Cruise or Ferry?

Most of the short cruises promise a lot but do not deliver... in order to see 4 islands in 4 days, they can only make the shortest of stops... and sometimes only 5 hours or so upon an island. You'll arrive on shore in the midst of a huge crowd of fellow cruisers (imagine being surrounded by 15000-2500 like you, all at the same time) so that the streets of the port will be cram-jammed ... you'll never get far away enough to actually have any kind of island experience ... most of the cruise will be on board, which is fine if that's what you want, but I sense it is not.

In order to help you, we need Specifics -- does "afterward" mean 3-4 days, or a week? Have you looked at a map, or a guidebook, to decide what t ype of island you want and what kind of experience? Do you want to notch as many stops as possible in a limited time, or would you rather have 2 islands, maybe 3 days each, for at least a sample? If you've been on a RS tour, you've experienced a more in-depth tour than cruises offer, so they may disappoint. I recommend you do some homework with good guide books like Rough Guide to Greece or perhaps Lonely Planet guide to the Greek Isles. Learning will lead to a much better experience.

Do not get suckered into the "cliche twins" of Mykonos & Santorini, just because these are the 2 most costly and most over-touristed islands, that are pushed almost exclusively by tours to affluent americans. If you insist, then 2 days in Santorini (NOT on a cruise), and then 3-4 days on a less-crowded island (one that can't take cruise lines or jumbo jets) -- perhaps Naxos or Paros or Antiparos, or Amorgos or Sifnos... lots of choices.

The ferries are easy to use, go everywhere you want. Ferries are part of being in the Greek islands. Some islands also have airports with flights to and from Athens. Don’t take a cruise.

Sounds good. We are planning a week. Good idea on checking out more travel books. I will do my own research, but suggestions are always welcome. Haven’t done a RS tour for many years but thought this would be a good one. Thx

Your RS tour will include a ferry to Hydra and the tour leader will help you with the logistics for other ferries. You shouldn't need to pre-book ferries unless you want special accommodations.

We have done two cruises that visited the Greek Islands and our cruise ship stayed a FULL DAY in each port. We had plenty of time to see the ports.

The advantage of a cruise is you are in a floating hotel with meals included. On a ferry, when you arrive at the port, you have to find accommodations. Do your research to determine what you want to do. The ferry gives you the advantage of staying longer at a port or island.
Crete is a huge island and you could easily spend two weeks there alone. However, you can see Santorini in one day.

However, you can see Santorini in one day.

Don't believe it. It takes a minimum of 4 full days to explore all that Santorini has to offer.

I strongly recommend that you avoid taking a cruise and use the ferry system to visit a few of the islands. This is how the Greeks travel in their own country. I am Greek but I live primarily in the USA. I make 3 trips to Greece each year. and during those trips I have visited areas and islands throughout the country. When I was much younger, I did a cruise to the Greek islands. Then the ships were much smaller and the ports were not flooded with throngs of disembarking passengers like today. The ferry system is excellent and reasonably priced. You will save money, have more control over your itinerary, be able to stay in charming accommodations, and get to meet real Greeks who are friendly, hospitable and willing to give you good advice for dining and sightseeing.