Louis Hellenic Cruises - Greek Islands

[Lawyer Gal]

I will be with a group, but it would be fun to connect. Shall we discuss off-line?

[smeyer418]

Lawyer Gal;

 

We are going through New York. I am from a corporate firm as well, though domestic. Could we connect on the cruise? How do you suggest?

 

no timeslips. what a trip!

LOL I am an employment lawyer(at one time anyway) too looking at this line for a September trip let me know....I am obviously in NYC...

[acaltab]

Just got back from a 7 day cruise on the Coral. We had a great time. The ship is certainly old and in need of refurbishing but it was clean, the crew was great-clean towels several times a day-and the food was good. Not lots to do on board but with terrific ports we spent very little time on board. The tours were very well organized and we were on and off the ship with minimal loss of time. The ports of call are waht make this cruise!

[sleeper123]

I just returned to the states after a two week holiday in Greece. As part of the trip, my wife and I sailed on the MS Perla for 4 days. We really enjoyed our cruise, had very few/minor complaints, and want to give confidence to anyone out there who has an upcoming cruise on the Perla.

 

 

A few points I'd like to address, both good and bad

 

CLEANLINESS - The boat was very clean. We saw no mold, obvious dirt or grime, etc.

 

LINENS - The bedding was old(er), but there were no holes and the the sheets were comfortable. The towels were in very good condition.

 

DIESEL SMELL - I went looking for this smell and was hard pressed to find it. On deck, in the right wind conditions, you can smell diesel. My room never smelled of diesel. Some of the towels (when I held them straight to my nose and deeply inhaled) did smell faintly of diesel. I did not notice this when drying myself as I normally do.

 

FOOD - I was very pleased with the food. Yes, I would rate some of the on-shore restaraunts above the onboard food. However, the menu did have a nice variety and I was never disappointed with a dish.

 

DRINK - Getting a drink at the various bars never took me more than 5 minutes, and I usually walked away with my drinks in about 2 minutes. They do have a strange system where you have to tell both the bartender and a waitress your order, but I always got my drinks promptly from the bars. The one complaint I had with regards to drink service was during dinner. There are separate food and drink waiters and there did not seem to be enough drink wiaters.

 

DINING SERVICE - Aside from the drink waiter deficiency, the servers were friendly and attentive.

 

DISEMBARKATION - This never took more than 30 minutes (except at Santorini where it was done by tender boat) even when my group was the last to disembark.

 

OTHER SERVICE - Aside from the long lines to register my credit card right after boarding, I had no problems with any of the service staff. They really wanted everyone to enjoy themselves and did what they could. One evening, there was a strange smell coming from our toilet. We alerted reception and by the time we returned from dinner, the smell was gone.

 

POOL - The pool had water in it every day. It seemed to be closed from about 7-9 pm a couple of days for cleaning. Don't get too excited about the pool, though, as it is very small.

 

PORTS - I chose this cruise because of its itinerary. You get to see a lot of the major attractions of the Greek Islands in a short period of time. This means that there's not a lot of time to just sit and relax on board. If that's not what you're looking for, this probably isn't the cruise for you. Santorini and Crete (seen on the same day) are the only places at which I wish I had more time.

[passaporta]

I returned last week from a 2 wk Glorious Greece package that included a 4 night cruise onboard the Calypso. The whole vacation was great, as one would expect from Greece. I think that if you are going to go on one of the Louse Hellenic cruise ships, you need to drastically change your expectations. These ships and the cruise line are not in any way supposed to be like any of the mass market cruise lines. The food quality and the amenities are not going to be like what one might get from Princess (my most travelled cruise line). If you go into it expecting too much you'll have a bad experience. However, if you keep an open mind and remember that you aren't paying that much and that the trip is much more about the itinerary in Greece then you can really enjoy yourself.

 

The Calypso is obviously an old ship and it shows. It doesn't have any of the modern amenities. The food wasn't horrible, it just wasn't that great. It was certainly edible, but it just wasn't interesting. You will have much better food eating on the islands themselves. As another poster did mention the ship does have very poor sound insulation. In our cabins we could hear voices of the people in the next cabins talking at relatively normal levels. On the Princess ships I never hear anything from adjoining cabins so this surprised me somewhat. I have to mention that they staff onboard really do try very hard to please you and they are very friendly. All in all it was great, but mostly because of where we were.

 

 

 

Good to hear about your trip. We have booked a Glorious Greece package - Olympian Voyage, leaving Sept 18th from Toronto. Our ship, I believe will be the Coral.

