Want to Cruise Greece? Check These Vacations Out

You’re eager to sail the turquoise-blue waters of the Mediterranean and dip your toes in those white sand beaches that Greece is famous for. You can picture yourself exploring the ancient ruins of Delphi rising from the mountain mist or gazing over the white-washed buildings on the island of Mykonos.

You may want to take a luxurious cruise to Greece but are overwhelmed by all the choices offered online. Check out this list of Greek Vacations that combine the adventure of exploring Greece on land with the feel of the open sea. You can cruise Greece with

Azamara Club Cruises

Soak Up Greek Culture With Azamara Club Cruises

Azamara Club Cruises have three sister ships that are mid-sized and offer travelers a more intimate experience. They pride themselves on a laid back cruise experience with high-end customer service. Part of your food fare will cover:

Complimentary house wines
Specialty coffees for free
Bottled wines

You can also choose from three open seating restaurants.

One thing that Azamara offers is unparalleled on-shore excursions through their land programs. Local guides take passengers to local restaurants not frequented by many tourists and show you hidden gems for great shopping. You’ll learn local traditions and some island secrets. Azamara Cruises like to spend a little more time at their destination so you can soak up the local culture and not feel rushed.

A sample 7 day cruise itinerary could include starting in Athens and then heading to:

Mykonos, a glorious island paradise famous for its sun-bleached houses with brilliant blue shutters and 16th-century Venetian windmills. You’ll tour their many shops and bars nestled between brilliantly colored bougainvillea

Then Ephesus, touring famous landmarks and walking in the footsteps of Saint Paul, the apostle, by starting at the Amphitheater. Then see the house where Mary, the mother of Jesus, lived.
Next, you’ll begin island hopping, starting with Patmos, where John the Baptist was exiled and wrote all of his New Testament books.
The island of Rhodes is next, where you’ll be captivated by the Byzantine Empire architecture. And stand at the harbor mouth where the ancient statue of Colossus greeted travelers and warned strangers.
Last, you’ll see Santorini island, where you’ll visit volcanic beaches and Akrotiri, a city reminiscent of Pompeii. You’ll see Santorini’s well-preserved ruins that give you a peek into her rich and dramatic past. And visit Heraklion, where the archeological city of Knossos, the heart of Minoan civilization, was located.
Then head back to Athens, where you’ll conclude this wonderful cruise.

Enjoy Authentic Greek Fare With Celestyal Cruises

Celestyal Cruises is the one of the main local Greek cruise lines based in Cyprus and ports in Athens. They operate two mid-sized vessels that provide a relaxing cruising experience while island hopping or around the eastern Mediterranean as well as the Aegean Sea.

As part of your fare, Celestyal includes these features during their cruises,

Select Shore Excursions that Celestyal Cruises have handpicked for their guests to include famous archeological sites and romantic landscapes to inspire you.
On Board Entertainment that includes dancing and Greek language lessons.
Port Charges and Gratuities are covered because these fees can rack up and blow your budget. So, port fees and crew gratuities are all included in your cruise price.
Complimentary dining where you receive sumptuous 4 to 6-course meals if you so choose, or dine at the buffet that features classic Greek dishes prepared with fresh Mediterranean ingredients.
Unlimited Classic Drinks are available for your imbibing pleasure, from fresh squeezed fruit drinks to premium wine. Whatever you prefer, you’ll be able to find it.

Celestyal Cruises start and end their sailing itinerary in Athens. And will include 3 or 4 night mini stays while island hopping between:

Mykonos, Greece
Patmos, Greece
Santorini, Greece

Longer cruises will also include the islands of Rhodes and Heraklion. These mini breaks let you enjoy the rich heritage and shopping that each island has to offer. You will also be immersed in the Greek cultural experience while cruising on board their vessels or visiting shore sites.

A sample seven-night Eclectic Aegean cruise starts and ends in Athens and includes visits to:

Canakkale, Turkey

Volos, Greece
Heraklion, Greece
Santorini, Greece
Mykonos, Greece

Discover Hidden Greek Gems With Costa Cruises

Costa Cruises can offer you some of the best European vibes while sailing the Greek islands. That’s because they are the only Italian cruise company in the Mediterranean. They have 27 ships that offer top of the line service. Some of their ships, such as the Costa Mediterranea, feature fanciful decor designed to reflect Italy’s 17th and 18th century castles.

Travel with continental Europeans around the Mediterranean and experience their food and customs, like drinking an abundance of espresso and imbibing wine late into the night.

A sample seven-night round trip cruise features Greek ports among other east Mediterranean stops, such as:

Corfu
Santorini
Mykonos

These cruises typically begin and end in either Trieste or Venice, Italy. They’ll also feature other ports in Italy and Croatia during your stay with Costa Cruises.

As part of your fare package, you also have access to:

Top of the line restaurants and bars aboard ship
Sports and wellness features like a pool and a gym.
Spa and beauty treatments
On shore excursions to visit some of the most famous sites in Greek history.

