Next Princess Cruise - help please :)

[Embracedbylife]

So we are trying to plan our next cruise! In addition to cruising we also LOVE to do independent traveling. I like to change it up to 1/2 cruising, 1/2 independent.

 

Background:

I really want to see Greece! We've cruised to the carribean, alaska and baltics. I found that the Carribean and Alaska were places that were best done on a cruise ship as I found it much easier to see so many remote places and keep the costs down. In Alaska we spent 3 days renting a car at the back end of the cruise and were soooooo thankful we did Alaska via cruise and not independently because the food was so expensive and the hotels were not all that nice for the price we paid - so it worked out beautifully!

 

For our cruise to the Baltics I thought it was great to see so many places but found there was just so little time in each port - it is likely ideally to be done on our own, but we still loved the cruise!

 

So, finally to my question: :)

 

If a person is to go to Greece, do you honestly think it's better to do this as a cruise or independently? Did you find that you had enough time to see the ports, or did you wished that you had of just done it on your own renting a hotel and staying in one/two places for a week?

 

We've already seen Venice, so i'm ok with only seeing Venice for a few days - it's greece that I'm really excited about but want to make sure that I really get to enjoy it and get to see it!

[paul929207]

We tok a cruise that started in Athens. We flew there about a week early and toured on our own. The main sights in Athens, we could walk to. Places like Delphi, we took day tours to.

[hubofhockey]

So we are trying to plan our next cruise! In addition to cruising we also LOVE to do independent traveling. I like to change it up to 1/2 cruising, 1/2 independent.

 

Background:

I really want to see Greece! We've cruised to the carribean, alaska and baltics. I found that the Carribean and Alaska were places that were best done on a cruise ship as I found it much easier to see so many remote places and keep the costs down. In Alaska we spent 3 days renting a car at the back end of the cruise and were soooooo thankful we did Alaska via cruise and not independently because the food was so expensive and the hotels were not all that nice for the price we paid - so it worked out beautifully!

 

For our cruise to the Baltics I thought it was great to see so many places but found there was just so little time in each port - it is likely ideally to be done on our own, but we still loved the cruise!

 

So, finally to my question: :)

 

If a person is to go to Greece, do you honestly think it's better to do this as a cruise or independently? Did you find that you had enough time to see the ports, or did you wished that you had of just done it on your own renting a hotel and staying in one/two places for a week?

 

We've already seen Venice, so i'm ok with only seeing Venice for a few days - it's greece that I'm really excited about but want to make sure that I really get to enjoy it and get to see it!

 

I am one who firmly believes that you can really only get a real feel for any place by staying a significant time in that place, and eating the food, and enjoying the atmosphere at a nice slow pace (as opposed to rushing around that cruise passengers do). I don't know if that answers your question.

 

In any case, that is what really appeals to me about my next cruise. It starts in Venice and ends in Barcelona. We are going to do a couple of days in Venice on our own and three days in Barcelona. I only figure to get a taste of other ports. But I will get a chance to see some things that I may never have done on my own (Athens, Florence, Rome, Istanbul, Cannes, and other places). I have been to London briefly. But I will do a land vacation combining London and Paris someday. There are some places I would never just cruise to. I guess London, Paris, and Israel are those places for me. Greece may be one of those places for you.

[cherylakers]

We are booked on the Star that leaves from Rome and ends in Venice. We will arrive 2 days prior in Rome and stay 2 days in Venice at the end. This cruise gives you a taste of so many Greek Islands. I have read the boards quite a bit and most people say that 1 day is enough on some of the islands. We are also going to do private tour guides on a couple of them. We also love land excursions, but really love the idea of unpacking only once and having the same bed to go back to each evening. During the days we usually eat lunch at a local restaurant and love it.

 

Join us on the Star September 23, 2010.

 

Cheryl

[Alli Cruiser]

We've done a cruise (RCL) that went to Corfu, Crete, and Athens and did a seperate land trip another time where we went to Athens and then Santorini for a week. Both were fabulous. We have two teenage boys who want to eat every two hours so now cruising is a great value for us.

 

I view cruising as more of an "overview" to visiting places. Staying for several days gives you much more feel of the location.

 

We visited Croatia three years ago on the Med cruise and are doing a land vacation there next year.

 

Wish you all the best.

[Embracedbylife]

Thank you so much everyone for your input! I think I will continue researching for cruises that start/end in Greece to give us more time there rather than starting/ending in Venice or Rome as we've done both Venice and Rome on our own before. Would love to go back there though, but might just look for something that starts/ends in Greece.

 

Is Greece expensive? That was the nice thing about cruising to the Baltics - saved a ton of money on food that we woudl have spent if we hadn't of done the cruise.

[Pia1913]

We took an in depth land tour; 2 weeks. Saw all of Greece and then relaxed on a cruise. The best of both worlds.

[Embracedbylife]

Oh how I wish I had the time to do this! :) Unfortunately I'd be lucky to get a full 2 weeks of vacation together so we might be able to squeeze a few days at the beginning or end! Which is what I hope to do for sure now after reading your posts :)

[spatsmcd]

Next month will be my 6th trip to Greece and will be my 5th cruise there. I have done combs with 4 day stays at different islands then my cruise went to , twice(do to time) just cruise but always a couple of days in Athens. I don't think you can go wrong seeing Greece in any manner you chose, it is the only place i can get DH to return to.

Thanks to the Euro(Greeks hate it) it is not as cheap as had been, but still not as bad as many other European countries. You can still get good food for a good price.

[Embracedbylife]

thanks so much for this information! Sounds like it would be a fun place to cruise to - and to get a taste perhaps of what is there! I am not one for big cities when I travel as I live in NYC - i like the smaller towns. So any suggestions on smaller areas to see at the start/end our cruise?

[AAAAmerican]

Maam,

 

In NYC over there.. just first go to the Greek Consulate.

 

Do you know anyone from the Greek Orthodox Church too?

 

 

In Greece for your short stay the best method may be to take the ferries so yes use Plan A , B, C and D...

 

 

So many things to see and do in Greece. So many Islands.

 

Or if you want the mainland area rent a vehicle and plan your stops well. Even take in Albania which used to be totally closed off.

 

Choices choices... but all will serve you very well to see and do.

 

:cool:

 

[ssbeagle]

My suggestion would be to take a cruise that ends in Athens. Then you can do a post cruise package or stay a few extra days on your own. Or you can do it the other way around--go over a few days early and travel around Greece on your own and then take a cruise. When we go overseas we always go a few days early to see the area and spend some time. We'll be in London for 3 days in September before getting on our ship in Southampton. We did the same in Rome a couple of years ago.

[capriccio]

Lisacollie -

 

I lived in Greece for 3 years in the late 1990s and agree with the posters encouraging you to do both. Athens (minimum 2 days), Delphi (1 day) and Epidaurus/Mycenae on the Peleponnese (1 day). You'll see a lot of the countryside on the trips to Delphi and Epidaurus/Mycenae (they're in opposite directions from Athens). Then a 5 - 7 day cruise that stops at Santorini and islands you probably wouldn't visit otherwise (Mykonos, Patmos, Rhodes, etc.) but are definitely worthy of a visit and Ephesus, Turkey. You might need to expand your cruise search to smaller/European lines to get a round trip from Athens -- I know it used to be possible. I can't address current prices but 10 years ago Scandanavia was considered expensive and Greece a relative bargain -- that probably hasn't changed much.

[Embracedbylife]

Great! Thanks again for this great information...i love these boards!!