Wandering the winding streets of the medieval old town in Split, Croatia, where a dominant feature is the 4th-century remnants of Roman Emperor Diocletian’s retirement palace, my husband, David, and I saw a line outside a fancy gelato shop and figured we best join it.
I couldn’t read the sign in Croatian so asked some local teenage girls what was going on. One explained the gelato was free that day because it was the end of the season.
Some of our friends thought we were insane booking a cruise off the Dalmatian Coast and Greek islands in late fall. Licking a cone of pistachio, it was obvious to me we made the right choice.
This was the only line of people we ever encountered on our entire trip as we hopped on the 606-passenger Crystal Symphony as part of a 10-night Venice to Athens Chairmen’s Cruise (with all-inclusive pricing from $6,200 per person).
During a November sailing, the writer encountered almost no crowds in the Croatian city of Split, which was founded as an Ancient Greek colony and later became a prominent Roman settlement.
Photo by Den Rozhnovsky/Shutterstock
The special sailing included a talk with Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, the owner of the two-ship luxury line Crystal Cruises, and Geoffrey Kent, founder and chairman emeritus of Abercrombie & Kent, the well-known luxury tour company. Cruise lines sometimes boost off-season sailings in this way, by adding special guests to lure more passengers.
Onboard Crystal Symphony, the pair launched a new casino named Le Casino de Monte-Carlo and held a session in which they entertainingly talked about their travel adventures—teasing each other as old friends do.
The ship was only about half full, which brought unexpected benefits. On the upper deck, David got full attention from the golf pro as he worked on his putting. There was no waiting for equipment at the gym or for spa appointments, and it was easy to make reservations at specialty restaurants—whether you craved perfect pasta and truffles at the Italian fine-dining venue named for d’Ovidio or sushi and Japanese-Peruvian fare at Umi Una, helmed by Nobu Matsuhisa.
With fewer passengers during the off-season, it’s easy to score coveted reservations at specialty Crystal Symphony restaurants like Japanese-Peruvian venue Umi Umi, from chef Nobu Matsuhisa.
Courtesy of Crystal
Crystal Symphony, a ship that’s more than 30 years old but never looked better (A&K purchased the two Crystal ships in 2022 and they were relaunched in 2023 after an extensive refurbishment), has the luxury of space even when it’s at maximum capacity. In our case, there were times during the day we could have played soccer beneath the waterfall in the ship’s stunning atrium there was so much space to spare.
By day, guests went ashore to do their own thing or on shore excursions offered by the cruise line. At night, despite the smaller crowd, there was a lively social scene complete with live entertainment, including show productions with singers and dancers performing, acts showcasing Broadway tunes and pop hits, visiting comedians and cabaret routines, and a late-night DJ spinning.
Of the guests onboard, many were Crystal loyalists. Couples ranged from those in their 40s and up, and some older travelers brought along their adult kids or grandkids. Several solo travelers were taking advantage of new oceanview guestrooms (added during the refurbishment), designed and priced for one (from $6,800 on our sailing).
Staterooms on Crystal Symphony range from the single guest rooms and double ocean view guest rooms (both up to 215 square feet) to sprawling penthouse suites, the largest 909 square feet with a 107 square-foot balcony.
For a splurge, Crystal Symphony offers a 909 square foot penthouse suite with a living area and large balcony.
Mark Luscombe-Whyte/Crystal
An area where the ship particularly shines is in the variety of public spaces, bars and lounges around every turn (including a pub and a cigar bar). Enrichment is a source of pride for Crystal, and on our cruise a historian, a former White House correspondent and a brain and memory expert all hosted enriching lectures.
The crew has always been a standout feature on Crystal ships. With fewer passengers, the staff on Crystal Symphony was in particularly good humor, some even enjoying leisure time ashore.
The guests on our off-season sailing also seemed more relaxed dress code-wise, which I consider another bonus. Most nights are “evening resort,” which allows for, according to the line, “dark-wash jeans with no rips.” Few wore tuxes or gowns on the more formal night.
Our itinerary was big on places with well-preserved, UNESCO World Heritage-recognized medieval old towns, complemented by temperatures that were mostly in the 60s, which was ideal for exploring.
Dubrovnik’s fortified old town and medieval architecture earned the Croatian city UNESCO World Heritage status in 1979.
Photo by DaLiu/Shutterstock
We docked in Dubrovnik on November 18, a national holiday remembering those who died in the Croatian War of Independence (1991 to 1995). The dramatically walled medieval old town was empty, most shops closed—a far cry from the throngs and action in summer. On a restaurant patio, we sat with pints of Croatian Karlovačko lager and watched local families strolling the main square.
We had to adjust to late fall sunrise and sunset times. This was a slight disadvantage cruising into Kotor, Montenegro in the early morning, the sail-in through the breathtaking fjord-like Bay of Kotor, partly in near-darkness.
Some guests headed up a canyon for a Via Ferrata hiking experience ($149 extra per person) on a track high above sea level. We instead walked through the 10th-century gate into the narrow alleyways of Kotor’s old town, where shopkeepers were offering end-of-season deals on leather goods and jewelry. I did a little holiday shopping, picking up a traditionally designed glass and filigree necklace for my stepdaughter.
On the Greek island of Corfu, a “Secrets of Greek Cuisine” shore excursion ($189 per person) took about 20 of us by bus to the neoclassical buildings of Corfu town, down empty streets, past empty beaches and into hills dotted with villas, some closed for the season. At one hillside residence, we sat poolside for a cooking class and meal.
A chef showed off her biceps while squeezing water from cucumbers to make Tzatziki, while a commentator with a great schtick suggested saving the cucumber water to mix with vodka and demonstrated how to apply the peels to your face as a beauty treatment. Our guide opined Corfu can be a bit boring during off season. I felt entirely otherwise.
Staying onboard one day, I admired the waterfront of Heraklion, Crete through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the elegant Palm Court observation lounge space. From my throne-like chair, I sipped Darjeeling tea from fine china and munched on scones with real clotted cream, while a pianist played “Where Have All the Flowers Gone.”
When a Type A like me takes an off-season cruise, a big plus is the downtime that forces me to slow down. There’s nothing boring about that.
Book now: A similar Athens to Venice 7-night sailing in April 2025 starts at $3,700 per person.