Yesterday, my husband brought up the idea of taking a repositioning cruise arriving in Venice near the end of February as we had tenatively planned to trip to Italy in the spring anyway (late March/April). Recognizing that days will be short & temps cool/cold, we're thinking the benefits of less crowds, lower accomodation rates may make it worthwile. We're not nightlife people & don't feel like we have to fill each day with sightseeing so seeing one or two sights a day with early evening dinner would be OK with us. I'm hoping that if we stick to major cities - Venice, Rome, Florence - we could hit the big sights during the expected shorter open hours. Also toying with the idea of heading to Greece.
We would appreciate comments/input from anyone who has done this or considered it. Thanks!
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8203 posts
I have been to Italy a couple of times at the end of February and found it a wonderful time. Yes, weather can be cooler (50's) but we usually had sun and temps pushing 70 as well. Just be prepared for cooler and rain. Sticking to the cities is a good plan, they will be active, but not overcrowded with tourists. Venice can get flooding (high tides or rain induced) but even that has it's own charm. Greece would be more limited to the Mainland (Athens and the major Arch sites) as the Islands would be all but shut down for the season, save a couple of the major ones.
Posted by
OP
Daphne, AL, USA
25 posts
Thanks for the input - we booked today & now I'm excited to start researching & making travel plans for after the cruise. Ralph, the repositioning cruise means that the ship is going one way only to a new base port (or in this case to drydock for renovation). For now, we're planning to stick to cities - Venice, Rome, Florence & since it's early on, I get 6 months to plan & dream.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Yes, your thinking is sound. A friend of mine who went to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel in January was actually able to enjoy them; he had been once before in September, and it was a madhouse. Late February, of course, won't be quite as deserted as January, but should be close. As long as you're prepared to focus on cities, and on indoor sights, you should have a great time, with smaller crowds. This also has the benefit of what Rick calls "step right up service" - since it's out of season, the locals aren't yet exhausted by catering to hordes of tourists. Not only do you save time with shorter lines, but the people you do deal with actually have time to be pleasant. Ralph: a repositioning cruise is one where a ship is taken from one region to another, usually between seasons. For instance, a ship that does Alaska cruises in the summer will be moved to the Caribbean for the winter. In this example, instead of going from Vancouver to Anchorage or vice versa as it did all summer, the ship might go from Vancouver via the Panama Canal to San Juan. So, these are special, longer than usual itineraries, with more days at sea and fewer port days.
Posted by
Ann Arbor, Mi
3696 posts
Check out the dates for Carnavale in 2013... don't know when it is, but it is a fabulous and unforgettable experience. Definitely crowds, but not like the summer. It is worth doing if you can. I was there a few years ago and although the weather was cool and misty it just added to the ambience. One day we took a day trip to Burano and the sun came out and it was warm and beautiful. Have a great trip.