Spain/Portugal in December?

[AndyMichelle]

Some advice please. 

Just went to book the Christmas markets cruise on Aurora for December 2020 to find she is going to Spain instead... 

Does anybody know how 'Christmassy' the ports are likely to be in Seville, Malaga, Lisbon and Gibraltar and what the weather is likely to be? 

I am dubious as last year we had snow in Oslo and wrapping up warm exploring Copenhagen etc was amazing, so not sure how I feel about the difference. 

Any guidance or opinions would be much appreciated. 

Andy 

 

[mercury7289]

1 hour ago, AndyMichelle said:

Some advice please. 

Just went to book the Christmas markets cruise on Aurora for December 2020 to find she is going to Spain instead... 

Does anybody know how 'Christmassy' the ports are likely to be in Seville, Malaga, Lisbon and Gibraltar and what the weather is likely to be? 

I am dubious as last year we had snow in Oslo and wrapping up warm exploring Copenhagen etc was amazing, so not sure how I feel about the difference. 

Any guidance or opinions would be much appreciated. 

Andy 

 

Just booked Arcadia, leaving on the 8th December 11 nights.

 

Same ports, will get back to you on our return.

 

Am taking Shorts!

[AndyMichelle]

3 minutes ago, mercury7289 said:

Just booked Arcadia, leaving on the 8th December 11 nights.

 

Same ports, will get back to you on our return.

 

Am taking Shorts!

Thank you. 

Have a great time, look forward to your feedback. 

Andy 

[brian1]

11 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

Some advice please. 

Just went to book the Christmas markets cruise on Aurora for December 2020 to find she is going to Spain instead... 

Does anybody know how 'Christmassy' the ports are likely to be in Seville, Malaga, Lisbon and Gibraltar and what the weather is likely to be? 

I am dubious as last year we had snow in Oslo and wrapping up warm exploring Copenhagen etc was amazing, so not sure how I feel about the difference. 

Any guidance or opinions would be much appreciated. 

Andy 

 

Hi mate,we're driving back 1500 miles on Thursday.It's pants at the moment,raining but not cold,only at night does it get chilly.This time of year,very variable,sunbathing 1 day and soaked the next.I assume the Atlantic regions will be a lot colder,good luck.

[Britboys]

I'm a regular visitor to the Malaga region Andy and as Brian has said above it is a bit hit and miss.  You can get a few days of rain but also you can get a week of sunshine and temps in the high teens or even sometimes low twenties. Gib will be similar.  I'm not a fan of Gibraltar myself but I would imagine it would be quite Christmassy.  The Christmas Lights in Malaga are fabulous every year (search malaga christmas lights and look at the images) and its worthwhile finding the Belens, which are Nativity Scenes on a massive scale which seem to depict half a country!  There is usually street-theatre going on, Chestnuts & caramelised peanuts being roasted on stalls and of course churros with hot chocolate!  Would be lovely if the ship is staying until late evening. Sevilla can be a little cool in winter due to it being in-land but the cruise port of Cadiz will be milder.  You've probably been to Cadiz but if not, it is a lovely little city and you berth right in the heart of it.  Personally I think Spain is lovely at Christmas-time - and they don't start the festive season in September like we do here now!

We went to Lisbon at the end of November one year - they had just had major floods due to a rainstorm but the next three days we were there were wall-to-wall sunshine.

[wowzz]

In my opinion, weather in December in Spain is similar to early Spring in the UK. Not shorts and tee shirt weather, but no real need for UK type winter clothing, especially on the coasts. You do need to be prepared for some rain. However, as always, nothing is certain with the weather.

We enjoyed our Christmases when we lived in Spain. Lights and decorations, but not nearly as commercialised or "over the top" as now appears to be the case in the UK. 

[brian1]

I always remember sunbathing in just a pair of shorts on new years day.A bunch of locals in hats,scarves and gloves stopped and stared thru a nearby gate in amazement lol.

[Britboys]

Yes, winter Sundays are fun.  You see Northern Europeans lying on sun-loungers on the beach wearing very little and 'maturer/ Spanish Ladies going for Sunday Lunch wearing long fur coats 😁😎

[AndyMichelle]

11 hours ago, brian1 said:

Hi mate,we're driving back 1500 miles on Thursday.It's pants at the moment,raining but not cold,only at night does it get chilly.This time of year,very variable,sunbathing 1 day and soaked the next.I assume the Atlantic regions will be a lot colder,good luck.

Thanks Brian, safe travels.. 

Andy 

[AndyMichelle]

8 hours ago, Britboys said:

I'm a regular visitor to the Malaga region Andy and as Brian has said above it is a bit hit and miss.  You can get a few days of rain but also you can get a week of sunshine and temps in the high teens or even sometimes low twenties. Gib will be similar.  I'm not a fan of Gibraltar myself but I would imagine it would be quite Christmassy.  The Christmas Lights in Malaga are fabulous every year (search malaga christmas lights and look at the images) and its worthwhile finding the Belens, which are Nativity Scenes on a massive scale which seem to depict half a country!  There is usually street-theatre going on, Chestnuts & caramelised peanuts being roasted on stalls and of course churros with hot chocolate!  Would be lovely if the ship is staying until late evening. Sevilla can be a little cool in winter due to it being in-land but the cruise port of Cadiz will be milder.  You've probably been to Cadiz but if not, it is a lovely little city and you berth right in the heart of it.  Personally I think Spain is lovely at Christmas-time - and they don't start the festive season in September like we do here now!

