Apex moving to Athens for 7 night cruises for summer 2021

[steamboats]

5 hours ago, GlobalMethod said:

Hey steamboats .... did you see a number of Germans were able to travel to Crete in the last couple of days? ... They were allowed to do this without proving vaccination and it has a lot of Greeks very upset since they can't even travel around Greece due to restrictions ... This was allowed by the Greek government so it doesn't bother me much just not sure how they did it.

 

Haven´t heard anything about Germans traveling to Crete. Currently there are hardly any flights and traveling is to Greece is not prohibited by the German government nor is it prohibited to enter Greece. You only need a PRC test. Coming back to Germany you need a test prior to the flight and you have to quarantine for 10 days. Greece is in a lockdown til April 5th but hotels can open.

 

Currently there are no cruises out of any Greek ports.

 

steamboats

[steamboats]

1 hour ago, hawkesbaynz said:

 

Amazes me they are still cruising around the Canaries. You can't get much between a German and his vacation

 

Numbers are lower on the Canaries than in Germany 😉. And you travel basically in a bubble. Everyone on the flight has to be tested (to enter the Canaries). Everyone flying back to Germany now has to be tested prior to the flight. You´re not allowed to tour individually but have to take ship tours.

 

steamboats

[Hlitner]

On 3/30/2021 at 10:09 AM, TeeRick said:

It begs the question as to why there are some American passengers so eager to cruise on APEX with the virus surging in Greece and with no current way to fly there.  Maybe in a few months this will all look much better.

Perhaps it also "begs the question" as to why on earth Celebrity has sent out the usual marketing e-mails inviting Americans to book Apex cruises from Pireaus.  Got one of these e-mails yesterday and it is even possible to book at a slightly lower price with a non-refundable deposit.  At best this is very deceptive marketing (selling a cruise that folks cannot possibly take) and at worst ,,,,,,,   Even when discounted they are selling a simple balcony cabin at around $350 per passenger day which is ridiculous pricing.

 

Hank

[GlobalMethod]

3 hours ago, steamboats said:

Haven´t heard anything about Germans traveling to Crete. Currently there are hardly any flights and traveling is to Greece is not prohibited by the German government nor is it prohibited to enter Greece.

I found this about the German visitors in Greece in this Athens publication;

 

https://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2021/03/29/tourists-germans-crete-greeks-lockdown/

[Ken the cruiser]

OK, I just called Celebrity and got the official word that NO B2Bs will be allowed on ANY of the new summer itineraries being posted, to include those on the Millennium out of St Maarten, the Apex out of Athens and the Silhouette out of Southampton. When I mentioned the original B2B guidance that went out to the TAs in some form or fashion I was reading about on CC, he said the TAs were sent an email yesterday clarifying this NO B2B issue. So anyone booked on a B2B on any of these new sailings, beware. 

[Podie]

I booked the Apex out of Athens on July 31. I was on her sister ship, Edge, a year ago, and it was the most beautiful ship I've ever been on. Hoping this one really goes!

[Bruin Steve]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

OK, I just called Celebrity and got the official word that NO B2Bs will be allowed on ANY of the new summer itineraries being posted, to include those on the Millennium out of St Maarten, the Apex out of Athens and the Silhouette out of Southampton. When I mentioned the original B2B guidance that went out to the TAs in some form or fashion I was reading about on CC, he said the TAs were sent an email yesterday clarifying this NO B2B issue. So anyone booked on a B2B on any of these new sailings, beware. 

Yeah, Ken...We got that same word this morning via a phone call from Celebrity...No back-to-back...

Of course, since we have TWO bookings, our questions will be:

1) What happens with our second booking? Do we lift and shift to 2023...and they keep our money for TWO years?...

2)  Do they let us book a second 2021 Apex sailing NOT back-to-back....like we do the July 17 Greece sailing and the July 31 Greece/Israel sailing...and kick back for a week in Athens in between?  Not sure how that is any "safer" than a back-to-back, but it DOES lengthen the trip and gives us our 14 nights of cruising...

 

In the meanwhile, I just booked air via Celebrity air round trip LAX to Athens in coach--$699 per person, flying in 4 nights early, leaving one day after disembarkation...makes it a 12 night trip...better than nothing...I hope, by late July, restaurants and sites in Athens are open!  If they change policy and we are able to do back-to-back...or if we can do the disjointed two cruises, we'll have to re-do the air...

