Best Greece Cruise?

[PACD_JG]

With many of the premium lines having big sales, was looking at a Greek Cruise for summer 2024.  However, it doesn't appear the lines that are more suited to my style (HAL/Princess) do Greece very well (I think I'd be interested in doing an Athens roundtrip).  Most of the internet says the luxury lines do Greece the best, but since I'd need two rooms (travelling with wife and two teen daughters), I'm only willing to spend one extremity.  Any suggestions from folks who've done a Greek cruise?  Is Celebrity's Greek Isles 7-day on the Infinity the best that I could do?

[cruisemom42]

6 minutes ago, PACD_JG said:

With many of the premium lines having big sales, was looking at a Greek Cruise for summer 2024.  However, it doesn't appear the lines that are more suited to my style (HAL/Princess) do Greece very well (I think I'd be interested in doing an Athens roundtrip).  Most of the internet says the luxury lines do Greece the best, but since I'd need two rooms (travelling with wife and two teen daughters), I'm only willing to spend one extremity.  Any suggestions from folks who've done a Greek cruise?  Is Celebrity's Greek Isles 7-day on the Infinity the best that I could do?

 

Give us more of an idea of what's important to you -- are you looking for a mix of the Greek mainland and Greek isles? If so, Princess used to have a pretty nice option. I haven't looked lately. By the way, I don't think mainstream cruiselines like HAL and Princess even have their 2024 Europe itineraries out yet.  

 

If you're looking for those rarely visited island gems, they do tend to crop up more on the luxury lines -- primarily because the mainstream ships are so much larger now and may not be able to dock, or tender effectively, or offer enough to do at some of the smaller places.

 

 

 

[PACD_JG]

Thanks cruisemom.  I was thinking we would fly into Athens and spend between 3-7 days there before the cruise, so I was looking at a cruise that would take me to the islands.  Figured I could visit Delphi, Olympia, Nafplio, Athens sites pre-cruise.  A turn-off for the Celebrity cruise is that it goes all the way up north to Thessaloniki for a night (not even on my radar) and then goes back south to Mykonos from there - seems like wasted time.

Edited May 30, 2022 by PACD_JG

[jas283a]

We did a Greek round trip 7 day from Athens on NCL last summer. It was nice because it was all Greece (plus technical stop in Turkey where we didn’t get off). NCL may not be your cup of tea but worked for us. I can’t help but thinking that was largely a Covid related itinerary though. I agree with the previous poster, it depends on if you want the bigger islands/destinations or smaller islands/destinations. Ours was a mid ship and went to several “main” ports. And I know Princess hasn’t put out many 2024 cruises, so I would wait and see. 
 

2 other things to consider. We had 0 sea days on our cruise, which I think is fairly typical. That means you are very busy the whole time and probably see much less of the ship. The other is if, for example, it’s an Athens round trip, you’ll need days pre and/or post cruise to actually see and enjoy Athens. Just things to keep in mind. 

[jas283a]

3 minutes ago, PACD_JG said:

Thanks cruisemom.  I was thinking we would fly into Athens and spend between 3-7 days there before the cruise, so I was looking at a cruise that would take me to the islands.  Figured I could visit Delphi, Olympia, Nafplio sites pre-cruise.  A turn-off for the the Celebrity cruise is that it goes all the way up north to Thessaloniki for a night (not even on my radar) and then goes back south to Mykonos from there - seems like wasted time.

Lol, already thinking ahead. If you’re a go go go family, it might be different, but I know for my wife and I (in our 40’s), the every day port stops were a lot, without a sea day to break it up. So I think if there’s 1-2 ports that aren’t prime destinations, that’s OK as it can almost be a more relaxing day. 
 

Ours didn’t to Thessaloniki (did Olympia though), I think I realize now that’s pretty rare for “Greek only”. 

[PACD_JG]

2 minutes ago, jas283a said:

Lol, already thinking ahead. If you’re a go go go family, it might be different, but I know for my wife and I (in our 40’s), the every day port stops were a lot, without a sea day to break it up.

Thanks jas.  We do like to stay busy, and I'm mainly using cruising as transportation (actually never been on a cruise - my first cruise is actually this month - Alaska.  I assume you were on the NCL Jade?  How was the ship?

[jas283a]

2 minutes ago, PACD_JG said:

Thanks jas.  We do like to stay busy, and I'm mainly using cruising as transportation (actually never been on a cruise - my first cruise is actually this month - Alaska.  I assume you were on the NCL Jade?  How was the ship?

Yes it was the Jade. We enjoyed it, it’s a mid-sized ship, so plenty of restaurants and lounges, but not too big and not too many bells and whistles. Good entertainment (when we did go). However, you don’t need the bells and whistles like onboard skydiving or go carts or tons of people onboard, because the port stops are the main draw, like Alaska (other cruise itineraries the ship is the main draw). It’s a very good ship, but mostly as you said, a floating hotel to transport you from port to port in Greece. Our favorite was Corfu and if you go to Crete, I would find an itinerary that goes to Heraklion, the main city. More history/culture things to see there. 

[cruisemom42]

Cruises can easily carry you to Nauplio and Olympia (port is Katakolon) so I'd wait and see what ports you end up with on your ship before doing a lot of planning on your land portion. Delphi is probably best done as an overnight from Athens and could be combined with something else. I also would highly recommend visiting Corinth. If you stop in Nauplio you can get to some of the fascinating Myceanean sites (such as Mycenae), otherwise definitely get there from Athens. 

 

Regarding the ship -- I agree that if you're seeing a port each day it's debatable as to how important the particular ship or line is. I also cruise mainly for the ports and for me, smaller ships have smaller frustrations: no real pinchpoints in terms of getting on/off ship, dining, etc.  I am not a fan of NCL but that could be due to their dining policy (I travel solo and enjoy eating with others; sadly on NCL that doesn't seem to be "accepted" behavior.

 

I'll just put in my two cents re: Thessaloniki -- it's a fascinating port with a lot to offer and gives you a very different slice of Greece than either the islands or the more southern mainland. There are a number of interesting sights in the town itself and also you can take tours from there to fascinating spots such as the tomb of Philip II (father of Alexander the Great) and to two of the cities most associated with Alexander's youth. However, if it's the only northern port, you may be right that it's better done with other ports in the area such as Kavala and the port for Meteora.

 

 

Edited May 30, 2022 by cruisemom42

[ISLABONITA]

I had my eye on an NCL Greek Isles cruise in the summer of 2021 was ideal all Greek islands then they changed the itinerary for when I wanted to go in October but ended up going April 2022 and added Kusadasi for 1/2 a day ( well worth it to see Ephesus and explore the town, and then Istanbul for a day ( didn't care for it and the weather was rainy and glitched most of my sightseeing plans ( mid April) the other ports were Volos ( harbour and monastery) Rhodes ( my favorite wall city and harbour , beach and hand made ceramic family business) Mykonos,(  side trip to Delos) and Santorini ( get ready for tons of walking uphill)  we had 3 pre days in Athens staying at Intercontinental Athens and was enough to see Acropolis and 4 other historical sites, the museum, Plaka, changing of the guard.  Then post cruise we spent a night in their seaside port of Glyfada ( Easter Sunday) for a very relaxing and beautiful stop ( only 8 miles from Piraeus port.) Also from here you can take a bus to Poseidon ( or the city)  much quicker taxi to airport from this destination.  Stayed at Hotel London with a balcony room with a view of the harbour.  Hopefully you will find a cruise with only all Greek isles or ports. Other option is to take ferry rides from Athens and stay 3 nites in two islands of your choice.

 

Edited May 30, 2022 by ISLABONITA

[PACD_JG]

Thank you both.  We'll see what comes up when the premium lines release their schedules.

[Hlitner]

I will offer a different perspective.  There are over 1000 Greek Islands of which about 200 are inhabited (these numbers always seem to change).  Large cruise ships only go less than a dozen of these island and tend to focus on even fewer (Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, Corfu, Crete, etc).  We have been to all those usual islands (numerous times) and they are certainly terrific places to visit.  But, as you can imagine, they are among the most touristy of the Greek Islands.   With over 50 years of extensive cruising under our belt, and dozens of cruises to the Greek islands on the usual mass market and luxury lines, our favorite Greek Island cruise was on a tiny boat/cruise with a defunct company called Zeus Cruises.  Our week cruise (with Zeus) was on the chartered Sea Crown Yacht which held 20 passengers and a crew of 7.  That cruise was in the Ionian Islands (embarking from Corfu) and none of the islands we visited (other than Corfu) will ever be found on a typical cruise ship.

 

We would pull up to an island in the morning, drop anchor off a beach, jump off the bow and swim into the island.  We would pull up anchor later in the morning and head to a more populated island where we would dock for the afternoon.  It was a truly glorious week with our shipmates (10 Dutch, 8 German, and we 2 Americans).   That company eventually sold-out to Variety Cruises who still operates similar cruises out of Greece, Croatia, etc.

 

So my recommendation now becomes obvious.  Forget all the usual cruise lines, expand your horizons and gin-up your spirit of adventure.  Book a small boat cruise of some of the Greek Islands ).

 

That being said, we have also explored some of the islands by simply using ferries.  In fact, just last August we spent two weeks cruising the Greek Islands on the Seabourn Ovation.  But after we ended that cruise in Pireaus we took a taxi to the otherside of the harbor and boarded a large ferry for the island of Naxos where we spent 4 days.  We then took another short ferry ride over to Paxos where we spent a few more days before catching a third ferry back to Pireaus.  There are numerous ferries (many as large as cruise ships) moving all around various Greek Islands. Your itinerary is only limited by your imagination (and acceptable ferry connections).  While visiting an island on a cruise ship does give you a small snapshot of an island, spending a few days/nights on that same island opens up the real world of Greek Islands.  We are talking decent restaurants (often with fresh seafood truly right out of the sea), decent nightlife, many wonderful outdoor cafes/restaurants, etc.  And before you say "I am too old for this stuff," I would mention that DW and I are in our mid 70s and still love island hopping.  Planned properly a small boat cruise or island hopping should cost no more than a typical cruise.

 

Hank

[PACD_JG]

Hank, maybe one day, as I see your love of Greece is unmatched.  But Hlitner:Greece::PACD_JG:Scotland.  And right now in our lives, Greece isn't on our first page.  In other words, I want to taste the steak before I buy the whole cow.

[Hlitner]

Just now, PACD_JG said:

Hank, maybe one day, as I see your love of Greece is unmatched.  But Hlitner:Greece::PACD_JG:Scotland.  And right now in our lives, Greece isn't on our first page.  In other words, I want to taste the steak before I buy the whole cow.

ROFL and well said.  There are many cruises that go to Santorini and Mykonos and they are two good islands for you to experience the steak :).  I would correct your comment about our love of Greece and change it to our love of travel and cruising.  I guess we could continue with metaphors and say that the world is our palette and Greece is only a single color.

 

That being said, my respect for Greece as a travel destination soared to new heights in 2021.  Why?  When we were looking for places to cruise and travel in the summer of 2021, most countries still had restrictive COVID rules that made travel planning near impossible.  But the Greek government was among the first in Europe (and the world) to adopt the attitude that "we must learn to live with COVID" and they went above and beyond in opening up their country to those of us willing to travel/cruise.  Being in Greece last summer was truly a special experience as it seemed like everyone (and the islands were crowded) just wanted to live their life to the fullest and have fun.  All the joy was really contagious and we enjoyed every moment.  It was the saame on our recent visit to Europe where we felt a similar attitude in Prague (which was packed with tourists) where folks went out of their way to be friendly and nearly everyone seemed to have a fantastic time.  

 

I no longer have the patience to get into the various COVID discussions.  We (DW and I) have simply moved on with our lives and have continued to enjoy all of our cruises and trips during the past two years.  At our age that ticking clock is hanging over our heads and we are doing our best to continue with our travel passion.  What is encouraging for we travelers is that most of Europe have now adopted the Greek attitude and welcoming tourism and those who just want to have fun.

 

Hank

[marazul]

Every cruise beginning and ending in Athens has to stop in a different country once (Turkey, Cyprus or Italy) because of cabotage laws.  The only exception is for Greek-flag cruise ships that are allowed to visit only Greek ports.  Look for one that stops in Kusadasi for Ephesus because that is a highlight for any itinerary.

[pdmlynek]

On 5/30/2022 at 10:46 AM, PACD_JG said:

...

Any suggestions from folks who've done a Greek cruise?

...

 

What is the "best Greek cruise" is very subjective, depending on your tastes, but I will tell you how evaluated what is "best" for my family purely based on the stops.

 

As with some other world destinations with which I am not intimately familiar, I looked at the list of UNESCO World Heritage site list.  There are about 1100 WH sites around the globe, with about 18 being in Greece. Some WH sites on the Greek islands include: City of Rhodes, Delos, Samos, Patmos, and City of Corfu.  The cruises that visit a larger number of WH sites would seem preferred over those that do not for those people who are interested in Ancient Greece.

 

NCL did a great job at hitting almost all of them during our voyage on Jade about 3 weeks ago.  We stopped at Rhodes, Delos, Patmos, Corfu, and Ephesus in Turkey.  I recommend it.

 

 

[travelingman]

On 5/30/2022 at 11:43 AM, cruisemom42 said:

Cruises can easily carry you to Nauplio and Olympia (port is Katakolon) so I'd wait and see what ports you end up with on your ship before doing a lot of planning on your land portion. Delphi is probably best done as an overnight from Athens and could be combined with something else. I also would highly recommend visiting Corinth. If you stop in Nauplio you can get to some of the fascinating Myceanean sites (such as Mycenae), otherwise definitely get there from Athens. 

 

 

 One comment please on visiting Delphi.  Delphi can also be done as a day trip from Athens.  It is a long day trip (maybe 10 hours) but it is done by many.  It can be done anywhere from a private tour to a bus tour.

 

Stan

[cruisemom42]

On 7/1/2022 at 3:08 AM, travelingman said:

 

 One comment please on visiting Delphi.  Delphi can also be done as a day trip from Athens.  It is a long day trip (maybe 10 hours) but it is done by many.  It can be done anywhere from a private tour to a bus tour.

 

Stan

 

Yes, I did it that way and honestly it was not very satisfying. Which is why I recommend an overnight. There is too much to see at Delphi in the time allowed by a trip in a single day from Athens.

[karmeletroyas]

On 5/30/2022 at 8:38 PM, Hlitner said:

I will offer a different perspective.  There are over 1000 Greek Islands of which about 200 are inhabited (these numbers always seem to change).  Large cruise ships only go less than a dozen of these island and tend to focus on even fewer (Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, Corfu, Crete, etc).  We have been to all those usual islands (numerous times) and they are certainly terrific places to visit.  But, as you can imagine, they are among the most touristy of the Greek Islands.   With over 50 years of extensive cruising under our belt, and dozens of cruises to the Greek islands on the usual mass market and luxury lines, our favorite Greek Island cruise was on a tiny boat/cruise with a defunct company called Zeus Cruises.  Our week cruise (with Zeus) was on the chartered Sea Crown Yacht which held 20 passengers and a crew of 7.  That cruise was in the Ionian Islands (embarking from Corfu) and none of the islands we visited (other than Corfu) will ever be found on a typical cruise ship.

 

We would pull up to an island in the morning, drop anchor off a beach, jump off the bow and swim into the island.  We would pull up anchor later in the morning and head to a more populated island where we would dock for the afternoon.  It was a truly glorious week with our shipmates (10 Dutch, 8 German, and we 2 Americans).   That company eventually sold-out to Variety Cruises who still operates similar cruises out of Greece, Croatia, etc.

 

So my recommendation now becomes obvious.  Forget all the usual cruise lines, expand your horizons and gin-up your spirit of adventure.  Book a small boat cruise of some of the Greek Islands ).

 

That being said, we have also explored some of the islands by simply using ferries.  In fact, just last August we spent two weeks cruising the Greek Islands on the Seabourn Ovation.  But after we ended that cruise in Pireaus we took a taxi to the otherside of the harbor and boarded a large ferry for the island of Naxos where we spent 4 days.  We then took another short ferry ride over to Paxos where we spent a few more days before catching a third ferry back to Pireaus.  There are numerous ferries (many as large as cruise ships) moving all around various Greek Islands. Your itinerary is only limited by your imagination (and acceptable ferry connections).  While visiting an island on a cruise ship does give you a small snapshot of an island, spending a few days/nights on that same island opens up the real world of Greek Islands.  We are talking decent restaurants (often with fresh seafood truly right out of the sea), decent nightlife, many wonderful outdoor cafes/restaurants, etc.  And before you say "I am too old for this stuff," I would mention that DW and I are in our mid 70s and still love island hopping.  Planned properly a small boat cruise or island hopping should cost no more than a typical cruise.

 

Hank

Dear HLITNER, this is my first "question" in CRUISECRITIC, it seems you know well the Greek islands. I have been travelling to Greece and the Greek islands both on cruises and by myself -island hopping, ferrys, etc...-. I write you in case you can help me: I am looking for a cruise line -it can also be a small Greek company (but please, a reliable one)- that stops at Samothraki island or does excursions to Samothraki. Can you help me?

[Hlitner]

21 minutes ago, karmeletroyas said:

Dear HLITNER, this is my first "question" in CRUISECRITIC, it seems you know well the Greek islands. I have been travelling to Greece and the Greek islands both on cruises and by myself -island hopping, ferrys, etc...-. I write you in case you can help me: I am looking for a cruise line -it can also be a small Greek company (but please, a reliable one)- that stops at Samothraki island or does excursions to Samothraki. Can you help me?

You got me!  I have no clue.  As you are aware, Samothraki is well isolated from most of the other popular Greek Islands which makes it tough to add to the typical itineraries.  It would make more sense on a cruise to Istanbul than to most other Greek Islands.  Although we have heard of the island, we are not aware of any cruise line (or even small yacht lines) that go to that island.  Of course, it is reachable by ferry, but that is also a challenge because of the schedules and embarkation ports.

 

Hank

[karmeletroyas]

Thank you very much for your quick answer!!!🙂 Yes, is a small island, and ferries only depart from Alexandroupoli.

The cruises that stop in Limnos or Kavala (that do Athens-Istambul itinerary) do not offer any excursions to Samothraki.

We were looking for a cruise because would like to travel with 80 year old friends (and it would be much easier for them)