First time Mediterranean - is November a bad idea?

[kim826]

Is doing a Mediterranean cruise in November a bad idea? That is really our only option for 2019 unless we wait until 2020.

[potterhill]

We often travel off season. Cruises in November as well as land travel. Not so crowded. Weather cool but not usually snow. But then we are Canadian. Not beach weather for sure. Tourist destinations are much more accessible.

 

Mo

 

 

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[LHT28]

You can check previous years temps for the ports you will visit

https://www.accuweather.com/en/it/venice/216711/november-weather/216711?monyr=11/1/2016

 

Then you can decide if you would be comfortable or not

[buggins0402]

We’ve been in the same position some years...when November is the only month that works.

 

One cruise, Rome round trip, it was rainy in a few ports, some rough seas, but great weather post cruise in Rome. Nice weather in Barcelona and Marseille.

 

Another, Barcelona round trip up Adriatic, Dubrovnik was the only rainy day. Some water in St. Marks due to Aqua Alta, but not a problem. Naples and Kotor ...great weather. People out by pool going back to Barcelona, it was unusually warm.

 

Third a Holylands (so very South) from RT Rome, great weather all around. Perfect for touring Rome post cruise (US Thanksgiving).

 

Search the links provided by Lyn and see if you like the odds. It is a crapshoot....but, on the upside, as others have said, the sites are not crowded.

[john2003]

You may find that some of the onshore services have closed for the season. We have done this several times and enjoyed it.

 

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[Flatbush Flyer]

Is doing a Mediterranean cruise in November a bad idea? That is really our only option for 2019 unless we wait until 2020.

 

 

 

Yes

 

 

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[sammiedawg]

You will miss some of the seasonal beauty of that region. Some attractions will have reduced hours or restricted schedules. But November is better than nothing.

Our latest visit was early to mid October.

May and September are our favorite months there.

[kim826]

Thank you everyone for your comments. We decided to go for it. This will be our first Oceania cruise as well. Very excited!

[janecambridge]

Thank you everyone for your comments. We decided to go for it. This will be our first Oceania cruise as well. Very excited!

 

Good decision.We have just got back from Turkey and the weather was great and the sea warm.We had 70F here yesterday lunchtime in Cambridge,England.In Spain my daughter is enjoying 77F now..so you never know.

Whatever the weather I'm sure you will have a good time.

[Paulchili]

Thank you everyone for your comments. We decided to go for it. This will be our first Oceania cruise as well. Very excited!

 

There are pluses and minuses to traveling in November. Personally, I'll take cool temperatures over heat in Europe (where A/C is the exception rather than the rule) and fewer crowds in off season is a bonus as well.

I hope that you will enjoy your first Oceania cruise and maybe you'll get "hooked" like many of us are. :D

[buggins0402]

Thank you everyone for your comments. We decided to go for it. This will be our first Oceania cruise as well. Very excited!

 

Another benefit .... if you are coming from North America, there are great fares for flights to Europe in November.

 

We made our first high season trip to Europe this past August, a land Poland trip. I kept telling my husband that we now know what Rome would be like in high season, after experiencing the crowds in Krakow. We walked out of the main cathedral after a short time...it was just too crowded to enjoy it. But, in November, St. Marks in Venice had no lines and we walked right in.

 

 

In addition to our November cruises, we have also done land trips to the French Riviera, Provence and Andalusia in November. No weather issues and near perfect weather in Andalusia.

 

 

I hope you enjoy your cruise.

[marylizcat]

As well as cold and rain, you should be prepared for fog causing problems. I believe the other day the port of Venice was closed due to fog. I read that an NCL ship was six hours late docking so people missed their flights. Ships who were just calling there missed the port altogether. Maybe best to plan your flights for at least the day after disembarkation.

[YoHoHo]

Like Paulchili I will take cooler temperatures over Mediterranean heat and humidity every time. And the summer crowds can be horrendous. I agree with sammiedawg about May and September but we never seem to be able to get away in the Spring and tend to be late fall because we travel locally in September while it is still nice weather here.

 

marylizcat's comment about fog is well noted. I was reading on a different board of Greek island cruise that was reduced to one island and, the initial post is actually little hard to figure out how it relates to Venice, but I gather they had bad fog there as well. And some ports were changed in the Adriatic. So fog can happen and can cause delays.

 

That said, Venice specifically, there were also reports that in addition to the fog there were protests boats that caused delays in shipping and might have even caused some cruise ships to skip the board but not verified that. So that event MIGHT not of been all fog caused.

