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 Greece,
one of the worlds most attractive summer destinations,
is an idyllic place for cruises, as it comprises a
peninsula surrounded by 6,000 islands and islets
scattered in the Aegean and Ionian Seas, combined with
an ideal climate allowing for pleasant sea-travel
conditions all year round.
Cruises in the Greek islands offer visitors the
opportunity to explore 7,500 km of the countrys
coastline featuring a highly diversified landscape made
of golden stretches of magnificent beaches, shelter bays
and coves, volcanic soil, sea-side caves with steep
rocks and coastal wetlands.
 Luxury
cruises in Greece take visitors to the most famous
groups of islands, the Cyclades and the Dodecanese,
leaving them with indelible memories of narrow,
cobble-stoned alleys, rugged mountain cliffs hovering
just above the cruise-ship decks, castles, museums,
adventure, education and the pure pleasure of seeing
things they have only read about before. Cruises in the
Greek islands each of them boasting its own historical
and cultural heritage, is an escape to luxury and
relaxation. Once ashore, visitors can wander around
traditional settlements and villages, castles, museums
and galleries, churches and monasteries, or explore
ancient cities through winding canals and visit famous
boulevards and fabled landmarks for an unforgettable
experience.
 Santorini,
Mykonos, Rhodes, the Aegean and the Ionian islands, are
all connected either by ferry or some smaller vessel to
provide easy access, featuring all the amenities of a
regular cruise-ship with deluxe cabins, restaurants,
bars, lounges and even casinos.
Cruises in Greece started in the 60s and since
development has picked up at a fast pace, especially in
recent years. Cruise ships under Greek flag making short
or longer cruises to Greek ports and ports of other
countries of the Eastern Mediterranean amount to more
than 160,000 GRT units and have a total capacity of over
10,000 passengers. Greek ports, however, are also
visited by cruise ships under foreign flags, which
annually bring more than 500,000 passengers into the
country by sea.
 While
there are innumerable ports around the country
connecting the mainland with the isles, the main port
with the heaviest tourist and commercial traffic is the
large Mediterranean port of Piraeus, which dates back to
the 3rd millennium BC and is the gateway to Athens.
Piraeus port, as well as the smaller port of Rafina,
both having easy access from most points in the capital,
are the link to most Aegean islands with regular sailing
schedules for ferries, passenger boats and hydrofoils.
A cruise to the Greek islands, however, can also
include: Turkey ports of call Constantinople
(Istanbul) and Kusadasi; Israel Jerusalem and Haifa;
Egypt Port Said (Cairo) and Alexandria; and, Cyprus
Limassol. Some cruises may even take you as far as the
Black Sea through the Bosporus Straights to places such
as Yalta and Odessa (Ukraine), and Nessebur (Bulgaria). |
