Choosing the Right Cruise for You

In choosing your cruise, you need to think about what you want to see and at what level of comfort you want to see it.

We recommend you first decide what you want to see. Are you looking to visit the most popular islands -- Mykonos, Santorini, and Rhodes -- or are you interested in places off the beaten path? Whichever it is, you'll want to make sure the itinerary you choose allows you enough time to experience the place or places that really take your fancy. Some ships visit a port and spend the full day, while others visit two ports in 1 day, which limits your sightseeing time in each (but gives you more overall visits to different places).

In the past, Greek law was designed so that only Greek-flagged ships could cruise between Greek ports, meaning that foreign-flagged vessels had to visit en route between other European ports, usually in Italy or Turkey. This law officially changed in 1999, but many Greek islands cruises maintain a similar routing, either beginning or ending their itineraries elsewhere. You'll have to consider embarkation and disembarkation points in making your decision. Do you mind flying to Venice or Istanbul to catch your ship?

Greece is also visited by ships as part of European itineraries where Greece is not the sole focus, but only one of several countries visited. Most cruise lines like to give their passengers a bit of variety in the itinerary, which means the Greek isles itinerary you're considering might include a day in Alexandria, Egypt, or Dubrovnik, Croatia. This chapter focuses on cruises that spend the better part of the itinerary in Greece and Turkey, but there are a myriad of other options for Mediterranean cruises that include a sprinkling of Greek ports in a more varied lineup.

You'll also want to think about what you want out of the cruise experience. Is the purpose of your cruise to see as much as you can of the islands, or to relax by the ship's pool? And what level of comfort, entertainment, onboard activities, and so forth do you require? Some ships spend a day or more at sea, meaning they don't visit a port at all that day, and while some experienced cruisers enjoy those days the most, treasuring the opportunity they offer for real relaxation, they won't do you much good if your goal is seeing as much of Greece as you can.

Next, consider how long you want to spend cruising the islands -- 3 days, a week, 2 weeks? If you have the time, you may want to consider a cruisetour, which combines a cruise to the islands with a guided tour of important sights on the mainland. This is made easy in Greece by the fact that some lines offer cruises of only 3 or 4 days, which you can combine with a land tour into a 1-week vacation, and 1-week cruises you can combine with a land tour to make a 2-week vacation.

Also consider when you want to cruise. Most of the action on the islands takes place in the warmer months, late May through October; traveling in early spring and late fall has its own special charms, including the fact it allows you to avoid the tourist crush (although some visitor facilities may be closed in the off season) and the hottest months (in July and Aug, temperatures can reach 100°F/38°C). For the record, August is the month the islands are most crowded with vacationers (expect beaches, bars, and discos to be either lively or packed, depending on your point of view). April and November are the rainiest months. May and October are relatively problem-free, making them particularly nice times to sail in Greece.

Choosing Your Ship

Not surprisingly, the onboard experience changes dramatically depending on how many people and amenities you can fit onto your ship. You can choose anything from a 16-deck, 3,000-passenger ship with a three-story restaurant, ice-skating rink, and minigolf course, down to a yachtlike ship for 100 or 200 people where the idea of entertainment is an open sun deck, a novel, and an attendant who drops by periodically with your sunscreen. Which you choose has a lot to do with your personality and vacation goals.

Megaships & Large Ships -- Cruises aboard these vessels focus as much on onboard activities as they do on their destination. The ships are floating resorts -- sometimes glitzy -- offering American-style luxury and amenities along with attentive service.

These ships, which tend to be newer, feature Las Vegas-style shows, lavish casinos, big spas and gyms, plenty of bars and restaurants, extravagant meals, and lots of daytime activities. You or your children can take part in games, contests, cooking lessons, wine tastings, and sports tournaments -- although generally few ethnic Greek activities are offered.

Classic & Midsize Ships -- Ships in this category include older, classic vessels as well as newer ships. Destination is more a focus than on the bigger ships, and itineraries may be very busy, with the ship visiting an island a day, or sometimes two. This leaves little time for onboard daytime activities, although some will be offered. In the Greek market, some of these ships feature Greek crews and cuisine, and service tends to be a big area of focus. Because some of these ships are often sold heavily in the European markets, you may hear many languages spoken onboard. The ships offer a variety of bars and lounges, at least one swimming pool and a small casino, a spa and gym, and plenty of open deck space. Entertainment is generally offered in a main show lounge; some ships have cinemas featuring recently released films. Some of the ships in this category fall in the luxury camp and offer upscale restaurants, modern spas and cabins with lavish touches, and big, private balconies; other ships are older and definitely more modest.

