Sailed Spirit Athens to Athens on April 10th

[Lois R]

I don't do reviews anymore (sometimes I do a "Live From") but in this case, I will post a bit about my recent sailing. I flew from here to Atlanta and then on to Athens and a SS was waiting at baggage claim with a nice large sign. There was a group of us who were staying at the Hotel Bretagne. It is a lovely property in a really good location. Breakfast the next morning was included and very nice with beautiful views of the Acropolis.  

I met quite a few folks at the hotel and we all chatted about cruising, life, etc............there were actually 7 buses taking people to the port.  I was on #4 and we left the hotel at 1:00 and arrived at the port at 1:30 with one of the fasted checks EVER. I was on board the ship in 10 minutes. They never asked to see my vax card. I had already filled out the health form and there was no line whatsovever and there were already folks on board so that 2:00pm boarding time was not in effect for this sailing at all. From some folks I talked to they were on board at least an hour ahead of me, so closer to 12:30. I wonder if future emails with that 2pm boarding time will ever be updated.

Will continue this later.........

[Stumblefoot]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

I wonder if future emails with that 2pm boarding time will ever be updated.

2:00p has been the official boarding time for eons, but long time SS cruisers know you usually can board much earlier, sans the recent post-Covid period.  So, I doubt the 2:00p time will change.

[Lois R]

3 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

2:00p has been the official boarding time for eons, but long time SS cruisers know you usually can board much earlier, sans the recent post-Covid period.  So, I doubt the 2:00p time will change.

Hi, I remember my first cruise with SS back in 2017 out of Barcelona. I was on the ship before noon.

[Lois R]

And as to the reviews I have recently read, I can only go by own experiences. I found the food on this sailing good to excellent throughout the 11 days.  I know I have read many posts about poor food.

Not the case for me. I had lamb several times and it was moist and very tasty. I ate at the Grill once and found my steak tender and flavorful. I went to LaTerrazza multiple times and it was really good.

And I didn't have any issues with wine. I always found one that was to my liking. Dinners were normally spent with 1 or more other solo guests which was very nice. There were quite a few solo guests on this sailing. We usually met for drinks in Dolce Vita and then some of us went to dinner together.  I also had a few dinners with staff, which I always enjoy and I think the folks who joined me had a good time too.

 

I was in cabin 632, mid ship, just forward of the elevators. Excellent location and had a good butler and cabin attendant. 

 

More later........

[TLCOhio]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

I found the food on this sailing good to excellent throughout the 11 days.  I know I have read many posts about poor food.   Not the case for me. I had lamb several times and it was moist and very tasty. I ate at the Grill once and found my steak tender and flavorful. I went to LaTerrazza multiple times and it was really good.  More later........

 

Great updating. Keep it coming!!    

 

Any good or interesting speakers and/or entertainment?

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

[Lois R]

Hi Terry, I only attended one show this cruise and I know there were speakers but I never went see one.

My tours and tour guides were a BIG highlight of my cruise. Will go into a bit more detail later.

[Lois R]

This cruise was very port intensive and all the ports were new for me except for Ephesus, Rhodes and Mykonos.

I loved Istanbul and we were docked overnight. One day I took a private tour which was worth every penny..........fantastic tour guide. I had a 1/2 day tour and went to the Topkopi Palace, which I have stay, was totally amazing. We could have spent the entire day there but it was about 3 hours....I really loved it and highly recommend going there. The history and beauty are fantastic. We were going to Sophia Mosque but when I saw the line, I decided to pass. We went to the Spice Market but it was so crowded, I just didn't want to stay long. Ended up walking around and then the driver picked us up and drove me back to the ship. I would say we were gone about 4 hours or a bit more. 

The 2nd day I went on boat ride on the Bosphorus River. It was very good too. We only had about 10 of us and the guide was very good.

And no, I never went to the Grand Bazzar and am ok with that.

 

We also went to Marmaris and I went on a bus tour and we had about 20 folks (I think) Good tour guide on this one as well.

 

I took a 1/2 day tour to Ephesus and our guide was excellent. The last time I was there was way back in 2012 and I am glad I went again. It is a really amazing place.

 

Dikili was our only tender port and it was one of those good tours but the tender experience was just that.......a very harrowing one. One of the tenders had lost power AND the water was VERY, VERY rough......this was at the end when we were going back to the ship. We had to be moved to another area so the tenders could actually dock and there were LOTS of people who had finished their tours waiting....and waiting......everything was backed up for over an hour.......I am sort of shortening the scene but lets just say, the communication between the ship and the dock area? It was TERRIBLE.

 

We also went to Aghios in Crete.......I went to an Olive Oil Factory and it was very interesting.

 

Rhodes, Mykonos and Thessaloniki I stayed on board the ship.

 

My tour guides were all good to excellent and I made sure to tell shore excursions as well.

 

The tender fiasco? Well, many of us made sure they knew about it as well.

 

[TLCOhio]

4 minutes ago, Lois R said:

This cruise was very port intensive and all the ports were new for me except for Ephesus, Rhodes and Mykonos.  I loved Istanbul and we were docked overnight. One day I took a private tour which was worth every penny..........fantastic tour guide. I had a 1/2 day tour and went to the Topkopi Palace, which I have stay, was totally amazing.

And no, I never went to the Grand Bazzar and am ok with that.   I took a 1/2 day tour to Ephesus and our guide was excellent. The last time I was there was way back in 2012 and I am glad I went again. It is a really amazing place.

 

Appreciate these great details and follow-up from Lois.  Glad that you loved Istanbul.  It is an amazing city with so much to see and do there.  BUT, as you encountered, things can be crowded and congested there.  There, sadly, is a cost when a location is so super popular and of strong interest.  Keep up the great sharing.  You've got good reasons to go back to Istanbul and see more later.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

[highplanesdrifters]

17 hours ago, Lois R said:

This cruise was very port intensive and all the ports were new for me except for Ephesus, Rhodes and Mykonos.

I loved Istanbul and we were docked overnight. One day I took a private tour which was worth every penny..........fantastic tour guide. I had a 1/2 day tour and went to the Topkopi Palace, which I have stay, was totally amazing. We could have spent the entire day there but it was about 3 hours....I really loved it and highly recommend going there. The history and beauty are fantastic. We were going to Sophia Mosque but when I saw the line, I decided to pass. We went to the Spice Market but it was so crowded, I just didn't want to stay long. Ended up walking around and then the driver picked us up and drove me back to the ship. I would say we were gone about 4 hours or a bit more. 

The 2nd day I went on boat ride on the Bosphorus River. It was very good too. We only had about 10 of us and the guide was very good.

And no, I never went to the Grand Bazzar and am ok with that.

 

We also went to Marmaris and I went on a bus tour and we had about 20 folks (I think) Good tour guide on this one as well.

 

I took a 1/2 day tour to Ephesus and our guide was excellent. The last time I was there was way back in 2012 and I am glad I went again. It is a really amazing place.

 

Dikili was our only tender port and it was one of those good tours but the tender experience was just that.......a very harrowing one. One of the tenders had lost power AND the water was VERY, VERY rough......this was at the end when we were going back to the ship. We had to be moved to another area so the tenders could actually dock and there were LOTS of people who had finished their tours waiting....and waiting......everything was backed up for over an hour.......I am sort of shortening the scene but lets just say, the communication between the ship and the dock area? It was TERRIBLE.

 

We also went to Aghios in Crete.......I went to an Olive Oil Factory and it was very interesting.

 

Rhodes, Mykonos and Thessaloniki I stayed on board the ship.

 

My tour guides were all good to excellent and I made sure to tell shore excursions as well.

 

The tender fiasco? Well, many of us made sure they knew about it as well.

 

Lois -Thanks for all the tips.

We will be there in November. Very helpful.

[Lois R]

55 minutes ago, highplanesdrifters said:

Lois -Thanks for all the tips.

We will be there in November. Very helpful.

Happy to help🙂 I hope you have a wonderful time.

[RichT1]

Thanks Lois for starting this thread.

We were also on this sailing. The last time we were on Spirit was before the extension refit and we have been on Muse, Dawn etc since, so were very interested to see how she’s doing.

 

Have to agree with Lois, everything from check-in to check-out was superb; the food was fabulous, no problem getting any wine or cocktails we wanted, the crew were exemplary, and the tours were pretty good.

 

Just to expand on the tender issue in Dikili; the weather changed unexpectedly, causing a swell against the concrete jetty they were using. This caused excessive movement of the tenders in relation to the jetty which made it too dangerous to get on or off. Meanwhile, several bus loads of tours returned, resulting in probably a few hundred people waiting. The communications from the crew to the guests at this stage was poor, but in their defence, there was just one security officer and a couple of sailors ashore, who did their best. And I’m not sure how much help they were getting from the local reps, if any. 

 

Eventually, one of the officers in charge of one of the tenders motored around the corner into a little fishing marina which was more sheltered, but almost full of boats. It took him and his crew nearly an hour to manhandle a number of the local boats to make a space for the tenders, as, in his words, “none of the locals was interested in helping….” 

