recent med return cruisers

[eeyorefanuk]

Hi,

Just wondering what sort of weather you had if you recently returned from the med cruise.

Also how calm were the waters please.

 

[lawyergirl]

Hi,

Just wondering what sort of weather you had if you recently returned from the med cruise.

Also how calm were the waters please.

Just got back from July 9th sailing. Waters were super calm for the first bit until Civitavecchia... Then pretty rocky for the last part of the cruise. It got so bad that we weren't able to stop in Villefranche because tendering was too dangerous!!!

That being said, the waters were incredibly blue (I'll be dreaming of them) and there wasn't a spot of rain during the entire cruise. Lovely weather, and surprisingly cool on the ship at night (HOT during the day)

 

[BKFlowerMound]

We were on the July 9 cruise.

It was HOT in Pompeii and there is no shade. The rest of the cruise had milder weather - 80's while in port. A couple of things we didn't expect. While at sea, it can get chilly. The ship is also well air-conditioned. We wish that we had brought fleeces.

The seas were calm for the first two thirds of the cruise. After that, the wind picked up and the seas were rougher but it wasn't that all that rocky. They cancelled the stop in Villefranche because of the wind and waves. We went to Mallorca instead, which was a nice port.

Have a great cruise.

 

[sinnika]

We were on the June 29th sailing. Our first day out was a bit choppy, but after that we had smooth seas. We had great weather, no rain, and it was already pretty hot then. We made sure to stay hydrated and I carried an umbrella for DH and DD as they are most sensitive to the strong sun. That way you can make your own shade! As pp stated, there is NO shade in Pompeii. We went to Herculaneum this time and found it more interesting and had tons of shaded areas and no crowds! My sweater got alot of use in the dining rooms some of the nights when the AC felt esp chilly.
Have an amazing cruise!

 

[biomechgirl]

We were on the June 29th sailing. Our first day out was a bit choppy, but after that we had smooth seas. We had great weather, no rain, and it was already pretty hot then. We made sure to stay hydrated and I carried an umbrella for DH and DD as they are most sensitive to the strong sun. That way you can make your own shade! As pp stated, there is NO shade in Pompeii. We went to Herculaneum this time and found it more interesting and had tons of shaded areas and no crowds! My sweater got alot of use in the dining rooms some of the nights when the AC felt esp chilly.
Have an amazing cruise!

We sail in 2 weeks and will be visiting Herculaneum. I'm so glad to hear that it was more interesting, less crowded and shadier than Pompeii since that is exactly what we were hoping for with 2 small children in tow. We'll be sure to bring hats, sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen and I've got packable windbreakers too so we should be set.

 

[chief215]

The weather was beautiful and the seas were very calm (to me - I was born and raised on the water). There were a lot of people that did not have their sea legs and there was some visable seasickness in the last part of the cruise (a fabulous cruise!). Yes - Pompei was hot, but then again - we are in July in mid-Italy (nothing like where we live - in GA - high 90's and VERY humid). Even so - I would recommend to anyone that has no sea legs to be sure that they have Dramamine patches and whatever else will help you. Being on deck - looking at the horizon sometimes helps. We were in the aft part of the ship, and although we rocked a little bit, we enjoyed the ride and slept like a rock every night! Did anyone else mention that the Captain was a super guy and even returned to the port to let people off, when we learned that we would not be going to Monte Carlo, etc, and instead went to Mallorca, Spain instead - and it was great! A really great detour !!

 

[eeyorefanuk]

Thanks all, though the rough waters were not what I wanted to hear, this being first cruise and am very nervous about being in choppy waters (just worried I will freak out if the boat is rocking) .... I talked myself into thinking that we would have calm waters all the time, we go on the 27th August ....... getting nervous now

 

[ChristmasElf]

Thanks all, though the rough waters were not what I wanted to hear, this being first cruise and am very nervous about being in choppy waters (just worried I will freak out if the boat is rocking) .... I talked myself into thinking that we would have calm waters all the time, we go on the 27th August ....... getting nervous now

Don't be nervous. Although the water gets choppy occasionally, the ship is so big that you do feel the ship sway a bit but its not crazy rocking back and forth bad.

 

[johnlatte]

The weather was beautiful and the seas were very calm (to me - I was born and raised on the water). There were a lot of people that did not have their sea legs and there was some visable seasickness in the last part of the cruise (a fabulous cruise!). Yes - Pompei was hot, but then again - we are in July in mid-Italy (nothing like where we live - in GA - high 90's and VERY humid). Even so - I would recommend to anyone that has no sea legs to be sure that they have Dramamine patches and whatever else will help you. Being on deck - looking at the horizon sometimes helps. We were in the aft part of the ship, and although we rocked a little bit, we enjoyed the ride and slept like a rock every night! Did anyone else mention that the Captain was a super guy and even returned to the port to let people off, when we learned that we would not be going to Monte Carlo, etc, and instead went to Mallorca, Spain instead - and it was great! A really great detour !!

