Athens --> Paros --> Crete

The only issue I see is the short amount of time on Crete.

It's the largest of the Greek Islands and would take weeks to fully experience and enjoy, plus loss of time in getting there.

Most people leave Athens at the end of their trip, if possible and go straight to their destination.

It takes about 4 hours to get to Crete via ferry from Paros which means that day is pretty much spent getting ready to travel, the ferry ride and settling in on Crete which loses valuable time for the first day. FYI, that's with a Sea Jet ferry which gets varied reviews some great and some terrible mostly delays, cancellations and sea sickness during rough seas.

The other option is to a slow ferry which will take even longer if available.

Would you consider going straight to Crete for your entire stay as it has as much to offer and more than any other island?

That's what my husband wants to do, explore only Crete. I was hoping to visit one of the Cyclades islands. This may be our only trip to Greece and I feel like we'd miss out not visiting one of those islands. But maybe I need to get over that!

There are a number villages on Crete that have the look of the Cyclades so you'll have to determine where to go on the island.

It's huge so there are many options so that means a lot of research.

If you decide on Crete try to find a direct flight on arrival at the airport go straight there and leave Athens for the end of your trip.

You want to get back to Athens at least one day before your flight in case there are any delays.

One excellent guide book is the Blue Guide to Crete that is filled with everything you need.

There are numerous websites for Crete also.

Most people think the Cyclades Islands are the only ones to visit as they are the most hyped but there are numerous other island groups that offer a real nice Greek Experience. I've been to several Cyclades Islands and they are indeed nice so I understand why they are of interest but don't overlook other other groups.

The most important thing is research.

I agree with Tommy about leaving Athens for the end of your trip and heading directly to Crete by connecting with your flight from Boston. This is generally easy to do at Athens airport, with a connection time of about 2.5 or 3 hours.

Then you can take a ferry from Crete to Paros and finish in Athens with a ferry from Paros to Piraeus.

The Seajets catamaran ferries that run between Crete and Paros are large models with a capacity of 1,200 passengers or more, such as the "World Champion Jet," not to be confused with the smaller ones that have a (deserved) bad reputation. They start their day trip in the morning from Crete, so there are no delays that could be due to a delayed previous trip.

Paros → Piraeus by ferry takes between 3 and 4 hours depending on the type of ferry.
There are quite a few ferries for this trip, but regardless of the ferry, you won't arrive in Piraeus until early afternoon at best.

Although Crete is technically an island, personally, as someone accustomed to the island lifestyle, I find that Crete's size doesn't provide the indefinable feeling of being on an island like Paros, for example.
The island lifestyle is very specific due to reasons such as the lack of self-sufficiency and infrastructure.
Whereas Crete, with its population of 650,000, is self-sufficient and has infrastructure equivalent to that of the Greek mainland.

So, for me, this would be a good reason to want to go to an island other than Crete.

Jo-Lui's Advise is - as usual - pure Gold. As a vet traveler (13 trips, 9 with "newbie" companions), I know J-L's itinerary works well and agree with his assessment of an "island feel".

My concern is the plan for such a cruelly short stay! No you do NOT have 11 days, even if arriiving before Noon June 3, you only have 8.5 days! Please please add 2 more days -- after all, you're spending probably $1400 each, jlust for RT fare, so don't have it all pass in a blur! Since (bless you) you've wisely got such an early start, you'll be able to save $$ by finding & booking bargains in self-catering lodgings (remember: location is KEY! to minimize car rental), prepping for D-I-Y site visits vs paid tours.

My add-ons to J-L's comments -- Agree about ferry to Paros -- and take care about location there... Not Naoussa, or the meh Parikia beach.. look at Aliko, just S. of port town of Parikia - OR (my fave) for a True Island feel, stay on Antiparos! Lovely small port & village totally walkable & charming, its "main street" is magical at night, check these pix by top RS contributor Stanbr -- https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr54/sets/72157632126687570/ You'd be early enough to miss crowds ... and you can enjoy PAROS as well! A 10-min ferry ride that runs late, so can sample Paros diningi & nightllfe... and cover Paros highlights in a day-trip https://agreekoddity.com/monday-24th-june-2013-a-day-trip-to-paros/

Here's an UNspoiled Antiparos beach I love - https://antiparos.com/explore/psaraliki-beach/ ... and just above it (as shown on its home page) is owner-run Thalasea, with self-catering apts - https://thalasea.gr Ideal for you, or else perhaps there's a bnb nearby. Best of luck in your long-range plans!

tommyk5, JoLui and janet - thank you for your replies!

Ok, I will redo may itinerary and add two days. I like the suggestion of staying on Antiparos and visiting Paros, I hadn't thought about that. I'll be back in a few days with a new itinerary and hope to get some more feedback! I'll add a few more details like travel time between islands and mode of transportation. Thanks again!