Soak up Greek History With Crystal Cruises

Crystal Cruises spans the globe with their fleet. They have one of the most affordable luxury cruises available on board their ships. One of their midsize luxury cruise ships, the Crystal Serenity, holds up to 1,080 passengers.

The Crystal Serenity offers some fantastic education and enrichment programs while cruising the Meditteranean. They bring on world-class experts and lecturers to help further your knowledge through enrichment workshops.

Crystal Cruises offers traditional cruise entertainment choices, such as:

Night clubs
Casinos
Broadway shows

There is an incredible array of dining choices aboard the Serenity, depending on what you’re in the mood for that day.

A sample 12-night Greek and Holy Land cruise aboard the Crystal Symphony starting and ending in Athens includes ports of call at:

Patmos, Greece
Kusadasi, Turkey
Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Israel
Paphos, Greece
Rhodes, Greece
Crete, Greece
Santorini, Greece
Mykonos, Greece

Choose Your Adventure on Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Lines offers some of the lowest fares for a 7-day Greek Island Cruise. Norwegian offers a unique free-styling cruise experience that lets you do what you want, when you want, with no schedule or agenda to adhere to. Among their many amenities, they offer:

Fine Dining
On board entertainment
A variety of cruise ship activities like pools and spas

On board their luxury cruise ship, the Norwegian Dawn, you can take an economical week long cruise that starts and stops in Venice, Italy and ports in:

Kotor, Montenegro
Corfu, Greece
Santorini, Greece
Mykonos, Greece
Kefalonia, Greece
Dubrovnik, Croatia

While on the cruise, you can explore Bronze Age ruins in Akrotiri and sun yourself on Santorini’s famous red-sand beaches. You can immerse yourself in Greek Mythology visiting the myriad archeological sites.

Relax in Luxury With Oceania Cruises

Oceania Cruises offers trips that span the globe. They strive to create an upscale cruise experience with affordable prices. This cruise line has smaller ships focused on luxury and wellness. If you are looking for a relaxing cruise without the hustle and bustle of large cruise ships, then this is the cruise line for you.

They have several reasonably priced cruises around the Greek isles to choose from, ranging from a week to twelve days. Their on-board amenities include:

High quality food and fine dining
Spa and Wellness centers
Enrichment programs that educate travelers

A sample 10-day itinerary starting in Istanbul, Turkey and ending in Athens, Greece include ports of call in:

Mytilini or Lesbos, Greece
Ephesus, Turkey
Rhodes, Greece,
Alanya, Turkey
Paphos, Cyprus
Crete, Greece
Patmos, Greece

Relish Fine French Service With Ponant

Ponant is a unique cruise line in that it is the only cruise line sailing under the French flag. Ponant offers the French way of life while cruising around the globe. Ponant has English-speaking crews that provide luxury experiences. They have a high crew to passenger ratio, and that enables them to give exceptional customer service.

The benefit of sailing with Ponant is that you’ll get a marvelous French experience while experiencing the rich beauty of the Mediterranean Sea. They offer cruise options such as,

Family friendly cruises with kid friendly entertainment featuring a magician.
A la carte entertainment options for a more personalized cruise
Or choose themed cruises around subjects like classical music and theater or golf.

A sample 9-day cruise offers a sail around the Aegean sea while visiting Greece and Cyclades and Dodecanese Islands, famous for their rich history. Some ports of call you’ll be visiting are:

Athens, Greece
Rhodes, Greece
Patmos, Greece
Karavostasi, Greece
Santorini, Greece
Delos, Greece
Mykonos, Greece
Paros, Greece
Hydra, Greece
And then to the Greek city of Nafplion, Greece and
Finishing off your cruise back in Athens.

Encounter Greek History on Seabourn Cruise Line

Seabourn is a high-end luxury cruise line that owns small ships to create an intimate cruising experience. Because they have smaller vessels, they are able to dock in ports not accessible to the larger cruise ships.

Seabourn offers something that other quality cruise lines can’t, and that is their program, Ventures by Seabourn. On select voyages, Seabourn will host experienced teams of:

Scientists
Scholars
Naturalists
Other historical and cultural experts

These experts provide in-depth understanding of the history and the culture of the ports you visit. They give formal presentations and in-formal conversations over coffee in the lounge.

Seabourn offers several two week or more cruises around the Greek Islands, but one of their week long cruises starts in Athens, Greece. Ports of call they dock at include:

Patmos, Greece
Crete, Greece
Ephesus, Greece
Mykonos, Greece
Skiathos, Greece
Tenedos, Turkey
Visitors disembark in Istanbul, Turkey

Experience a Romantic Getaway With Sea Cloud Cruises

Sea Cloud Cruises offers one of the most unique and interesting cruise experiences you’ll ever have in the Greek Islands. Their flagship Sea Cloud is a refurbished yacht that was originally built for a wealthy heiress, Marjorie Merriweather Post, in 1931. She has been refitted and now can hold 64 passengers. The Sea Cloud still features much of the original decor, including the antiques and fireplaces.

