Cruising the Greek Islands

When Norwegian Cruise Lines decided to return to international waters they chose a destination that was popular with their loyal passengers, the Greek Islands.  As luck would have it Greece was ready to accept travellers to their country at the same time.

The seven day itinerary sailing from the port of Pireaus, which services the capital city of Athens, offered a diverse number of ports, each with their own unique experience for travel starved cruisers. Whether you were interested in a day sunbathing on a beautiful beach, a guided tour through an ancient archeological site, or just wanted to saunter on your own through an old town bustling with restaurants and shops, this cruise had something for everyone.

We hit all the popular spots like Santorini, Mykonos and Rhodes as well as the islands of Crete and Corfu.  There was a stop on the mainland at Katakolon to call on the ancient site of Olympia, home to the first Olympic Games.  Forest fires had raged the area recently, thankfully missing the site, and although a previous cruise had to skip this stop we were able to visit.

Being on the ship was like coming home.  It felt, for the most part, like a normal cruise.  Despite a surge in covid numbers in July, which resulted in a mask mandate while on board and on shore, passengers and crew were thrilled to be on the water again. No one that we encountered had a problem with any of the health and safety protocols or the requirements for social distancing.  Everyone was extremely considerate and in a really good mood.

It was the same on shore.  With the exception of one port our ship was the only one on any given day.  That meant the ports were not as crowded and service was exceptional.  The middle of August is a traditional vacation time for many Greeks so the tourist trade was a nice mix of locals and international visitors. It is also the hottest month on record but soaring temperatures were the only disadvantage we had.

I don’t want to imply that this was a simple endeavour or without its challenges as it was one of the first cruises after the global pandemic.  Everyone on board had to be fully vaccinated and there were requirements for testing before boarding the flight in Canada, before embarking at the port and again before disembarking to travel home.

Usually Norwegian cruises in Europe will have a good percentage of Canadians on board but we did not meet another compatriot at all.  That is not to say they weren’t there, just that they were not in great number. In light of the stringent requirements and our current travel advisories to avoid non-essential travel many Canadians are probably waiting for the world to be in a better place before they travel.

Perseverance really paid off for us however. Customs in Canada were the first hurtle we faced.  It wasn’t an issue getting through to the terminal as long as you had the proper paperwork and proof of a negative test.  The plane we were taking to Athens arrived hours earlier but was unable to deplane its passengers all at once due to the backlog in the customs hall at Pearson International. This resulted in our departure being delayed by over an hour.  On return it was the same.  Many of the passengers on the return flight had connections into the United States and our delay was of great concern, until we were informed that every flight out of Pearson that day was delayed.  Every one!

Over the next few weeks I will get into each port in more detail, as well as offering more information about the state of cruising post pandemic.  For now I am content to let you know we went, we were safe and it was a great experience.  Now you too can start planning for your next cruise.