Louis Hellenic Cruises questions

[pem309]

We are traveling on an organized tour of Turkey with a Greek Island cruise from November 3rd to November 14. We have been informed the cruise company is the Louis Hellenic cruise line, but do not know yet which ship it will be. Our tour embarks from Kusadasi in Turkey on 11/9. That day we will visit Patmos. Here we have booked a 2 hr tour of the Monastery of St. John and the Grotto of the Apocalypse. On the 10th we visit Rhodes. Here we have booked a 41/2 hr tour of Rhodes and Lindos. On the 11th we will visit Heraklion, Crete. We have a 31/2 hr tour of the Palace of Knossos. On 11/12 we disembark at Piraeus and end the cruise. That day we have a half day in Corinth and a half day in Athens, where we spend the night. We then have a free day in Athens before returning home. With this itinerary any thoughts on which ship it is likely to be?

 

My questions are, any thoughts on the cruise line on what we should expect. I realize you cannot be specific with out the actual ship. What amenities will we have? What should we expect food wise? We upgraded to an outside cabin. What that a mistake? Are there other sites we should try to see? What should we plan for Santorini? What should we plan for our free day in Athens? We would appreciate any information you could give us on our itinerary. Also this time of November what will the weather likely to be? Should we just leave the shorts and swim suits at home?

[T. Advisor King]

Pem,

 

My review of the Louis Aquamarine, which remains at the top of the list of recent posts on this board, should answer many of your questions about "what to expect" on a Louis Cruises vessel. I don't know the cruise line well enough to guess at the ship, so maybe someone else has the answer. Alternatively, you should be able to go to the Louis Cruises website and figure it out based on the itineraries posted for each ship.

 

If you have any more specific questions, just post another reply. My review gives my detailed assessment of the ship and the cruise, with information provided under a number of easy-to-find headings (e.g., "cabins", "ship", "food", "beverages").

 

Whether or not to book an outside cabin is a matter of personal preference and economics. I rarely hear from anyone who actually prefers an inside cabin, but it always comes down to a question of how much you're willing to pay for the window. We've always got an outside cabin on our more recent cruises.

 

The question of what to do in Santorini may come down to how much time you have there. We arrived some time around 4:00 or 5:00 PM and were back on board and seated in the dining room before the sun set. As you will see from my review, my family and I are more of a "do it yourself" group, so the only packaged excursion we bought was in Kusadasi. By the time we made it up the cliff in Santorini, walked around and bought some t-shirts and a couple small souvenirs, it was time to head back down and board the ship. It is so picturesque that I think I could have been up there for hours without putting my camera down, so I don't know how long I'd have to be in Santorini before I actually started looking for something to do. If you're planning on "going to watch the sunset", just make sure you know in advance when the sun is setting (check a sun rise/sunset table) to be sure it fits with the ship's schedule.

 

As for Athens, I would think it is almost a crime to go to Athens for the first time and not see the Acropolis/Parthenon. We also took the funicular up Mt. Lycabettus, a hill that overlooks the Acropolis. It provides the best view of Athens and is quite spectacular.

 

As far as weather, I'd simply consult a weather website for your dates. I presume "11/9" is November 9th. Most Europeans would read that as "the 11th of September", so it is one of those conventions that is opposite in different parts of the world.

[Essiesmom]

I cruised in 2005 on Calypso as part of a Greece tour. I found the ship to be vary basic, but the food and service were excellent. But with six islands in four days, who cares if there is no entertainment or casino...Consult this site:

http://www.cruisetimetables.com

and use the upper list of ports as your departure port, and then choose the month you are sailing. It will tell you the ships leaving from the port and their itinerary. That should help you narrow down the ship choice. EM

[YoungDubFan]

From your descriptions, it sounds like the Aquamarine. I also have a review posted from my cruise in May. Search this forum for Louis Cruise and you will find it. I did not book any ship excursions. You can do a lot of research before hand on tripadvisor.com. For each island, search cruise port stop and you will find all the directions needed to see most things on your own and not have to use the overpriced excursions. I was able to book a private tour of Ephesus online that was much cheaper than what the ship was charging. It was nice to have a guide devoted to 2 of us versus the ships groups of close to 50 people. You can also use taxi's in Crete to get to the palace of Knossos, again much cheaper than booking an excursion. Do some research before hand and you will be fine.

[pem309]

Thanks for the replies. I now have a question on the beverages. Are there any beverages that are included in our price or is everything extra? Are water, coffee, tea, etc included with the meals? What is the approximate cost for the beverage packages in US dollars? Does one package include both of us, or I suppose we each need our own?

