DESTINATIONS GREECE CRUISE
adds Gythion, Ithaca and Delos to the list. All Greek islands have one thing in common, namely that they are small. Crete, the largest, is not even as big as Yorkshire; Patmos, one of the smallest, measures just 7.5 miles from north to south and 6 miles west to east. But, size aside, each has its own character and appeal. Rhodes is popular for its beaches, medieval town and the ancient citadel in Lindos, Mykonos is loved for its lively waterfront bars and restaurants. In Santorini, most visitors stay in the blue-and-white villages of Fira and Oia, but they can also climb a volcano and visit the ruins of the Minoan city of Akrotiri. In Patmos, tours visit the
11th-century monastery and Cave of the Apocalypse where St John is said to have received visions of Christ; in Crete, they go to the Minoan Palace of Knossos, known in Greek mythology as the home of the man-eating Minotaur, a beast that was half-man, half-bull. There’s more mythology
at volcanic Limnos, home of Hephaistos, the god of fire, and Delos, the mythical birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.
Clients can visit the Acropolis, climb a volcano, visit ancient Olympia and laze on a beach
Lots of cruise lines sail around
Greece each year, typically from April to late October, offering everything from one-week voyages on big ships to seven nights’ island-hopping on small vessels and sailing craft. There are also longer cruises through the islands and on into the Aegean or Mediterranean. Variety Cruises has one-week cruises round-trip from Piraeus on the 49-berth sailing ship Galileo next year that circumnavigate the Peloponnese and include a transit through the Corinth Canal. The cruise, sold in the UK by Seafarer Cruises, costs from £714 cruise-only departing March 4. Operators including Celestyal Cruises (Tried & T
ested, page 65),
Holland America Line and Oceania Cruises have itineraries
that combine Greece with Turkey, while others just offer a taste of Greece and are ideal for clients who want a fun holiday rather than an overload of history. Clients choosing MSC Cruises’
seven-night round-trip sailings from Venice on MSC Orchestra, for instance, can visit the Acropolis in Athens, climb the volcano in Santorini, visit ancient Olympia from Katakolon and laze on a beach in Corfu. Prices are from £449 cruise-only, departing April 24, 2016. Royal Caribbean International and Norwegian Cruise Line offer a similar mix of experiences on their seven-night Greek island cruises next year, but replace
Piraeus with a beach stop in Mykonos. Royal Caribbean sails from Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) from £1,171 cruise-only departing July 3. Norwegian’s cruise is from Venice, from £569 cruise-only departing May 7. Celebrity Cruises has a
one-week voyage from Piraeus to Istanbul on Celebrity Equinox that visits Santorini, Rhodes and Mykonos, plus Kusadasi (for excursions to Ephesus) in Turkey. From £750 departing June 11. Azamara Club Cruises,
meanwhile, has a 10-night voyage from Piraeus to Venice that stays in Mykonos a day and night so passengers can experience the island after dark, and also
PORTS OF CALL: Ios (top), Symi (left) and Rhodes
62
travelweekly.co.uk 15 October 2015
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