It’s all Greek to me

[MBP&O2/O]

A quick question regarding excursions if I may.

 

We are looking at a repeat cruise with Silversea and we have a (very) short list prior to making a decision / booking.

 

Our preferred choice sails from, and disembarks at Piraeus.

 

Being that the ship arrives at 14:00 on the Friday and disembarks on the Saturday morning, what is the situation regarding excursions? The official guff is mentioning 'half day' ones on the Friday but if you arrive at 14:00 would that not prove problematical? Disembarkation on the Saturday rules out pretty much everything.

 

We will probably fly out a couple of days early in any case but it would be interesting to know what our options are?

 

I understand the Acropolis is a big construction site as renovations are ongoing, would anyone care to offer an opinion on the whole experience?

 

Thanks

 

Mike

 

 

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[UKCruiseJeff]

Hi Mike,

 

I think the excursions listed are listed blind of being first or last day. However if you are going under your own steam then it makes no sense imho booking with SS because as you can easily spend all of your time in the environs of the Acropolis where you have the museums and the Agora. Once you have wandered up to the Acropolis and around it you will probably head straight out to the Agora and the Agora museum which is sublimely quiet and much more interesting and only a short walk from the Acropolis. I get the impression that 95% who go to the Acropolis miss out the Agora which is a shame. It has so much more of interest.

 

There are one or two other things in Athens but taxis are so cheap that pre-planning isn’t required. Happy to provide you with suggestions once you have decided. There are really good bargains to be had Athens hotel wise if you avoid the default suggestions and use a touch of ingenuity.

 

I would have thought you should pack your sightseeing on your pre-stay as if you are anything like us you will want to head straight home after the cruise.

[Randyk47]

I understand the Acropolis is a big construction site as renovations are ongoing, would anyone care to offer an opinion on the whole experience?

 

We’ve visited the Acropolis four times in the past five years. We’ve done a ship’s tour, a private tour, and two more or less self-guided tours. Most of the ongoing preservation and repair work in recent years has been mostly focused on the west end of the Parthenon. My impression is that it is painstakingly slow work and it takes hours and hours to place one single but sometimes massive block and they appear to work only one block at a time. While there might be a team or two working on other structures it’s not like you’re going to see the Acropolis covered with heavy equipment and teams working all over the place.

[MBP&O2/O]

OMG! I’ve gone and done it and booked another!

Eleven days on the Shadow next year ... 3930 ....

On the positive side I managed the 10% Early Booking Offer

A 5% Venetian discount and a further 5% TA loyalty discount.

 

Both the TA and SS are saying ‘limited availability’ .... only two V2 suites left on deck 7.

 

Sigh ....

 

 

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[Unibok]

OMG! I’ve gone and done it and booked another!

Eleven days on the Shadow next year ... 3930 ....

 

Yay! Congratulations, Mike. That looks like a fabulous itinerary. And now the countdown begins :D

[MBP&O2/O]

Nah!

Can’t count that much or manage big numbers .... even taking my shoes and socks off to help🧐

My challenge now is to find out what the ‘void’ is on the deck plan ... on the for’d stbd side and opposite 714/716 and obviously full depth. A ‘holo-deck’ perhaps[emoji846]

I think it - the itinerary - is going to be hard work but worth it in the long run. We are looking forward to it.

 

 

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[HappyCamper777]

I think it - the itinerary - is going to be hard work but worth it in the long run.

What is going to be hard?

[conchyjoe]

We’ve visited the Acropolis four times in the past five years. We’ve done a ship’s tour, a private tour, and two more or less self-guided tours. Most of the ongoing preservation and repair work in recent years has been mostly focused on the west end of the Parthenon. My impression is that it is painstakingly slow work and it takes hours and hours to place one single but sometimes massive block and they appear to work only one block at a time. While there might be a team or two working on other structures it’s not like you’re going to see the Acropolis covered with heavy equipment and teams working all over the place.

 

There is a saying in Greece ..... Greeks eat as if they will die tomorrow ... and build as if they will live forever !