Thanks

[YoungDubFan]

Coffee / tea / water was avail at breakfast. I think water was avail at lunch. I don't know about dinner because we just used our drink cards.

[T. Advisor King]

I can't add much to that. I made a point of getting a copy of the drink plan cost schedule, but somewhere in a month of travelling, it didn't end up in any of the stuff we brought home -- unless it is in a pile somewhere that I just can't find.

 

I recall the alcoholic beverage plan being 28 Euros per person per day. I thought I saw somewhere here that it is only availalbe if everyone (all adults) in the same cabin sign on. The non-alcoholic was about half that amount, I think, maybe a little less.

[pem309]

Thanks for the replies. Those of you who used the beverage plan, do you feel it was worth the expense. At 28 euros per day per person, that is about $36 US per day if I have my conversion rate correct. That seems really expensive. We are not big drinkers, but enjoy a drink or two with dinner and if there is time during the day when we are just relaxing may want something to drink. If we do tours at each of our stops will we have any time to just relax?

[YoungDubFan]

For my friend and I, it was a good deal. We each normally had 1-2 beers or drinks with lunch and then a few glasses of wine with dinner and afterwards, especially if we went to the show. The drink plan also covered sodas. You will have to figure out how much you plan to drink and then decide if it is worth it for you.

[T. Advisor King]

The soda cups are so small and they're half filled with ice. I bought a jumbo size coke from McDonald's in one of the ports. It took four Louis soda cups to fill it up. Now assume those Louis cups were half filled with ice, and you're talking 7 or 8 Louis soda cups to fill up a jumbo McDonald's cup. Put it another way, if you are paying by the glass, you will pay $19-22 for the equivalent of a jumbo size McDonald's cup of soda (i.e., 7 or 8 X $2.75). So it's not a matter of whether you plan to drink a lot of booze, it's more a function of whether it will be hot out and whether you will get thirsty.

 

The only alternative for cold beverages is water and there are only a couple publicly available dispensers that I ever saw. Otherwise you're going to the bar and getting your water about 6 oz at a time.

[gebo]

Yikes, I'm getting thirsty just reading this!

Question: Casino. dollars, euros, or plastic?

[YoungDubFan]

Can't help with the casino. We didn't give them any money.

[gebo]

what is provided in the bath/shower? Shampoo, conditioner, lotion? I need to know what to bring with. :)

[MS52]

We were on the Aquamarine in May 2010. Had a wonderful time but it is the most basic of ships - don't expect a lot and you won't be disappointed. The food was good. We purchased drink cards and felt that they were worthwhile. The itinerary is to die for! It is so beautiful in that part of the world. Enjoy!!

[golfergal]

We just got back from a Louis cruise doing Athens to Santorini. We were on the Calypso, which is exactly the same itinerary as the Aquamarine. We were amazed at how little time they gave Santorini - CRAZY. While we weren't on the Aquarmarine, I would think it is far better than the Calypso, so I would push hard for the Aquarmarine. The Calypso was pathetic as a cruise ship and we went in with very low expectations. The staff and crew were great, but the ship was real basic - even for Louis. I would think in November you would be really lacking things to do on such a basic ship. At first we thought it would be fine as our time between ports we wanted to just relax in the sun. Well, no loungers by the pool, just tables for the buffet lunch and then tea time. So laying out in the sun got hot with no way to cool off. We also got to port a little later than the other ship as our ship was so much slower.

 

We did Ephesus through the ship and it was fine. We usually don't book excursions through the ship, but with the limited time in port, we didn't want to risk it.

 

We had a superior outside cabin, which was fine. There was shampoo and soap only. Drink plan was definitely worth it for us. Surprisingly, we didn't hit the casino, but I would assume euros as that was all that was taken on the ship elsewhere. The food was OK, but we also ate off the ship as much as possible, which made it far for bearable.

[golfergal]

One more thing that really annoyed us was that they dropped a half an hour off the stops. With that little time in port (except Rhodes) a half an hour can make a difference - well, it did for us at least.

[BarbInNY]

Hi pem,

I took a similar cruise with Louis in 2008. Our itinerary started and ended in Athens (Piraeus), stopped at the ports you're going to,and we also stopped in Mykonos, Kusadasi and Istanbul. We were on the Cristal, and found it to be quite nice. Got the drink plan, and didn't feel it was worth it for us. Seems you have to drink a lot to make it worth the money. You can buy bottled water cheap in port and bring it back on the ship. Food was very good and plentiful. Entertainment was sub-par, especially if you're used to the big cruise lines. Cabins were nice and roomy, we had an ocean view.