Agreed! we were on this cruise as well. Truly a fabulous time. Weather was great, with just a bit of chop on the down hill run back to Barcelona.

My understanding was that there were a significant group that was getting off at Villafranche and staying in Monte Carlo. So they needed to get off sooner than later. Capt Marco had to get permission from DCL to go back to port, as the depart time was on and leaving the port late would have cost DCL $$$. Palma De Mallorca, was incredible, much better I think than going to Villafranche. Now if they had just scheduled an excursion over to Ibizza it would have been tops.

 

[lmb]

We were on the June 18th and the waters were calm for most of the cruise except for the first day or two. It was unusually rough for the Med then from what I heard. The weather was absolutely beautiful in every port and every sea day. It was spectacular! I think we had 1 cloudy 1/2 day on the whole 11n cruise.

 

[lawyergirl]

Thanks all, though the rough waters were not what I wanted to hear, this being first cruise and am very nervous about being in choppy waters (just worried I will freak out if the boat is rocking) .... I talked myself into thinking that we would have calm waters all the time, we go on the 27th August ....... getting nervous now

Don't be nervous. I get horrendously motion sick in cars and buses and I was fine on the ship. It was my first cruise too!! Granted, I didn't love the sensation when it was choppy, but things weren't swaying noticeably. I was still able to go about my day normally - eat, go to pool, sleep. You will too!!

 

[ohMom]

OP -- we were on the 7/9 sailing as well, please don't worry! as a precaution we always take (non-drowsy 24 hr) motion sickness meds, one tablet. actually i bought generic brand bottle of 100 tabs of amazon this year. on the days that we rocked a little more, we took two. the best approach is to avoid it, rather than try to come out of it if you develop seasickness.

 

[bibbidibobbidibecky]

I agree with all the others on the July 9 cruise. It was smooth sailing the first half of the trip but once we got up near the islands, La Spezia, etc. it got pretty choppy. My mother was a bit bothered and had to take some pills to combat her nausea but the rest of us were OK.

Clearly there were some wind issues because of the whole Villefranche thing.

But the weather was gorgeous! Couldn't have asked for better. I had packed rain gear and it was the only thing we never used that I brought.

Our new family saying is "Pompeii hot" because we all nearly died there Truly, it was really bad. We saw a teenager passed out and my kids couldn't get enough water. We left early because of the heat and then the trains aren't air-conditioned...Naples day was the hottest hands down for us.

 

[sinnika]

Our new family saying is "Pompeii hot" because we all nearly died there Truly, it was really bad. We saw a teenager passed out and my kids couldn't get enough water. We left early because of the heat and then the trains aren't air-conditioned...Naples day was the hottest hands down for us.

When we went to Pompeii last year on the May 26, 2010 cruise, Pompeii was already hot and we went in the am! We saw an elderly man who looked like he was ready to fall over from exhaustion. The curbs in some of the streets are so steep and he was trying to find his way and couldn't get up to the sidewalk. It is also very easy to get lost as there are few markings. Pompeii is amazing but HUGE and would probably be best enjoyed with light loose clothing, a guide, an umbrella for shade, and lots of water!

 

[Rob79]

Bummed to hear that Villefranche stops have been cancelled lately! Has anyone made it there this summer? We're headed there in two weeks and planning to take the train to Nice. And we already have Palma on our itinerary -- I wonder what they'd give us instead if we had to cancel Villefranche?

 

[sinnika]

We made it to Villafrenche on the June 29th Med cruise. We went to Nice in the morning by train and toured a beautiful cathedral (name escapes me at the moment), then went to the Old Town to shop in the market. We also shopped for clothes on the main street that runs parallel to the tram. We took the train back to Villafrenche, then DD 15 and I did an afternoon DCL excursion - the Perfumers Apprentice and Eze while DS 14 did a private excursion riding in a ferrari around Eze (left from the grounds of the perfume factory too). We had a pretty hazy day but the seas were fairly calm. The waters going there from Barcelona can get pretty choppy sometimes. One of the Med cruises last year had some tremendous waves that closed all services outside on the last sea day.

 

[lwasdyke]

Where did you find information about this. My sons would love this?

