The Greek Isles and Turkey on Celebrity Infinity June 15, 2024

[PurpleTraveller]

15 minutes ago, hcat said:

looking forward to more..thanks for sharing

..Based on your pics of Infinity..we may give it another look..  How is the AC and water pressure?

 

We thought Infinity was in remarkably good condition considering her age. The AC worked well wherever we went and was quite cool in some areas and we had some very warm temperatures during the cruise. We had no issue in our cabin with the water pressure at all. Our shower could do with a bit of a refresh but it wasn't an issue for us and the cabin carpet was very new. We really enjoyed sailing on Infinity and would happily sail on her again.

 

Edited July 17 by PurpleTraveller

[PurpleTraveller]

Saturday June 15 - Embarkation Day Continued 

 

At 2.00pm we returned to our cabin to find that our bags had been delivered and were able to unpack. We then went to the Sunset Bar where we waited for sail away at 5.45pm.

 

Dinner was at the Trellis Restaurant. While eating Sun Princess who had been in port with us in Athens sailed past us.

 

 

After dinner we went to the Rooftop Terrace to watch some of the Euro 2024 Spain v Croatia game. While we were there we enjoyed our first sunset of the cruise before heading back to our cabin for the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 17 by PurpleTraveller

[Nettie11]

11 hours ago, PurpleTraveller said:

 

It was an extra $700 each to extend our flights as it was high season but considering the very expensive cost that stand alone flights would have cost, when we did the sums it worked out well for us. Almost everyone on our tour did the same thing of using the Tripadeal flights and either arriving early before the tour or leaving later after the tour. We were also able to pay for some of the package (package was tour and flights) with frequent flyer points.

 

That was a wonderful price to change your airline tickets.  Which hotel did you stay in at Syntagma Square.  And the train from the airport sounds quite easy.  Does the train go to Piraeus from the airport for hotel stays around the port? Thanks for all your wonderful pictures also

[hcat]

10 hours ago, PurpleTraveller said:

 

We thought Infinity was in remarkably good condition considering her age. The AC worked well wherever we went and was quite cool in some areas and we had some very warm temperatures during the cruise. We had no issue in our cabin with the water pressure at all. Our shower could do with a bit of a refresh but it wasn't an issue for us and the cabin carpet was very new. We really enjoyed sailing on Infinity and would happily sail on her again.

 

thank you.. we looked at her future itins but will have to wait til sge sails from our side of the Atlantic... sticking closer to home these days!

 

Great sunset photos..outstanding!

Edited July 17 by hcat

[Number34]

Hi, great review, thanks for posting. We are on the 27 July sailing and I have a question about boarding. I note you arrived around 12.00. Was this your assigned time? I ask because I have checked in and the earliest I could choose was 1.30!

[PurpleTraveller]

7 hours ago, Nettie11 said:

That was a wonderful price to change your airline tickets.  Which hotel did you stay in at Syntagma Square.  And the train from the airport sounds quite easy.  Does the train go to Piraeus from the airport for hotel stays around the port? Thanks for all your wonderful pictures also

 

We stayed at the Pan Hotel on Mitropoleos Street and were one block from Syntagma Square. It was a fairly basic room but it was a family room with a room with a queen bed, two single bed rooms and a bathroom. The main bedroom had a very small balcony overlooking the street. Breakfast was included and the location was perfect for us. They were very welcoming and on check out when we asked about luggage storage for when we returned to Athens after the cruise as we had a 4.00pm flight, they told us to come back to the hotel and they would store our luggage while we went sightseeing. We did go back after the cruise and once again they were very welcoming and stored our luggage for three hours. We would stay there again if in Athens in the future.

 

The Metro Blue Line (Line 3) is a direct line from the airport to Piraeus so you don't have to change trains. We found the train to be very convenient and inexpensive. The train from the airport to Syntagma Square was very crowded and we had to stand. On the way back to the airport it was not very crowded and we had seats.

 

Edited July 18 by PurpleTraveller

[PurpleTraveller]

6 hours ago, Number34 said:

Hi, great review, thanks for posting. We are on the 27 July sailing and I have a question about boarding. I note you arrived around 12.00. Was this your assigned time? I ask because I have checked in and the earliest I could choose was 1.30!

 

Thank you!