 

Then we walked around the corner to board the tenders there. One tender had damaged a prop in the rough sea (possibly against the concrete jetty) so they were one boat short, and it took longer than it might have to get everyone back. So, actually, job well done by the crew at the coalface, and after all, there’s always late lunch available if you’re starving……

 

Overall we had a great time, and would not hesitate on sailing Spirit again.

 

 

[Lois R]

Hi, thanks for your thoughts as well. My biggest issue was the lack of communication and when I asked someone? I was told nothing.  So, yes, they eventually got us all back to the ship but in my opinion, they don't get a well done from me.

 

But overall, I had a great time too. This was my 3rd time sailing Spirit and I would sail her again as well🙂

[Lois R]

Thought I would post about the staff/crew. Met some really lovely people, which I do on every cruise.

The CD is a guy named JP and he previously worked for Seabourn. He was extremely personable and friendly and has a wonderful voice as well.  He hosted a table and we had 5 who joined him for dinner in Atlantide one evening. It was a lot of fun.

 

I saw a few folks from previous sailings too. The Future Cruise Consultant was Michael from South Africa and we had been on the same cruise last year when I was on Whisper. 

 

Irwin, was the Bar Manager.  I had also sailed with and Wilma, one of the bartenders as well. 

 

Personally, I love seeing familiar faces🙂 and it always makes my cruise more fun.

 

Anyway, if ya'll have any questions, I will be glad to try and answer them. 

 

Jazz, sorry, I forgot to get the number of gins on board but I know I saw at least 10 different bottles. So it looked like there were quite a few choices.

 

[Stumblefoot]

5 minutes ago, Lois R said:

The CD is a guy named JP and he previously worked for Seabourn.

 

Anyway, if ya'll have any questions, I will be glad to try and answer them. 

Was he from Albany?

[Lois R]

Hi, nope😀not the same JP......this one is from originally from Denver🙂

[mancunian]

We have sailed on Spirit three times la st year and loved her.   As I understand it when she was lengthened she was modelled on Muse, so why when Dawn, Moon and Muse are bracketed together why is Spirit left out.  

[Stumblefoot]

1 minute ago, mancunian said:

...so why when Dawn, Moon and Muse are bracketed together why is Spirit left out.  

Different ship class.

[Lois R]

2 minutes ago, mancunian said:

We have sailed on Spirit three times la st year and loved her.   As I understand it when she was lengthened she was modelled on Muse, so why when Dawn, Moon and Muse are bracketed together why is Spirit left out.  

The Muse is different from the Moon and Dawn as well........

[Cardinal Gal]

Lois, thanks for your posts. We leave in 11 days to join the Spirit in Athens. Our itinerary is different, but I was so pleased that you were happy with everything on board. We are bringing along our friends who are newbies to SS.  I have told them they are in for a treat.  From your experience I think they will LOVE it. Where and when is your next voyage?

[Lois R]

1 minute ago, Cardinal Gal said:

Lois, thanks for your posts. We leave in 11 days to join the Spirit in Athens. Our itinerary is different, but I was so pleased that you were happy with everything on board. We are bringing along our friends who are newbies to SS.  I have told them they are in for a treat.  From your experience I think they will LOVE it. Where and when is your next voyage?

Hi, I am sailing on The Dawn out of Southampton in late August😀. first time to any of the places on the itinerary for me and the last time I was even in London? OMG...back in the late 70s.......so really it is all new for me. 12 nights with the cruise ending in Copenhagen. 

 

I hope you and your friends have a wonderful cruise🙂

[Lois R]

12 minutes ago, Cardinal Gal said:

Lois, thanks for your posts. We leave in 11 days to join the Spirit in Athens. Our itinerary is different, but I was so pleased that you were happy with everything on board. We are bringing along our friends who are newbies to SS.  I have told them they are in for a treat.  From your experience I think they will LOVE it. Where and when is your next voyage?

Oh, I should have posted  I did have 2 negative service issues....had dinner with a couple one evening and the service was VERY, VERY slow......actually we had to go to the Maitrd about it because the waiter seemed to have forgotten us.........the food finally came and at least it was hot and tasted good. (There were people on both sides of us who had been served and cleared before we got our entrees)......it was VERY strange.

 

And the other was a mishap in LaTerrazza for breakfast......they seemed to have forgotten me there too. I had even ordered off the menu and the order came out wrong. By then, I got up and left and went to the Arts Cafe........I spoke with the Maitr'd after the mishap about it. I just was too annoyed to say anything at that moment. 

 

Breakfast in Atlantide was always quite good though......go there🙂

 

But those were my 2 biggest negatives so overall the cruise gets an 8.5--9.00 out of 10