We went to Lisbon at the end of November one year - they had just had major floods due to a rainstorm but the next three days we were there were wall-to-wall sunshine.

Thank you for the fantastic summary, exactly what I was looking for. 

Michelle loves a nativity, so we will definitely seek out the Belens. 

Thanks again, 

Andy 

[Goosebear Mum]

23 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

Some advice please. 

Just went to book the Christmas markets cruise on Aurora for December 2020 to find she is going to Spain instead... 

Does anybody know how 'Christmassy' the ports are likely to be in Seville, Malaga, Lisbon and Gibraltar and what the weather is likely to be? 

I am dubious as last year we had snow in Oslo and wrapping up warm exploring Copenhagen etc was amazing, so not sure how I feel about the difference. 

Any guidance or opinions would be much appreciated. 

Andy 

 

 

Thanks for asking this, as we too were disappointed to see no Christmas Market cruise for the next 2 years... And were wondering what S&P would be like!  We’ll make the most of Oslo, etc, in 2 weeks time! 

[AndyMichelle]

2 minutes ago, Goosebear Mum said:

 

Thanks for asking this, as we too were disappointed to see no Christmas Market cruise for the next 2 years... And were wondering what S&P would be like!  We’ll make the most of Oslo, etc, in 2 weeks time! 

Oh very jealous... 

Are you doing overnight in Copenhagen? 

It snowed in Oslo last year, it was beautiful. 

Andy 

[amfc_lenny]

We are over in Spain and Portugal ports listed next week on the qv, so I’ll let you know! 

 

 

[AndyMichelle]

2 minutes ago, amfc_lenny said:

We are over in Spain and Portugal ports listed next week on the qv, so I’ll let you know! 

 

 

Thank you so much. 

Andy 

[Goosebear Mum]

15 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Oh very jealous... 

Are you doing overnight in Copenhagen? 

It snowed in Oslo last year, it was beautiful. 

Andy 

 

Yes, we have done this cruise a few times, but over Christmas. This year we’re going beforehand, as we have a new home and hence a mortgage again!  Last year the snow was really deep at Frognerseteren, Oslo (we took the t-bane up there) we love the overnights, Tivoli is special at night, Copenhagen just has to be an overnight port. 

[AndyMichelle]

15 minutes ago, Goosebear Mum said:

 

Yes, we have done this cruise a few times, but over Christmas. This year we’re going beforehand, as we have a new home and hence a mortgage again!  Last year the snow was really deep at Frognerseteren, Oslo (we took the t-bane up there) we love the overnights, Tivoli is special at night, Copenhagen just has to be an overnight port. 

We didn't have the overnights last year which is why we were hoping to book it for next year. 

Would love to see Tivoli in the evening. 

Andy 

[DamianG]

On 11/25/2019 at 10:26 AM, Britboys said:

I'm a regular visitor to the Malaga region Andy and as Brian has said above it is a bit hit and miss.  You can get a few days of rain but also you can get a week of sunshine and temps in the high teens or even sometimes low twenties. Gib will be similar.  I'm not a fan of Gibraltar myself but I would imagine it would be quite Christmassy.  The Christmas Lights in Malaga are fabulous every year (search malaga christmas lights and look at the images) and its worthwhile finding the Belens, which are Nativity Scenes on a massive scale which seem to depict half a country!  There is usually street-theatre going on, Chestnuts & caramelised peanuts being roasted on stalls and of course churros with hot chocolate!  Would be lovely if the ship is staying until late evening. Sevilla can be a little cool in winter due to it being in-land but the cruise port of Cadiz will be milder.  You've probably been to Cadiz but if not, it is a lovely little city and you berth right in the heart of it.  Personally I think Spain is lovely at Christmas-time - and they don't start the festive season in September like we do here now!

We went to Lisbon at the end of November one year - they had just had major floods due to a rainstorm but the next three days we were there were wall-to-wall sunshine.

 

What a great summary, I'm sold. If it wasn't for the minor detail of being restricted to school holiday cruises I would go and book this now.

Pre-parenting days we did the 2011 Oriana Christmas Mediterranean cruise and it was warm enough to sit outside at the tiered deck stern whilst heading round the Iberian Peninsular. We were unable to dock at Cadiz (fog) and Valetta (swell) but somehow the captain managed to get us into Lisbon in the thickest fog I've ever seen (you could only see halfway down the ship from the top outside deck). As a complete contrast we were in Cartagena on Christmas eve and it was roasting with one of my favourite memories being sat out having a cold beer in the marina whilst wearing a short sleeved shirt.

