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Greek Island Cruises
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All you Need to Know
by Travel Journalist Tony Peisley
I've flown Aeroflot back in the 1970s, stood next to a Crocodile Dundee wannabe going eyeball to eyeball with some fearsome crocs and once even sent the wine back in a Paris restaurant. But easily the scariest moment of my travels was discovering that the car I'd pre-hired in Athens had to be collected from the middle of Constitution Square.
After trying to negotiate the traffic maelstrom in the Greek capital's busiest street in a strange car, I've never been so relieved to park up and step aboard a cruise ship.
Especially as a Greek Islands cruise has to be top of anyone's list of stress-relieving experiences.
Athenians themselves love to escape to the small islands of Aegina, Hydra and Poros which promise a haven of peace and quiet within a day's cruise of Piraeus (the Athens port).
Longer cruises tend to miss them out and head straight for the busier holiday islands of Crete, Rhodes and Corfu - alternatively, many cruises start and finish in Crete or Corfu and can be combined with stays on the islands.
Although these islands do have resorts full of bars, cafes, hotels and beaches, they also retain their natural beauty and preserve their historical heritage. A visit to the Temple of Lindos is always a must on Rhodes as is one to the Temple of Knossos near Heraklion on Crete.
But a Greek Islands cruise is full of must-sees. Depending on the itinerary, you will be able to visit the Terrace of Lions on Delos, Delphi near Itea, Epidaurus and Mycenae from Nafplion and the original Olympics site - Olympia, which is near Katakolon.
It is also a magical moment just to sail into the Bay of Santorini, a volcanic crater which legend has it conceals the Lost City of Atlantis.
Mykonos is an island with a racy reputation for its sophisticated lifestyle and buzzing nightlife but most Greek islands - like Captain Corelli’s Cephalonia - are largely unaffected by modern times.
Northern Greece has featured only rarely on cruise itineraries but now there are regular cruises from Thessaloniki on the rugged Halkidiki peninsula which open up some fascinating regions for those who have already enjoyed the traditional Greek islands itineraries and are looking for something new.
Greece also boasts one of the most exciting cruise experiences - passage through the Corinth Canal. Only ships up to a certain size can squeeze through this sheer-sided, manmade ravine and even then, if you have a cabin balcony, you can stand outside and almost touch the sides.
Traffic aside, Athens has always been a city crying out to be explored. Whether you're heading for the Acropolis and the Plaka, the Temple of Zeus, Hadrian's Arch or the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, this has become even more enjoyable since the city's Olympic-inspired facelift.
DOS and DON'TS of Greek Island Cruising
DO be aware that the climate through Greece varies quite sharply. Athens is very hot and humid in the summer while the islands in the south are very hot and dry in with daytime temperatures regularly topping 30C. Summers in the north (Halkidiki) are also hot but are shorter than in the south. The main cruising season is April to October (May to September in the north) but some lines continue until November/December.
DON'T be afraid to go-it-alone in Athens, especially if you've been before. The city centre is only 30 minutes away from Piraeus by taxi, or a useful underground/overground train which goes right from the port to the city centre in Ommonia square.
