Winter is becoming a new summer for Mediterranean cruise.
When the weather in Europe got colder, instead of deploying all their ships to the Caribbean Sea and other mild destinations, they chose more cruises. With the increase in ships, more passengers are attracting these voyages during the so-called “quiet season” from November to March.
“We’ve seen a lot of interest,” said Karen Stang Hanley, a Chicago-based travel consultant, said Q Cruise + Travel. “When tourism is less, more availability and more friendly pricing, you get the benefits of visiting these port cities.”
Navigating this popular body of water in popular waters is somewhat disadvantageous in the traditionally most popular season, but the main cruise team players make the quiet season louder in Med.
More boats are overwintering in the Mediterranean
Silversea Luxury Line announces that it will travel in the Mediterranean winter with 596 passengers starting at the end of 2025 Silver Muse.
However, some European-based cruise companies, such as MSC and Costa Cruises, have been in the region for many years in winter. Against traditional wisdom, they keep increasing it.
6,758 passengers MSC World Asia It is scheduled to debut in the western Mediterranean in December 2026. Its 7-night voyage calls for Spain, France, Italy and Malta.
Viking starts with a boat on a European river The first ocean-going ship. As of winter 2025-26, Vikings There will be five ocean-going ships in the Mediterranean full-time, and a sixth ship will be added for select sailings.
Celebrity Tour Recently started in 2023 in MED winter. That was the same year Style tour Joined the party, which happened by default. The Middle East’s turbulent orbit derailed plans to navigate the region, so the route maintains 312 passengers Star legend But in medical care. The off-season voyage between Civitavecchia and Barcelona proved to be a surprise blow, and Windstar decided to do it again the next winter – with more trips.
“The first season became so popular,” Star legend Captain Mark Simmonds. “The people who have been trying for a week have been expanding [their trips]. We had people racing on board for up to 9 weeks, back to back. They just like to enjoy the area in mid-summer. They look more like locals than tourists. ”
The charm of winter cruise
Todd Lantz and his wife Andrea know what it feels like to cruise the Mediterranean during peak summer season.
“We did Greece in June and temperatures, which was really painful,” Rands said.
Avoiding the increasingly stuffy summers in Europe, this is a big reason why these married physicians decided to take a wind star cruise along the Spanish Mediterranean coast in February, when the waves were mild and the weather was the same. Highs usually reach Hellenia (upper Celsius) in the 60s, while lows hover around F (5-9 C) in the mid-40s.
SC Greenville, another selling point for couples: fees. The same goes for fares when the temperature drops.
In the early winter of 2025, Windstar starts with a 7-day voyage from Barcelona to Rome in January, starting at $2,079. Meanwhile, a week-long cruise between the two ports was held in July 2025, although Another Wind Starship– Priced at $4,518.
“It’s not only the price of cruising, but the price of air tickets,” Landz said. “I paid half of it, I paid half of it and went to Europe in June.”
And, since winter passengers may not spend a lot of time hanging out on the balcony, choosing a cheaper indoor cabin may not feel sacrificed.
Winter also means that the ports are also thin, which may be a huge advantage in today’s era Openism.
“There aren’t a lot of lines and you can walk around as long as you don’t have a reservation and walk somewhere,” Landz said. This time, “maybe it’s Italy and the Dalmatian coast.”
Potential drawbacks of winter medical parade
It is easier for some passengers to sail MED during the off-season than for others. Retirees often have flexibility when traveling. There are not many families with school-age children.
The scenery is not so vivid in most cases when the trees take off their leaves and bloom more and more. The days in winter are shorter, which means there is little daylight to visit. Even indoor attractions and museums tend to reduce opening hours in the winter, but some visitors find slower speeds more comfortable and easier to manage.
“In some more coastal areas, some places are basically closed,” Debbie Ames Foster Ames Travel in Boston. “In the coast of Italy, especially Amalfi CoastThey didn’t really open until mid-April. ”
The boat’s Lido deck also won’t do as much as it does in the toast month. Those big towels on the lounge chair next to the pool? Strangely, you spend more time lying on them. But if you are not the type of person who spends a lot of time on the boat, this may not matter to you.
You also need to make room in your suitcase to keep your clothes warm and dry. During the cool winter months, many areas along the Mediterranean coast will have a large portion of precipitation.
Captain Symonds of Windstar said: “We occasionally had to adjust the trip to one or two ports due to strange local storms encountering strange ports, but it was not extensive.”
“And, we rarely respond from a port ‘we don’t have space because we’re full of cruise ships’,” he added. “We’re more capable of adapting in the winter because at least there’s more space available now.”