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Does anyone have any info on this cruise line? I have a friend thinking about a trip in the fall with this line and I can't find any info on the line.

 

Thanks!:D

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Louis are based in Cyprus and operate a variety of ships (older ones).

 

They often charter out their vessels for long periods of time to third parties who market them themselves. For example Thomson Holidays (Part of TUI) cruise division use Louis ships.

 

They operate some cruises themselves mainly short 'mini-cruises' from Cyprus and Piraeus.

 

Here is their website http://www.louiscruises.com/aboutus.htm

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Nobody has posted regarding Louis Cruises that I've found. I am booked to go on the Greek Island cruise this June and will let you know my experience then. I don't know if that will be too late for your friend. I did contact Louis via e-mail to find out if they have a ping-pong table on the ship, as we are fanatics. They were very prompt with a warm and friendly response that they did have a ping-pong table.

 

Sherry

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  • 3 weeks later...

I was aboard the Louis Cruise Line MV Sapphire from April 23 to May 1, 2005 and thoroughly enjoyed the cruise. There were 28 Americans and 600+ French, Italian, Slovene, and Dutch passengers. The crew spoke fluent English and seemed very pleased to have us. All passengers were very cordial. The ship is old but clean. If you are a person who likes to complain there would be plenty to find to complain about. This cruise line is not for everyone but for us it was a real adventure and European enrichment. The highlight was a visit to Libya where the ruins at Leptis Magna were spectacular. The Libyan people made us feel extremely welcome. I have been on 11 cruises..(9) cruise lines and I would compare this to Royal Olympia….we had sailed with the Voyager in the past. We have also taken the Splendor Med cruise from Barcelona. The entertainment was mostly in French but very professional. My wife and I enjoyed the food but some others complained. There is a small casino. We took the train from Civitavecchia to Rome and back instead of the ship’s tour and visited the Catacombs. I have been monitoring Cruise Critic for several years and could find very little about Louis Cruise Lines. That’s why I am submitting this info. We took a chance and had one of the best cruise vacations ever. Again it is not the Ritz and not for everyone but in my opinion a good value and wonderful itinerary. We booked through the agent in Texas whom I discovered on the internet.

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I was aboard the Louis Cruise Line MV Sapphire from April 23 to May 1, 2005 and thoroughly enjoyed the cruise. There were 28 Americans and 600+ French, Italian, Slovene, and Dutch passengers.

Frankly, I'm surprised that there were as many as 28 Americans! Louis will be marketing the Piraeus-based Greek Isles itineraries in the US, but previously I did not think that there had been any active marketing of Louis in the US at all so I would have expected the US passenger count to be rather closer to 0. I only know one other American who has been on Louis, and he's a ship nut (even more than I am ;) !) who has been on ships and lines so obscure that they make Louis look like Royal Caribbean.

 

SAPPHIRE is a nice-looking ship with a very interesting history... Among other things she was one of the very first Princess ships (chartered from Costa, at the time - ironic as Princess and Costa are now both part of Carnival).

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Doug,

Take a look at the SterlingVacations website. They are the preferred suppliers in the US for Louis Cruise lines and also the Dalmacia. I was told by the some of Sapphire crew that there were 43 Americans on the preceeding cruise to Egypt. I know we are not supposed to identify suppliers but I think you will be quite surprised. I am not associated with this organization nor involved in any travel marketing. The owners have impressive credentials including past presidency of your national travel organization. I originally found out about Sterling through a listing on Travel Zoo. I found quite a write-up at the Travel Trade professional website, and researched Louis (LUI) through the Cyprus stock exchange. I did not list my E-mail but would converse with you if you like.

Sincerely, ....ChrisCraft-63

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I am a travel agent and recently attended seminar from Louis cruises. They are trying to promote them in USA. What the previous posts here say are true. It is a very good product but not for everyone. Most Americans prefer larger ships and view cruise ships as more time to meant to spent on the ship, therefore amenities of mega liners. In smaller European cruise lines like Luis, emphasis is on destinations, ports. Nevertheless, the ships are very comfortable, cabins are large, and food they told is authentic European. In American ships, the food is more adjusted to US palates. The ships are old but what they said "like beautiful mature woman" :) .

What I liked that they give an opportunity to take shorter cruises and disembark in any other port. They also allow passengers to get off in port, let's say Canary islands, or Mykonos spend a some time there and then board another Louis ship again and continue their trip. The ownership is Greek. These and Star cruises filled in space in marketing left by bankrupt Royla Olympic cruise lines. They usually do not sell their cruises alone but with Greek tour operators since they supplement cruises with island and Athens stays. That's why you do not see it advertising separately, mostly in Greek tour operators brochures.

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We are two grandparents who have are taking two grands (age 11 &13) on a trip to Greece in August 2006. We have been looking at Homeric Tours which feature many land or land /cruise combo tours at fairly reasonable prices. The cruise portions utilize Louis Cruise lines. They have some suites that sleep four. I guess I am asking--yea or ney form anyone who has done this.

