First time cruiser - Journey May 9 from Athens - what to expect?

[ldoInCanada]

Hello all,

We are booked on the Journey from Athens on May 9. Of the 6 of us, only my Mom (age 79) has ever cruised before. I picked this cruise for 2 reasons. The first was the itinerary. It stopped in the places we most wanted to see, and as a bonus, finished in a different port than where we start. I loved that idea. Second, it is a small(ish) ship. My Mom has typically done cruises on much larger ships and that did not appeal to me much.

Now, with our departure date approaching, I am starting to wonder what it will be like. I have done lots of lurking in these forums and have had many questions answered.

But there are still lots of questions occuring to me, from basic questions like how long does it take to check in and off the ship at either end, to wondering about the quality of the shore excursions.

Some of us are vegetarian - will we like the food? I tend to motion-sickness. Is this likely to be an issue for me on the mediterranean in May on the Journey?

 

Thanks to anyone who can enlighten me about pretty much everything!

[KarenKush]

Hello all,

 

Now, with our departure date approaching, I am starting to wonder what it will be like. I have done lots of lurking in these forums and have had many questions answered.

But there are still lots of questions occuring to me, from basic questions like how long does it take to check in and off the ship at either end, to wondering about the quality of the shore excursions.

Some of us are vegetarian - will we like the food? I tend to motion-sickness. Is this likely to be an issue for me on the mediterranean in May on the Journey?

 

Thanks to anyone who can enlighten me about pretty much everything!

 

Hi IdoinCanada,

 

Like you, I have always been a lurker on here but since I am still on a post cruise high, I have decided it is time to give back.:)

 

15 months ago I had never been on a cruise and we now have 3 Azamara cruises under our belt...one of them being a Med cruise that departed from Athens. I can tell you that Azamara is very organized and it takes less than 15 minutes to check in. Just make sure that you have all of the necessary paperwork completed in advance. When you depart the ship, there are time slots assigned and it too is very organized.

 

As for food, I am quite sure that there will be something for everyone to enjoy and we think it is quite good. The specialty restaurants do not have an extensive vegetarian choice but the dining room has a different vegetarian meal suggestion every night. Of course, there is always the buffet where you can pick and choose.

 

Regarding motion sickness...I think that it really depends on the weather, which these days seems unpredictable and then how you react. Before I went on a cruise, I would have described myself as someone who tended toward motion sickness but both the Journey and the Quest are fairly stable, even for a small boat and I only felt slightly ill once and that was combated by taking a motion sickness pill and going to sleep.

 

Shore excursions: On the first cruise... Athens to Barcelona, we took Azamara shore excursions in every port. On the second cruise...Citivechia to Barcelona, we did everything on our own and on the last cruise... Hong Kong to Shanghai we mixed it up. There are pros and cons to each method but if you are willing to pay the price for the convenience, most of the shore excursions that Azamara chooses are informative.

 

I hope this answers some of your questions.

 

Karen

[suec12]

Not sure what all tips you have picked up in your lurking but I would suggest you at least have a plan of what you want to do in the differnet ports. Will all 6 of you do the same thing or are your interests / activity levels different? We stopped at several of your ports on a cruise last May. Are you arriving a few days early and staying longer in Rome? In Ephesus we arranged for an excursion with Ekol tours, Rhodes could be done on your own if you just want to say in the main town, Mykonos easily done on your own too, Katakalon you either need to research how to get to Olympia on your own or book a tour - there is very very little to do at that stop - we had read there was a beach but it was pretty rough! Then hopefully you will have some extra days in Rome where there is lots to explore.

 

Getting on and off the boat should be pretty quick - the weather, who knows but the day we visited Mykonos in May the water was pretty rough - watching the tenders go thru the waves was pretty interesting.

 

Hope you have a good trip - post your review when you get back!

[ldoInCanada]

Thank you Karen and suec12.

Yes, we are arrving a few days early in Athens and staying a couple of days extra in Rome. That was one of the things that attracted me to the cruise - that we could spend time in both of these places. From Athens we will be doing a day trip to Delphi.

Also in the plans:

- a full day ship shore excursion to Ephesus. Hard to tell from the description but I am hoping we will have sufficient time here to get a good look around before jumping back on the bus.

- I will google Ekol tours - did you think it was a good tour suec12?

 

- probably DIY in Bodrum - interested in the Museum of Underwater Archeology here

- probably the ship's shore excursion to Lindos on Rhodes

- probably DIY on Mykonos - I wonder if it will be warm enough for the beach?

- car (mini-van) rental arranged for Olympia from Katakolon

 

- a few days in Rome including a 'segway tour'! It sounded like fun even though our hotel is walking distance to the forum and colluseum.

