The demand for off-season and shoulder-season European cruises has increased this year, prompting cruise lines to offer more itineraries during this time.
Travellers are increasingly opting to visit popular tourist destinations in the low season in order to avoid the overcrowding and high prices of peak periods. The increase in off-season travellers has caused Condé Nast Traveller to list off-season travel as one of the biggest travel trends for 2024, and the cruise industry is no different.
Windstar Cruises made the announcement recently that Star Legend will sail the Mediterranean in the northern winter season for the first time this year and will call in Genoa, a new destination for the cruise line, during the winter season.
Cruises International, which represents Windstar Cruises in the local market, said that positive feedback and an influx of bookings and demand have led the luxury small-ship cruise line to enhance their winter Mediterranean deployment with five new itineraries and opportunities to book longer voyages.
Henuti Purshotam, Marketing and Product Contractor at Cruises International, said: “Winter is when the locals across the Mediterranean come out to play. The streets are more relaxed, giving guests time to mingle with residents and enjoy local festivals.” She explained that South African travellers who do not need to stick to school holidays to plan their vacations are increasingly choosing off-season cruises to take advantage of lower fares.
“But the shift is driven by several factors,” she said. “Travellers can enjoy popular tourist destinations without the large crowds, making for a more relaxed and intimate experience. Off-season cruises also often include unique itineraries and shore excursions that might not be available during peak times.”
Gaynor Neill, MD at from Cruise Vacations, has also seen an increase in travellers looking to avoid the crowds of the peak season by booking shoulder season cruises, “We have always had a consistent Med trade throughout the season, but we have got a lot of bookings this year on either side of the July-August peak season, so there is definitely an increase.”
Neill explained that Cruise Vacations offers boutique, luxury cruises with fewer passengers and so in terms of queues onboard, tours and tendering to and from the ship, the cruise line can deal with the numbers and avoid a feeling of crowding.
However, this is not the case when the ship docks at a popular European destination. “Take Dubrovnik as an example. It’s all very well that you travelled on a boutique cruise ship. Once you get to the shore you are going to be among crowds – there is no way around it,” she said.
Off-season favourites
MSC said that the line has seen 35% of its South African cruisers choosing to book cruises out of the European peak summer season. These travellers particularly favoured the destinations of Genoa, Venice and Barcelona.
Purshotam said that Cruises International has found the Canary Islands, Italy, the Caribbean, the South Pacific and the Greek Isles to be most popular with off-season travellers. “For South Africans looking to enjoy off-season travel with Windstar Cruises, these destinations provide a mix of adventure, culture, and relaxation,” she said.
Neill agreed that off-season travel to the Greek Isles was gaining popularity. “Our Med cruise season runs from April to October, and in October we have popular cruises to the Greek Isles because the weather is still favourable in Greece later in the year,” she explained.
“Travel to Europe is going to become very expensive while the Paris Olympics are running this summer, so there are many excuses to look for something more off-beat this year,” concluded Neill.