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ChrisCraft,

 

How much did people dress up on your cruise? I'd purchased a beautiful evening gown for the cruise we were supposed to be on and now assumed I wouldn't be able to wear it on the "Greek Islands only" cruise we will now be doing. However, you mentioned there were mainly Europeans on your cruise and I know they frequently dress up more.

 

Sherry

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Svanelle,

I was on a Louis 8 day cruise and there were 2 "dressy" nites. You would have been out of place with an elegant evening gown. Most women wore a nice dress or pants and a nice blouse. Most men wore a suit or jacket. There were no Tux'es. Regarding other dress during the day, no one wore anything fancy. Some Women's European styles are colorful and there was a lot of henna hair. A lot of people wore jeans but the jeans are of a different style than that in the U.S. I believe that anything will fit in and you shouldn't wouldn't worry about it. My wife wore what I call "pedal pushers?" I would just wear what you do at home. No one really notices the difference and you won't feel conspicuous or out of place. Try to pack lite. One thing of importance on the Sapphire though. The ship is 110 volts like here in the U.S. but the sockets are two round prong European so one would need an adapter. You should inquire about the voltage on ship you are going on.

Regards.....:) ChrisCraft-63

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ChrisCraft-63,

I´m from Brazil, and I have some doubts about the cruises on MV Sapphire.

You said that the ship is old but clean , do you mind telling me what cabin did you stay? And what was your impression about it ?

What about the food ?

Do you recommend this ship ?

 

DEBYCARD-BR

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DEBYCARD-BR

We were in Cabin 226, outboard with porthole. Our Stewardess was from Rumania and did an excellent job. This cabin was large and could sleep 3 as an upper and lower bunk was on the outboard side. There were two closets with plenty of space. A laarge dresser with 4 drawers and a slide-out writing desk. Individual lights over each bed. As a rule though, my wife and I prefer the upper decks and not this low. The bathroom was small but adequate. Good shower water pressure and hot. Here again, not a marble bathroom like the hotels in Marseille and Genoa where we stayed but we paid a lot less. You could hear thru the wall if someone coughed loudly but We have had the highest category penthouse suite on Carnival Conquest and you could hear through that wall also. Regarding the food, some complained that the deserts were not that fancy and they could make that at home. Maybe so but we liked them. Food was typical beef, lamb, fish, pork, etc. House wine was 15 Euros a bottle and very good. They did charge for bottled water at dinner. The ship uses Euros and not dollars. As with other ships all is charged with the card except the casino. We ate on deck for breakfast and lunch. It was typical buffet with a station for omlets in the morning. At lunch they grilled brats, chops, chicken, beef, lamb on different days, and had pizza, roast, and a special pasta station every day. There was usually a long line for the pasta station. The buffet had all types of salads, fish, chicken, beef, etc. There were no hot dogs or hamburgers for lunch. For dinner there were alternatives such as hamburgers, etc. One down side was management of coffee. Europeans drink a lot of tea and espresso and add water and milk and it is not so simple. They had an attendant for coffee on deck and there usually was a line. Coffee is not available continuously thruough the day like other cruise lines.

If you have doubts, I wouldn't go,:( because this ship and probably the other Louis ships are whatever you make it. There is no comparision between the Sapphire and the high end ships like Crystal or the Raddison. There is also a whale of a difference in the cost. I would recommend the ship to the right person. There is no glitz, but also it is not stark. You get what you pay for. If you are prone to sea-sickness, I would get the ear patch to be safe as the ship is only 12,000 tons....10 times smaller than Carnival Conquest. All of the Europeans aboard seemed like average people to me. I didn't see anybody that looked or acted like an uppity-up. We went mainly for the itinarary. I would go on Louis again.:)

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  • 3 weeks later...

ChrisCraft, I really enjoyed your review. We are booked for Sept/05, 3 days in Athens, a 4 day Classical bus tour & a 7 day Greek Island cruise, with Louis Cruises. We were originally cruising with ROC, we haven't been told what ship we'll be on yet.

I appreciate your positive outlook. When travelling you need an open mind. We have taken 2 Med cruises with Sun Cruises, & really enjoyed them. Great itineraries & interesting people, from all over the world. Not 5 star but lots of FUN.

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I've been researching the new Louis owned ship, Perla. Reviews have not been good. Here is something I found while web surfing.

 

Message 1:- You were talking about the Perla on your web-site, so I thought that you may like a little feed back on the current state of the ship. My wife and I just returned from a cruise on the Perla. We were on the Aegean cruise between May 6 and May 13, 2005. It was awful. The entire ship stank of diesel fuel; the cabins, which obviously had not been refreshed since 1971, were old, tired and run down. The food was ordinary, the dining room dark and gloomy. Many passengers (including both my wife and I) got colds because of the filthy ventilation system. It was, all in all, a bad experience. I highly recommend that the ship be thoroughly cleaned and its diesel fuel handling system be repaired before it ever be allowed to sail again.