 

We had 12.00pm for our boarding time so I don't know if they were allowing people with later boarding times to board. I don't recall hearing anyone being asked what their time was but I was sitting a fair way from the entrance to the tent. As far as I can recall people were just being given a ticket number when arriving. I also don't think there was any checking of boarding time when at the check in area.

 

Hope you have a wonderful cruise! 🛳️

 

[PurpleTraveller]

Sunday June 16 - Sea Day

 

We started our day with a light breakfast in the Oceanview Cafe where it was surprisingly quiet. We then went to deck 11 and found two sun loungers in the shade near the entrance to the Constellation Lounge. At 10.00am DH went to "Secrets of Ships Navigation with Captain Ioannis" in the Theatre which he enjoyed. While he was gone I relaxed with a book. It was very relaxing watching the very calm waters and an occasional island or yacht passing by.

 

 

At 11.30am I went to the Captain's Club Welcome Toast in the Constellation Lounge. I may have indulged in an Apple Martini and eaten some of the yummy canapes. The Captain made a speech and 15 senior officers also attended. We were treated to a great performance by two acrobats who were outstanding. Of course I had forgotten to take my phone so sorry, no photos.

 

I did take this photo of the Constellation Lounge earlier in the day.

 

 

We had a light lunch from the Pool Grill as our loungers were still in the shade. In the mid afternoon we finally lost our shade so we visited the Oceanview Cafe for an afternoon snack. It was Father's Day so there was a display of tempting treats celebrating the day. 

 

 

 

We found some delicious cherries so we took a bowl back to our cabin to eat while watching an Australian NRL game of rugby league.

 

Dinner was at the Trellis Restaurant and after dinner we went to the Rooftop Terrace to watch Euro 2024 Slovenia v Denmark. Then we returned to our cabin for an early night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PurpleTraveller]

Monday June 17 - Santorini

 

We woke up to a beautiful sunrise as we sailed towards Santorini.

 

 

After breakfast at the Oceanview Cafe we arrived at Santorini followed closely by MSC Opera at 7.30am. When passing through deck four at 7.40am the line for tender tickets, which were being handed out at the Martini Bar, was back through the Casino. The tickets must have started being handed out before 8.00am as the first tender for independent passengers was called at 7.50am.

 

We had been to Santorini twice before where we had both times got the first tender from the ship, got the cable car up to Fira with no line and got the local bus to Oia. While we had enjoyed both those visits we wanted to see more of the island this visit and try to escape the crowds. When there was the Black Friday shore excursion sale I booked "Destination Highlight Pyrgos Village" using my OBC.

 

We met in the Theatre at 8.15am and were in group 34. At 8.50am our group was called to go to the tender however we stood on the stairs for ten minutes while waiting to get to deck one where the tenders were loading. We got on the tender at 9.05am and the tender left at 9.15am for the ten minutes trip to the Athinios Ferry Port.

 

 

There were got on our tour bus and were a group of 19. On the way up the winding road from the port we could see Infinity moored.

 

 

As we got to the main road I saw my first blue domes of the day.

 

 

Our first stop was a 15 minute photo stop at the highest point of Santorini at Mount Profitis Ilias. We took photos of the view of both sides of the island and we could just see Infinity in the distance.

 

 

 

 

We then quickly walked up to the Holy Monastery of Prophet Elias.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 18 by PurpleTraveller

[PurpleTraveller]

Monday June 17 - Santorini Continued 

 

We then drove to Pyrgos Village. We walked up through the village to a church and we then had 45 minutes of free time to explore the village.

 

 

If our aim was to avoid crowds we certainly succeeded here! Other than our tour bus of 19 there were only a few other tourists. It was so lovely to walk around with barely anyone else.

 

We wandered through the narrow laneways and had great views of the island and buildings of the village.

 

 

 

 

We loved the Saint Theodosias church and its belltower which was dated 1639.

 

 

 

Around every corner was a gorgeous view of the lovely town.

 

 

Edited July 18 by PurpleTraveller

[PurpleTraveller]

Monday June 17 - Santorini Continued

 

As we walked around we kept finding more lovely view points.

 

 

 

 

There were also shopping opportunities in the narrow laneways.

 

 

 

We were able to climb up to the very top of the village to the rooftop of a church.

 

 

 

 

Eventually we very reluctantly made our way back down through the village and back to the bus. We enjoyed every moment we had spent in Pyrgos.

 

[PurpleTraveller]

Monday June 17 - Santorini Continued

 

Next we drove to Venetsanos Winery where we were given a tasting of white wine and some small snacks. We had a great view of the caldera and Celebrity Infinity and MSC Opera.

 

 

 

 

Even though there were three glasses for each person at the tables when we arrived we were only given a tasting of one white wine but we each were given two good servings.

 

 

We had originally intended to leave the tour at the winery and walk to Megalochori and then get the local bus back to Fira. But it was very warm and after two glasses of wine we decided to continue with the tour and return to Fira.

 

Our last stop was Fira where we walked to the Cathedral from the bus drop off point.

 

 

 

We were each given a ticket for the cable car and given instructions of how to get to the cable car station. The tour ended at 12.50pm.

 

We went into the Cathedral to view the inside.

 

 

[PurpleTraveller]

Monday June 17 - Santorini Continued

 

After visiting the Cathedral we walked through Fira which was very busy to the cliff path on the far side. We liked this beautiful bougainvillea.

 

 

We made a quick visit to the Catholic Cathedral of St John the Baptist with its lovely clocktower.

 

 

 

We then walked along the path overlooking the edge of the cliff to the caldera with great views in every direction.

 

 

 

 

We could see the three ships in Santorini for the day as Infinity and MSC Opera had been joined by Explorer of the Seas at 1.00pm.

 

 

We enjoyed our walk as there were few tourists along the cliff path.

 

 

 

There were pretty buildings and churches along the way.

 

 

As we walked back into Fira we passed the cable car entrance and we saw the long line of people waiting. After a gelato we made our way to the donkey path. This was a lovely view of Infinity from the start of the donkey path.

 

 

[PurpleTraveller]

Monday June 17 - Santorini Continued

 

We headed down the stairs and it took us about 40 minutes to walk down as we took our time and had to stop a number of times when donkeys came past. When I passed the donkeys at the top of the stairs I wished I could set them free.

 

 

There were far more walkers heading both up and down than we had experienced previously and there were many donkeys walking up and down the stairs.

 

 

At one stage we took refuge in a little cave to the side of the stairs to sit in the shade for a while. While there we met a couple who were walking up the stairs and we gave them our cable car tickets as we didn't need them.

 

 

It was very busy at the Old Port and we made our way to the Celebrity tender dock past the very long line for the cable car. It was possibly so long because Explorer of the Seas had arrived at 1.00pm but I was very pleased that I wasn't standing in the sun in the line. We were very fortunate that there were only two ships in Santorini in the morning and only three in total for the day.

 

There was no line for the tender and we were back on the ship at 3.30pm. Our first stop was the Oceanview Cafe for some icecream. There was a good view of the donkey path from the ship.

 

 

We returned to our cabin for a shower and some relaxation before dinner. Dinner was at the Trellis Restaurant and then we went to the Rooftop Terrace to watch Euro 2024 Belgium v Slovakia. While we were there Infinity departed Santorini at 8.15pm. We were able to enjoy the sunset as we sat at the Rooftop Terrace.

 

 

 

 

On our way out we sailed past Oia.

 

 

It was a lovely evening as we sailed away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 18 by PurpleTraveller

[Travelexpert35]

Loving your review. Great photos. I would definitely consider your excursion to Pyrgos when I visit Santorini again. Looked very peaceful and not crowded. 
 

The Infinity looks great for her age. My husband and I were on in 2017 and we enjoyed the size of the ship. 
 

Enjoy the rest of the cruise!!

[peanut head]

Your commentary and pictures are excellent!  Thank you for sharing.

 

On another note, at some point, could you give some details about your time in Milan?  We will be going there and I was wondering what you thought of it and what you did with your time there.  No worries if it's a big ask and you can't answer.😊

[PurpleTraveller]

12 hours ago, Travelexpert35 said:

Loving your review. Great photos. I would definitely consider your excursion to Pyrgos when I visit Santorini again. Looked very peaceful and not crowded. 
 

The Infinity looks great for her age. My husband and I were on in 2017 and we enjoyed the size of the ship. 
 

Enjoy the rest of the cruise!!

 

Thank you!

 

The excursion to Pyrgos was definitely peaceful and not crowded at all - a rare commodity in Santorini. Admittedly not a lot to do except enjoy wonderful views and a very pretty town but just what we wanted.

