Big-Ship Cruise Lines

Golden Star Cruises

85 Akti Miaouli, Piraeus, Greece. tel. 210/429-0650. www.goldenstarcruises.com.

Golden Star offers short cruises of 3 and 4 days around the Greek isles. The line's ship, the Athena, formerly Aegean Two (built in 1957; 496 passengers; 12,609 GRTs) isn't brand new, but it was fully refurbished in 2006. The line touts a friendly Greek staff, hospitality, and activities, such as Greek language and dancing lessons. Other onboard activities include bingo and board games, wine tasting, the casino, and catching rays on the pool deck. Like other Greece-based and Greece-focused lines, the emphasis is on the destination, with as many as five calls in a 3-day cruise; most passengers will likely be on and off the ship throughout the day, as the Athena typically is in port daily from 7am until noon, and then makes a second stop at a second island from 4 to 9pm. Food choices include Greek specialties alongside international cuisine.

Ship Itinerary -- Athena -- Three-day round-trip Athens cruise calls at Mykonos, Kusadasi (Turkey), Patmos, Crete, Santorini. Fridays between March 28 and November 7. Rates: From $530. Four-day round-trip Athens cruise calls at Mykonos, Kusadasi (Turkey), Patmos, Rhodes, Crete, Santorini. Mondays between March 31 and November 3. Rates: From $830.

Louis Cruise Lines

8 Antoniou Ambatielou St., Piraeus, Greece. tel. 210/458-3400. www.louiscruises.com.

The Louis Group has been in the passenger shipping business for 70 years, but this Cyprus-based company got into cruising in earnest in 1986 when it purchased Princesa Marissa and set up Louis Cruise Lines. In late 2004, Louis started another cruise division called Louis Hellenic Cruises; in 2010, it's dedicating the Cristal, Aquamarine, and Aegean Pearl to the Greek islands.

The Perla (built in 1968; 780 passengers; 16,710 GRTs), the Aquamarine (built in 1971; 1,268 passengers; 23,149 GRTs), and the recently acquired Cristal (built in 1992; 1,278 passengers; 25,661 GRTs) are the line's main ships in Greece, with the Orient Queen (built in 1968; 912 passengers; 15,781 GRTs) offering longer cruises that embark from either Athens, Marseille (France), or Genoa (Italy).

The bulk of Louis's fleet consists of older, more classic-style vessels that have been rebuilt and refurbished. It charters several of them to European cruise lines and then operates the rest out of Cyprus, Athens, Genoa, and Marseille. The ships aren't as flashy or as new as the ones used by the major U.S.-based cruise lines, so you won't find state-of-the-art amenities or rows of balconies, though the Cristal is a newer, more modern vessel. However, these are cruises that concentrate on the destination: The itineraries are extremely port intensive, and the ships will sometimes visit more than one island in a day. Embarkations are somewhat flexible, as Louis permits cruisers to pick up the ships in Mykonos, or disembark early in order to stay a few days on Santorini or Crete. Its ships fly the Greek flag, and its officers are Greek, but Louis also is increasingly designing its ships, cuisine, and entertainment to appeal to an American market: 60% to 65% of its clientele is North American.

Tragedy struck in 2007 when Louis ship the Sea Diamond sank after scraping its side on a volcanic reef in Santorini; all passengers were evacuated except for two, who were reported missing and whose bodies were never found. The company, however, has continued its commitment to the Greece market, spending $49 million to acquire the Cristal as a replacement to the Sea Diamond and maintaining a three-ship deployment to the region in 2010.

Louis's strategy in the U.S. is to sell through tour operators, who will typically package a Louis cruise with a land tour. It currently does not deal directly with individual passengers or with travel agents -- although agents can work through tour operators. Rates for land-cruise packages are set by individual tour operators. The rates below vary depending on the season.

Ship Itinerary -- Cristal Seven-day round-trip Athens cruises overnight in Istanbul (Turkey) and call at Mykonos, Patmos, Kusadasi (Turkey), Rhodes, Heraklion, Santorini. Fridays from April 11 through October 24. Rates: From $1,485 to $1,725. Seven-day round-trip Athens cruise calls at Istanbul (Turkey), Kusadasi (Turkey), Rhodes, overnights in Alexandria (Egypt), Santorini. October 31; November 7, 14, and 21. Rates: From $1,485 to $1,725.

Perla Three-day round-trip Athens cruise calls at Mykonos, Kusadasi (Turkey), Patmos, Heraklion, Santorini. Fridays from May 23 through October 17. Rates: From $545 to $655. Four-day round-trip Athens cruise calls at Mykonos, Patmos, Kusadasi (Turkey), Rhodes, Heraklion, Santorini. Mondays from May 19 through October 20. Rates: From $825 to $985.

Aquamarine Three-day round-trip Athens cruise calls at Mykonos, Rhodes, Patmos, Kusadasi (Turkey). Fridays from March 7 through November 14. Rates: From $545 to $655. Four-day round-trip Athens cruise calls at Mykonos, Kusadasi (Turkey), Patmos, Rhodes, Heraklion, Santorini. Mondays from March 10 through November 10. Rates: From $825 to $985.

Orient Queen Ten-day round-trip Athens cruise calls at Kusadasi (Turkey), Patmos, Mykonos, Santorini, Katakolon, Messina (Italy), Marseille (France), Genoa (Italy), Naples (Italy). May 11, 21, 31; June 10, 20, 30; July 10, 20, 30; August 9, 19, 29; September 8, 18, 28. Rates: From $1,710 to $1,790.

