Weather in the Mediterranean Summer

[Barbara B]

We are halfway through our BI cruise on the Regal and already (yes I know) thinking about booking something for 2025 (summer). Mediterranean seems to be what we want; however, we're not sure of the weather (the heat, in particular).

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Having cruised the Med in the summer and also with land vacations as well, it will be hot. Many of the historic sites are also outdoors and not in shade for example Pompeii, the Acropolis, the Pyramids, cruising down the Seine and the list goes on. Please factor this into your planning. There is generally a lot of walking so your personal health and tolerance plays a major role. Please keep us posted!

[capriccio]

Having lived in Rome for 5 years and Athens for 3 years, I concur with LouChamp.  It will be very hot and very crowded. 

[Tranquility Base]

Google………Cerberus heatwave.

Place your bets as to weather (sp intended) you think it will be better or worse in two years time.

[TW6cruiser]

We've found traveling to the Med. in May is nice. The weather is still warm (not hot) and less crowded.   We've had friends go in Sept. and they found the same. 

[Abercrombie2019]

We have done Rome to Venice (including Greece & Turkey) in August.  The coolest temperature on an excursion was 36 celsius (96.8 F).  The hottest day was in Turkey where it was 42 C (107.6 F) in Ephesus.  There were misting stations set up to cool everyone down.  We enjoyed every minute of it, but we do look like sweaty lobsters (red) in all of our photos (especially Pompeii and Ephesus).

[Daisyloo]

Our daughter and son-in-law cruised in July in the Med.  It was HOT!!! The temps were in the high 30's to low 40's.  Our son-in-law ended up with heat stroke after a strenuous excursion.  

My husband and I have been in the Med 5 times.  We were there in April, October, November and December and always had nice weather. The least crowded time was in December - it was great. The temps are nice for touring, with maybe only a light jacket needed.  

[ontheweb]

As others have said HOT!

 

If heat is going to bother you greatly do not even consider doing a Mediterranean cruise of in fact also a land trip there in the summer months.

[nzOdy]

We just did a Med cruise mid-late June,  we found it hot and as others have said shade is limited at most historic sites.  Worse than the heat was the humidity in Rome, we come from a generally dry climate,  so the humidity made it all so much more intense. Make sure you carry water and keep hydrated if you're going to visit in summer. I personally would go in spring/ fall months if I were to do it again.

[kiwimum]

The Acropolis closed today due to extreme heat, 105 degrees.   Definitely not a great time to be in Greece or Spain.   

[RD64]

Pompeii - August 15, 2012 - the heat was radiating off all of the stone. It was an inferno and I felt like I was being roasted alive. The metal rim of my sunglasses caused a first degree burn on my upper cheek. Never again in July or August.

 

I have since returned in September (better), but definitely prefer October.

[Justpackingmybags]

I’d always avoid August in the Med. France is on holiday en mass then, so ports such as Marseilles and the Cote D’Azur are at full capacity. And, yes, the heat! I know this summer is breaking records for temperatures but, being a fair skinned Celt, I prefer to go early or late season when it’s more comfortable. Having said that, early season this year, there was massive flooding in southern Spain. The western Med is a very port intensive cruise so make sure you build relaxation time in there.

[ontheweb]

11 hours ago, kiwimum said:

The Acropolis closed today due to extreme heat, 105 degrees.   Definitely not a great time to be in Greece or Spain.   

I was going to post about the Acropolis being closed, but you beat me to it. How disappointing that must have been for those who ended up not being able to go there is they were there for only 1 day on a cruise. I know standing in front of the Acropolis when we were in Athens for a cruise was totally awe inspiring.

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

 

 

 

Hi, I’m from the UK- We’ve cruised the Med in August twice. i have also travelled to various parts of the Med independently in the summer. Various parts of Greece & Spain predominantly.
 

We had insane temperatures the time we went to Livorno & travelled inland to Florence, hitting over 40C. (104F!!)The beauty of that city is incredible. The heat was awful.

Going just a little inland from a port, even if it’s the same temperature as the port can make a bearable 30C (85F) feel like 35C (95F)

Lisbon on another cruise in August also hit 40C. although that was better for a sea breeze

 

my advice- go May/June or late sept/oct if you’d like to be cooler

 

Also a consideration for some is Med cruises will be pretty full and will, from later July to early September, have more children on board so sailing at more than double occupancy. you would also need to pre book attractions you really want to go to. Queues can be hours long. And they could just turn you away

 

i can only travel in the summer holidays and I’ve really enjoyed my many times in the Med.

I’d prefer to travel in cooler temperatures but if you travel peak summer just be prepared  & plan accordingly. You’ll still have a good time

 

[ontheweb]

4 hours ago, JG&Lcruisingnewbies said:

 

 

 

 

Hi, I’m from the UK- We’ve cruised the Med in August twice. i have also travelled to various parts of the Med independently in the summer. Various parts of Greece & Spain predominantly.
 

We had insane temperatures the time we went to Livorno & travelled inland to Florence, hitting over 40C. (104F!!)The beauty of that city is incredible. The heat was awful.

Going just a little inland from a port, even if it’s the same temperature as the port can make a bearable 30C (85F) feel like 35C (95F)

Lisbon on another cruise in August also hit 40C. although that was better for a sea breeze

 

my advice- go May/June or late sept/oct if you’d like to be cooler

 

Also a consideration for some is Med cruises will be pretty full and will, from later July to early September, have more children on board so sailing at more than double occupancy. you would also need to pre book attractions you really want to go to. Queues can be hours long. And they could just turn you away

 

i can only travel in the summer holidays and I’ve really enjoyed my many times in the Med.