I know these aren't all the same ports but hopefully this will give you an idea of what to expect.

[Britboys]

Good choice of beer there Damian! 🍻

[DamianG]

17 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Good choice of beer there Damian! 🍻

 

I should state "Other beers are available...." 😁

[AndyMichelle]

5 hours ago, DamianG said:

 

What a great summary, I'm sold. If it wasn't for the minor detail of being restricted to school holiday cruises I would go and book this now.

Pre-parenting days we did the 2011 Oriana Christmas Mediterranean cruise and it was warm enough to sit outside at the tiered deck stern whilst heading round the Iberian Peninsular. We were unable to dock at Cadiz (fog) and Valetta (swell) but somehow the captain managed to get us into Lisbon in the thickest fog I've ever seen (you could only see halfway down the ship from the top outside deck). As a complete contrast we were in Cartagena on Christmas eve and it was roasting with one of my favourite memories being sat out having a cold beer in the marina whilst wearing a short sleeved shirt.

I know these aren't all the same ports but hopefully this will give you an idea of what to expect.

Thanks Damian, we booked it today and got a cracking deal, so very happy. 

Your beer pic inspired me.. 

Andy 

[DamianG]

16 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

Thanks Damian, we booked it today and got a cracking deal, so very happy. 

Your beer pic inspired me.. 

Andy 

 

Great, I'm sure every port will still feel Christmassy and know that you will make the most of it.

[AndyMichelle]

6 hours ago, DamianG said:

 

Great, I'm sure every port will still feel Christmassy and know that you will make the most of it.

Thank you Damian, we will. 

It will be nice to experience something different close to Christmas. 

Andy 

[amfc_lenny]

Just back from our cruise to spain and Portugal on the qv.

 

we left a bit earlier on the 28th nov, but we were really lucky with the weather. Across the bay both ways we had a very small swell but nothing  to write home about. Until the last day it was warm enough to sit out without a coat or jumper on. Even though there were some older passengers on the prom deck in puffer jackets, it wasn’t that bad.

 

La coruna, we’ve done before and had a wonder around the old town and the beach, it was warm but a bit of a breeze. A slight shower very early in the morning but otherwise pretty dry.

 

cadiz was more beautiful than I had expected, great city to enjoy some tapas and a few beers. We would like to go back and soak up some more atmosphere at some point.

 

gibraltar, was pretty much decked out ready for Xmas, but we got only had a half day in port, weather was pretty warm but a little overcast. We spent the day shopping. And the afternoon once on board was a little breezy, but pleasant.

 

Malaga, was totally decked out in Christmas lights and a few people who left it really late to board said the Christmas lights were great, a few Xmas markets dotted around the town. 

 

lisbon, we really enjoyed the sail in with a beautiful sunrise, and a great nighttime sail out under the bridge. We had gorgeous bright sunshine and enjoyed the day.

 

Having said all the above we really lucked out with the weather, and it could have been a really different cruise.

 

 

[AndyMichelle]

7 hours ago, amfc_lenny said:

Just back from our cruise to spain and Portugal on the qv.

 

we left a bit earlier on the 28th nov, but we were really lucky with the weather. Across the bay both ways we had a very small swell but nothing  to write home about. Until the last day it was warm enough to sit out without a coat or jumper on. Even though there were some older passengers on the prom deck in puffer jackets, it wasn’t that bad.

 

La coruna, we’ve done before and had a wonder around the old town and the beach, it was warm but a bit of a breeze. A slight shower very early in the morning but otherwise pretty dry.

 

cadiz was more beautiful than I had expected, great city to enjoy some tapas and a few beers. We would like to go back and soak up some more atmosphere at some point.

 

gibraltar, was pretty much decked out ready for Xmas, but we got only had a half day in port, weather was pretty warm but a little overcast. We spent the day shopping. And the afternoon once on board was a little breezy, but pleasant.

 

Malaga, was totally decked out in Christmas lights and a few people who left it really late to board said the Christmas lights were great, a few Xmas markets dotted around the town. 

 

lisbon, we really enjoyed the sail in with a beautiful sunrise, and a great nighttime sail out under the bridge. We had gorgeous bright sunshine and enjoyed the day.

 

Having said all the above we really lucked out with the weather, and it could have been a really different cruise.

 

 

Thank you for reporting back, much appreciated. 

Sounds like you had a great time. 

We don't really mind what the weather is like, rather it didn't rain but it won't spoil our holiday. 

Glad it was getting 'Christmassy', that's what we are looking forward to. 

Andy 

 

[Britboys]

Hi Andy,

 

I'm, just back from 9 days in the Malaga area.  During the early part of that time, the weather was a bit mixed, with sunshine, cloud and a little rain (with one torrential rainfall on one night).  The temperature those days was about 15 degrees.  The second half of my stay was lovely, with wall to wall sunshine and temperatures between 17 and 21.

All the Christmas Lights in Malaga were new this year and were pretty spectacular.  I really hope P&O make this a late-night stop as they are so worth seeing.  I'm going to attempt to post photos on here - which I have never tried so far!