[cruiserchuck]

With COVID cases increasing in both the US and Europe, I would be surprised if flight restrictions are relaxed in time for these cruises.

 

I got lucky with respect to my cruise planning.  I had returned from a big trip to Egypt at the end of January 2020, and was looking into a Celebrity Europe cruise for later that year.  COVID started to hit the news, and I decided to wait and see how things played out before making any travel plans.  I am very happy that I do not have to play the constant rescheduling game.  I am going to wait until cruises have successfully started up before making any future cruise plans.  If things get going by the end of the year, I may book a Mexican cruise, where I can drive to the ship.  

[steamboats]

14 hours ago, GlobalMethod said:

I found this about the German visitors in Greece in this Athens publication;

 

https://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2021/03/29/tourists-germans-crete-greeks-lockdown/

 

But obviously parts of them are there for a TV show which is produced on the island. So they don´t really count as tourists. Some may have property on the island.

 

steamboats

[GlobalMethod]

15 minutes ago, steamboats said:

But obviously parts of them are there for a TV show which is produced on the island. So they don´t really count as tourists. Some may have property on the island.

 

Agreed

[hawkesbaynz]

'Greeks lashed out on social media and accused the government of “double standards”. Some even suggested to be dressed like German tourists in order to visit their families in a village or another town, parents and children they haven’t seen since last November.'

 

Made me chuckle. Imagine Greeks wandering about Crete in Lederhosen and tacky German football shirts.

 

Actually Brits can still travel to Greece & Spain for business and to manage holiday homes with the usual testing etc. From my understanding a great number will be going over to sell their holiday homes.

[GlobalMethod]

8 hours ago, cruiserchuck said:

I decided to wait and see how things played out before making any travel plans.  I am very happy that I do not have to play the constant rescheduling game.  I am going to wait until cruises have successfully started up before making any future cruise plans.

This is a sensible and prudent approach ... we will wait and see as this could be an opportunity for "last minute" cruises available out of Athens if several must cancel. If not we are looking at November for a cruise out of Athens.

[Hlitner]

15 hours ago, Podie said:

I booked the Apex out of Athens on July 31. I was on her sister ship, Edge, a year ago, and it was the most beautiful ship I've ever been on. Hoping this one really goes!

Just wondering how you plan on getting inside Greece?

 

Hank

[vjmatty]

12 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Just wondering how you plan on getting inside Greece?

 

Hank

There is a lengthy post by Bruin Steve on the previous page which nicely sums up how the hopeful are looking at the summer Apex itineraries.    While cruising this year may not be in the cards for me, returning to Greece in the fall for a land vacation is something I'll consider if things improve, so I understand the interest.  I'm a Greek citizen by birth so I can travel there any time, but my husband is not. 

Edited April 2, 2021 by vjmatty

[Purplsmurf]

13 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Just wondering how you plan on getting inside Greece?

 

Hank

Exactly! Greece isn’t open to the US.....hopefully that will change soon

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, vjmatty said:

There is a lengthy post by Bruin Steve on the previous page which nicely sums up how the hopeful are looking at the summer Apex itineraries.    While cruising this year may not be in the cards for me, returning to Greece in the fall for a land vacation is something I'll consider if things improve, so I understand the interest.  I'm a Greek citizen by birth so I can travel there any time, but my husband is not. 

We are very independent and flexible travelers and are hoping that Greece will open up to vaccinated Americans by the summer.  If so, we will book are and head to 2 or 3 of our favorite Greek islands for a few weeks.  Given all the uncertainties and likely restrictions (not to mention the risk of a COVID case) we will avoid cruises for the near future.  The idea of spending a few days (or a week) on Santorini with few to no cruise ships is something we would not be able to pass up.

 

Hank

[GlobalMethod]

4 hours ago, Hlitner said:

The idea of spending a few days (or a week) on Santorini with few to no cruise ships is something we would not be able to pass up.

We also love Santorini ... Here is positive pro-Santorini resource that may be helpful to you;

 

https://www.santorini-view.com/santorini-covid19/

 

If the COVID-19 infections in Greece would stop increasing I would say your Summer plan would be very possible. Very possible because officials in Athens will be starting to relax some of the extreme restrictions next week, making them not so draconian. So perhaps by Summer, at least restaurants will start opening.