 

I had also read about 'e-docs' here and wondered what they were. Karen's comment about 'necessary paperwork completed in advance' prompted me to log into the Azamura website to see if there was something I was supposed to do there with regards to documentation. Found the area to fill out passport info etc. When I was done I got a page listing our e-docs! So, that question is answered.

 

In general we are most interested in the history, mythology and archeology of this area. Not so much in the shopping etc. so the experiences we are looking for are all along those lines.

 

Again, thanks for any help anyone can provide.

 

(I will be making sure to take motion sickness pills or patches along. And we are glad to know that vegetarians will have options for what to eat.)

[Susan-M]

We were in Bodrum on Quest a couple of years ago & went to the Museum of Underwater Archaeology (St. Peter's Castle) on our own ... really enjoyed it!

 

If you are going on your own, try to get there early. We explored for about an hour and a half before the tour groups arrived. It's about a 25 minute walk from the pier, but you'll find taxis as you exit the port if you don't want to walk.

 

We also had pre and post cruise stays in Rome and Athens ... which was a big attraction to us too!

 

In Rome we made good use of Rick Steve's free audio tours (you can download them onto an ipod or MP3 player), and print an accompanying map, for various sites in Rome (Colosseum, Pantheon, Forum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica.)

 

Enjoy your trip!

[ldoInCanada]

Thanks Susan

I will check into the audio tours for Rome, and will certainly take your advice on arriving early to the Museum of Underwater Archaeology. I wonder if Azamara will offer shuttles closer? Is it a 25 minute walk to the town from the Pier or is the museum just further away? I have read that they will be offering shuttles to the 'town centres' at the port but of course there is no detail that I have seen port to port. The walk would be fine with most of us but my Mom might find it long, especially if we are trying to get there early and feel rushed.

 

Leslie

[Susan-M]

Hi Leslie,

 

If Azamara is offering shuttles, it probably goes to the area of the castle, since this is the main tourist area. The situation with shuttles has changed since we cruised with Az ...if they are offering them for free, then a good choice if it can get you to the castle early (8:30 or 9). From where we docked, the castle looks closer than it was ... you can see it clearly, but once you get closer, you're in a shopping district, and weaving through the streets, trying to ignore all the shop owners using their tactics to get you to stop to buy something - quite interesting.

 

We are avid walkers, and usually were on our feet for 8 or 9 hours a day on most of our port stops, covering quite a few miles ... but after your busy day in Ephesus, I would recommend avoiding the walk there and saving your energy for exploring the castle, walking along the waterfront, and then up to the Mausoleum if you have the energy (we didn't go into the Mausoleum, but walked by it and up to the theatre ruins.) It's uphill walking once you head away from the waterfront! You can always walk back if you feel like it - it's worthwhile, if everyone has the energy left to do it.

 

We docked to the right of the castle (looking from the water towards land) and not in the harbour to the left of the castle (which is where pleasure craft dock)...although we did walk into that harbour and admired the yachts (it's like the Monte Carlo of Turkey with so many luxury yachts). Map: http://www.planetware.com/i/map/TR/bodrum-map.jpg

 

Just a note about the castle/museum ... you won't learn as much wandering on your own, but we prefer this to being in a tour group, and I take info from guide books. Hopefully it will be as quiet there for you in the first hour or so as it was for us (we were there in mid October).

 

Hope you enjoy your Azamara cruise as much as we did! :)

[maryann ns]

I'll just jump in here with a bit of information about Bodrum. I had heard before our cruise last November that there is a shuttle boat that goes across the harbour, but I was unable to learn more details. When we docked we got off the ship right away and friends (made through CC!) told us to hurry as there was a ferry going across the harbour in a couple minutes. We ran and got them to lower the gangway to let us on. I cannot remember whether this was on the hour or the half hour. It is the opposite on the other side. The ferry/shuttle docks just to the right of the ship as you face the land, so check it out before walking or taking a taxi.

 

Anyhow it was a great trip across the harbour towards the castle and the marinas for pleasure boats and fishing boats. Once there it was just a few minutes to the wonderful castle and museum which we toured on our own. Be sure to be thorough going around the castle as the museum is in rooms all over the place.

 

We then had lunch on the waterfront and walked to the mausoleum and on up to the ancient theatre. No maps really needed for the latter, just go up. There is a great view of Bodrum from there. We then took a leisurely walk back to the Quest along the waterfront.

 

It was a beautiful day in a beautiful port.

