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Greek islands- honeymoon idea


crcossel
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Hello,

 

So I'm a veteran of cruising but all mass market ships. However we are getting married this fall but due to work restraints we are doing the honeymoon next year. Really interested in the European version on sunshine and warmth. So I've been looking at southern Mediterranean cruises and I'm a bit turned off by the idea of those big ship. We live in a place where we see huge yachts all the time and I think something that feels more like island hopping on a private yacht. We are 37 and 40 and homebodies at home but love good food and good music.

 

I'm comparing several ships and cruise lines but I'm

Most intrigued by sea dream for a couple reasons. I love the crew to guest ratio. And I am vegan and the idea that they can really cater to that is awesome.

 

My concerns are... will we love the relaxation or be bored? Will we be too young? I know drinks are included but any idea of Hendricks is included in that?

 

Port wise... I'm so conflicted at the options. I'm leaning towards Greek islands but I'm open. I'd love any advice you have for me!

 

Candice

 

 

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My husband and I (39 and 40) sailed SeaDream in the Caribbean (BVI) this winter and it was amazing. Our shipmates (yacht-mates?) were a range of ages, but people were social and active, so it didn't really make a difference how old anyone was. SeaDream itineraries are port-intensive so there is always a ton to do during the day if you want. Evenings are more low-key, with most people socializing around the bar, sometimes with music. Also, on our itineraries there were a few late evenings or overnights in port so if you wanted more nightlife you could find it ashore. And if it's your honeymoon, I'm sure you might also want some evening time in your cabin...:halo: The food is amazing and the staff will bend over backwards to accommodate your dietary needs and any special requests.

 

Can't help with itineraries. The Greek Isles sound amazing, but I've never been. With SeaDream, you likely can't go wrong. You can look at the schedule to see how many late or overnights in port there are, if that's important. Good luck and congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

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We have spent four weeks in the Med and Adriatic on SD. Look for reviews by Frequent Traveler to get an good idea of what to expect. if I remember correctly the first one was in 2012 and the second in 2014, theough it may have been 2010 and 2013.

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If doing the Greek islands, try to find an itinerary that includes Santorini. Alternatively, if the cruise starts in Athens, go a few days early, see a bit of Athens, then fly to Santorini, rent a car, and spend a couple of nights to adjust to the time zone. Santorini is VERY romantic.... And has some interesting things to do and see. On the other islands, try to get off the beaten track.

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I was 38 when I took my first SeaDream cruise. I think you'll fit right in, age wise.

 

As for Santorini, it is very romantic. However, you may want to make sure there won't be any other cruise ships coming there during your visit. On our last SeaDream cruise, we went to Santorini and there were two huge mega ships visiting at the same time. The streets were absolutely clogged by the huge influx of people. We ducked into a restaurant for lunch and by the time we finished, the other people had mostly gone. It was insane! I think my favorite stop on that trip was Fiskardo.

 

The last SeaDream cruise we did was Rome to Athens and it included a great mix of Italian and Greek ports. We had a fabulous time!

 

I think it may be time for another SeaDream cruise. It's been four years since my last one. Once you do one, you can get hooked! :hearteyes:

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If doing the Greek islands, try to find an itinerary that includes Santorini. Alternatively, if the cruise starts in Athens, go a few days early, see a bit of Athens, then fly to Santorini, rent a car, and spend a couple of nights to adjust to the time zone. Santorini is VERY romantic.... And has some interesting things to do and see. On the other islands, try to get off the beaten track.

 

 

 

Yes santorini is the one I most want to see.

 

 

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I was 38 when I took my first SeaDream cruise. I think you'll fit right in, age wise.

 

As for Santorini, it is very romantic. However, you may want to make sure there won't be any other cruise ships coming there during your visit. On our last SeaDream cruise, we went to Santorini and there were two huge mega ships visiting at the same time. The streets were absolutely clogged by the huge influx of people. We ducked into a restaurant for lunch and by the time we finished, the other people had mostly gone. It was insane! I think my favorite stop on that trip was Fiskardo.

 

The last SeaDream cruise we did was Rome to Athens and it included a great mix of Italian and Greek ports. We had a fabulous time!

 

I think it may be time for another SeaDream cruise. It's been four years since my last one. Once you do one, you can get hooked! :hearteyes:

 

 

 

Thank you! I am trying to avoid the big ships so hopefully they work around that. It does sound wonderful.

