Mediterranean cruise holidays

The countries of the Med span several different time zones. On a Med holiday with us you’re likely to spend your days in the following time zones:

Central European Time (CET) and one hour ahead of the UK: France, Monaco, Spain, Gibraltar, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro and Malta

2 hours ahead of the UK: Greece and Turkey

Euros: Spain, France, Monaco, Montenegro, Italy, Malta, Greece, Croatia

Gibraltar Pound (and Euros often accepted unofficially): Gibraltar

Lira: Turkey

Spring

Springtime is a wonderful season to explore the Med. The temperature is likely to be comfortably warm, with bright days and clear skies. As it isn’t the high season there’ll be less visitors, so easier to soak up the glorious sights.

Summer

The Med, quite simply, is made for the summer. Long, hot days ideal for beach basking and al fresco eating. Sea conditions during this time are the smoothest too.

Autumn

The weather begins to cool down, and there is a greater chance of rain. Much like the springtime it’ll be quieter than in the summer months, ideal for discovering the region’s rich history, art and culture.   

Winter

Generally temperatures will be a lot colder, however some places like Malta can experience temperature highs of 21℃. 

The Mediterranean Sea spans twenty sovereign countries in Southern Europe, the Levant and North Africa regions, in addition to two island nations located in it (Malta and Cyprus). On a P&O Cruises Mediterranean cruise holiday you can sail to countries including; Spain, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Montenegro, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Malta and Turkey.

If you fancy learning a bit of the local lingo before your Med holiday, here are the countries you may visit and the languages spoken:

Croatia: Croatian

France: French

Gibraltar: The official language is English, but most also speak Spanish

Greece: Greek

Italy: Italian

Malta: Maltese and English

Monaco: French is the official language, but many of the population also speak Italian

Montenegro: Montenegrin

Spain: Spanish is the most widely spoken official language, but some regions also speak: Catalan, Galician, Basque and Occitan

Turkey: Turkish

During the daytime in the summer months, you can pack as you would if you were home: t-shirts, short, dresses, sunhats, sunglasses, flip-flops and water shoes.

During the cooler months, light layers and a light jacket would be a sensible addition. As the Med is a sight-seeing hotspot, a comfy pair of walking shoes is recommended too.

Depending on the dress code on board, you have two choices of what to pack for the evenings. Nights where the dress code is Evening Casual, you can pack your best shirts, dresses and smart, dark denim. For nights where the dress code is Black Tie, make sure to pack your best tux, suit or cocktail dress.

There are some venues on each ship where dress codes don’t apply, so make sure to check your Horizon paper that’s delivered to your cabin each day to check where these are, as they vary ship by ship. For those travelling on family-friendly ships, dress codes also don’t apply to children aged 17 and under.    

For more information on our on-board dress codes, please see here.

Visas aren’t required for Mediterranean holidays with us on stays shorter than 90 days. However you’ll need to ensure that your passport is valid for at least six months beyond the period of stay. Further official travel advice can be found on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice