Help me choose itinerary (Greece focus)

[MochaChip23]

1 hour ago, pdmlynek said:

 

Yes, of course you cannot have a cruise do only Greece, or only one contry.  Every cruise must stop at ports in at least two countries, due to cabotage laws, such as the Jones Act in the US.  If a ship stops exclusively within one country, then it is a domestic cruise and not an international cruise, and must obey domestic labor laws etc. If the ship were not to stop in Turkey, the costs of the cruise would be much higher.

 

Thanks for informing me of this!

[MochaChip23]

32 minutes ago, GreenFamily said:

I booked a similar cruise for 2024 and also have children that will be the same age as yours. I’m working through the planning, as you are, although I believe I’m a little further along in the process. It’s a journey. 
 

I considered Mykonos a fun day as well at first. Then I realized our cruise for four with no drinks package will cost us $1200 per day, excluding tours and lunch. That’s a lot of money, with two kids in college, so there’s no way my kids are wasting a day on the beach, especially in Mykonos which isn’t exactly family friendly.  If we take this cruise, they are going to Delos!
 

I thought about downloading (right word?) a virtual reality app so the kids could see the sights as they were thousands of years ago. I thought this might be more engaging. I’m on the fence. I think a great tour guide can make up for what they can’t see. I also purchased some great greece documentaries and books I think they will engage them before we travel. Two novels that I highly recommend are The Song of Achilles, and Circe by Madeline Miller. 

 

I’m also considering cancelling the cruise and exploring the Greek mainland by land and one island on our own or through a tour company. This allows us a little more time to savor Greece. I’m just not there yet. 
 

Finally, whatever choice any of us make will be a good one, even if a day is “wasted” at the beach. The experience and memories will be worth every penny.

 

 

@GreenFamily Funny I had been thinking about a land tour of Greece at first then decided on the cruise and now I am wavering and reconsidering a land trip.  The cruise is just so much easier and gives a flavor of many places but it also limits how much you can see in one place.  My younger daughter really wanted a land trip and the older one likes the cruise.  My husband is indifferent, just wants to go, lol.  May I ask which cruise and /or itinerary you are contemplating?  Our last cruise was NCL Italy/Croatia and it was great.  We did private excursions in all the ports which were all fantastic.  We didn't get to see Greece at all during that trip so decided Greece should be focus for us next.

 

I totally agree in the end whichever choice any of us makes will be a great one.  We have the BEST times traveling with our family and experiencing new things together.

[MochaChip23]

1 hour ago, pdmlynek said:

We faced similar option as well.  Between the three options, I'd go with Option 2.  

 

The problem with visiting Istanbul on a cruise is that Istanbul is such a great city that you need at least a week so begin to scratch its surface.  It is like trying to see New York or Paris in a day.  It is a quixotic endevour.  Sure, you won't get to see much of any of the islands during a brief 1 day stop over, but at least you'll get a taste of the island at each stop.

 

Good luck!

@pdmlynek Thanks for your reply.  What are your favorite ports in Greece?

[GreenFamily]

10 minutes ago, MochaChip23 said:

@GreenFamily Funny I had been thinking about a land tour of Greece at first then decided on the cruise and now I am wavering and reconsidering a land trip.  The cruise is just so much easier and gives a flavor of many places but it also limits how much you can see in one place.  My younger daughter really wanted a land trip and the older one likes the cruise.  My husband is indifferent, just wants to go, lol.  May I ask which cruise and /or itinerary you are contemplating?  Our last cruise was NCL Italy/Croatia and it was great.  We did private excursions in all the ports which were all fantastic.  We didn't get to see Greece at all during that trip so decided Greece should be focus for us next.

 

I totally agree in the end whichever choice any of us makes will be a great one.  We have the BEST times traveling with our family and experiencing new things together.

I’ve booked an NCL cruise from Athens to Rome on the Viva, that includes Istanbul. We would be traveling in May. 
 

 

[pdmlynek]

12 hours ago, MochaChip23 said:

@pdmlynek Thanks for your reply.  What are your favorite ports in Greece?

What’s my favorite Greek island?  That’s an impossible question to answer.  That’s like asking which is my favorite child!  All of them are wonderful, and on any of them I would love to spend a month-long vacation.

 

But if you were to force me to choose the best one from the ones on your list, I’d probably say Mykonos.  The reason is Delos.  Delos is a small island off Mykonos which was a religious, political and commercial center of the Aegean in the ancient times.  Now the whole island is the largest archeological site in Greece.  It is an outdoor museum. 