Message 2:- We took the PERLA on the COSMOS 7-day Greek Island cruise from May 6-13, 2005 and this ship was the worst excuse for a floating tub that I have been on. Throughout the cruise the entire ship, public areas and cabins, reeked of diesel fuel. Towels and bed linens washed in the ship's laundry smelled of diesel fuel. It was nauseating. Our cabin 245 on Caribbean Deck had cracked glass over the faded print on the wall, one entrance wall coat hook was missing entirely and half of a towel hook in the bathroom was broken off. The bed cover was threadbare and the sheets often had holes. Frequently there was no cold water for the scalding hot shower.

Also check the threads a few down from this on this site. No one seems pleased with the Aegean cruise ship Perla at this time.

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We just returned from a trip to Greece and we went on the Louis Cruise ship Calyspo it was very nice. It is and older ship that has been refurbished, the food and the entertainment were very good. You can not compare this ship to newer ships but we enjoyed our time on the boat. I spoke to people that were on the Perla and they were not as happy with their experience.

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Lorelle,

 

When are you going? We will be going in June this year. It would be fun to know someone else. I live in Iowa, but spend some time near Ft. Myers.

 

Sherry

Are you going on a go ahead tour? We just returned from a tour of the Greek Islands, 4 day cruise on the Calypso and an extention to Istanbul we had a great time, hope that you have a good time also. Lorelle
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Dear Lorelle,

 

I'm glad to hear you had a great time. We are leaving in two weeks. I would love to hear more about your trip, as we are starting out in Istanbul and then heading to Greece. It sounds like your ship was better than the one we are scheduled on, the Perla. Scary reviews on that. We were originally scheduled to go on the Radisson Diamond, but that was sold and cancelled. Our only option, in order to stay with our original itinerary was to go with Louis Cruise Lines and the Perla. Instead of cruising from Istanbul to Athens, we now have to fly, but we are still getting to the places we want to see. I am HOPEFUL that some of the problems will be resolved by the June sailings, but I know that shabby carpet and the like cannot.

 

Any other input about your trip would be great!

 

Sherry

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Are you on a tour? or doing it on your own? I really loved Istanbul we stayed in the old town and it is a beautiful city. Lorelle PS we were on the Perla for 1 day our tour company used it to take our group from Crete to Mykonos and the the people that I spoke to thought it was ok.

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Thanks for the helpful info. We're booked on the Perla, too, with GoAhead vacations for a 3-day cruise as part of the tour. I hope they improve on these problems before we go. And the info from others on cruise dress code was really helpful. Don't women always seem to worry about these things? I do--and usually it's wasted worry. Will look for more info at this link as people give feedback. Thanks, everyone!

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I read the reviews of the Perla last week and got scared, so my son and I are now going on the Viking Yacht Cruise for 7 days. The travel agent told me we would be on the Calypso, but I didn't see anything showing that that ship went on more than 4-day cruises. I hope we made the right decision. This is a very small, but new, ship/yacht and only carries 40 people.

 

Does anyone know about this company?

 

Grace

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  • 4 weeks later...

1. We looked into getting on Calpyso for a 7 day cruise. But we decided that instead of cruising from Athen, we want to fly in to Istanbul. This would give us 1 more land day to spend in Istanbul instead of on the sea. Because of this, our ship got changed to Coral. Does anyone know anything about Coral?

 

2. Also, we are bringing our 2-year old toddler and 6-month old infant, a major undertaking. Any suggestions on traveling with small kids in Greece and Turkey?:rolleyes:

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I am a travel agent and recently attended seminar from Louis cruises. They are trying to promote them in USA. What the previous posts here say are true. It is a very good product but not for everyone. Most Americans prefer larger ships and view cruise ships as more time to meant to spent on the ship, therefore amenities of mega liners. In smaller European cruise lines like Luis, emphasis is on destinations, ports. Nevertheless, the ships are very comfortable, cabins are large, and food they told is authentic European. In American ships, the food is more adjusted to US palates. The ships are old but what they said "like beautiful mature woman" :) .

What I liked that they give an opportunity to take shorter cruises and disembark in any other port. They also allow passengers to get off in port, let's say Canary islands, or Mykonos spend a some time there and then board another Louis ship again and continue their trip. The ownership is Greek. These and Star cruises filled in space in marketing left by bankrupt Royla Olympic cruise lines. They usually do not sell their cruises alone but with Greek tour operators since they supplement cruises with island and Athens stays. That's why you do not see it advertising separately, mostly in Greek tour operators brochures.

I have been researching itineraries for a possible family trip to Greece. I am intrigued with the idea of the hop on-hop off of this cruise. How does it work? I am also hoping for better news on Perla. I took the same itinerary with ROC's Odysseues in '96 and loved it! I was hoping to take my step kids on it again when I found out they went bankrupt.

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  • 1 month later...
Lorelle,

 

When are you going? We will be going in June this year. It would be fun to know someone else. I live in Iowa, but spend some time near Ft. Myers.

 

Sherry

 

Hi,

 

I live in Iowa also and have been researching Louis Cruise Lines.

If you have the time I would really appreciate your thoughts on the cruise.

 

Thanks,

Jerry

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