 

 

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If you are looking for sunny and warmth, you could probably go anywhere in Europe these days. We just returned from a river cruise in Spain and Portugal and the temps were upper 80's and lower 90's. A few years ago we sailed on SeaDream in the Norwegian fjords and it was 90 degrees. In the Med, we have done SD from Barcelona to Nice (stopped in Cannes during the film festival) and Barcelona to Lisbon, and next year will be doing Rome to Rome. I've already made it clear we are doing the Greek islands in 2019. You will always get some ports where there are big ships, but most of the ports will be places too small for them to go. (Just saw that Lisbon is building a new cruise terminal because they have days when there are more than 16,000 passengers in the city.) Availability of water sports largely depends upon the weather and the seas. Safety is a primary concern. Also, some ports do not permit water sports, and some restrict it to non-motorized. Hard to tell in advance if you will be able to swim or jet-ski, but if it can be done, they will do it.

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  • 1 month later...
If doing the Greek islands, try to find an itinerary that includes Santorini. Alternatively, if the cruise starts in Athens, go a few days early, see a bit of Athens, then fly to Santorini, rent a car, and spend a couple of nights to adjust to the time zone. Santorini is VERY romantic.... And has some interesting things to do and see. On the other islands, try to get off the beaten track.

 

My wife and I did Greek Isles last year and LOVED IT!!! As noted by Ragnar, we started in Athens and spent several days wandering around and glad we did. Due to all the issues in Turkey, our cruise was changed to RT Athens which was fine. It's a great mix of little islands seldom visited by other cruise ships and a few of the "big name" ports including Santorini and Mykonos. We loved Santorini but my advice is to get off the ship early as more cruise ships will arrive and it will get very crowded trying to get up to the town (you have a choice of gondola or donkey). We wandered around with another couple on our own and found a great restaurant with a wonderful view and just took it all in...The tiny islands are just as wonderful (Hydra, Syfnos, Naxos, etc.).

With regards to guest mix, I think you will find a wide variety. We are in our 50's (still consider that very young:')) and had everything from a couple of families with very well behaved older teenagers up to folks who were probably in their 80's but I'd say most were in their 40's and 50's. And regardless of age, we've just always found that SD attracts the best passengers of all ages and you will find people you enjoy hanging out with (or be on your own, up to you!).

I can't say we've ever been bored on SeaDream. The watersports marina will be out parts of each day in many cases so that gives you chances to play with the toys. The pool area is great to hang out as is the Top of the Yacht Bar. But then again, we're doing the Trans Atlantic this fall for second time, 13 days at sea, and we don't get board then either.

With regards to the specific liquor, I can't say. You could call the offices and ask.

And by the way, if you do go, be sure to request the outdoor bed up front for one night, ask to have it set up for dinner too. They will do it all for you, no extra cost! It's a wonderful place to lie out and enjoy the stars.

 

Congrats on the wedding!

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  • 2 months later...

We just finished a trip through the Cyclades: Santorini, Mykonos, Sifnos, Patmos, Spetses, Hydra, Nafplion (not an island), Naxos...

 

So I can help answer questions about those. Just about every tour on our ship was cancelled due to lack of participation. So, we kind of scrambled to make sure we covered everything we wanted...but it worked out.

 

It's an amazing trip!!

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Curious as to why the land adventures were cancelled. Was the ship not full? Had the passengers been to all the ports before? Were the excursions too expensive, and people booked their own? In the past, we found it practical to find a taxi at the port and just have the driver take us around.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Curious as to why the land adventures were cancelled. Was the ship not full? Had the passengers been to all the ports before? Were the excursions too expensive, and people booked their own? In the past, we found it practical to find a taxi at the port and just have the driver take us around.

 

All of the above: Ship only had 70 passengers. Some people thought the tours were too expensive for what you got. Many in our group wanted to just wander the shops rather than see things further out.

 

In Mykonos, for example, catching the Ferry to Delos and doing a tour there is very easy...but it was not offered nor talked about. So, do your research if you are looking to explore more as the ship tours don't always happen. The concierge and other staff REALLY tries to give advice, but SeaDream doesn't visit the same ports over and over and over, like big box ships so sometimes they don't have all the info.

 

Grabbing a taxi can work..where there ARE taxis. Not every island has them easily accessible. The busses were pretty good on many islands though.

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