No clue about weather.

[CRocks]

Been on 6 Caribbean cruises + thinkin about one of the Carnival cruises offered outta Italy on their new ships. Problem is, I hate cold, dreary weather, that's why I won't sail to Alaska. Weather always great in the Caribbean, what's it like in the Med? Obviously better in summer, but much more expensive too. Any months to avoid, like hurricane season here? Any thoughts, suggestions, appreciated!

[texancruzer]

Well, the Med is a big place and depending on where you are sailing it varies.

 

But mostly the summer will be hot hot hot !!!!! The spring and fall are perfect. We actually like to travel in November but thats not for everyone. August is to be avoided since many Europeans take their vacations then. So things will be closed or very crowded. Summer will also be crowded with lines and long wait times.

 

We have done 3 cruises - all out of Rome since this is our favorite place. One in early-mid May which was also nice. Upon returning to Rome in mid May it was already hot tho. The other two were in November (off season) The first in very late November and it was great. Chilly at night but the days were glorious for sightseeing. I carried a sweater most of the time. The other was early November (last year) and it was also really nice.

 

We actually have another booked for mid October 2013. Just works out better for dh schedule.

 

I personally would rather carry/wear a sweater than sweat buckets as it just ruins the experience for me.

 

Now, for rain. Mother Nature has her own agenda so just like the Caribbean it can rain anytime altho there are dry seasons there too.

 

But one of the best advantages of traveling off season is not only is the cruise price cheaper, but so are hotels etc.

[Keith1010]

Summer is ver hot and humid.

 

Try May.

 

Keith

[CruiserBruce]

A little reading here will give you lots of clues....

[paul929207]

Check one of the online weather services. They list average highs, lows and percipitation for the ports you will visit.

[softail]

Have done both March and May out of Barcelona. Both were quite nice although May was starting to get warm. Will do the next one in Oct 2013 out of Rome. Hoping the weather at that time will be nice. Larry

[Chloe1500]

I've cruised the Med twice in the fall. The best weather we had was the trip that left in Sept, with warm (some hot) days and no rain. The Oct. trip had a couple of rainy days and cooler temps, but was still pleasant for cruising. If you are a beach person, the Med has some wonderful beaches that are probably very crowded in summer, but might be great in mid to late Sept.

[eclue]

WE are going this year in April on the Carnival Sunshine inaugural cruise out of Venice....weather should be in the low 60's in the day....not beach weather, but fantastic for sightseeing and walking.

Would avoid going there in JUly or August...even SEptember is hot.

eclue:)

[TLCOhio]

Been on 6 Caribbean cruises + thinkin about one of the Carnival cruises offered outta Italy on their new ships. Problem is, I hate cold, dreary weather, that's why I won't sail to Alaska. Weather always great in the Caribbean, what's it like in the Med? Obviously better in summer, but much more expensive too. Any months to avoid, like hurricane season here? Any thoughts, suggestions, appreciated!

 

For our Ohio neighbor (I grew up in Coshocton, right nearby to Dover), here is a great link to check your Med weather options. You can go to

http://www.wunderground.com

and check for the very specific weather history on many of the key towns in the world for their past temperatures in that specific area for a date in the past. Just look lower left in the page for weather history area, put in your exact dates and the year prior. You will then see what last year was like, along with recent highs and lows for that date there.

 

As an example for May 6, you will find this data for Rome in the heart of this great area: a high of 62 °F last year with a low of 55 °F, with an average high on this date of 75 °F with an average low of 53 °F. During recent history, the high has been 87 °F (2003) and a low of 48 °F (2002) on this date in Italy's capital. There was no rain on this date earlier year.

 

May and early June can work well for weather, crowds, etc. If you like history, great food, culture, architectures, dramatic coasts, etc., etc., there's lots of great options in the Med. Check out below my live/blog from last summer with many pictures and other details to consider. Your only problem/challenge in the Med is where to go. You cannot see it all or even half on just one cruise. Too many good, interesting options.

 

Reactions and questions??

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 112,787 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

Don’t miss the sail-in and/or sail-out for Venice. This was our view from the top of the ship as we approached the historic center of Venice. On a beautiful day, as we enjoyed, this is so spectacular!!!:

 

 

 

When the sun was setting as the Solstice sailed from Rome to Naples, here was the visual on the back lawn on the ship’s top, back level. Dramatic and beautiful!!:

 

 

 

In Dubrovnik, we started with a local cab driver who gave us a “panoramic tour”, including crossing this unique bridge near the main cruise ship docking area. Then we drove up and up through narrow twisting roads to the high point overlooking Dubrovnik and near the cable car high station. From this point, we could also see part of Bosnia and and Montenegro. The “super star” view was down below with this angle of the harbor and walled city. Beautiful!!!:

 

 

 

We had visited Tuscany’s San Gimignano in 1999 with our son, but it is a town that is always impressive in history and architectural styles. We had lunch here. Below is a long-shot of the hill town with its tower from the wonderful countryside below and nearby.

 

 

 

This harbor view in Mykonos shows one of the charming windmills. From as early as the 16th century, these are one of the most recognized landmarks of Mykonos. The island is 33 square miles in size and has a population of 9,300, mostly in its main village.:

 

 

 

The charm, style and beauty of Villefranche are clear in this picture of its harbor area greeting visitors as we arrived via tender from the ship in southern France near Monaco.:

 

[CRocks]

WOW, thanx much for all the info, links + pics! This really helps me plan the trip. Terry, we ride down around Coshocton all the time. In fact, most recently for the Apple Butter Festival in Roscoe Village.

[TLCOhio]

WOW, thanx much for all the info, links + pics! This really helps me plan the trip. Terry, we ride down around Coshocton all the time. In fact, most recently for the Apple Butter Festival in Roscoe Village.

 

Glad we've been able to be helpful in planning your trip. Just a quick warning, as I mentioned earlier, that Europe and so many of these ports in the Med have "special challenges" compared to the Carib. These cruises tend to be so super port intensive and you'll have to study up ahead to decide which among the many options fit best for your personal interests and travel style. Not easy!!

 

Have been over in the Dover-New Philadelphia area a good bit in the last month or so on a work project. This includes Holmes County and Amish Country. Had dinner earlier this month at the Hog Heaven Bar-B-Que place. Know well the Buehler's store manager there in Dover and others in the area. Good area, great people!! Played sports against the Tornadoes, Quakers, etc.

 

Keep up the good research!! Let us know any added questions.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 112,857 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 88,979 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[rebeccalouiseagain]

The Mediterranean is hot and warm in summer- we never had even a drop of rain on either of our cruises- (12 day Western Med early July 2007, 12 day Eastern Med- early July 2008). Even our cruise to 8 night Norwegian and the 12 night British Isles were mostly dry in summer (July 2009 and late July 2008).

 

So summer is probably the driest and warmest time to go.

 

I've been to Rome in late March- early April and it was great for sightseeing- sweater weather with no rain.

 

I've been to Venice in Sept and October and it was dry.

 

November- January tends to be the rainy season in Venice.

 

To save money and have the best airfare- I'd do May.