Off-season cruising in the Mediterranean offers bargain prices, fewer crowds

After a summer of overtourism in cruise ports such as Barcelona 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.