Greek Islands Cruise with 2 College Aged Kids-Which itinerary/ship is better?

[VA4family]

Hello everyone.  We are planning a Greek Islands cruise next May with our 2 kids (ages 20 and 22).  We took them on a Western Med cruise 4 years ago on Freedom of the Seas but have not been to Greece.  Right now we are booked on a 7 night Rhapsody of the Seas departing from Athens with stops in Mykonos, Souda Bay, Zakynthos, Kotor, and Split before ending in Venice.   We have a Junior Suite cabin and the kids have an aft balcony cabin.   The itinerary has one sea day and lots of great ports.  I know my family and they are gung ho but get quickly burned out with getting up early and having to get off the ship to see the sights, museums, ruins, etc.   Flying in to Athens and flying out Venice seems to be more expensive than a simple round trip.  And the ship is small, and old with not nearly as much to do as they were able to do on Freedom and Anthem.  

 

We are considering switching to the Brilliance of the Seas itinerary leaving from Venice with stops in Dubrovnik, (sea day), Mykonos, Santorini, (sea day), Split, and returning to Venice.  Why?  It seems simpler, an extra sea day to give everyone a chance to sleep in or do their own thing, and the ship (still small), seems to have a few more things to do than Rhapsody.   Wife and I love Game of Thrones and would love to see Dubrovnik.  Plus this trip has Santorini which I think everyone would love. 

 

Does the Rhapsody cruise have enough variety and interesting ports or will they all start to seem the same?  Does the Brilliance ship have a better balance of sea days and interesting ports? 

 

Does anyone else have kids this age with tips or suggestions for the best things to do in port so no one has a melt down?  I believe they will be legal drinking age in Europe but please confirm if you know.

 

If you had to choose between Santorini, and Kotor, which would you choose and why?

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated as I have launched myself into "OVERTHINK" mode.

 

 

 

[sharktums]

A few years back we had a Rhapsody Greek cruise booked and after sailing on Vision out of Florida (same class of ships) we switched to a Brilliance Greek cruise instead and loved it.  We just really didn't like Vision. We're doing it again this summer with a teenager and two college aged kids and again chose Brilliance as it's a better ship.  Even if the itinerary was a *little* worse I would go for Brilliance.  I know that these cruises are super port intensive but I still want an awesome ship to come back to every day.  Santorini is an awesome port and like you said Dubrovnik will have your Game of Thrones tie in. 

 

And yes, your kids will be able to drink on the ship and in the ports.  https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/legal-drinking-age-onboard-policy

[kwokpot]

Definitely the Brilliance cruise. Great stops. Yes, your kids can drink in Europe where the drinking age for wine and spirits is 18.   Santorini is BEAUTIFUL, and in Mykonos I would go to the beach. 

[smally]

We have been to Kotor and Santorini several times. If it was a straight choice between the two I would opt for Kotor. They are both beautiful. The sail in to Kotor is spectacular. Santorini is lovely but can be crowded and the queues to get back down to the ship from Fira can be horrendous - sometimes 2 hours and are unavoidable unless you opt to walk down the donkey track. We have done this twice and it is not for infirm or the faint hearted! 

 

Having said that, our other favourite ports from your options are Mykonos and Dubrovnik. Both are beautiful and lovely to wander around in a leisurely way - no need for expensive excursions, early starts  or the like. You can walk the walls in Dubrovnik and swim in the sea behind the harbour. Lovely shops and restaurants.

 

Mykonos is very relaxed. Lovely little shops and restaurants. Lunch at Nico's is our favourite.

 

We cruised from Venice with our boys when they were 23 and 21. They loved the 2 nights that we spent there pre cruise. 

 

Athens we have been to twice - again with our boys. The Acropolis is interesting but for us was part of a full day tour which started early and was all a bit arduous for our boys.

 

My choice between Athens and Venice would be Venice.

 

We haven't sailed on any ship bigger than the Independence, but have sailed on both Rhapsody and Brilliance with our boys. I prefer Brilliance and for our boys the preference would definitely be Brilliance. They aren't hugely sporty but did miss the sports court on rhapsody for an opportunity to kick/throw a ball around with friends. In mid September the Rhapsody had very few other passengers their age. 

 

Yes, your boys will both be of legal drinking age in Europe. There are lovely pavement cafe's/bars in Mykonos, Santorini, Dubrovnik, Split and Venice. Not so much in Athens. I've never been to Souda so can't comment and our trip to Zakynthos was not on a cruise, so again I can't really comment.