I’d prefer to travel in cooler temperatures but if you travel peak summer just be prepared  & plan accordingly. You’ll still have a good time

 

104F, Wow. It was only just below 100 the last time we sailed the Western Mediterranean, but that was more than enough heat!

 

We took a Florence on Your Own excursion because on our very first cruise I had got us on the train the wrong way, and we never made it to Florence. (DW did figure it out, and we at least got back with time to see Pisa.) We were very happy with the air-conditioned bus there and back

 

On the same overly hot summer, we instead actually did Rome on our own. When we got our traiin to go back to the port, it was overcrowded and way too hot. And that was even before a fight broke out on the train. DW said afterwards we should have spent the money to do another ship excursion.

[EDVM96]

16 hours ago, nzOdy said:

others have said shade is limited at most historic sites.

Literally no shadow at Akropolis in Athens and in Ephesus, Turkey. Same with Palatine Hill in Rome. But the Olympia historic site Katakolon / Pelopones has many olive trees that bring nice shadow.

 

16 hours ago, kiwimum said:

The Acropolis closed today due to extreme heat, 105 degrees. 

It was closed from noon to 5 PM today. As an early bird, you still have a chance to visit while on a cruise.

[sboh]

The Mediterranean is beautiful. If summer is when you can go then maybe try for early-mid June which might not be quite as hot as July/August. Also be prepared. I discovered the benefits of linen on my recent Mediterranean cruise. I usually wear cotton capris and t’s while touring but bought a pair of linen capris for this trip and what a difference they made. (The air seems to flow through them and no sweating at the waistline. TMI?) I was so glad Princess had self laundry’s, I washed them several times and have now purchased two additional pairs for a trip to France next summer. I also enjoyed doing the Mediterranean on a cruise because when I got back to the ship each afternoon I was able to spend an hour or so cooling off in the pool before dinner.

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

104F, Wow. It was only just below 100 the last time we sailed the Western Mediterranean, but that was more than enough heat!

 

 

That’s more than enough for me too!
 

Italy is just the worst at the moment. Rome is getting around 100F & it’s been sustained heat over many days with more heat to come. Rome is beautiful but so overcrowded it makes the heat feel much worse to me

 

Sardinia is forecast to hit 48C - 118F!!!!

Honestly I’m not convinced I’d leave the ship that day if that was the temperature. As it is the Italian authorities there are telling people to stay indoors between 11am-6pm & to check on elderly and/or Vulnerable people that you know

 

Europe heatwave: No respite in sight for heat-stricken southern Europe https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66212501

 

 

[LACruiser88]

We usually cruise the Med at least every other year.  We always choose to do the last Med voyage of the season and then the TA to Ft Lauderdale (back-to-back). 

 

This puts us in the Med in mid to late October.  Weather is never hot and ports are not crowded.  We also get to rest-up on the sea days back to Florida.

[dronnygirl]

May and September are the best months in the Med,  during July and August many of the Europeans are holidaying too so everywhere is very busy.

[Hlitner]

The "Med" is a big place and not all ports are the same.  Cruising the Greek Islands in the summer can be lots of fun (we have done it on cruise ships, a 20 person yacht, and island hopping by large ferry) and there are usually breezes to help deal with the hot days.  But, being in a places like Rome or Athens on a hot humid day can be a truly awful experience.  DW and I cruised the Med for many decades, prior to retirement, when we had no choice but go in late June through mid-August.  There were hot days, pleasant days, and very little rain.  Once we retired we did more Med traveling in March-June and Sept-Oct.  Temperatures have been better, but you can get a lot more rainy days.

 

Bottom line is that it is what it is!  The Med is our favorite part of the world for cruising, but the summer heat is certainly the big negative.

 

Hank

[Steelers36]

On 7/14/2023 at 4:55 AM, Barbara B said:

We are halfway through our BI cruise on the Regal and already (yes I know) thinking about booking something for 2025 (summer). Mediterranean seems to be what we want; however, we're not sure of the weather (the heat, in particular).

Another thought.  If you have to go in summer, why not do a Baltic Cruise and wait for the Med when you can go before or after summer?

[Hlitner]

14 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Another thought.  If you have to go in summer, why not do a Baltic Cruise and wait for the Med when you can go before or after summer?

To add a negative, the Baltic has lost part of its draw because of no more St Petersburg.  It still has some decent ports, but losing St P is a real bummer,  We have been favoring cruises that get us back to North America via Iceland, Greenland, and Canada.  Just a few short years ago this kind of itinerary was not very popular (except for the HAL Voyage of the Vikings cruise) but now, it has taken on a life of its own with more ships/lines following the path of the Vikings.  

 

Another interesting summer itinerary are the various cruises that circle the UK.

 

Hank

[Barbara B]

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful advice. I think we'll do Iceland/Norway in July '25 for our next cruise--now to pick an itinerary/ship!!! The hardest question.

[Tranquility Base]

1 hour ago, Barbara B said:

. I think we'll do Iceland/Norway in July '25 for our next cruise--now to pick an itinerary/ship!!! The hardest question.

When doing your research don’t forget the Dover - New York segment on the ‘25 World Cruise.

5 ports in Norway, 2 in Iceland, 2 in Greenland, 1 in Canada.