The Sea Cloud 2 holds up to 94 passengers and provides a romantic voyage against the gorgeous landscape of the Mediterranean. And the newest third addition to their fleet, the Sea Cloud Spirit, has recently launched with even more luxuries aboard, such as a spa.

Their weeklong cruises in the Southern Europe and Mediterranean regions feature a visit to Corfu, Greece, among other ports.

You can also do themed cruises that focus on fine cuisine or music. The windjammer yachts are available for charter for weddings and other events. Windjammer yachts were private floating homes.

Explore Greek Wonders With SeaDream Yacht Club

The SeaDream Yacht Club has a great laid back vibe. Their motto is that it’s about yachting and not cruising, and their passengers will enjoy the difference. It’s a private getaway with friends you haven’t met yet, with intimate settings and romantic ports of call.

Although the small SeaDream luxury cruise vessels can house up to 116 guests and feature a yacht experience, they aren’t actually yachts.

To achieve this easy going feel, they offer unstructured and casual vacations, but maintain an elegant feel. Through their Yachting Land Adventures program, you can rent jet skis and mountain bikes to use in the various ports as a way to enhance your Greek vacation experience.

Their food fare is very healthy, featuring five star meals with all natural, vegan friendly ingredients. In fact, they are the only cruise line to feature a raw food menu. One of the other unique experiences this luxury liner offers is a trip through the high walled Corinth Canal that you’ll remember as a highlight of your trip.

The SeaDream Yacht Club has specialty wine focused cruises that let you taste the wine from different places. A representative from the local winery will be on hand to give you tips and advice. You learn how to pair which wine with which food on this fun adventure.

The SeaDream 1 and SeaDream 2 are available for private charter as well.

A sample week long cruise starting and ending in Athens, Greece, includes ports of call such as:

Monemvasia, Greece
Crete, Greece
Santorini, Greece
Patmos, Greece
Mykonos, Greece

Sail into the Greek Sunset Aboard Star Clippers

Star Clippers is a company that recreates the sailing experience from a bygone era.

Their four masted sailing clipper ships can hold up to 170 passengers. Their five-masted royal clipper can hold up to 227 passengers and is the world’s largest full-rigged sailing vessel. They cruise through the Aegean Sea and port in beautiful Greek islands along the way.

Some of their themed cruises feature beaches and locations from the “Mamma Mia!” movies. If you are looking for a one-of-a kind sailing experience for your Greek vacation, then look no further than this luxurious clipper ship cruise.

Enjoy Genuine Greek Culture With Variety Cruises

Variety Cruises is a small cruise line based in Athens, Greece. They offer a unique cruise experience aboard yachts that host no more than 72 people. Their rich Greek heritage gives them an advantage over larger cruise lines because they can offer more authentic experiences.

They have a team made up of local Greek experts and will help you customize your Greek cruise experiences.

All of their Greek island cruises are seven nights, sailing round-trip from Athens, Greece. And include visits through turquoise blue waters to visit such exotic ports as,

Athens to Corinth Canal Crossing, Greece
Kefalonia to Ithaca, Greece
Antipaxi to Paxi, Greece
Corfu, Greece
Saranda, Albania
Budva to Kotor, Montenegro
Kotor, Montenegro to Dubrovnik, Croatia
Dubrovnik, Croatia

While Variety cruises don’t offer top of the line performers and entertainment like the big cruise lines, they do offer intimate meals and beautiful views. You can also snorkel or kayak and meet like minded travelers.

If you are looking for an authentic Greek cruise experience with a local Greek company, then this is the cruise line for you.

Escape to Greece Aboard Windstar Cruises

Windstar cruises offer some of the best open decks to view the Greek islands. Their smaller ships give travelers a more intimate cruising experience. But they don’t stint on luxury cruise options, such as

Swimming in the pool
Sunbathing on the deck
Fine dining
Roomy cabins

Because Windstar has smaller cruise vessels, they can more easily dock in some of Greek’s hidden gems, like Nafplio and Patmos. In addition, the port at some of the more well visited islands like Santorini and Mykonos,

Windstar also offers cruises around the Mediterranean for longer than a month, in which you’ll explore ports from Spain to Turkey and up the Aegean Sea to Trieste, Italy.

One of their week long cruises starts and stops in Athens, Greece, and features ports such as

Mykonos, Greece

Kusadasi, Turkey
Patmos, Greece
Santorini, Greece
Monemvasia, Greece
Nafplio, Greece

Finding Your Perfect Greek Vacation Cruise Package

Although there are plenty of Greek Cruises available online, it’s hard to tell which is the best and why you should book a cruise with a particular company.

While it’s easy to find a very large, luxury cruise company with hundreds of people on board, maybe you want something a little different.

A smaller ship
Less crowds
More intimate gathering
Adventures in off-the-beaten path places

With these Greek Cruise choices, you can get all that and more. The next step is to choose your cruise line and enjoy the destination during the journey.