to Cruise or not to Cruise?

Well, there are a lot of different cruise lines and different ways to cruise. Then you need to look at itineraries and time in port.

How much time do you like to put into the logistics of travel? Would you rather have a set itinerary done by another person dealing with all the aspects of travel? Would you rather be a DYI with your hand on every decision made? Are you somewhere in the middle?

There are tons of videos on You Tube about cruises, different ships, and ports visited by cruises. You could spend a little time there looking a what people are doing and what sort of experiences they are having on their cruises. Do those experiences resonate with you?

Finally, a couple of places to look for bargains. Cruise Plum.com and Vacations to Go. I like Cruise Plum because it gives the price with gratuities and port fees included. Your costs will always be the basic cruise fare, any adds on such as excursions or special food/drink packages, wifi, gratuities, and port fees/taxes.

There will be many opinions out there in response to your question. I think that the more you do the research about what the cruises are like and think about what you are really hoping for in a vacation, the more you will come to a conclusion that is right for your family.

I would start by comparing cruise lines that are going to the islands that you want to see. We used Celebrity many years ago and liked it so much that we used Celebrity for other destinations as well. We are no longer cruising because we want more time at our chosen destinations.

I would suggest reading reviews for the specific cruise you might be interested in on the website Cruise Critic.

Celestyal Cruises operate cruises for as little as three or four nights and up to 10 nights from Athens. With the shorter cruises you would only spend a half day at each port - a bit of a teaser really, but possibly a good way to see of cruising is for you. I have not used them.

Check out Cruise Critic for reviews and other cruise lines.

Vacations to go is a good website that I use to find cruises. You can do a custom search with the dates that you would like to go, as well as the region and see what pops up. You can then see a lot of useful info for each cruise, including photos of the cabin, restaurants that are included in the cruise fare, info about the different ports, etc.

Another suggestion is that you should plan to arrive in the city where the cruise starts at least one day prior to the start of the cruise, and preferably a couple of days or longer prior to the cruise.

How much time do you want to spend in each place? We don't cruise because we want to have enough time to see a place. Plus the only time we want to be in that small of a space with that many people is a few hours at a football game.

I have taken eight cruises with Norwegian. I choose them because I travel alone and they have studio cabins for one person.

They do offer Mediterranean - Greek Islands cruises. Their website is NCL.com

But another poster mentioned Celebrity which I think may be a step higher than Norwegian. Same with Princess.

As someone else said, Cruise Critic is a good source of information.

Perhaps a friend or relative can recommend a travel agent. A good travel agent is a big plus but not all of them are good. As with anything else, you need to be careful.

You can call any cruise line and speak to a cruise consultant. They will be very glad to talk with you and send you a glossy catalogue.

Here is a tip. A cruise consultant will tell you all that comes with the cost of a cruise but be certain to ask what does not come with the cost of the cruise.

You have gotten plenty of advice about cruises, and if after research, that appeals to you, great.

Personally, I like doing it on my own. With a cruise, one advantage is that you may be able to take in a number of islands. Doing it on your own, you will go at a slower pace, and in two weeks, with Athens, you really would need to whittle your choices down to 3 islands, and those need to be within a group with ferry connections.

However, with a cruise, figure when you get to an island, you and every one else on the ship, will be crowding to the same few spots. On your own, you can enjoy the local cuisine, in the evening, when the cruise ships have left and things are quiet...or go to an island the cruises skip. On your own would be a slower pace, see more of the local life, more beach.

We enjoy cruising on Celebrity. We just took a 9 day cruise from Athens, only 2 days at sea all the rest were touring the islands. It was great, the cruise ended in Barcelona so we stayed a few days in Spain. The itinerary was Athens, Santorini, Mikonos, Rhodes, Ephesus, Malta, Playa de Mallorca and Barcelona. It was great! Wonderful way to see the islands. Also, if you do take a cruise ask about the air fares. We got an excellent air fare through the cruise line. Good look!

A few years ago Rick had a TV special on cruising the Mediterranean. You can watch it right on this website:

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show/cruising-the-mediterranean

Some people love cruises, having everything planned and provided for you, and don’t mind always being surrounded by people. Others get frustrated with the constant standing in line, waiting to get off the ship or on the ship or into a dining room.

You won’t know which category you fall into until you take one.

