Louis Cruise Line, M/V Cristal - any reviews

[Canadian Guider]

Has anyone taken the Louis Cruise Lines - M/V Cristal, 7 night Greece & Turkey cruise, sailing from Athens. Ports of call: Istanbul, Mykonos, Patmos, Kusadasi, Rhodes, Crete and Santorini.

 

I have read a lot of the post/reviews about this cruise line and their ships Aquamarine and Majesty but can't seem to find anything about the Cristal. The sailing date and itinerary fits in perfect with our holiday plans but I am concerned about all the not so positive reviews on this cruise line.

 

Can anyone advise on what to expect on the Cristal.

[marco]

We were on it last year as part of a "Gate 1" tour. We started in Istanbul for 3 days, the 7 day cruise and then a week in Greece. The "Cristal" was once upon a time the "leeward" of NCL. It's not brand new, but it's not an "old tug", either. It's not real big, which was nice as some of the ports we had to use a tender. In 10 minutes, we were all ashore. Cabins were pretty comparable to any of the newer ships. Electric outlets in the cbains were both 110 and 220. Public rooms were nice, dance music was good. Entertainment was as "wordless" as possible because of many nationality languages. But as most folks were on this cruise for the ports and sight seeing, there was not a lot of partying at night. Leave your tux and gowns at home, too. One night I did wear a jacket and tie but many folks were not even that dressed up. Food was fine, though don't look for sur charge dining rooms or foo-foo shi-shi. Some Greek specialites that were wonderful! Bar prices were a tad cheaper than on most lines plying the Caribbean and strangely, if you wanted a coffee or tea anytime other than meal time, there was a charge. Pool is small, but again, most people were not lounging around the pool during the day, they were off and seeing the sites. Also, the whole pool area is tables and chairs for outdoor dining rather than loungers. They (loungers) are on a different deck. We were happy with the ship, staff, food, etc but the most important element on this cruise was the ports. The currency on board is the Euro (and the prices for anything are listed in Euros) but as just about every other line, you register your cc and "sign and sail". As i mentioned, this was part of a "Gate 1" tour and boarding was totally effortless. Our guide just wisked our group of 40 or so on board and from when we arrived at the pier, we were on in less than 10 minutes. Any specific questions, I'd be happy to answer if I can.

[Essiesmom]

Louis Lines is very budget, based in Cyprus, buying up old ships and running them in the Greek Isles. They are often connected with a land portion. If you book a group tour in Greece/Turkey with a cruise portion included, chances are it will be on a Louis ship. They concentrate on getting you to the ports, sometimes two islands a day. Entertainment is minimal. I sailed on Calypso in 2005, in the smallest cabin I have ever had, all the way forward. Motel-6. But the towel animals were great...I found the food and service wonderful. If the ship goes where you want to go, at a price you can afford, go for it. Treat the ship as your floating hotel. EM

[jocap]

It's 7 ports in 7 days.....we did this itinerary with Louis in '06, and it was well worth doing. If you understand about the sort of ship you're on, then you'll not be disappointed with the cruise. Essiesmom sums it up- it's a floating hotel, and a chance to meet people from all over the globe.

Jo.

[Canadian Guider]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your replies, I appreciate the information and tips. We are first time cruisers, looking forward to seeing the region and will be cruising in June.

[woodeagle]

Woodeagle here--

Just returned home from a "Footsteps of Paul" eleven day journey which included seven days on the MV Cristal.

This was our tenth cruise, so there were no surprises. Small ship, well maintained and good food service. The breakfast buffet was the same every morning, but there was enough variety to satisfy. Our cabin steward was most attentive and friendly. The waiters serenaded us with guitar music and singing each evening! Both my wife and I have no complaints. We would cruise with Louis again given the right itinerary.

 

Texas woodeagle

[Canadian Guider]

Hi Woodeagle,

Thanks for the post, I appreciate your review. One question - Did you find it necessary to purchase the onboard unlimited drinks option. We are looking at non alcoholic but it seems a bit pricey. With so many port stops we are wondering if it is just as convenient to pick up water and juices as we go.

[woodeagle]

Neither my wife nor I drink alcohol, so we drank the included fruit juices at breakfast. I did purchase two or three soft drinks aboard, but we usually consumed only water. Coffee or tea was included at breakfast, tea time and dinner. On shore we carried a bottle of water with us.

