Help! Aegean Adventure or Wonders

[1160451]

Help:eek: Sept 2011, we want to go call at Istanbul and Athens but which to choose Aegean Adventure or Wonders. Decisions Decisions.

 

It's up to you all, which one ?:)

 

Or maybe another line ? sssh on the Thomson site though.

 

Take it easy and thanks for any pointers.

[marylizcat]

Adventure calls at Dikili, so I would tend to avoid that one. But it really depends on your own preferences. All the other ports are good on both itineraries. But having called at Dikili last week, I have to say it is nothing very special, unless you are keen to visit Pergamon.

[kruzseeka]

Help:eek: Sept 2011, we want to go call at Istanbul and Athens but which to choose Aegean Adventure or Wonders. Decisions Decisions.

 

It's up to you all, which one ?:)

 

Or maybe another line ? sssh on the Thomson site though.

 

Take it easy and thanks for any pointers.

 

 

Hmmm.......... well it's not an easy choice - we were booked on a similar combination for June 11 which has been changed so much that we're probably going to cancel because Skiathos and Thessaloniki have disappeared! We've been to most of the ports before so these we the 'hooks' for us. Still, to get to your probelm as opposed to my moaning :eek: I'll try to point out what i think the best bits are:

 

Clearly you get Istanbul on both (great city - lots of info on here about how to do a DiY option - by far the best way to tackle it unless you have mobility problems)

 

Athens also on both - again a DiY on the Metro easy and cheap

 

 

So the differences:

 

Aegean Adv.

Dikili - weak port of call - mainly go there for access to Pergamon and as we didn't go there I can't say how worthwhile that trip would be - but Dikili was the worst destination on the b-2-b we did on Celebration in September. Not attractive and not really geared to tourists.

 

Patmos - pretty, quiet little place where you are tendered in - but with some tourist infrastructure (cafes, tourist shops) nice stop for a leisurely stroll, drink. We did a scenic tour here which was very good compromise - we saw something more of the island and still had plenty of time to look round the town where we tendered (can't remember if it was called Patmos town or something else)

 

Bodrum - a real gem, gorgeous. I'd tend to go for the Bodrum itinerary EXCEPT Dikili is a downer for me.

 

 

Ancient wonders:

Mytilene: not been there - looks quite nice from research (we would have been doing it on the trip we aren't now doing!)

 

Izmir is a city - got quite an attractive waterfront - you can walk all the way into the centre. There's a good Bazaar, plenty of cafes and nice open areas - but it was a bit dirty - lots of litter when we went but that could have been because it was a public holiday and there had been celebrations going on and perhaps no time for a clean up. For some reason it's been dropped from the itinerary we booked - it's perhaps the weakest place for me on this itinerary (assuming Mytilene is decent) but we didn't mind going back for one more visit but not a place which would keep drawing me back. (Don't know what the trips are like from here.)

 

Ag Nik - pretty place with very attractive inner harbour 'lake', tourist shops, waterfront cafes and good excursion options too. (Spinalonga is a great trip).

 

It all depends on whether you have been to any of the ports before or have a particular interest in going to a particular destination - apart from Istanbul.

 

As I said before, on balance I'd say the itinerary with Bodrum would be my choice - it's a gem BUT you do have Dikili in there. That would be a compromise as I really couldn't recommend it as a port of call.

 

Hope that helps - although probably leaves you just as confused as before!!!

[1160451]

Thanks all for those.

 

We have changed plans and going with RCI for the first time.

 

Thanks again