoughts on Tangier?

 

Sorry, never been. On the same cruise we also visited Agadir and that was well worth missing!

Tangier’s is beautiful, but only from the ship in the harbor. I don’t think SS stops there anymore. The minute we got off the ship..maybe a dozen years ago, we were accosted by many aggressive “merchants”. They surrounded us, were in our face, and one screamed at me and told me to go back to my own damn country if I weren’t going to buy anything. You couldn’t pay me to go back to Tangiers. Casablanca, on the other hand, is definitely worth a visit. The Hassan II mosque is spectacular, and both times we visited we had excellent guides. The rest of Casablanca? I must agree with Tothesunset.

Tangier’s is beautiful, but only from the ship in the harbor. I don’t think SS stops there anymore. The minute we got off the ship..maybe a dozen years ago, we were accosted by many aggressive “merchants”. They surrounded us, were in our face, and one screamed at me and told me to go back to my own damn country if I weren’t going to buy anything. You couldn’t pay me to go back to Tangiers.

Yikes! Well, the Silver Spirit is most definitely going to be at Tangier on Tue., Oct 30, 2020.

Looks like your description is spot on CruisinPashmina as the SS website states, “Mobs of bona fide hustlers greet the arriving ferries hungry for fresh greenhorns to fleece in any way they can. Simply walk quickly past these unsolicited assistants, pretend you know exactly where you're going, and show no sign that you're bewildered.” Based on the description, it doesn’t sound like a place we’d enjoy. So, will have to research this destination a bit further before making a final decision.

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We were at Tangiers in 2008, on Oceania. We enjoyed it though it is a very different place, for sure. In most places in the Med you feel comfortable; in Tangiers we definitely felt like outsiders, and we definitely felt like people were looking at us funny. It feels more Middle East than Mediterranean.

We went on our own with two or three other couples, and the group of us hired a guide and driver at the pier to take us around for the day. We did some sightseeing outside of town and then came back to town and walked around the Medina for quite a bit. Had a nice lunch, spent time in the markets, and didn't come back until almost dusk. We did see some "merchants" on the street, but I don't remember it being that bad. Egypt was much more intense, IMO.

It's not a place I need to visit again but I wouldn't reject an itinerary that went there. But there are much nicer places to go if you want to check Africa off the list. Cape Town is awesome, and much of South Africa is doable on your own. North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa are night and day.

Thx JP for the insight on Tangier.

Africa isn’t important to us. We’re just looking for something in the fall when kids are in school that’ll allow us to enjoy warm weather a little longer since it’s so short where we live. The two Barcelona voyages fit the bill, because we can easily tie in a week in the northern foodie regions of Spain we’ve not visited before.

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