I want to do a Mediterranean cruise.. What's the best time of the year for the best deal?

Question

I live in the United States and I would love to do a Mediterranean cruise. I want to mostly go to Italy, Greece, Turkey, may be even France and Spain.

What's best time of the year to go on a good deal?

How much am I expecting to spend?

What if it's me and my fiance? Can I get a better deal for 2 people? It would be a nice honeymoon! :)

Answer 1

I have been on two Mediterranean cruises and another to Europe in the Baltic.  My experience is that the Fall of the year, September and October are the best times to go to get the best weather and to beat the crowds.  Its hot in the Mediterranean in the summer and that is also when there are the most tourists.  So if you want to go to Italy and see the Vatican City, Coliseum, Leaning Tower of Pisa and Pompeii, its best to go late in the year.  Even then the lines are long at those places and there are lots of tourists.  Athens, Mykonos and Santorini in Greece were not as crowded but Ephesus in Turkey was.

There are a variety of cruises that you can take.  ALL cruises are priced and sold based on double occupancy.  SO if you look at web sites and see a price that means per person with at least two people traveling in the cabin.  So yes you do get a better deal if you and your fiance go because if you went by yourself they would charge you a single supplement that is basically a double fare.

You can take cruises to the countries you want to see from a variety of ports, some round trip (like depart from and return to Barcelona, Spain) and some are one way.  Some cruises are 7 days and others are 12 days.  If you want to see all of the countries that you mentioned you probably need to take a 12 day cruise.

You will get the best price by doing two things (1) book very early, like about now for next year this time or later; and (2) look at all of the cruises itinerary and date options and go when the price is lowest instead of picking a firm date and then looking for a cruise on that date.  For example, if you are getting married next year, just look for a cruise sometime after you are married instead of a day or two after your wedding.  You can same hundreds on the exact same cruise by simply going when the price is lowest.

I have cruise on 4 cruise lines, Celebrity, Princess, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean.  My recommendation to you would be to select a cruise on Celebrity, Princess or Royal Caribbean.  I did two of my European cruises on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean and they do have great cruises and ships.  The ships that Royal Caribbean uses for the Mediterranean, the Brilliance of the Seas and the Voyager of the seas, are both lovely ships.  I cruised the Med for 12 days on the Brilliance and I have been on two of the twin sisters of the Voyager.

There are a lot of factors that affect what cruise you should select. Cruises generally cost about $125.00 per day per person AND all cruises are priced based on double occupancy (2 people per cabin).

Since cruises can be 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12, or 14 days or more the price will depend mostly on how many days your cruise is AND also on the type cabin/accommodations that you choose.

There are 4 basic types of cabins on ships;

- inside (no window),................................... least expensive

- outside (a window or porthole),

- balcony/veranda, and

- suites and penthouses.......................... most expensive.

The "FROM" prices you see will always be for an inside cabin. There are also some subcategories within each category with cabins on a higher deck, and/or a better location on ship (like midship), and/or that are slightly larger costing more. So as you browse, pay attention to the square footage of the cabins. You may not want to pay more for the same sized cabin on a higher floor; or vice versa.

You can reserve a cruise by (1) booking on line; (2) by calling the cruise line, or (3) through a travel agent. You will pay at booking the minimum deposit which will be between $250 and $350 per person for a 7 day cruise, depending upon the cruise line. The minimum will be more for a longer cruise, for example $450 per person for a 14 day cruise. The balance will be due approximately 60 days before the cruise departure date. But you can make periodic payment on line or with the cruise line. I have reserved on line and made payments many times. If you book within about 60 days of the cruise you will likely have to pay the full amount.

I have listed below the web sites for the medium priced cruise lines which operate from US ports. These are the cruise lines that most people use. There are some luxury lines that are much higher priced with prices starting around $4,000 for a 7 day cruise. The lines that I have listed below will have cruises starting in the range of $700 to $1,000 per person for a 7 day cruise, again depending upon the date and type cabin you select.

HOLLAND AMERICA

http://www.hollandamerica.com/

CELEBRITY:

http://www.celebritycruises.com/home .

ROYAL CARIBBEAN:

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/gohome.d.....

NORWEGIAN:

http://www.ncl.com/

PRINCESS:

http://www.princess.com/index.html

Some suggested Royal Caribbean cruises to the Med:

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruis...  

Note that some have "special pricing" for next year.

Answer 2

May-June are the best months. Longest days, cooler weather, less crowded.

It is advisable to travel in pair, or else you will have to pay a supplement for single. And it WOULD be a superb honeymoon.

Answer 3

september or january.

cruises-n-more.com

vacationstogo.com

americavacationcenter.com

cruisecritic.com

Answer 4

Right now, there are a lot of good deals out there, and you can ask about the different rates for certain times of the year.  I would not pay the cruise line prices however, as they are higher than booking through someone like my favorite, and it is on the internet, and they will search for the best deals.  It 9is best to call different ones and compare the deals.

Depending on your accommodations, and the length of time you plan on, as well as airfare.  Prices vary, but you would probably be looking at $200.00 a day, for two people, and for 10 days, that is not bad at all.

There are also discounts, like for those who served in the military, seniors etc..

~

Answer 5

september still has good weather.  you can also try october.  it will not be cheap due to the dollar falling but it's cheaper than simply flying and staying in europe because your meals are taken care of.  considering that a coke can cost $10 this is quite a savings.

Answer 6

Your best price would be a cruise in the spring time or the fall time.  Prices vary from cruise to cruise. The biggest answer we can give you is Use a Travel agent and not just any travel agent use one that is a cruise specialist.

We would be happy to help you plan your cruise. WWW.MYVACATIONCENTER.COM

Last but not least.. Yes a cruise would make a great honeymoon.  

Contact us we have over 20 years cruising experience and it will not cost you anything to talk to us.  We also do not charge 'admin' fees.