 

In order to get to Delos, you need to take a ferry from the Old Harbor in Mykonos town.  The ferries usually leave in the morning or early afternoon, going back later -- you’ll have 3 hrs on Delos.  3 hrs is nowhere close to seeing it all, but it will give you a good flavor of what the island is about.

 

The nice thing about Delos is that compared to most touristy archeological sites, because of its large size and boat access, Delos is not crowded.  It does not feel kitchy, as some of the overcrowded tourist sites are.  There are plenty of visitors about, but if you wish, you can go off to a more remote parts of the island, and sit quietly in some plaza surrounded 360° by ancient, now partially reconstructed, buildings, breathing in the history of a long-gone era. 

[pdmlynek]

12 hours ago, MochaChip23 said:

@GreenFamily Funny I had been thinking about a land tour of Greece at first then decided on the cruise and now I am wavering and reconsidering a land trip.  The cruise is just so much easier and gives a flavor of many places but it also limits how much you can see in one place.  My younger daughter really wanted a land trip and the older one likes the cruise.  My husband is indifferent, just wants to go, lol. ...

 

I love to travel. Taking a cruise as a form of travel is not my favorite way to travel for several reasons, but I still enjoy it, and for certain destinations it is a great way to travel.  So I do understand what you are struggling with.  

 

If you are a somewhat experienced traveler, sure, do a landtrip.  We've done Greece land trip last year, as well as 33 years ago, and have enjoyed it.  If you are inexperience traveler, taking organized excursions in ports makes most sense.

 

Good luck!

 

[marazul]

19 hours ago, MochaChip23 said:

Thanks for informing me of this!

That is true for foreign ships wanting to cruise in only one country. Domestic ships can sail exclusively in their country. So, if you are looking for a Greece only cruise, sail a Greek cruise line like Celestyal.  Check them out. It could also be less expensive. And they may be allowed to dock in the ferry port in Santorini - no donkeys!

[GreenFamily]

3 hours ago, marazul said:

That is true for foreign ships wanting to cruise in only one country. Domestic ships can sail exclusively in their country. So, if you are looking for a Greece only cruise, sail a Greek cruise line like Celestyal.  Check them out. It could also be less expensive. And they may be allowed to dock in the ferry port in Santorini - no donkeys!

Thank you! 

[MochaChip23]

4 hours ago, marazul said:

That is true for foreign ships wanting to cruise in only one country. Domestic ships can sail exclusively in their country. So, if you are looking for a Greece only cruise, sail a Greek cruise line like Celestyal.  Check them out. It could also be less expensive. And they may be allowed to dock in the ferry port in Santorini - no donkeys!

I will check Celestyal and what they have to offer.  

[MochaChip23]

11 hours ago, pdmlynek said:

What’s my favorite Greek island?  That’s an impossible question to answer.  That’s like asking which is my favorite child!  All of them are wonderful, and on any of them I would love to spend a month-long vacation.

 

But if you were to force me to choose the best one from the ones on your list, I’d probably say Mykonos.  The reason is Delos.  Delos is a small island off Mykonos which was a religious, political and commercial center of the Aegean in the ancient times.  Now the whole island is the largest archeological site in Greece.  It is an outdoor museum. 

 

In order to get to Delos, you need to take a ferry from the Old Harbor in Mykonos town.  The ferries usually leave in the morning or early afternoon, going back later -- you’ll have 3 hrs on Delos.  3 hrs is nowhere close to seeing it all, but it will give you a good flavor of what the island is about.

 

The nice thing about Delos is that compared to most touristy archeological sites, because of its large size and boat access, Delos is not crowded.  It does not feel kitchy, as some of the overcrowded tourist sites are.  There are plenty of visitors about, but if you wish, you can go off to a more remote parts of the island, and sit quietly in some plaza surrounded 360° by ancient, now partially reconstructed, buildings, breathing in the history of a long-gone era. 

Ah, Mykonos is tops to you from the listed and it's one we really want to visit.  Just curious if you have other suggestions.....we have option to choose something different since we are not going until 2024.

[pdmlynek]

24 minutes ago, MochaChip23 said:

Ah, Mykonos is tops to you from the listed and it's one we really want to visit.  Just curious if you have other suggestions.....we have option to choose something different since we are not going until 2024.