 

We loved the size of Infinity and really enjoyed sailing on her. 🛳️

[PurpleTraveller]

7 hours ago, peanut head said:

Your commentary and pictures are excellent!  Thank you for sharing.

 

On another note, at some point, could you give some details about your time in Milan?  We will be going there and I was wondering what you thought of it and what you did with your time there.  No worries if it's a big ask and you can't answer.😊

 

Thanks and thank you for reading.

 

We spent two and a half days/three nights in Milan. We stayed near the Central Train Station as we arrived by train and needed to get the train to the airport at 6.15am. The hotel was good but the area around the train station is a business district so there weren't many restaurants or places to eat. If we were in Milan again we would stay in a more central area.

 

We used the Metro and it was easy and inexpensive to use. We also walked a lot as we were a few km from the central area.

 

We found Milan to be a typical large city and it was very busy. We love Rome and Istanbul but for some reason didn't enjoy Milan as much.

 

We went to see Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper which was wonderful and the adjoining church and cloister were also well worth seeing. We liked the area it was in which was residential with lovely apartment buildings. I pre purchased the tickets online for The Last Supper as the tickets are released every three months and sell out extremely quickly as only 35 visitors can view The Last Supper every 15 minutes.

 

 

 

A short walk from The Last Supper is the Castello Sforzesco. We only walked through the courtyards but there are museums to visit. Behind the castle is Parco Sempione a lovely park to stroll through and at the far end is Arco della Pace.

 

 

 

We also visited the Milan Cathedral which is magnificent. I also pre purchased the tickets online to save waiting in the ticket line. We were able to enter the Cathedral directly at our time slot.

 

 

 

 

We also visited Galleria Vittorio Emanuele ll a beautiful shopping arcade with very expensive stores.

 

 

Milan is known for its fashion and shopping and the shopping areas were very crowded. 

 

Hope this helps you a little but please feel free to ask me any questions.

 

[PurpleTraveller]

Tuesday June 18 - Kusadasi

 

We arrived just after 8.00am and were in port with Celestyal Discovery, Azamara Journey and a Windstar ship today.

 

 

 

We had a good view of Pigeon Island from the Oceanview Cafe back deck where we had breakfast before we left the ship at 9.00am. 

 

 

We had been to Kusadasi twice before on cruises and we had been in Kusadasi during our land tour, visited Ephesus and watched Infinity sail into Kusadasi the previous week. So this was going to be a very laid backed and relaxing day for us.

 

It was a short walk to Pigeon Island (Guvercinada) the symbol of Kusadasi and where the name for Kusadasi derived from. 

 

 

The castle on the island was built in the 16th century and the walls surrounding the island were built in 1826. The island was linked to the mainland in the 1960's.

 

 

Unfortunately the castle was not open but it was pleasant to walk around the islands and enjoy the views to the sea. 

 

 

There is a small lighthouse on the island and views to sea.

 

 

 

We walked around the island admiring the battlements and could see the port.

 

 

 

 

[PurpleTraveller]

Tuesday June 18 - Kusadasi Continued.

 

We then walked to the Caravanserai which was built between 1612 and 1613 by Grand Vizier Okuz Mehmet Pasha to house travellers and pilgrims.

 

 

 

A stroll along the waterfront brought us to the Kusadasi sign and Hand of Peace sculpture.

 

 

 

There was a good view of Infinity.

 

 

Retracing our footsteps we entered the Bazaar area. We passed through the Castle Gate and walked to the Hatice Hanim Mosque which was built in 1658.

 

 

 

While we were looking at the outside of the mosque a local man came up to us and invited us into the mosque.

 

 

 

[PurpleTraveller]

Tuesday June 28 - Kusadasi Continued

 

After stopping for an ice-cream we walked back towards the Bazaar along the decorated street.

 

 

We then strolled through the Bazaar enjoying the brightly coloured stairs and laneways.

 

 

 

 

We also enjoyed the "Genuine Fake Watch" signs. No hiding what they are selling!

 

 

Shortly after 1.00pm we returned to the ship for lunch at the Oceanview Cafe and then enjoyed an afternoon reading by the pool. We had a light dinner at the Oceanview Cafe before going to the Rooftop Terrace to watch Euro 2024 Turkey v Georgia. 