[suec12]

Re: Ekol tours - we were happy enough with Ekol - we prepaid about 4 months out and got a bit of a discount that way - it was cheaper than the ship's excursion. We got there ahead of most of the crowds and it included the Terrace Houses, the best part of the site IMO. The guide gave us alot of info not only on Ephesus but on the current political situation in Turkey. After the site visit came the pitch - to visit a ceramic factory and rug showroom. We declined several times but you know, I think its a law - you cannot leave Turkey without shopping for a carpet (just kidding). Then the guide mentioned food and we agreed. We did not buy anything at the ceramic shop - tho there were very nice products, we just are not shoppers! At the rug showroom we had a lovely lunch - maybe 5 kinds of salads, then kabobs. If you wanted a beverage, that was for sale. Fortunately there was a "tip box" we we put in a donation as we knew we were not going to be buying a carpet. The setting was lovely, the food was very tastey, in the end we were glad we agreed to go along. Overall, we were pleased with Ekol - glad to not be part of a big crowd, straining to hear the guide.

[Dick in Falls Church]

When we went to Istanbul and Kusadasi, we used Kagan Kosagan.

Teri, one of his associates, took us around Istanbul, and Kagan did Ephesus.

There were 8 of us, and we had a fine time. In Ephesus, Kagan arranged it so that we were never near the tour buses. Saw the museum before the buses hit, back during noon between the morning and afternoon buses. Almost had the place to itself. This was near the end of the season, so it wasn't terribly hot.

 

By all means, you can do Bodrum by yourself. Probably more than your mother would want to walk to get in (or back), but boat, shuttle or taxi would be fine.

[DaytonGirl]

Hi IdoInCanada! I'll be on this cruise with you. My friend and I are getting on the week before in Venice so we should be in full blown vacation mode by the time you join us in Athens. :)

 

We have a roll call going at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1020376

It's kind of lonlely at the moment, just two of us, so we could use your company.

[SFL]

We were in Athens last year for the "Quest" cruise from Athens to Venice(Sept.09) We did Athens on our own pre cruise. If you need a Hotel the Athens Gate is centrally located, clean and reasonable. It is around the corner from the new "Acropolis Museum" which is a must see. The only tour I would avoid on Azamara is in Bodrum, and it was the combo St. Peters/Boat tour called Aegean Delights(which was anything but). The St. Peter's Castle part of the tour was great, the boat tour was really bad and generated alot of complaints.

 

Hope this helps

[WooKeef]

Hello to IdoinCanada, we have a roll call going over on the roll call Journey Azamara boards if you would like to join us. Just two of us going so far, but we are a fun two. It is me and a good friend...it a second half of a back to back; we are getting on Journey May 2 in Venice. We have been to most of the ports and looking forward to a second round. Previously cruised on Celebrity so figuring this will be a bit more upscale, with resort casual dining. The dress is a big plus for my husband who will be with us the first week; he is not crazy about formal night and endures for me when I want to dress up. I love that I can dress up a bit and the pressure is off him;).

 

Again, please feel free to pose any questions regarding the ports. We have one private tour for Ephesus and a ship tour for Katakalon. The rest is easy on your own. However, I suggest you go to Delphi while in Mykonos, worth a looksee.

 

Hope to hear from you.

[WooKeef]

Hi IdoInCanada! I'll be on this cruise with you. My friend and I are getting on the week before in Venice so we should be in full blown vacation mode by the time you join us in Athens. :)

 

We have a roll call going at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1020376

It's kind of lonlely at the moment, just two of us, so we could use your company.

Ha! I posted before I saw you had too! Great minds and all that huh. Yes, we will be in full swing vacation mode...counting the days!!!

[ldoInCanada]

Ok, I went to the roll call and posted, thanks for pointing it out :)

I just heard back from an email that I sent to Azamara about the Ephesus excursion we had booked. (we booked the full day tour) I had asked how much time we would have in Ephesus since I grew concerned that we would spend all our time on the bus driving from place to place. They replied that we would be in Ephesus for about 1 hour 40 minutes.

For those who have been there - does that sound like long enough? It seems a spectacular destination and I don't want to feel rushed and miss out.

[suec12]

Does the tour in Ephesus include the Terrace Houses? If not, I'd try to find a private guide. I thought the drive to Ephesus took about 45 minutes - what does the rest of the day consist of?

[WooKeef]

Does the tour in Ephesus include the Terrace Houses? If not, I'd try to find a private guide. I thought the drive to Ephesus took about 45 minutes - what does the rest of the day consist of?

yes, it does but for an additional 15euros. It is the main reason we are doing a guided tour in ephesus...we have been before and it is amazing, but did not go into the terrace houses due to time constraints. The tour also includes a visit to a village with wine tasting. It is a bit of a drive, but not bad. It is through Ekol.