 

If I was choosing between your two options with my boys then, on balance, I would choose the Brilliance cruise. 

 

Hope that helps!

[little britain]

Check if they sail into/out of  Ravenna, which is not Venice!!

 

Prefer Kotor to Santorini any day. 

Edited November 18, 2021 by little britain

[little britain]

@smally you've obviously never been to the Plaka area of Athens which is absolutely full of restaurants, cafes and bars....my favourite…

Edited November 18, 2021 by little britain

[VA4family]

2 hours ago, little britain said:

Check if they sail into/out of  Ravenna, which is not Venice!!

 

Prefer Kotor to Santorini any day. 

Yes, we are sailing out of Ravenna. 

Why do you like about Kotor?

[Joseph2017China]

Well, I personally won't ask strangers of what cruise to pick for the "adults" to like that are going with me.  However, it is a suggestion, that you ask each of the "adults" going to review both trips, look at the ports, and let you know which they would prefer.  You might also ask all the "adults" going which ship, they might like also.  I have always asked my adult kids, what they prefer, even if it was a simple dinner place, or any trip, or vacation, and they also had the option of going or not going.  When people who are adults get to have a say on what they like, and would like to get out of a trip, than I find the trip, goes more smoothly.

[VA4family]

3 hours ago, smally said:

We have been to Kotor and Santorini several times. If it was a straight choice between the two I would opt for Kotor. They are both beautiful. The sail in to Kotor is spectacular. Santorini is lovely but can be crowded and the queues to get back down to the ship from Fira can be horrendous - sometimes 2 hours and are unavoidable unless you opt to walk down the donkey track. We have done this twice and it is not for infirm or the faint hearted! 

 

Having said that, our other favourite ports from your options are Mykonos and Dubrovnik. Both are beautiful and lovely to wander around in a leisurely way - no need for expensive excursions, early starts  or the like. You can walk the walls in Dubrovnik and swim in the sea behind the harbour. Lovely shops and restaurants.

 

Mykonos is very relaxed. Lovely little shops and restaurants. Lunch at Nico's is our favourite.

 

We cruised from Venice with our boys when they were 23 and 21. They loved the 2 nights that we spent there pre cruise. 

 

Athens we have been to twice - again with our boys. The Acropolis is interesting but for us was part of a full day tour which started early and was all a bit arduous for our boys.

 

My choice between Athens and Venice would be Venice.

 

We haven't sailed on any ship bigger than the Independence, but have sailed on both Rhapsody and Brilliance with our boys. I prefer Brilliance and for our boys the preference would definitely be Brilliance. They aren't hugely sporty but did miss the sports court on rhapsody for an opportunity to kick/throw a ball around with friends. In mid September the Rhapsody had very few other passengers their age. 

 

Yes, your boys will both be of legal drinking age in Europe. There are lovely pavement cafe's/bars in Mykonos, Santorini, Dubrovnik, Split and Venice. Not so much in Athens. I've never been to Souda so can't comment and our trip to Zakynthos was not on a cruise, so again I can't really comment.

 

If I was choosing between your two options with my boys then, on balance, I would choose the Brilliance cruise. 

 

Hope that helps!

Thank you @Smally for your comments.   I appreciate the feedback about your experience with Rhapsody and Brilliance.   The sports court was very appealing on our last cruise for our son. Are there any other pros or cons to the ships that we should be considering.  At this age, our kids really look forward to places to eat, sleep, and hang out at the pool. 

 

 

 

 

 

[VA4family]

5 minutes ago, Joseph2017China said:

Well, I personally won't ask strangers of what cruise to pick for the "adults" to like that are going with me.  However, it is a suggestion, that you ask each of the "adults" going to review both trips, look at the ports, and let you know which they would prefer.  You might also ask all the "adults" going which ship, they might like also.  I have always asked my adult kids, what they prefer, even if it was a simple dinner place, or any trip, or vacation, and they also had the option of going or not going.  When people who are adults get to have a say on what they like, and would like to get out of a trip, than I find the trip, goes more smoothly.

Already done that.   Our trip on Rhapsody has been reviewed and approved by everyone going. 

I am the one that is "overthinking" and considering making a change.  