But if you’re at all adventuresome, and have the time/inclination to do some research and planning, think about trying Greece on your own. It’s not as complicated as you might expect, and there are lots of experienced Greek travelers on this forum willing to guide you. You won’t see as many islands but you will experience them more fully.

Take into account that cruises are a way to see three or four of the most touristy islands and return to your cabin every evening, but certainly not to "visit" any islands.

You might want to look at Greece travel expert Matt Barrett's take on island cruises. His overall website is a great source for travel in Greece generally. His basic recommendation, if you're going to cruise to different islands, is to use a smaller Greek-based ship that can spend more time in port but may not be as luxurious as the bigger international ones.

We like cruises, have taken more than a dozen with Norwegian Cruise Lines, but not as a way to really experience great destination cities (or in this case islands). Time on shore is limited, ports are shared with lots of other people. The appeal of cruising, for us, is being at sea and having everything taken care of on the ship. To really explore a city or country, we prefer to travel independently, or take a well-organized tour like those Rick Steves offers. (He has one for mainland Greece but not the islands.)

If you want to visit Greece, don’t go on a cruise ship. Take Greek ferries to various islands and stay on each island to fully experience it.

Have to agree. When I see large groups being lead around and then returned to the ship just as the islands become more stunning it seems you miss alot of the ambiance and food of a wonderful country. Plus you will miss interactions with the kind Greeks. Yes I have been on cruises. I think that they are great for some destinations or guests but 2 adults and 2 teens can easily handle the Greek islands and see what they want at their own pace and interests. I had always thought that the ferries between the islands would be difficult but they are actually very easy. Its much more of an adventure and having traveled with my own teens most likely alot more fun including swimming in the very clear seas. The forum can help you alot if you provide how many days that you have and any specific interests etc. You will want to finish in Athens at the end of your great trip.

not to cruise

There is a lot of snootiness on this forum about cruises. Not everyone crowds to the same places as stated above and in other such threads. There are plenty of people like me who very rarely take shore excursions- either ship organised or by independent companies. Not cowed by the threats of "the ship might leave without you". I and others are entirely capable in most cases of organising my own day out, using local transport, at my pace and visiting where I want to go.
Interacting with local people.
But what is often forgotten in such discussions is that ship excursions do employ local transport providers, guides and such like.
I am also more than capable of telling the time, and knowing when to cut things short if something goes wrong. I also have a plan at any port as to how to get to the next port if something utterly drastic did happen.

There is no reason why you can not do the same.

There are people for whom cruising does work.

@isn31c

"There is a lot of snootiness on this forum about cruises" So, so true! But it doesn't stop there. Pick just about any "issue", such as carry on vs. checking, independent travel vs. tours, even down to getting money prior to a trip or getting it from the ATM and you will be told that there is one "right" way to do it.

The ones that get me are the ones that never ever have tried a RS tour or taken a cruise, but are strongly against such experiences. Not every travel method is for everyone. I get that. What I don't get is the judgement and "warnings" about something they have never tried.

A cruise may or may not be the right option for the OP, but at least they were open minded and willing to consider options. Bravo for those willing to consider new ways to travel!

Cruise or no cruise is a personal preference. Kind of like tour or no organized tour. We are 100% a no tour and no cruise family in Europe. I love cruising if all I want to do is go to beaches, but I prefer staying places longer when I'm looking to tour/see other things. We enjoy cruising the Bahamas/Caribbean but that's about all we do. I love planning, and hate large groups, so we do better by ourselves in Europe, I also really love eating as much local foods as I can and with a cruise you're frequently limited to only lunch off the boat.

We have done 21 ocean cruises since 2010 and our favorite cruise lines are Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and NCL in that order.

Compare prices and itineraries.

Cruises are a great way to see several islands. You will only spend a day at each, but you can take in a lot. Love Santorini, Mykonos, Crete and more.

Also, you will likely go to Athens, which is fabulous visiting the Acropolis (Parthenon) and New Acropolis Museum.

Not.

Respectfully, Greece seems like the absolute worst place to cruise, in my opinion.

One of the best parts of your Greek experience are the long-into-the-evening meals in ridiculously beautiful locations with local food. I feel you'd lose far more from a cruise than you would gain. In Greece.

I would feel cheated if I visited Greece by cruise ship. Use the ferries, stay on the islands and you will have a much better and real Greek experience.

Since you'll have teens with you I would not go on a cruise. They'll get a lot more out of seeing Greece if you go on your own. If you do go on a cruise I would recommend Royal Caribbean with teenagers.