 

Well, Mykonos is my favorite (if I am forced to chose just one) of the ports that you've listed, simply due to Delos.  If it weren't for Delos, then to me, Mykonos would rank after Santorini, Crete, and Rhodes.  (I have not visited Paros, so I can't comment on it).  Santorini, Crete and Rhodes are much richer and much better than Mykonos.  

 

On Mykonos, aside from Delos, there are two main things: "organized" beaches, and Mykonos town.  

 

The town of Mykonos (on many Greek Islands, the name of the largest town is the same as the name of the island) is nice and picturesque.  But it does not quite stack up to towns on Santorini.  There are bigger fans of Mykonos town than I am. 

 

There are about 40 beaches all over Mykonos, some pretty desolate on which you could find yourself at times alone, but Mykonos is famous for the aprox. nine beaches on the western half of the southern shore. 

 

From west to east:

Ornos Beach 37.4227°N 25.3238°E

Psarou Beach 37.4158°N 25.3384°E

Platys Gialos Beach 37.4142°N 25.3440°E

Agia Anna Beach 37.4094°N 25.3484°E

Paraga Beach 37.4079°N 25.3505°E

Paradise Beach 37.4102°N 25.3568°E

Super Paradise Beach 37.4149°N 25.3690°E

Agrari Beach 37.4215°N 25.3828°E

Elia Beach, 37.4230°N 25.3899°E.

 

These are the beaches that rich and famous (or wannabes) hang out at.  These are the beaches with billionaires' yachts anchor off.  These are the beaches where a night in a villa overlooking it costs 10,000 USD/EUR.  These are the beaches where a single beer costs 40 USD/EUR.

 

You should read about these beaches at https://santorinidave.com/best-beaches-mykonos , https://www.mykonosbeachesguide.com/beaches/ .

 

For a few videos comparing the beaches, see,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbxXoAwRBtg ,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNXdIfBxQzI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3aeoGjdd-Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPp4l8UQT88

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxWc4r6iaU8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUwNfnLhExw

 

I can't give you recommendations to any of these beaches, since we spent our time on Delos and Mykonos town.

[MochaChip23]

7 hours ago, pdmlynek said:

 

Well, Mykonos is my favorite (if I am forced to chose just one) of the ports that you've listed, simply due to Delos.  If it weren't for Delos, then to me, Mykonos would rank after Santorini, Crete, and Rhodes.  (I have not visited Paros, so I can't comment on it).  Santorini, Crete and Rhodes are much richer and much better than Mykonos.  

 

On Mykonos, aside from Delos, there are two main things: "organized" beaches, and Mykonos town.  

 

The town of Mykonos (on many Greek Islands, the name of the largest town is the same as the name of the island) is nice and picturesque.  But it does not quite stack up to towns on Santorini.  There are bigger fans of Mykonos town than I am. 

 

There are about 40 beaches all over Mykonos, some pretty desolate on which you could find yourself at times alone, but Mykonos is famous for the aprox. nine beaches on the western half of the southern shore. 

 

From west to east:

Ornos Beach 37.4227°N 25.3238°E

Psarou Beach 37.4158°N 25.3384°E

Platys Gialos Beach 37.4142°N 25.3440°E

Agia Anna Beach 37.4094°N 25.3484°E

Paraga Beach 37.4079°N 25.3505°E

Paradise Beach 37.4102°N 25.3568°E

Super Paradise Beach 37.4149°N 25.3690°E

Agrari Beach 37.4215°N 25.3828°E

Elia Beach, 37.4230°N 25.3899°E.

 

These are the beaches that rich and famous (or wannabes) hang out at.  These are the beaches with billionaires' yachts anchor off.  These are the beaches where a night in a villa overlooking it costs 10,000 USD/EUR.  These are the beaches where a single beer costs 40 USD/EUR.

 

You should read about these beaches at https://santorinidave.com/best-beaches-mykonos , https://www.mykonosbeachesguide.com/beaches/ .

 

For a few videos comparing the beaches, see,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbxXoAwRBtg ,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNXdIfBxQzI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3aeoGjdd-Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPp4l8UQT88

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxWc4r6iaU8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUwNfnLhExw

 

I can't give you recommendations to any of these beaches, since we spent our time on Delos and Mykonos town.

Thank you so much for our insights and the links! For a one-day cruise stop, experiencing Mykonos town and Delos, if that fits, will be tops for us.  Walking on one of the beaches and observing the surroundings would also be fun but don't think renting sunbeds for the day is good use of the day nor do I want to spend $40 per drink.  🙂