How did your ship compare to the SunBird? We have sailed on the Carousel twice, & loved it. I believe they are both SunCruise, MyTravel ships. Great ports & great value.

Did you stay in Athens at all? We have 3 nights in Athens & a 4 night classical tour.

Thanks for the info sharing.

[passaporta]

I've just returned from the April 29th 7-day Aegean cruise on the Perla. Rumour has it she was brought out of dry dock to accommodate us, the Calypso being over booked (or in bankruptcy). Yet we saw the Calypso several times docked at the same ports as us. We had an outside cabin with window (porthole) - the walls were so thin we could hear next door's alarm clock! There were two metal chests with 3 drawers each - they were OK except they stuck when opening or closing. The cabin contained a safety deposit box but you had to pay 15 Euros extra (non-refundable) for the key. That went up to 50 Euros if you didn't have the key back by midnight on the last night!

The library had no books, the internet cafe no computer, the card room no cards, the swimming pool no water (until day 3), the water fountain no water and the Bank ran out of money by the time we got to Rhodes.

The bar and restaurant staff had no idea what was going on - this did improve later in the week. It took 4 days to get charges reversed from our account!

An 'all inclusive' drinks deal was offered at 119 Euros for the week but we got charged on the first and last evenings and never did get the last day's charges reversed. The 'free' house wine was served in smaller glasses than if you'd paid the 3.50 Euros for it.

The disco smelled of damp and mustiness as did another area between the Clipper lounge and the Piano bar.

The food was not very good at all - the first few days, it was cold by the time it got to the table so we just sent it back. It did improve as the week went on (the temperature that is).

The shore excursions were a rip off - not very good value for money at all - Sharron the Tour Director did a good job of organizing disembarkation at each port but it took ages every time.

The staff at the Purser's Desk were very friendly and tried their best to help but they were unable to fix incorrect charges on accounts and from what I can gather that was the most popular reason for going there. On the last morning, after printouts of accounts had been delivered to each cabin overnight, there were at least 20 passengers lined up to have corrections made.

I could probably add more but this is getting too long. I just know that I will never travel on this ship or cruise line again.

 

Reply to Atina

 

I see you are from Toronto. Was your trip booked through

GloriousGreece, AirTransat??? We are leaving in Sept & are still not sure was ship, but maybe MS Coral. Sorry to hear the ship was such a disappointment.

[TorontoTL]

Reply to Atina

 

I see you are from Toronto. Was your trip booked through

GloriousGreece, AirTransat??? We are leaving in Sept & are still not sure was ship, but maybe MS Coral. Sorry to hear the ship was such a disappointment.

 

I am from Toronto and I did book the Minos Magic through the Glorious Greece, Air Transat tours. Overall it was a great trip. Greece is a wonderful place to visit and it is wonderful that we can see the islands. The packages are well organized and I would still book the tour again even after knowing what the ships are like. As I said in a previous posting, if you keep in mind that the cruise ships that they use are not at all like what we're probably used, assuming you've travelled with the mass market lines. You'll have a great time, just don't expect the amenities, options, service and food that you get on other lines like Princess. It can still be a wonderful trip. It is more about the islands than the ship.

[defty]

I feel a lot better after reading your post about the 4 day Perla cruise that we booked through Homeric Tours. My wife and I are going on it next week. I'm not going to tell her about the bad reviews. It'll upset her. A couple of questions, and these are for anyone who reads this: Do I need to bring a dinner jacket for any of the dinners? I didn't plan on packing one. What did people usually wear for dinner on the ship? And are the island excursions worth the price? How much do they cost?

[Lawyer Gal]

I am also going to Greece beginning on June 24, with a three day cruise on La Perla, beginning on July 1. Are you booked through homeric tours? It would be great to meet some new faces on the cruise.

 

If you check this board and get this message, I am on board the Perla and I left a note for you at the purser's desk. It is under the name Coffee Cup.

[defty]

We're not leaving for Greece until July 7 and not taking the cruise until July 11. If you get a chance, post some comments about the Perla cruise. Have fun.

[gototoro]

I am going to sail on the Perla for the 4-day greek cruise in a week and I was very upset and worried reading the previous reviews until I saw the review from Sleeper123.... I do have a few questions for Sleeper123 or anyone who has recently sailed on Perla:

 

1. Did you have the "flooding" situation in the bathroom which someone complained about?

2. Do people smoke inside the ship?

3. What about the entertainment on the ship?

4. Are non-alcoholic drinks free?

 

Thanks very much.

