Please sign in to post.

Greek island cruise

Hello!
We would love to take a 7 day cruise in a small ship in early to mid-September. Can anyone please recommend a company you had great experience with?
Thank you in advance.

Posted by
930 posts

I'm not sure cruises will be happening in Sept, but TAUCK is our absolute favorite - It's not cheap, but it is FIVE STAR all the way and you absolutely get what you pay for. For a cheaper alternative, they do an amazing Xmas Market River Cruise - we especially love the Danube one. It is also ALL INCLUSIVE - all taxes, tips, port charges, excursions, and unlimited top shelf alcohol is included. They use the windstar line, it's just going with Tauck, it is all inclusive.

Posted by
37 posts

Windstar is a great small ship option. We were on their small sailing ship ( sails are mainly for looks) (150 people) and it was a great experience. They also have motor yachts that have around 300 passengers. The rooms are larger, but we prefer the ambiance of the smaller ship. It might be best to wait until next year so you are not dealing with all the covid restrictions.

Posted by
1078 posts

We used Variety and it was perfect for us-max 40 people and visited small islands and ports along with the usual island stops.Stumbled on it by watching Travelscope on PBS. Check out their website at VarietyCruises.com.
.

Posted by
3777 posts

Another vote for Windstar. We have very good friends that only sail with them. Since our retirment, we have been looking to sail with them also.

Posted by
2207 posts

For the Greek Isles, Windstar is an excellent suggestion. They do sailings from Athens to Istanbul, Rome, Barcelona, or Athens to Athens trips - all of these voyages thread their way through various islands. They have multiple cruises still showing availability in September 2021. SeaDream is another great option - one of my favorites! Likewise, they have two Athens to Athens voyages in September 2021 that have limited availability. Oceania, which we enjoyed immensely, has three cruises departing from Athens in September. This is a larger ship than Windstar or SeaDream - great food!!! Azamara, a relaxed, casual atmosphere, has various cruises in September 2021 that start or finish in Athens. They recently separated from Royal Caribbean (RCCL) and initially had some great deals, although I've not looked lately.

If you want a more intensive Greek Isle experience, stick with the Athens to Athens cruise options, or perhaps work through a charter group. Good luck!

Posted by
133 posts

One more cruise line to look at is Star Clippers. Their ships are true sailing ships generally sailing Athens to Athens into the fall with various 7 to 10 day itineraries. About 150 passengers. A somewhat different experience. A combination of luxury and adventure travel. Often visits ports not seem by other cruise ships. We have taken 7 or 8 cruises with them and always had a great time.

Posted by
2 posts

Hello everyone,
Thank you so much for all this great information and suggestions. I will be doing some research this weekend.
I appreciate your responses.

Posted by
9 posts

Hi from a local person. Yes, the Windstar is great. It often docks at Nafplio town in the Peloponnese. The passengers always seem very happy. I have spoken with several of them eating out at local tavernas of the town. The corresponding huge cruise ships that visit Nafplio seems very much much like the boring chain hotel with masses of "tourists".