 

Bottom line is the weather will be colder, though not necessarily wetter, and the seas could be on average rougher, though not necessarily worse than some particularly bad seas during the summer, and some things could be closed or on reduced hours, but other things will be pleasantly less crowded. Often you will be paying less money and these are some of the trade-offs but I'm happily booked on an October/November cruise now so clearly it's a decision I'm happy with.

 

Glad that you've decided to give O a try and hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

[cruisemom42]

I've taken four Med cruises in late October and in November (some as late as end of that month) and would do it again (and again)!

 

First, I've never experienced any key sites being closed. It's true there may be shorter hours but most of the time those hours are within what a cruiser's day visit allows anyway.

 

Second, it's truly hard to describe how much of a better experience it is to visit these places without the horrendous crowds of the summer season, which now extends from May through September. (I was just in Lisbon in September and it was PACKED.)

 

I've never had terrible weather on a November cruise. A day of rain here and there, and one time we could not enter Civitavecchia port due to wind and heavy seas (port actually closed) -- but let me stress that was a very rare occurrence; Civitavecchia port rarely closes. Luckily that was not a turnaround port.

 

For those cruising the Med for the experience ashore, November is a great time to go. It was priceless for us to enter the site at Ephesus, for example, in late November and be able to look down the sloping ancient street all the way to the library with only a couple of other people visible.

[ChucktownSteve]

Kim826, Which cruise did you book?

[kim826]

I can't remember the official name, but we booked the November 11, 2019 Monte Carlo to Barcelona on the Marina. Since we are from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we are accustomed to lower temperatures. My husband starts whining when the temp goes above 65 :) so I think we will be fine with whatever weather happens. We chose to have the air included. This is our first cruise outside of the Caribbean and wanted not to deal with the air on our own option. I am considering paying the deviation fee so we arrive a day early. I very much have appreciated all of the advise and comments - they are very helpful! I now have plenty of time to research ports, excursions, transfers to the airport etc. on these boards. Thanks again everyone!

[Paulchili]

I can't remember the official name, but we booked the November 11, 2019 Monte Carlo to Barcelona on the Marina. Since we are from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we are accustomed to lower temperatures. My husband starts whining when the temp goes above 65 :) so I think we will be fine with whatever weather happens. We chose to have the air included. This is our first cruise outside of the Caribbean and wanted not to deal with the air on our own option. I am considering paying the deviation fee so we arrive a day early. I very much have appreciated all of the advise and comments - they are very helpful! I now have plenty of time to research ports, excursions, transfers to the airport etc. on these boards. Thanks again everyone!

 

Kim - you'll be following us as we disembark in Monte Carlo.

I will try to leave the ship in good condition and also leave some food for you - although I can't guarantee that I will not eat everything out of the Jacques' kitchen :D

The topic of air deviation is somewhat complex and I would recommend that you do a search here on that topic to get the most out of that experience.

[Kate-AHF]

Hi Kim! We are doing a B2B2B and will on with you from Monte Carlo to BCN. It is our first time sailing with O, and we are looking forward to it. Fall is my favorite time to do just about anything, including cruising the Med.

[Hambagahle]

November is not a bad season - it is an Iffy season. Mediterranean climate is "winter rain, summer drought". And November is a transition month.

 

The further south you are in the Mediterranean, the warmer. But you have to expect rain, and temeperatures ranging from 14c to 25c depending on where north/south and of course actual weather pattern.

 

Good point - fewer tourists.

Bad point - some places closed for winter.

 

 

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[tropicalkerry2002]

just back from a day in Provence(from Marseille). Sunny and 75F. Wore summer clothes with a light jacket first thing in AM. The Mistral winds were sure blowing, but still warm!

[marylovestotravel]

If you are going to do an air deviation, if you have time, you might consider a few extra days in Barcelona.

 

Mia

[marylovestotravel]

If you are going to do an air deviation, if you have time, you might consider a few extra days in Barcelona.

 

Mia

 

We'll be in the Med this Nov/Dec. Hopefully the weather will be okay.

[Sny]

We did Venice to Barcelona on Riviera last November. Weather was wonderful, except for one day in Kotor (lots of rain). We were told that popular sites were not as crowded as during the Summer months; but there were still plenty of tourists, especially in Venice and Rome. The weather was very comfortable. We are from Upper Lower Michigan and don't love heat.

I think you should be just fine. Enjoy!!

[mallie24]

We have just come back from a Barcelona to Athens trip. Weather for all destinations was very summer-like. Many locals commented how long the weather is holding. I also found out that the tour season seems to wind down around November 10. Our guides/drivers told us they were planning their vacations after that date. Hope this info helps! Absolutely an amazing trip!