 

 

 

[little britain]

2 hours ago, VA4family said:

Yes, we are sailing out of Ravenna. 

Why do you like about Kotor?

Kotor; Amazing sail in - like going through the fjords. Charming little walled city or you can take a trip out to Budvar.

Santorini- overcrowded and touristy. Long lines potentially to wait for the cable car up and down if several ships in. Please do not use the abused donkeys. 
 

Very impressed with Chania when I was there last month. Lots of boutique artisan shops, nice harbour area with lots of restaurants 
 

Bologna is the nearest airport to Ravenna.  

[zekekelso]

Santorini is possibly the most beautiful cruise port in the world. It’s also one of the more annoying. Overcrowding is a real problem, especially with multiple ships in port. And there’s the basic problem that the water and your ship are down here, while the cities and sights are up there. 

[Joseph2017China]

1 hour ago, VA4family said:

Already done that.   Our trip on Rhapsody has been reviewed and approved by everyone going. 

I am the one that is "overthinking" and considering making a change.  

 

 

 

Good, than don't overthink.  All choices are good, and the buy in for everyone will make it great

 

[kwokpot]

9 minutes ago, zekekelso said:

Santorini is possibly the most beautiful cruise port in the world. It’s also one of the more annoying. Overcrowding is a real problem, especially with multiple ships in port. And there’s the basic problem that the water and your ship are down here, while the cities and sights are up there. 

The OP is going in May which isn't the height of the tourist session so the crows shouldn't be an issue. The last time we were there was in December 2019 on a Suez Canal cruise. Oia was deserted and everything was closed, and to be very honest without people and shops, cafes and restaurants open it was a strange scene. I would have much preferred visiting in May as the OP is planning.

As for Santorini being touristy yes it is, but that doesn't take away from the beauty of the environment nor the enjoyment of the surroundings. Lots of places around the world are 'touristy' but that doesn't mean you shouldn't visit them. 

 

 

 

[kwokpot]

4 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

The OP is going in May which isn't the height of the tourist session so the crows shouldn't be an issue. The last time we were there was in December 2019 on a Suez Canal cruise. Oia was deserted and everything was closed, and to be very honest without people and shops, cafes and restaurants open it was a strange scene. I would have much preferred visiting in May as the OP is planning.

As for Santorini being touristy yes it is, but that doesn't take away from the beauty of the environment nor the enjoyment of the surroundings. Lots of places around the world are 'touristy' but that doesn't mean you shouldn't visit them. 

 

 

 

Actually I'll have to make some corrections. In our December 2019 visit we never made it to Oia and stayed only in Fira, which was deserted. 

 

Edited November 18, 2021 by kwokpot

[CaroleC]

1 hour ago, little britain said:

Santorini- overcrowded and touristy. Long lines potentially to wait for the cable car up and down if several ships in. Please do not use the abused donkeys.

We walked up and down the track instead of using the donkeys. I was horrified watching them struggling to carry overweight cruise pax.

[smally]

4 hours ago, little britain said:

@smally you've obviously never been to the Plaka area of Athens which is absolutely full of restaurants, cafes and bars....my favourite…

We have been to the Plaka area of Athens. - but it isn't where I personally would choose to sit and watch the world go by.  Athens is a busy city and I find the other ports much more relaxing. 

[VA4family]

Thank you everyone who has responded so far. 

We think the timing of the trip should be nice, not as crowded or hot as the middle of summer.

 

We also considered a newer ship like Odyssey but the ports and dates didn't align with what we wanted and possibly a Celebrity ship (Apex) but not sure much for young adults to do on a Celebrity ship.

[kwokpot]

33 minutes ago, VA4family said:

Celebrity ship (Apex) but not sure much for young adults to do on a Celebrity ship

If your kids enjoy a ship with lots of activities and things to do the Apex definitely wouldn't fit the bill, so you wisely skipped that option. 