[WooKeef]

Ok, I went to the roll call and posted, thanks for pointing it out :)

I just heard back from an email that I sent to Azamara about the Ephesus excursion we had booked. (we booked the full day tour) I had asked how much time we would have in Ephesus since I grew concerned that we would spend all our time on the bus driving from place to place. They replied that we would be in Ephesus for about 1 hour 40 minutes.

For those who have been there - does that sound like long enough? It seems a spectacular destination and I don't want to feel rushed and miss out.

no, not long enough. Not if they plan on sharing any valuable guided information regarding the sight. I think we were there several hours. I may be mistaken, amazing place and we are looking forward to seeing it again. We would tell you to go with us on our tour; but not sure about such a large group if they could accommodate...

[ldoInCanada]

The ship tour (which spends 1h 40m in Ephesus) also visits Magnesia, Miletus and Didyma before returning to Kusadasi for the obligatory carpet presentation :)

I am now thinking that a private tour that focuses more, or at least gives us the flexibility to focus on Ephesus (one of our main reasons for choosing this cruise itinerary) would be a better idea...

[WooKeef]

The ship tour (which spends 1h 40m in Ephesus) also visits Magnesia, Miletus and Didyma before returning to Kusadasi for the obligatory carpet presentation :)

I am now thinking that a private tour that focuses more, or at least gives us the flexibility to focus on Ephesus (one of our main reasons for choosing this cruise itinerary) would be a better idea...

 

I think you would probably be much better served with a private tour if you can find one. Perhaps you can join our group, I can contact them to find out if it is possible to change at this late stage.

Here is the description of our tour:

 

08:00am : Met by your private guide at Kusadasi port with Ms. Lora McKinney sign and start for Ephesus trip. Ephesus was undoubtedly one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world. Impressive structures we will see include the Library of Celsius, Temple of Hadrian, Theatre, Odeon and Terrace Houses. Then drive up to the pretty old Turkish-Orthodox village Sirince, located on the top of a mountain, where anyone will enjoy the impressive wine yards' and peach trees'. The village has synthesis of Turk-Greek culture, where we visit mosque and nicely restorated Orthodox church. All the narrow streets of the village belong to the women, selling handcrafts of all kinds, olive oil. Another attraction of Sirince is its wine: try its taste in small cafés or in the former municipal school restorated. Drive back to Kusadasi. Some free time for shopping.

Including Professional Licensed Guide, transportation A/C, entrance fees.

Minimum Required time for this tour is 6,5 hours.

 

Contact me on our roll call and maybe we can work something out.

[suec12]

I would suggest that the OP contact Ekol - I'm sure they have multiple guides and if your group is 6, I think they will do a tour for just your group. But I don't want to interfere with Woofkeep - our experience was that there was not much of a discount for a larger group - the price for the 2 of us wa just about the same as for a larger group. The only problem would be if they are all booked up but again, my impression was they have a "stable" of guides.

[WooKeef]

I would suggest that the OP contact Ekol - I'm sure they have multiple guides and if your group is 6, I think they will do a tour for just your group. But I don't want to interfere with Woofkeep - our experience was that there was not much of a discount for a larger group - the price for the 2 of us wa just about the same as for a larger group. The only problem would be if they are all booked up but again, my impression was they have a "stable" of guides.

 

Entirely up to her, but I can help if needed. Cost not being the issue as much as the short notice.

[ldoInCanada]

Thanks all, I have gone ahead a booked a private tour. Probably the best thing since we can be flexible with my mom who is already worred about 'slowing us all down' :D

The tour sounds good and includes the terrace houses and since it is just the 6 of us we can most likely get the guide/driver to do what we want, if we see or hear about anything else we want to take in during our allotted time.

 

Thanks again for offers of help and advice.

[WooKeef]

Thanks all, I have gone ahead a booked a private tour. Probably the best thing since we can be flexible with my mom who is already worred about 'slowing us all down' :D

The tour sounds good and includes the terrace houses and since it is just the 6 of us we can most likely get the guide/driver to do what we want, if we see or hear about anything else we want to take in during our allotted time.

 

Thanks again for offers of help and advice.

 

I think the private tour will work out great for you guys...It is an amazing place for sure...It was hard to prepare and we love ancient history...I could almost see the city as it once was.

[Linda-B]

Our group of 4 had a tour with Ekol. It was great. We opted not to do the Terrace Houses and what a mistake. I guess we will be going to Ephesus again. Everyone make sure to include the Terrace Houses on your Ephesus tour. There are often "shopping" stops for carpets or leather goods. Beautiful things but at quite a price. (we bought a carpet) Hope you all enjoy your cruise as much as we did.

Linda