[Dr.Nerdmama]

Just got back from June 17 cruise on Louis line. We had a wonderful time, despite the problems outlined below. We had booked Calypso, but were dumped on to Coral. Many passengers had same fate, and a few were really angry about it. We paid a premium for an upgrade to a cabin with a window rather than a porthole, but didn't get it. We were told that on THIS ship the cabin we got WAS the upgraded cabin. The ship was basically clean though there was sometimes a musty smell (it IS a ship), but the appointments were appalling and whoever the decorator was did the job while on a LSD trip. Food was plentiful and good. The staff tried very hard to make the cruise pleasant. Our cabin steward and our dining room waiters were especially good.

 

The excursions were sometimes very good, other times, frustrating. Some guides were not knowledgeable, some went on endlessly about trivia so that major attractions had to be slighted. Our guide in Santorini disappeared leaving half the group to find its way to the cable car on its own. Also, adjustments to time in port are warranted. Twelve hours on Rhodes and four on Crete and 4 on Santorini is a serious imbalance. There's little to see on Rhodes, but much on both Crete and Santorini.

 

On another note, we were told that wait staff in the lounges make only 30 euros a week and must sleep 8 to a cabin with only one toilet. If that is true, it verges on abusive.

 

Oh, and people smoke EVERYWHERE (YUK) except the dining room and one lounge. It's Europe, after all.

[smeyer418]

About the 30 Euros. if that is before tips its more than the major cruise lines pay their staff. Do they have suggested tip amounts?

[passaporta]

Does anyone know if there are any formal nights on the Coral???

 

 

 

Thank you to Dr.Nerdmama for the review.

 

 

 

 

[dgk_kos]

Probably two formal nights in a seven night cruise.

[DrTee]

On the 7-day cruise, we had two formal nights and one "Greek Night" (dress "as Greek as possible"--for most of us it meant wearing blue and white). One the first formal night, the night of the captain's reception, most people dressed up. I couldn't see that most people did on the second formal night.

[Lawyer Gal]

I returned on July 5th from a three day excursion on the Perla, and here's what I can say about it:

 

1. No problems with the shower. It was very tiny but did have a little edge to keep the water out.

2. The only smoking I was aware of was in the "Crow's Nest" on the top desk which was the lounge and bar area. There was also smoking on the deck where the purser's desk and shop was. Did not see it or smell it anywhere else.

3. The entertainment was pretty meager -- if you want to be mildly amused and are too tired for anything else, you could stay. Otherwise, sitting out on the deck and enjoying the night air is better.

4. Coffee, water and juice is free during the meals. I think you pay for everything else and maybe pay for coffee and juice if you get it from the bar.

5. Skip the salon and any spa activities.

 

My best advice is to think of this as a floating bus. The rooms were clean and smelled clean (maybe too much like Clorox if anything). The staff were generally friendly but no overly so. This is merely a way to get you to the islands. Dressing up is absolutely unwarranted on the whole trip unless you just want to for your own sake.

 

A few other tips:

 

1. Time is limited on Mykonos. Don't count on a taxi being available when you need to get back to the ship, so plan accordingly. The restaurant at Psarou Beach is wonderful.

 

2. If you like to swim, try the beaches at Rhodes. Try to the one in front of the Casino.

 

3. The shop keepers in Kusadasi are much more aggressive than in the other ports.

 

4. The excursion to Ephesus is worthwhile.

[dougnewmanatsea]

It is good to see that since they started marketing in the US a couple of months ago, reviews of Louis have gotten much more positive.

 

I have quite a few friends (some European, some American) who have been on Louis and their consensus has always been that it is fine if you do not expect too many frills.

 

I suspect that with the ships on the Greek runs, most of which were newly acquired, they may have had some start-up pains but it sounds like they have got things under control. This is a good thing as they are really the only choice for this sort of itinerary these days (except for very small, quasi-yacht type vessels).

[svanelle]

We just returned from our 4 day cruise on the Perla. I had been very worried about that part of our trip because of the reviews here. I had to laugh when I read about the other person who went around looking for the problems, smelling the towels, etc. because I did the same thing.

 

The Perla is an old ship and I guess it was about what I would have expected. It was fine for getting us around to where we wanted to go and I don't think the ferries have the dining room service and food that we had on this ship. There were choices and it was not fabulous food, but it was good.

 

Yes, the disco smelled a little musty. One of our bath towels had a rip down the center. The bedding, carpet, etc. were in need of updating. Our bathroom floor was wet one night?? However, for us, it was fine. We were supposed to have been on the Radisson, which was cancelled. I'm sure that would have been a completely different experience, but we try to go with the flow.

