Anyone taken Variety Cruises out of Athens?

Thanks for suggesting this. We did the standard Norwegian cruise this past year to get a taste but now I am looking at options to see the other islands. I had not come across Variety before but they do look interesting. My trip wont be until 2020 but need to start looking now!

If you decide to book, please let the forum know. This island hopping idea seems perfect.

Bill

I probably wont as you really need two nights on each island. This will probably be my only trip to Greece and want to get the most out of it.

I've never taken cruises because I prefer to stay longer wherever I go in Greece, mainland or island and like the Do-It-Yourself Approach.

However, I did see a travel show called Two for the Road where the couple used Variety Cruises for Greek island hopping. The ship looks nice with wonderful accommodations and they seemed to have a good time.

We did a Variety Cruise in Sept 2015 around the Greek Islands. We started our trip with 3 days in Athens and then the cruise. It was AMAZING! The smaller ship meant very personalized service and excursions that did not require several buses and long lines. Our cruise director was fun, knowledgeable, and quick on his feet when we would run into a snag in the itinerary (woke up in the same port we were suooosed to leave after the anchor mechanism broke and a new one had to be flown in from Athens...the day there turned out great!). Swimming off the back of the boat was so fun and you could never do that off of a big ship. The smaller ship allowed us to get into more shallow areas that your big ships can’t. We also had an amazing crew and menu on board. Breakfast was SO good and I miss greek yogurt and honey fiercely. I can’t say enough about the food our chef prepared! We also loved getting to know our fellow passengers during our intimate mealtimes and excursions. With only 49 on board you become friends quickly. We were the youngest on board but I didn’t mind as it was a very nice mix from different areas and ages so we heard great stories!
The downside, because there is always a downside, is that a small ship means you feel the movemoet of the sea. We had a few rough nights and we stayed in the lower deck. This being my first cruise of any kind I was a little startled the first time the drawers came flying open and you could hear your neighbors drawers do the same. The suite was fairly small, especially the bed on the lower level, but we really didn’t mind, after all it was our honeymoon! I brought plenty of motion sickness medication and when the ship ran out during one of our hiccups, we had plenty to share with fellow passengers.
The price is higher but as my grandmother always says, you get what you pay for, and with Variety we were spoiled!

In short, I would HIGHLY recommend sailing with variety! It’s a perfect adults only cruise.
Hope this helps!