Small & YachtLike Ships -- Small ships and yachts tend to offer a more relaxed pace and may seek itineraries that focus on smaller, alternative ports, which they can get into because of their small size and shallow draft (the amount of ship that rides beneath the waterline). They may offer "soft-adventure" cruise experiences focused on nature- and outdoor-oriented activities; or they may offer an experience more like that of a luxury yacht. Some of the ships feature Greek crews and Greek cuisine. On these small ships, there will typically be more interaction with fellow passengers than on larger ships -- there's fewer faces to keep track of. There will be fewer entertainment options compared with the big ships, and there may or may not be a swimming pool, casino, spa, or gym. Both cabins and public rooms range from small and serviceable to large and luxurious, depending on which ship you choose. Some ships are fully engine-powered while others are sailing vessels (even though these sails are typically more for show than for power).

In addition to the small ships we mention in depth later in this guide, you may want to look into even smaller yachts, especially if you're seeking a charter or a truly private yachtlike experience.

Booking Your Private Yacht Charter

Do you imagine yourself cruising the Greek isles on a boat built for two? Or six? Maybe you fancy taking a more active role in itinerary planning? Do you love the idea of requesting that you cruise for a few hours and stop in a secluded cove for swimming? Or do you relish the thought of stepping off your 24m (80-ft.) sailing vessel in the marina and heading off to a nearby beachfront restaurant for dinner?

Greece is a great place for a private yacht charter. Altogether, there are about 6,000 isles and islands in Greek territory. You're as free as a bird; you can cruise to an island and stay as long as you like (as long as the captain says it's okay). And although yacht cruising can be expensive, it doesn't have to be. But there are a few things to keep in mind.

You could go through a travel agent who's familiar with yacht chartering, or you could find a yacht charter broker on your own. Yacht charter brokers are a link between yacht owners and you -- they're the ones who know the boats and the crew, the ones who will guide you through the chartering process and take your booking. Charter brokers go to boat shows around the world to check up on yachts and companies and crew; they might have personally sailed within the area you want to go to (or know someone who has).

For more information about charter brokers, visit the Charter Yacht Brokers Association at www.cyba.net. The site has a page for prospective clients to request more information by describing their plans for a charter. Other associations for charter brokers include the Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association and the American Yacht Brokers Association. The Greek Tourism Organization (www.gnto.gr) can also be a resource.

The yacht broker should ask questions and listen as you describe what you're looking for in a vacation. How many people are you traveling with? What are their ages -- are there kids involved? Where are you interested in cruising, and when? Do you care more about visiting Greek towns and historic sites, or do you want to kick back on the boat and relax? Do you want to go ultraluxe, or are you on a tight budget? Do you want a power yacht, which is faster, or a sailing yacht, which burns less fuel? All these questions will help them plan the best route for you.

Here are a few tips:

• Be reasonable in your itinerary planning. A yacht probably won't be able to get you comfortably from Athens to Mykonos to Rhodes and back in a week. Generally speaking, you'll want to stick to nearby groups of islands, such as the Ionian, Dodecanese, Cyclades, and Sporades. If you're sailing from Athens, the Saronic Gulf and the Cyclades are close cruising areas. Many yachts are based in Athens, but sometimes you can have a yacht sent up to an island group, as long as you're willing to pay a relocation fee, plus fuel, in order to get it there.
• Who's driving? There are two basic types of charters. Crewed means there's a crew onboard. How many crew depends on the size of the boat, as well as your own personal needs. You'll need a captain and maybe a cook, a hostess, and/or a guide. A bareboat charter means there's no crew, and you'll do the sailing or provide your own crew.
• Champagne and caviar? Well, that's all part of the provisioning and the charter's costs. Different charters work differently. Some vessels work on a half-board basis; in other words, breakfast and lunch are included in the cost, under the assumption that passengers will want to venture off the boat in the evenings for dinner and nightlife. Another way of determining costs is an advance provisioning amount, or APA. The APA is an amount of money paid upfront for costs associated with the charter, and it's on average about 30% of the base rate for the charter. The APA could include fuel, crew costs, food and beverages, marina fees, Corinth Canal fees, and other extras. At the end of the cruise the costs are tallied and the passenger either gets money back or has to pay a little more. In either case, crew gratuity is not included. Be sure to work out with your charter broker exactly what's included and what's not.
• Party of eight: You can rent a yacht for a cozy party of two, or bring a group of friends onboard -- typically, the more people onboard the cheaper the cruise price works out per person. However, you're more limited in the choice of vessel once you go above 12 people. One solution for a big party: Charter two yachts and split up the party (or if you have lots of friends, think about chartering one of the cruise ships listed).
• Vessel style. You can get a 12m (40-ft.) yacht or a 30m (100-ft.) yacht, in as modest or luxurious style as you can imagine (and afford). Another important consideration is whether you want a sleek, graceful sailing vessel or a modern, upscale power boat. Whatever you decide, there's probably a yacht out there that suits your style.