 

[Anal Annie]

Bummed to hear that Villefranche stops have been cancelled lately! Has anyone made it there this summer? We're headed there in two weeks and planning to take the train to Nice. And we already have Palma on our itinerary -- I wonder what they'd give us instead if we had to cancel Villefranche?

Rob - what cruise are you on? I am on the Aug. 13th one in 2 weeks. If that's the same one you're on come pop into our meet thread!!

I have been worried that the weather is actually looking a lot cooler than what I had expected. So now my packing is "off". Everyone keeps saying it's so hot it's so HOT but then I see temps online that say 80ish (give or take a few degrees) and to ME that is NOT hot. We have been running in the mid-upper 90's in DC for most of July with heat indexes well over 100 so I was planning on a lot of tanks & shorts. But even Barcelona looks cooler (70's-80) with nighttime temps in the 50's & 60's. We're also going to Paris first & it's even cooler there so now I am having a panic attack over what I was planning to pack.

FWIW I don't remember there being any problems reported in past years about not being able to tender in Villefranche. I could be wrong, but this must've been a fluke!!

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

I have been worried that the weather is actually looking a lot cooler than what I had expected. So now my packing is "off". Everyone keeps saying it's so hot it's so HOT but then I see temps online that say 80ish (give or take a few degrees) and to ME that is NOT hot. We have been running in the mid-upper 90's in DC for most of July with heat indexes well over 100 so I was planning on a lot of tanks & shorts. But even Barcelona looks cooler (70's-80) with nighttime temps in the 50's & 60's. We're also going to Paris first & it's even cooler there so now I am having a panic attack over what I was planning to pack.

Annie, it is HOT HOT HOT!! Trust me! I never wore long or even 3/4 sleeves during any of our 14 days!! On occasion I wore a light sweater to dinner or in the theater on the ship. I took mostly short sleeve t's and it was a decision that I regretted. Aside from the days we had to cover our shoulders (Sicily & Rome), I wished that I had tanks to wear for the duration (I did pack a few nice ones, but not near enough). My favorite things to wear during extreme heat are sundresses and I wished I had taken a few!

BTW WRT charging electronics in Barcelona - I never used the flat iron (as evidenced by my hair in the photos) and the DS stayed in the safe. I regularly charged my IPhone, IPad and cameras with the thing that someone mentioned on Amazon (the $4.99 adapter and extension cord). Never had a problem and the extension cord worked really on the ship for extra outlets (until my hair dryer blew the fuse and I didn't realize I could reset it ; good thing I packed an extra extension cord!)!!

 

[Anal Annie]

Annie, it is HOT HOT HOT!! Trust me! I never wore long or even 3/4 sleeves during any of our 14 days!! On occasion I wore a light sweater to dinner or in the theater on the ship. I took mostly short sleeve t's and it was a decision that I regretted. Aside from the days we had to cover our shoulders (Sicily & Rome), I wished that I had tanks to wear for the duration (I did pack a few nice ones, but not near enough). My favorite things to wear during extreme heat are sundresses and I wished I had taken a few!

BTW WRT charging electronics in Barcelona - I never used the flat iron (as evidenced by my hair in the photos) and the DS stayed in the safe. I regularly charged my IPhone, IPad and cameras with the thing that someone mentioned on Amazon (the $4.99 adapter and extension cord). Never had a problem and the extension cord worked really on the ship for extra outlets (until my hair dryer blew the fuse and I didn't realize I could reset it ; good thing I packed an extra extension cord!)!!

OK, I'm afraid I have to ask what your definition is of HOT?! I have been on weather.com & accuweather.com & for Paris, Barcelona, Villefranche & La Spezia for the next 2 weeks the forecasts are for highs in the mid-upper 70's (even a 68 F in Paris one day & a 72 or 73 F in Barcelona)!! Lows are predicted down into the 50's & 60's! THAT is not HOT to me!! I am typically cold below 82ish and won't wear a bathing suit below 75 F. Rome & Naples have only slightly higher forecasts (upper 80's / 90) and Majorca is hovering in the lower 80's. I was only planning to take shorts and tanks & sleeveless tops for all days except the Vatican and only a couple pair of capris and NO long sleeves or jackets. I was planning on a scarf hemmed cardigan for the dining rooms as I know those are kept like ice boxes. But I wasn't planning anything really warm. These forecasts have me really worried!! I THOUGHT I was done shopping but I went out in a panic today & bought more tops with a bit of a sleeve & more capris. I figured I could leave the tags on & return them if I don't wear them. But it's throwing my packing strategy WAY off not to mention the extra expense!!!

(PS) glad to hear the adapter & mini multiple outlet thing from Amazon worked out well - I just ordered ours a few days ago & they should be here by Aug. 1st.