Woodeagle

[npawlak]

Thanks for the info, I am taking this cruise in a few weeks with a tour booked thru Homeric (Homeric Explorer). Glad to see some positive feedback regarding Louis Cruises. It appears that the Cristal is a better ship compared to some of the older ones referenced in older posts. My question was your thoughts on excursions. Did you book them thru Louis or did you tour on your own. I would appreciate your thoughts. Thx - Noel (First Time Cruise Critic Post).:)

[woodeagle]

We booked shore excursions through Louis. We've done the same through all of the cruise line that we've sailed. I know that some folks like to book their own, though. My thoughts ... let someone else hassle with transportation, schedules, lunches, etc. And if the excursion is late for any reason, the cruise line is responsible. Once in Rome, we were past the published "All aboard" time (bus was held up in traffic) and the ship waited for us! Missed dinner though!

Woodeagle

[pennsylvaniamimi]

review of Louis Cristal excursions please. Which are best on 7 day Greece Turkey. We are leaving May 15.

[Hlitner]

Louis has an interesting safety record. I seem to recall that one of their ships is sitting on the bottom of the sea just off Santorini.

 

Hank

[pennsylvaniamimi]

Just hope its not my ship!! Mimi

[pennsylvaniamimi]

Woodeagle- which trips did you take? good- bad??

[npawlak]

I plan on writing up a more extensive review soon but in the mean time I thought I would pass some info now since I see at least one member leaving soon for a similar cruise. First of all the Cristal was a nice ship. I would agree with other recent reviews - it is a nice ship, clean, food was good, etc... There is not as much to do as other larger ships but there really is not much time for shipboard activities with all the things to do in all the ports. The excursions we went on set up by Louis were all very well run. It is up to you how busy you want to be and what you are interested in when deciding on excursions. If ruins are your thing you can spend everday seeing different sites. If wandering on your own is your preference you can do that too. My wife and I decided to do a mix of both and we had a great time and were very happy with the cruise. I would agree with the other reviewer that it is much easier to use the tours off the ship. I did not see many cabs at any of the ports (although this may be due to cruising off season) and given the short time on many of the islands I would rather not worry about setting up something on the fly. Here are my thoughts on the specific excursions : We started our trip in Istanbul and had tours there set up before starting the cruise. I heard the tours offered by the ship were good - it hit all the major sites over the two days there. The ship is docked in a spot that is close to trams that can get you to all the sites so it is very doable to see the sites on your own if that is what you prefer. Istanbul was my favorite part of the trip - do not miss the Aya Sofya, Blue Mosque, Tokapi Palace, Bazaar, & Spice Market. Mykonos was the first stop on the cruise and we decided to wander around town. The ship offered a bus transfer from the dock to town which most all people took - there were not a lot of cabs around and the cost was minimal. I heard that Delos was nice but I think it was worth it to just wander. It was a nice walk up to the windmills. Patmos was the next stop and we purchased the excursion to see the cave where John wrote the Book of revelation and the Monestary. It was a good tour and I would recommend it if these are sites you want to see. The tour to Ephesus from Kusadasi was the best excursion on the trip. Ephesus has the best Roman ruins I have ever seen and even those not as interested in sites like this will be impressed. We also included the House of the Virgin Mary which was also very interesting and something to see if you are interested . Rhodes was next on the next day and we again chose to wander. All the sites in Rhodes Town were in walking distance of the ship. Again, there was an option to see ruins in Lindos &/or get a tour of Rhodes town but this was easy enough to do on your own, especially with the extended time here. The Palace of the Knights was a great site to visit. The next day started with Crete. We took the excursion to Knossos Palace. My wife did not like it - she had already seen enough ruins. I thought it was ok, it was not as good as other sites we saw on the trip. Also, 2 of the 3 hours are spent on the bus getting there and coming back. There were some other excursions but I had not heard much feedback on them. There did not seem to be much to do in port either. If you need to take a break from touring, Crete is probably your best bet. I think there are things to do there but not easily given the short time there. Next comes Santorini which is beautiful and my favorite of the islands. We chose to wander here and had a great time. It was nice to find a restaurant overlooking the town & bay as the sun was setting and taking it all in. Athens was the last stop and we had a tour set up already before the trip. Don't miss the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum. Well, that was a bit longer than I thought I would write. Hope this helps.