 

We were told there was one formal night, so my son wore a suit. Other people who didn't want to dress up were told that that was fine. The staff said, "We want you at dinner", regardless of how they dressed, so there was everything. I only saw one tuxedo in the mix.

 

A family, who had never been on a cruise before, sat with us for dinner. They thought the cruise was fabulous. So, I would say how people view this ship is in the eye of the beholder. The line seems to have worked on many of their problems and continue to do so.

 

We only did one side tour with the ship and that was on Patmos. It was good, but not cheap. We had our tour guide from Istanbul, Levent Solmaz, meet us in Ephesus to guide us. That worked really well and cost about the same as the ship would have charged.

 

I guess the bottom line is this: If you are trying to get to these ports by sea and that is your main objective, Louis cruise line is fine. If you are mainly looking for a nice cruise experience, this would not be for you. There is not much to do on board, other than eat and sunbathe. The ping-pong table we were promised did not exist. The tiny stage with a handful of entertainers was maybe a step above a high school talent show. However, we were on the go most of the time, visiting the ports we wanted to see and didn't have time for much else while on the ship. Overall, we enjoyed it.

 

Sherry

[mcca2]

Some older members of my family will be cruising on this ship next year through the Med. to Libya to see the eclipse of the sun, and the ruins at Leptis Magnus. It will be their first cruise and I am unable to find out much for them. Can anyone tell me what are the tipping policy's on this ship, and where I might find out the excursions available and the cost. Any help would be appreciated.

[Yleanopolis]

Hello!

Ive read so much bad thing about La Perla that im starting to freak out!The cruise doesnt sound very clean.:cool:

Im going this summer on July 29,and I was wondering if someone could give me info about the cruise.Im going with my bestfriend and we are both 17.WE ARE LOOKING TO HAVE FUN!!!

1)Is the hotel in Mykonos NICE?

2)Is this cruise a favourite among yong people ...when i say young i mean from 17yrs-21yrs?

3)Wich clubs in Mykonos do you recommend?

4)Which tours do you recommend on each island that the cruise visits.

Please answer me to my email yle_berberich@yahoo.com

Thnx

[donowen1]

We are preparing a cruise on the Coral in September 2005 and were wondering about a formal night as well as what the on shore excusirons consisted of. I imagine there would be no time for a Formal night since we are not at sea that much.

Any help on these tours would be helpful.

[familycruiser58]

My family just came back from the 9-day Globus Aegean Classical tour. We were frightened by all the angry postings about PERLA. Our expectations low, we ended up having a great time. The shore excursions were great. What can you say about the Greek Islands? The bluest waters, the brightest sun. The ship was a circa-1970 Holiday Inn. The cabins were small but clean. The shower walls were made of tin but the bathroom was spotless. You could hear through the walls. But, the staff were all very nice and doing their best. The debarkation and embarkation was well done. The food was average. But, who wants to gain weight on a cruise? The pool was too small to swim in. But, we spent the whole day at the shore excursions so we were too tired and busy to swim. There were not many on-ship activities. But we spent every minute docked on a fabulous island. This was not a restful trip. The wake up calls were between 6 and 7 every morning. But we got to see two amazing ports every day. Patmos and Ephesus. Crete and Santorini. Mykonos in the evening. Rhodes. Living history. Journeys of faith. And sun every day.:)

This is a two to three star boat. But the price was right. Relax and have a good time and don't expect the Intercontinental!

[passaporta]

Sounds good to me!!!

[Grace Land]

My son and I have returned from our cruise on the m/s H&B with Viking Yacht Cruises. We chose this route after we cancelled our trip with Louis Hellenic and we're both very glad we did. I have posted a rather lengthy review on the thread: "Golden Star Cruises -- Aegean 1 -- Greek Islands" but, basically, it was terrific!

 

Food EXCELLENT!!!

Crew - all Greek except chef who was from Turkey

Cabins - large, clean, comfortable

Bathrooms - large, clean, shower larger than mine at home and no leaking

Affordable bar and excursions

 

Check out the posting if you're considering an alternative to Louis Hellenic which seems to be just "okay" to most everyone. If it's the islands you want to see, you'll see them much better this way because we spent an entire day on each island, not just 4 or so hours.

 

Islands include: Paros, Santorini, Mykonos, Siros, Kythnos, and Naxos.

 

We LOVED Greece!!!

 

Grace