[elaine5]

we have teens the same ages. Looking at beautiful places doesn't have the same appeal to my son as us. He likes active stuff. Venice vs Athens is a toss up ( we fly into VCE just for 22 hours for them to see Venice on our way to Austria)-however, ship leaves from Ravenna, which is not Venice. I assume you'd fly into VCE and spend a few days there? Athens (Parthenon) is an iconic landmark that they'll have studied and will be wowed. We rented bikes in Spilt and rode around the tip (past the beach clubs) to a great park on the water. With time to walk around Split afterwards. Mykonos is a good beach club day-fairly tame until midday (no wild parties--just cruise passengers). Santorini is lovely (just DH and me). I think kids would have been bored after a photo or two. In Koto, we planned to climb the wall, but changed cruises. Both are older ships--very sedate compared to Freedom. But, unlike Carib where there's lots of ship time, there are so many interesting ports that we find that the ship's amenities not as important. I 'd also suggest Odyssey, but it's a longer cruise. Otherwise, a toss up. I'd rather fly into Italy, but that's b/c I've done it before. IF you fly into VCE, IHG Crowne Plaza has a very reasonable family room rate with King/2 twin beds and is right on the train to Venice. We've stayed here and liked it. They used to have a free airport shuttle (have to call when you arrive). 

Edited November 18, 2021 by elaine5

[VA4family]

@elaine5....thank you.   Our daughter enjoys the sightseeing and likes to take pictures, our son ....not so much.   He did enjoy the Colosseum in Rome, but preferred a vintage scooter ride in Naples instead of walking around Pompeii.  What were some activities at the ports that your son enjoyed?  

 

Thank you for the hotel recommendation, we will be staying at least one night in Venice or near the airport. 

[pcur]

On 11/17/2021 at 2:14 PM, VA4family said:

Hello everyone.  We are planning a Greek Islands cruise next May with our 2 kids (ages 20 and 22).  We took them on a Western Med cruise 4 years ago on Freedom of the Seas but have not been to Greece.  Right now we are booked on a 7 night Rhapsody of the Seas departing from Athens with stops in Mykonos, Souda Bay, Zakynthos, Kotor, and Split before ending in Venice.   We have a Junior Suite cabin and the kids have an aft balcony cabin.   The itinerary has one sea day and lots of great ports.  I know my family and they are gung ho but get quickly burned out with getting up early and having to get off the ship to see the sights, museums, ruins, etc.   Flying in to Athens and flying out Venice seems to be more expensive than a simple round trip.  And the ship is small, and old with not nearly as much to do as they were able to do on Freedom and Anthem.  

 

We are considering switching to the Brilliance of the Seas itinerary leaving from Venice with stops in Dubrovnik, (sea day), Mykonos, Santorini, (sea day), Split, and returning to Venice.  Why?  It seems simpler, an extra sea day to give everyone a chance to sleep in or do their own thing, and the ship (still small), seems to have a few more things to do than Rhapsody.   Wife and I love Game of Thrones and would love to see Dubrovnik.  Plus this trip has Santorini which I think everyone would love. 

 

Does the Rhapsody cruise have enough variety and interesting ports or will they all start to seem the same?  Does the Brilliance ship have a better balance of sea days and interesting ports? 

 

Does anyone else have kids this age with tips or suggestions for the best things to do in port so no one has a melt down?  I believe they will be legal drinking age in Europe but please confirm if you know.

 

If you had to choose between Santorini, and Kotor, which would you choose and why?

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated as I have launched myself into "OVERTHINK" mode.

 

 

 

I vote for the one with both Santorini and Venice in the itinerary.  For a person who wants a spectacular sail-away, Kotor is hands-down the best I've ever seen in 48 years of cruising (except Alaska's Inside Passage).  But, Santorini is a bucket list port IMO.

[kwokpot]

38 minutes ago, VA4family said:

Thank you for the hotel recommendation, we will be staying at least one night in Venice or near the airport. 

Another good choice near the airport is Hilton Garden Inn Mestre. There's a bus stop right in front of the hotel that takes you into Venice. We've stayed there twice and the hotel itself is really nice. 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g194822-d285117-Reviews-Hilton_Garden_Inn_Venice_Mestre_San_Giuliano-Mestre_Veneto.html?m=19905

[jmh2006]

My two cents is choose the ship and Brilliance is by far a better ship than Rhapsody.  You will love the outdoor area at the back of the Windjammer.  We took a 12 night Southern Caribbean Christmas cruise on Brilliance with our then 21 year old DS and loved that ship!  We only had a few sea days like you will have as it was a very port intensive cruise.  I wish you luck in your decision and a wonderful trip!

[SummmerInKefalonia]

Brilliance is a better ship, more modern and spacious.

Also the itinerary is better, althought it features ports that tend to be overcrowded.

Tell us what you choose. I think you will be more pleased with Brilliance!