 

Heraklion is a waste of time IMO, so the Knossos tour is a great idea, wish we'd done that. Santorini, such a beautiful place, but it seems they don't stop there for long! We just walked around and shopped, and had Greek coffee in a little cafe overlooking the water. At the other ports we just got a taxi to take us around. In Patmos you don't really need a guide, just grab a cab as you get off the ship and have them run you up to the monastary. They know how much time you need to see the Cave of the Apocalypse and monastary and will come back for you at an agreed upon time, then you pay them when they bring you back to the ship. In Rhodes we had a wonderful cab driver take us around to the sites, including Lindos for a very reasonable fee.

 

When you're in Kusadasi, try to see Ephesus, it was the highlight of our trip! In Athens, the Acropolis is a must. Walk around the Plaka and eat in an outdoor cafe. Check the Athens forum on Trip Advisor for more info on what to do there and the weather. Some very helpful locals post there and will help you.

 

Have a wonderful time!

[whereintheworld]

I have just retirned from a 6 day cruise on the "Cristal" from Istanbul to Athens. The ship seemed Ok in the public areas. I had booked an inside cabin so it was small but large enough for me on my own. Others I spoke to who had booked A class cabins were happy enough with them. Some people complained about their showers which were only curtained off so water went all over the floor and they had to step into the cabin area to dry themselves. Mine had the usual sliding door so was not a problem. Only soap, shampoo and showercaps were supplied, but the hairdryer was good, better than many supplied at the 5 star hotels I stayed at during my coach tour of Turkey. I decided that I would not get my monies worth from the drinks package as we were on shore for most of the days. At lunch I had the "Cocktail of the day" which cost 3.55 Euros and sometimes a glass of wine from my bottle which I could buy and the waiter would put it aside for me until I needed it again. I usually had 2 wines with my dinner. A bottle of white wine costs about 24Euros for a nice Sauvignon blanc and I would get 5-6 glasses from it.. I had the Santorini wine and also a Chilean 'Monte??', both were good. Water is provided at all meals, either iced in a jug or bottled on the table. Most of us seemed to just drink the iced jug water, though there was no charge if you preferred the bottled water. It was not iced though may have been cold. As I did not have a fridge in my cabin, (higher grade cabins do though) I usually had my water bottle filled at the pool bar with ice and water before I went on an afternoon shore tour. They never charged me for this, but I think I was the only one doing it. For an early morning tour my steward got me cold water but it didn't have ice.The water on ship is drinkable, as it is on most ships. Tea and coffee is provided at meals times but you need to pay for it at other times. Food was very good except for the fake cream which spoilt the desserts. Breakfast was really good on the 'Cristal' and you could order eggs benedict or omelette with a special fillling and it would be brought to your table a few minutes later, but if you were in a rush, omelettes are ready made with a filling of their choice in the bain marie. They also had grapefruit as well as Bircher muesli, both of which were not often available in Turkey.

People dressed up in evening clothes for the Captain's dinner, but other nights were quite casual. No shorts though, of course. I didn't see any shows as I chose 2nd seating so that I didn't have to rush when we came back from a shore excursion, and also I like to watch the sail away (I got some lovely sunset photos.) The 2nd show was at 11pm and as most excursions have you waiting in the lounge by 7am, it was too late for me.

[X-ring]

To "Where" and Barb - thanks for taking the time ... much appreciated! :)

[NYLady]

I'm currently looking at an AARP Travel tour from Grand European Tours to Egypt and Jordan. There is an option to add a 7-day cruise on Louis Crystal from Athens to Cairo. I'm glad to have found this thread because I'm having some trouble getting the information I would like and I'm hoping you can help.

 

1. Are there regular cabins with a balcony (or window that opens) or is it only in a suite? Are they very much more expensive?

 

2. The drink packages-All inclusive? So, the choice is either no package, non-alcoholic, or alcoholic packages?

 

3. The information on hair dryers, shampoo, etc is very helpful. Anything else you can think of?

 

4. Is there Internet?

 

5. Does the compnay have a Web site? I couldn't find one. The link given in a previous thread no longer works.

 

Thanks so much for your help!

[NYLady]

Pem,

 

My review of the Louis Aquamarine, which remains at the top of the list of recent posts on this board, should answer many of your questions about "what to expect" on a Louis Cruises vessel. I don't know the cruise line well enough to guess at the ship, so maybe someone else has the answer. Alternatively, you should be able to go to the Louis Cruises website and figure it out based on the itineraries posted for each ship.

 

If you have any more specific questions, just post another reply. My review gives my detailed assessment of the ship and the cruise, with information provided under a number of easy-to-find headings (e.g., "cabins", "ship", "food", "beverages").