 

I believe the "new cruising" might be among the most safe places to be, based on the fact that most new infections are coming from family, friends, neighbors, etc. and not travel.

 

Good Luck and Happy Travels!

[vjmatty]

9 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We are very independent and flexible travelers and are hoping that Greece will open up to vaccinated Americans by the summer.  If so, we will book are and head to 2 or 3 of our favorite Greek islands for a few weeks.  Given all the uncertainties and likely restrictions (not to mention the risk of a COVID case) we will avoid cruises for the near future.  The idea of spending a few days (or a week) on Santorini with few to no cruise ships is something we would not be able to pass up.

 

Hank

 

The weeks on a couple of Greek islands has been an annual practice for us for a few years, up until last year of course.  I think of it as retirement research, which I sometimes enjoy as much as cruising.  Every year since 2016 DH and I each would pick an island and we'd spend a week on each.  That being said, we do have a 28-day Rome to Ft. Lauderdale sailing booked for November 2022 on the Island Princess.  

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, vjmatty said:

 

The weeks on a couple of Greek islands has been an annual practice for us for a few years, up until last year of course.  I think of it as retirement research, which I sometimes enjoy as much as cruising.  Every year since 2016 DH and I each would pick an island and we'd spend a week on each.  That being said, we do have a 28-day Rome to Ft. Lauderdale sailing booked for November 2022 on the Island Princess.  

Like you, we enjoy the planning although we tend to keep things very flexible.  There are times when we fly to Europe and only book a hotel for the first night.  The next morning we look at the European weather forecast and drive to some country where the forecast is good.    But since Greece is likely to be among the first EU countries to open up to Americans we thought the idea of going to some Greek Islands sounded like a good plan.   

 

Hank

[Hlitner]

5 hours ago, GlobalMethod said:

We also love Santorini ... Here is positive pro-Santorini resource that may be helpful to you;

 

https://www.santorini-view.com/santorini-covid19/

 

If the COVID-19 infections in Greece would stop increasing I would say your Summer plan would be very possible. Very possible because officials in Athens will be starting to relax some of the extreme restrictions next week, making them not so draconian. So perhaps by Summer, at least restaurants will start opening.

 

I believe the "new cruising" might be among the most safe places to be, based on the fact that most new infections are coming from family, friends, neighbors, etc. and not travel.

 

Good Luck and Happy Travels!

We have similar lock down issues in some of our US Cities and I fear that many of the better restaurants will not survive the long shut down.  In NYC it is thought that at least 1/3 of their approximate 28,000 eating venues will never reopen.  Very sad for the owners and all those workers. We wonder if one of our favorite Athens restaurants, Daphne's, will ever open their doors.  Their last Facebook post said they were planning to reopen in July.....of 2020!  

 

Hank

[Stu UK]

Has anyone who was originally on a 12 night Apex from Barcelona, now 7 nights Athens, had revised price details / flights from Celebrity yet?

[GlobalMethod]

18 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We wonder if one of our favorite Athens restaurants, Daphne's, will ever open their doors. 

The Greek government just approved funding to help the closed restaurants open up, so I imagine it will certainly reopen. We are sorry for the local employees too as they often stayed in their jobs for years, thus being able to recognize regular customers. We dine out in Athens (over 2000 restaurants) a lot since prices are so reasonable ... how was the Moussaka at Daphne's?

Edited April 3, 2021 by GlobalMethod
typo

[Tony UK]

19 hours ago, Stu UK said:

Has anyone who was originally on a 12 night Apex from Barcelona, now 7 nights Athens, had revised price details / flights from Celebrity yet?

Yes, we are in the UK, we had b2b out of Barcelona in September 2021. One a 9 night and one a 12 night. We have switched 12 night one to September 2022, and accepted the 7 night 18th Sept out of Athens. Flights from / to London Heathrow and prices came through last week. Pretty fair and additional OBC!

Happy bunny here for Easter, nice to have something to dream about.

[tulok]

AA will start flying 3 flts a day from US to Athens on June 2. 

[terrydtx]

2 hours ago, tulok said:

AA will start flying 3 flts a day from US to Athens on June 2. 

Do you know which US cities they will fly from? It would be nice for us if one was DFW. We are considering doing the Apex just prior to our Westerdam cruise as a backup if our September 9th Infinity cruise is canceled and we need to change our air.

Edited April 3, 2021 by terrydtx