Fewer crowds, bargain prices: Off-season cruising in the Mediterranean

After a summer of overtourism in cruise ports such as Barcelona, Spain and Amsterdam, and talk of caps on ship arrivals in Greece and other places, the cruise industry has come up with a surprising suggestion for where to sail in winter: Europe.

Traditionally, ships stationed in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe in the summer move to the Caribbean and other warm regions in winter. But a growing number of cruise lines are positioning ships in the Mediterranean in late autumn and winter when crowds are fewer and the weather tends to be comfortable.

Low-season sailings in Europe also offer itineraries at bargain prices, often half that of summer fares.

The Mediterranean is second in popularity only to the islands of the Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda for cruising, according to the Cruise Lines Industry Association.

Its statistics show that off-season departures in the Mediterranean have risen 23 per cent between 2019 and 2023.

“As the number of ships has grown and tourism itself has grown, more and more travellers desire to visit places when there aren’t tens of thousands of other people descending on Europe,” said Mr Samuel Spencer, general manager of Ocean & River Cruises Travel, a travel agency based in Calgary, Alberta.

Ms Isabel Rushton of Stoke-on-Trent, England, is one of those off-season passengers. A veteran of 76 cruises, she has sailed in the Mediterranean as late as December.

“You’ve got to accept you’re going to get rain and wind if you’re unlucky,” said Ms Rushton, 76.

When it comes to sightseeing, she added: “The slight downside is that some places may not be open, but the upside is if they are open, they’re not so busy.”

Viking takes the lead

With multiple routes and departures, Viking Cruises has emerged as a leader in what it calls the “quiet season” in the Mediterranean.

Founded as a European river cruise line in 1997, Viking began offering winter sailings in the region when it added its first ocean-going ship, the 930-passenger Viking Star, in 2015.

This winter, Viking is stationing three ships full time in the Mediterranean and will increase the fleet dedicated to the region to five in the 2025-26 winter season.

“We recognised past travellers would appreciate travelling in the Mediterranean during a time period in which it was still very temperate,” said Mr Richard Marnell, the executive vice-president of marketing at Viking.

Among 21 winter Mediterranean itineraries currently offered, an eight-day trip between Venice and Athens recently started at US$2,999 (S$4,030) compared with US$5,299 in summer for the same itinerary, saving more than 40 per cent.

Operating more than 90 ocean and river ships, Viking is closely associated with Europe, a destination that accounted for 60 per cent of its passenger capacity in 2023.

Restricted to travellers over age 18, Viking ships target those who are interested in culture. Many are retired with the flexibility to travel in the off-season.

Ms Victoria Hardison-Sterry, an Orlando, Florida-based travel adviser with Lake Shore Travel, identified a demographic divide over quiet-season booking.

“Boomers are all for it,” she said, noting that older adults tend to appreciate the value and have flexible schedules. “Honeymooners, if they’re going to be cold, they’re going to ski, and Gen Xers with families are more constrained by the calendar.”

Global realignment

A number of Europe-based cruise lines, such as MSC Cruises, have long offered winter sailings in the region. But the war between Israel and Hamas that began in October 2023 forced others to reposition ships originally slated to operate in the Middle East.

That is when Windstar Cruises moved the 312-passenger Star Legend to the Mediterranean, sailing between Rome and Barcelona. Though Windstar had little time to sell the trips – the itineraries began in December 2023 – the company said it was pleased with the results and is expanding its Mediterranean winter schedule in 2024.

“The pricing is more competitive than in summer,” said Mr Spencer of Ocean & River Cruises Travel.

The original Barcelona-Rome itinerary, repeated in 2024, spends seven days visiting ports such as Nice and Cannes in France and Genoa, Italy. It was recently priced from US$2,028 a person. In comparison, a Rome-Barcelona itinerary in July starts at US$4,799, more than double the winter fare.

Among new Windstar routes is an eight-day Rome-to-Venice itinerary in January that visits Naples and Sicily in Italy and overnights in Dubrovnik (recently priced from US$2,238). Another new route plies the southern Spanish coast over nine days in a round trip from Barcelona in February, with calls at Valencia, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca (recently from US$2,799 a person).

Fewer beaches, different excursions

Off-season itineraries tend to favour larger cities such as Barcelona and Rome, which are easier – and cheaper – to fly to in winter, over smaller ports where services may be limited or shut down.

Value season requires some trade-offs. Major museums and archaeological sites tend to maintain winter hours, but some shore excursions may be adjusted to account for seasonal closures. The experience may also change with the seasons. For example, if you are visiting a winery in winter, you are likely to see leafless vines.

Viking said winter sailings have added a few new seasonal shore excursions, including a trip to an olive orchard on the Greek island of Crete during the winter harvest. NYTIMES