Cruising Med in January?

[mytern2]

We always take our 'big' vacation in January.... Never thought of cruising the Med in January. Thoughts?

[hawkeyetlse]

As long as you are not expecting great pool/beach weather, you can typically enjoy low prices and no/fewer crowds in January. On the other hand, some attractions and transport options will be totally closed down for the low season. Do have a particular itinerary in mind, so we can give you more specific advice?

[bobstheboy]

Coming from a cold country in the winter, UK, I want warmth for my holiday, so, like many others would not go on a Med cruise in Jan, Feb, Mar or April.

 

I am going on a Canaries cruise, from Barcelona, in November and March this winter, hopefully for most of the time it will be pleasant, about 20c.

[RNRcruisers]

We did a Med cruise this past January. It was cold but not miserable, I would say most days were in the mid-50's. We got a little rain but not too much and not all day. The crowds were not bad at all. One down side is that you really couldn't spend time outside when on board so the ship, especially the buffet and rooms like the library, were more crowded than they would have normally been. We would definitely do it again.

[JohnIreland]

Are you looking at the med or a canary island itinerary ?

Edited August 24, 2015 by JohnIreland

[sunandsnow]

We have done three cruises to the Med - Jan. Feb/Mar and April. Also land vacation in October. Jan. was the coldest. You do need to dress in layers and be prepared for cold, humid temps. We did get one pool day on our cruise last year in March which was a nice surprise. Sights are less crowded and the cruise prices are generally less expensive. Spring or fall is a very nice time to cruise the med.

 

Whatever you decide it is a fun cruise - we have been to Italy, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Malta and Spain on a cruise.

[SwissLe]

If you can put up with the low temperatures on holiday and possibility of rain it's the best time to visit the big sites Europe. You'll get your photo with the leaning tower without thousands of people trying to hold it up in your shot. Not spend your days being rushed through the Vatican and usually be more welcomed as a tourist in low season.

 

Olive skin you may not gain, but a relaxed and easy sightseeing experience awaits.

[mytern2]

Thanks for the responses; no particular route in mind.....more curiosity. Is there a big difference with a Canary Islands itinerary?

[Froggitt]

Massive difference. Less rain, more sun, higher temps.

[Keith1010]

It can be quite cool and rainy.

 

Positive is less tourists and prices more reasonable than summer months.

 

Keith

[wurmine]

Expect it to be cold, warm jackets needed. But you can be lucky and have a lot of sun and teperatures around 50-60 F in the Med. If you want to do sightseeing, this might be a good time if you do not like the heat in summer. It also depends a lot on your route. The eastern part is a bit warmer than the western part.

For example: Venice is packed in summer and mostly very hot, in winter it is quiet and much more charming in many ways, but it might be cold and fogy.

 

The canary island are not in the med, but the Atlantic and pretty far south. So you can expect something between 70 F. We experience there everything between 60 to 85 F around christams. But there is not much to see compared to a cruise around Italy, Greece and Turkey.

[Minoushka]

If you can go in March or April it will be warmer .In europe the dampness and rain in winter is what gets you

I would not go in Jan or Feb

Wait till spring or early summer ...imo

[warriorking]

Sailed back in 2010 on the Jade in late January early Feb and it was a mixed bag depending on the locations, Turkey was beautiful uppers 50's ..

Italy it rained buckets the entire time and temps were in the upper 40's...

Egypt was beautiful and in the Mid 70's.

Barcelona, Greece, Malta upper 50's.

The seas were quite rough at times making navigation of the stairs or hallway an adventure.. The Elton John song Pinball wizard comes to mind..

I stood out on my balcony laughing like a madman as the waves slammed against the ship..(A Captain Ahab moment..)

The poor lady a few cabins away was yacking the whole time, I think she threw up everything she had eaten since age 3....

Plus a major winter storm was still brewing in the States so my return flight from Atlanta to WV was cancelled until the next day..

I was lucky lots of people's flights were rescheduled 2 days or more later...

All in all I had a blast, but I have my current 12 day Med cruise scheduled for this upcoming March...

Edited August 25, 2015 by warriorking

[cruise9876kend]

I cruise the med in February in 2012 and I was dry and cold in every port apart for Marseille where it snowed [emoji3] but even then we had a fantastic cruise a Canary island cruise would be a safe option weather wise but then it could still rain what every u choose have a great holiday [emoji568]

[MaryKEllis]

I'm seriously considering the 21 day out of Barcelona jan/feb. has anyone done that one?

[Froggitt]

Isnt it both of the above.......a Western Med cruise followed by a Canaries cruise?

[MaryKEllis]

They have 2 different itineraries for 10 day cruises out of Barcelona. Each goes a different direction out of Barcelona. You can also do the 21 day and do both loops. I think the only "same" port is Barcelona

[Turtles06]

Sailed back in 2010 on the Jade in late January early Feb and it was a mixed bag depending on the locations, Turkey was beautiful uppers 50's ..

Italy it rained buckets the entire time and temps were in the upper 40's...

Egypt was beautiful and in the Mid 70's.

Barcelona, Greece, Malta upper 50's.

The seas were quite rough at times making navigation of the stairs or hallway an adventure.. The Elton John song Pinball wizard comes to mind..

I stood out on my balcony laughing like a madman as the waves slammed against the ship..(A Captain Ahab moment..)

The poor lady a few cabins away was yacking the whole time, I think she threw up everything she had eaten since age 3....

Plus a major winter storm was still brewing in the States so my return flight from Atlanta to WV was cancelled until the next day..

I was lucky lots of people's flights were rescheduled 2 days or more later...

All in all I had a blast, but I have my current 12 day Med cruise scheduled for this upcoming March...

 

We were on the same cruise! We had a FABULOUS time!

 

Yes, the Med in winter is not for sun bunnies, but the temps in places like Ephesus and Egypt were SO comfortable, perfect for walking around. We really loved it. And even though it poured the whole day in Rome, we were in Rome! :)

 

I enjoy rough seas, so that day between Rome and Athens did not bother me, but I know I'm in the minority there. Like you, we were affected by that huge snow storm in the US that hit just as we were getting back to Barcelona. We had to rearrange our flights, but fortunately got back to the US without too much hassle and did not have to spend the night in an airport.

 

Not sure I'd do it again as a first option if we had a good choice for early spring or late fall, but we really did have an excellent time. And if the time, itinerary, and price work for you -- go for it! :)

[warriorking]

We were on the same cruise! We had a FABULOUS time!

 

Yes, the Med in winter is not for sun bunnies, but the temps in places like Ephesus and Egypt were SO comfortable, perfect for walking around. We really loved it. And even though it poured the whole day in Rome, we were in Rome! :)

 

I enjoy rough seas, so that day between Rome and Athens did not bother me, but I know I'm in the minority there. Like you, we were affected by that huge snow storm in the US that hit just as we were getting back to Barcelona. We had to rearrange our flights, but fortunately got back to the US without too much hassle and did not have to spend the night in an airport.

 

Not sure I'd do it again as a first option if we had a good choice for early spring or late fall, but we really did have an excellent time. And if the time, itinerary, and price work for you -- go for it! :)

 

I agree, later is better..

Hopefully Rome this go round will be dry..Its my Brothers first cruise so he is going to be in for a real treat...

We sail on the 16th of March and I can hardly wait...

Its my 4th cruise 2 on the old Norway and the last on Jade.

Its my fist on the Big ships so the Epic should be a fun experience ..

Plus I got one heck of a deal this go round for a Aft Balcony..

Edited August 25, 2015 by warriorking