Monarch Classic Cruises

645 Fifth Ave., Suite 902A, New York, NY 10022. tel. 800/881-2377. www.mccruises.gr.

Monarch Classic Cruises is another Greece-based cruise line that plies the Aegean on older, classic-style vessels that have been updated for cruise-ship service. The company began service in 2006, so they're the new kids on the block, relatively speaking. All three of the company's ships were refurbished in 2007. The Blue Monarch (built in 1966; 452 passengers; 11,429 GRTs) offers seven port calls on its 7-day service, and the Ocean Countess (built in 1976; 800 passengers; 17,593 GRTs) and Ocean Monarch (built in 1955; 518 passengers; 15,800 GRTs) both offer 3- and 4-day cruises that pack five and six calls into the itinerary, respectively. In sum: These cruises are for visitors who want to see as much of the Greek isles as they can in a relatively short time frame. According to the line, it draws an international crowd (about half of the passengers are American), from students to seniors.

Onboard, the line says, visitors can expect the environment to be comfortable and clean, with all the standard cruise-ship amenities (beauty salon, pool, and so on). The ships offer one open-seating dinner service a night in order to accommodate passengers who are arriving back from various shore activities -- the ships are typically in port until 8 or 9pm. A Greek Night is held once on each voyage.

Ship Itinerary -- Blue Monarch Seven-day Athens round-trip cruise calls in Santorini, Heraklion, Rhodes, Patmos, Kusadasi (Turkey), overnights in Istanbul (Turkey), Mykonos. April 4, 18; May 2, 16, 30; June 13, 27; July 11, 25; August 8, 22; September 3, 19; October 3, 17. Rates: From $1,131 to $1,303.

Ocean Countess Three-day Athens round-trip cruise calls at Mykonos, Kusadasi (Turkey), Patmos, Iraklion, Santorini. Fridays from May 2 through October 17. Rates: From $455 to $551, depending on the season. Four-day Athens round-trip cruise calls at Mykonos, Kusadasi (Turkey), Patmos, Rhodes, Heraklion, Santorini. Mondays between April 28 and October 13. Rates: From $695 to $846, depending on the season.

Ocean Monarch Three-day Athens round-trip cruise calls at Mykonos, Kusadasi (Turkey), Patmos, Heraklion, Santorini. April 25; October 24, 31; November 7. Rates: From $455 to $551, depending on the season. Four-day Athens round-trip cruise calls at Mykonos, Kusadasi (Turkey), Patmos, Rhodes, Iraklion, Santorini. April 21; October 20, 27; November 3. Rates: From $695 to $846, depending on the season.

Blue Monarch Seven-day Athens round-trip cruise calls in Santorini, Iraklion, Rhodes, Patmos, Kusadasi (Turkey), overnights in Istanbul (Turkey), Mykonos. April 4, 18; May 2, 16, 30; June 13, 27; July 11, 25; August 8, 22; September 5, 19; October 3, 17, 31. Rates: From $1,131 to $1,303, depending on the season.

Ocean Countess Three-day Athens round-trip cruise calls at Mykonos, Kusadasi (Turkey), Patmos, Iraklion, Santorini. Fridays from May 2 through October 17. Rates: Start at $455 to $551, depending on the season. Four-day Athens round-trip cruise calls at Mykonos, Kusadasi (Turkey), Patmos, Rhodes, Iraklion, Santorini. Mondays between April 28 and October 13. Rates: Start at $695 to $846, depending on the season.

Ocean Monarch Three-day Athens round-trip cruise calls at Mykonos, Kusadasi (Turkey), Patmos, Iraklion, Santorini. April 25; October 24, 31; November 7. Rates: Start at $455 to $551, depending on the season. Four-day Athens round-trip cruise calls at Mykonos, Kusadasi (Turkey), Patmos, Rhodes, Iraklion, Santorini. April 21; October 20, 27; November 3. Rates: Start at $695 to $846, depending on the season.

MSC Cruises

6750 N. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309. tel. 800/666-9333. www.msccruises.com.

MSC Cruises, a line with Italian heritage and a subsidiary of shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Co., is one of the fastest-growing cruise lines out there. A few years ago MSC was an up-and-coming player, mixing a fleet of older, classic style ships with mostly midsize vessels. These days the line is adding megaships to its fleet that compete on size and amenities with the biggest cruise companies, has made a big push into the U.S. market, and has firmly established itself in the contemporary cruise market.

The company offers what it calls "classic Italian cruising," focusing on service and playing up its Italian ambience -- Italian actress Sophia Loren is the godmother to four MSC Cruises ships. The line is trying to "Americanize" some aspects of the voyages in order to make the Continental vibe seem more familiar to U.S. passengers, such as offering coffee along with dessert (instead of afterward) and adding more items to the breakfast buffet. Still, the passenger mix is more international than many other lines. Itineraries are port-intensive, and the onboard experience friendly and fun.

The MSC Musica (built in 2006; 2,550 passengers; 89,000 GRTs) is a good example of where MSC Cruises is headed, hardware-wise: It's got room for a minigolf course, a sushi bar, an Internet cafe, a solarium, yoga classes, a wine bar, and a children's playroom in addition to all the usual activities you'll find on ships (a casino, gym, sauna, and so on). Nearly 830 of the 1,275 suites and cabins have private balconies. The MSC Armonia (built in 2001; 2,055 passengers; 59,058 GRTs) is a bit older and offers fewer amenities.

Ship Itinerary -- Musica Seven-day round-trip Venice cruise calls at Bari (Italy), Corfu, Athens, overnights in Mykonos, Katakolon, Dubrovnik (Croatia). Musica cruises are offered weekly departing on Saturdays. April 4 through October 3. Rates: From $999.

Armonia Seven-day round-trip Venice cruise calls at Dubrovnik (Croatia), Corfu, Athens, Argostoli, Kotor (Montenegro), Ancona (Italy). Armonia cruises are weekly departing on Mondays. April 19 through September 13. Rates: From $899.