[pennsylvaniamimi]

Thank you so much for posting this review. With all else that is going on in Athens now I can check this one worry off my list. We leave tomorrow.

Where did you eat in Santorini? I think it will be too much to try to get to Oia in such a short time, so just hanging out sounds good. Hope we have as much fun as it sounds like you had. Maureen

[npawlak]

We considered taking a taxi to Oia. We asked the cruise director and some others on the ship and they said there was too little time and that there was not that much more to see there to make it worth the cost and the rush. I think we made the right call. We passed by Oia as we cruised out of Santorini - it was beautiful but did not look too much different than Thira. I understand the main differnce is that it is not as busy or as commercial. I guess you could take the excursion that takes you to both sites but I presume that would not give you much time to relax & enjoy the sunset. As far as the restaurant, I do not recall the name but it was just to the right of the aerial tram exit. We had a few appetizers and some wine there and then had dinner back on the ship. The cruise line did not recommed taking the donkey's up and I would think doing so would further cut into your time enjoying the sites. Good luck with your trip. I hope things settle down in Greece so your trip is not effected.

[pennsylvaniamimi]

So its the Prehistoric Museum of Thira and appetizers and drinks at sunset for us at Fira- sound so good right now! We appreciate such great feed back on trips here and will do the same on our retun. Maureen

[whereintheworld]

We considered taking a taxi to Oia. We asked the cruise director and some others on the ship and they said there was too little time and that there was not that much more to see there to make it worth the cost and the rush. I think we made the right call. We passed by Oia as we cruised out of Santorini - it was beautiful but did not look too much different than Thira. I understand the main differnce is that it is not as busy or as commercial. I guess you could take the excursion that takes you to both sites but I presume that would not give you much time to relax & enjoy the sunset. As far as the restaurant, I do not recall the name but it was just to the right of the aerial tram exit. We had a few appetizers and some wine there and then had dinner back on the ship. The cruise line did not recommed taking the donkey's up and I would think doing so would further cut into your time enjoying the sites. Good luck with your trip. I hope things settle down in Greece so your trip is not effected.

Thankyou Npawlak for a very informative review of your Greek Island cruise. I will be sailing on the Cristal on 19th September at the end of a 15 day Insight tour of Turkey so your review has helped with my planning. I hope Pennsylvaniamimi will also write a critique upon her return. I am hoping that the ship offers a visit to "Spinalonga Island " when we are in Crete. Do you recall this being available?

Thankyou

Jennie

[eac123]

We booked a 12 day Istanbul - Athens including a 6 day Aegean cruise on the M/V Louis Cristal for the Fall. Can anyone tell me how Gate 1 is and how

well the shore excursions are run that are offered by the ship? We usually mix

by taking some shore excursions offered by the ship, some we find recommended online which are usually cheaper or we use a local taxi and sometimes we just go to a local beach. I don't know how much English these drivers will know.

 

Would appreciate any assistance. Thanks.

[Sseptember]

We took their Istanbul 12 day tour March and it was wonderful in every way. We are scheduled for the Louis Cristal Greek Isles October 2011 and looking forward to it.

[Texasgingerbread]

If anyone is still checking this thread..how was the cigarette smoke on the ship? Any problems? Also, is it true you do not flush your toilet paper? Any sewer smells? I've seen on other reviews.

[Canadian Guider]

We were on the Louis Cristal, Greek Islands and Turkey cruise in June 2010. We are non smokers and had no issues with cigarette smoke on board. Smoking was not allowed in cabins and I believe it was allowed only in designated areas of the ship. Yes, it is true, you are requested not to flush your toilet paper, a bin is provided in the cabin washroom and it was cleaned at least twice a day by the cabin steward, sewer smells were never a problem. Overall we had an enjoyable trip, wonderful itinerary to see the region; the food, entertainment and service on board was good; it is a small ship but well maintained. Friendly staff and an international group of passengers.

Enjoy your trip!!

[jensenbeachbob]

Hi, We are trying to find out if the Louis Cristal ship has a safe, and a minibar or fridge in the cabiins. Thanks. Bob

[Essiesmom]

Hi, We are trying to find out if the Louis Cristal ship has a safe, and a minibar or fridge in the cabiins. Thanks. Bob

 

There have been some reviews of Louis Cristal (not recent) on the Other Cruise Lines forum, under Cruise Lines A-O. You might have to go there and use the search feature. EM