 

Whether or not to book an outside cabin is a matter of personal preference and economics. I rarely hear from anyone who actually prefers an inside cabin, but it always comes down to a question of how much you're willing to pay for the window. We've always got an outside cabin on our more recent cruises.

 

The question of what to do in Santorini may come down to how much time you have there. We arrived some time around 4:00 or 5:00 PM and were back on board and seated in the dining room before the sun set. As you will see from my review, my family and I are more of a "do it yourself" group, so the only packaged excursion we bought was in Kusadasi. By the time we made it up the cliff in Santorini, walked around and bought some t-shirts and a couple small souvenirs, it was time to head back down and board the ship. It is so picturesque that I think I could have been up there for hours without putting my camera down, so I don't know how long I'd have to be in Santorini before I actually started looking for something to do. If you're planning on "going to watch the sunset", just make sure you know in advance when the sun is setting (check a sun rise/sunset table) to be sure it fits with the ship's schedule.

 

As for Athens, I would think it is almost a crime to go to Athens for the first time and not see the Acropolis/Parthenon. We also took the funicular up Mt. Lycabettus, a hill that overlooks the Acropolis. It provides the best view of Athens and is quite spectacular.

 

As far as weather, I'd simply consult a weather website for your dates. I presume "11/9" is November 9th. Most Europeans would read that as "the 11th of September", so it is one of those conventions that is opposite in different parts of the world.

 

Thank you...I found your previous review and it was very helpful.

[Essiesmom]

I'm currently looking at an AARP Travel tour from Grand European Tours to Egypt and Jordan. There is an option to add a 7-day cruise on Louis Crystal from Athens to Cairo. I'm glad to have found this thread because I'm having some trouble getting the information I would like and I'm hoping you can help.

 

1. Are there regular cabins with a balcony (or window that opens) or is it only in a suite? Are they very much more expensive?

 

2. The drink packages-All inclusive? So, the choice is either no package, non-alcoholic, or alcoholic packages?

 

3. The information on hair dryers, shampoo, etc is very helpful. Anything else you can think of?

 

4. Is there Internet?

 

5. Does the compnay have a Web site? I couldn't find one. The link given in a previous thread no longer works.

 

Thanks so much for your help!

 

Company website:

http://www.louiscruises.com/

[T. Advisor King]

Re NYL's questions:

 

1. Are there regular cabins with a balcony (or window that opens) or is it only in a suite? Are they very much more expensive? - I'm guessing the Crystal does not have balconies or opening windows. The Louis Cruise site is limited, but you should be able to tell from the ship photos whether or not it has balconies (might not be able to tell whether the windows open). Typically Louis runs older ships, so my guess is that all outside cabins have fixed windows (and no balconies).

 

2. The drink packages-All inclusive? So, the choice is either no package, non-alcoholic, or alcoholic packages? Yes, that's it exactly. And the price between the alcohol and non-alcohol package was maybe a couple drinks a day at most. I didn't buy the drink package because I wanted to get liquored up; we bought it because we knew we'd get thirsty on the ship in August and water doesn't really cut it for me.

 

3. The information on hair dryers, shampoo, etc is very helpful. Anything else you can think of? My August review of the Aquamarine is posted on this board and should be easy to find. I would expect the comments to apply fairly similarly to the Crystal, based on what I've read here.

 

4. Is there Internet? I think there was an "internet cafe", but we never tried it.

 

5. Does the compnay have a Web site? I couldn't find one. The link given in a previous thread no longer works.

A previous poster provided the URL.

[pem309]

Thanks for all the wonderful information. I greatly appreciate it! We have will be on our cruise from November 9 until the 12th. We board at Kusadasi and have learned that we will be on the Cristal.

Can any one suggest what we need to pack for early to mid November? Will it be cold?

[whereintheworld]

The Louis 'Cristal' did have a few internet stations, but they seemed to me to be expensive. They were not often in use when I passed them. I thought I would find an Internet Cafe on shore, but shore tiime was so limited that I rushed around to see all that I could, and waited until I got to Athens where there was a free internet in our hotel.

I was on a Med cruise in 2005 and was in Kusadasi on 5th November. Photos at Ephesus show half the people in Tshirts and the others in long sleeved blouses or long sleeved T's. There is a website called www.wunderground.com that has the current weather as well as the weather at a particular place at previous dates. They go back several years if you want to get an average. It also gives the time of sunrise and sunset on that date. I used it to to get an idea of temps for my recent trip to Turkey but the weather was unusually hot this year and we had several days of 37C instead of the 30C I was expecting! I think the usual advise is best - dress in layers and take a rain jacket/wind breaker.