Best month for Med cruise?

[ioneblair]

I'm thinking of taking my daughter, niece and their friend on a Mediterranean cruise for their graduation in 2007 (daughter and friend from nursing school, niece from dental school)

What are the best months (price-wise mostly) you think for a Med cruise?...... daughter likes the idea of sailing out of Barcelona.....

it will be their first cruise (not mine though)

 

[gilld]

Why not sail from Southampton - girls will need to take LOADS of clothes and the fly/cruises are far too restrictive baggage wise.

We always go P&O from So'ton.

 

[ioneblair]

sorry, should have put that I am in the States.....I prob could make them an offer they can't refuse and get them to restrict the baggage LOL

 

[jen_uk]

I went on a med cruise in September and the price was good and the weather was fantastic! If you are trying to keep the price low then flying to Europe first and getting on the ship there will be much cheaper.

 

[carolfoy]

I'd go for June - no school hols, best weather and good prices.

 

[disneyholic family]

I'm thinking of taking my daughter, niece and their friend on a Mediterranean cruise for their graduation in 2007 (daughter and friend from nursing school, niece from dental school)

What are the best months (price-wise mostly) you think for a Med cruise?...... daughter likes the idea of sailing out of Barcelona.....

it will be their first cruise (not mine though)

Most American cruise lines sail the Mediterranean from about May through September.

Prices will be best at the beginning and end of the season - in May and in September.
The weather is probably best then as well.

In terms of prices, June will probably be more than May/September but less than July/August.

 

[Scotfan]

We were in Athens in July - it was 40deg and that was the coolest day that week. There were tours going round the Acropolis from the Golden (or Grand)Princess and they looked positively baked.
I would recommend September or perhaps late June but then I dont like the heat that much - dont know why I was in Greece in July!

 

[ioneblair]

thanks, I'm getting some ideas now.....(didn't have an inkling before LOL)

 

[BONITATIME]

June or september would be my guess. The children here are not out of school until mid july so the ports will be quieter. Where are you thinking about going?

 

[SimonV]

The cruise lines have increasingly pushed back the Mediterranean 'season' in recent years, and many now offer April to early November, while a few, like Costa and MSC, operate year-round at the fringes (Canary islands and eastern Med). My advice would be to book for late September, when prices drop off appreciably but the weather is still fairly reliable. August can still be uncomfortably hot in the eastern Med, but October can be quite unpredictable. April and early May sometimes throw up some rough seas, which don't make for great cruising, even though you may get some of the best bargains then. With one of my other hats on, I edit a magazine on cruising, and you can look up some more info here: www.woconline.com or www.worldofcruisingmagazine.com.

 

[disneyholic family]

The cruise lines have increasingly pushed back the Mediterranean 'season' in recent years, and many now offer April to early November, while a few, like Costa and MSC, operate year-round at the fringes (Canary islands and eastern Med). My advice would be to book for late September, when prices drop off appreciably but the weather is still fairly reliable. August can still be uncomfortably hot in the eastern Med, but October can be quite unpredictable. April and early May sometimes throw up some rough seas, which don't make for great cruising, even though you may get some of the best bargains then. With one of my other hats on, I edit a magazine on cruising, and you can look up some more info here: www.woconline.com or www.worldofcruisingmagazine.com.

Costa and MSC tend towards more European passengers than the American cruise lines that cruise the Med in the summer spring/summer season.

I would read up on it if I were you before making a decision which cruise line to choose. Each cruise line has its own ambience.

Another site, which has reviews by cruising specialists and people who cruise is www.cruisecritic.com
There are many others as well. I'd take the time to do the research.

There's also a very good book called "The Unofficial Guide to Cruises". I'd invest in that if I were you and do the research before deciding.

Happy sailing.