 

We sailed from Kusadasi at 7.45pm and enjoyed another beautiful sunset.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 19 by PurpleTraveller

[peanut head]

12 hours ago, PurpleTraveller said:

 

Thanks and thank you for reading.

 

We spent two and a half days/three nights in Milan. We stayed near the Central Train Station as we arrived by train and needed to get the train to the airport at 6.15am. The hotel was good but the area around the train station is a business district so there weren't many restaurants or places to eat. If we were in Milan again we would stay in a more central area.

 

We used the Metro and it was easy and inexpensive to use. We also walked a lot as we were a few km from the central area.

 

We found Milan to be a typical large city and it was very busy. We love Rome and Istanbul but for some reason didn't enjoy Milan as much.

 

We went to see Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper which was wonderful and the adjoining church and cloister were also well worth seeing. We liked the area it was in which was residential with lovely apartment buildings. I pre purchased the tickets online for The Last Supper as the tickets are released every three months and sell out extremely quickly as only 35 visitors can view The Last Supper every 15 minutes.

 

 

 

A short walk from The Last Supper is the Castello Sforzesco. We only walked through the courtyards but there are museums to visit. Behind the castle is Parco Sempione a lovely park to stroll through and at the far end is Arco della Pace.

 

 

 

We also visited the Milan Cathedral which is magnificent. I also pre purchased the tickets online to save waiting in the ticket line. We were able to enter the Cathedral directly at our time slot.

 

 

 

 

We also visited Galleria Vittorio Emanuele ll a beautiful shopping arcade with very expensive stores.

 

 

Milan is known for its fashion and shopping and the shopping areas were very crowded. 

 

Hope this helps you a little but please feel free to ask me any questions.

 

 

Thank you so much!  It does help as we plan on staying for about 5 days in February after 5 days in Paris.  We will be using it as a base to take day trips to Verona and Genoa and ?  I wasn't quite sure about spending time in Milan itself, but I think we will devote a day or more.  Food tour anyone? 🙂 

[PurpleTraveller]

10 hours ago, peanut head said:

 

Thank you so much!  It does help as we plan on staying for about 5 days in February after 5 days in Paris.  We will be using it as a base to take day trips to Verona and Genoa and ?  I wasn't quite sure about spending time in Milan itself, but I think we will devote a day or more.  Food tour anyone? 🙂 

 

You trip sounds great. A day should be fine in Milan depending on what you would like to do. Ten years ago we stayed in Verona for a couple of days and really enjoyed it. Hope you have a wonderful trip. 😊

[PurpleTraveller]

Wednesday June 19 - Rhodes

 

When we started looking at itineraries for our Greek Islands cruise there was one place that we definitely wanted on the itinerary and that was Rhodes. In 2016 when cruising on Royal Princess we were supposed to go to Istanbul but two days before our arrival there was a terrorist attack and needless to say our call was cancelled. Our replacement port was Rhodes and what a delightful surprise it was. We fell in love with Rhodes and we really wanted to revisit.

 

We arrived in Rhodes at 8.00am where we were joined by Azamara Journey and Celestyal Discovery again. We had a great view when at breakfast at the Oceanview Cafe.

 

 

 

 

We left the ship at 9.00am for the short walk along the waterfront the the Old Town of Rhodes. The Old Town was built by the Knights of the Order of Saint John in the 12th century and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Old Town is surrounded by a four km wall. We entered the old town through one of the large gates.

 

 

Our first stop was the Street of the Knights where the inns of various Knights of the Order of Saint John are located. It was great to be out early while the streets were quiet.

 

 

 

 

 

At the top of the Street of the Knights is the Palace of the Grand Master.

 

 

 

The clock tower built in 1851 is nearby.

 

 

[PurpleTraveller]

Wednesday June 19 - Rhodes Continued

 

We then we headed into the charming narrow laneways of the Old Town.

 

 

 

 

 

We wandered in and out of the laneways until we were completely lost. We thoroughly enjoyed looking at the buildings, fountains and shops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eventually we emerged from the Old Town and walked to Mandraki Harbour to see the windmills and Fort of St Nicholas.

 

 

 

At the entrance to Mandraki Harbour is the site of the Colossus of Rhodes one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. The site is marked by a male deer on top of a column on one side of the harbour entrance and a female deer on the other.