Greek Cruise vs cliched travel Athens-Santorini-Mykonos
 

Well ive been hunting for an exotic spot for my vacation and finally zero-ed in on taking a Greek holiday.

Now there are 2 options avlbl to me :
1. A nice romantic cruise (ive never been on one) that provides the perfect setting for our anniversary.
2. Travel the cliched but trusted way. Which basically translates into flying into Athens and then ferry rides to Santorini and Mykonos.


Will appreciate suggestions/experiences from fellow travellers. Are there many cruise options avlbl? How would they be different from the ferry rides from the ports?
Also, time is of the essence as we might be travelling in 3 weeks... Will i or am i already time bound for either option?

Too many decisions... Too less time...

The two options are pretty different in experience so as I'm sure others will tell you, it really depends on what you like to do and experience. Being on a cruise would feel claustrophobic to me, and I'd hate to only see bits of fantastic places while surrounded by hordes of people. But that's me.

As it relates to the trusted/cliched way: flying from Athens to Santorini would be a much better/faster option. I can't recall off hand, but it wasn't all that expensive. Given also that in 3 weeks, there may well be fewer ferry options, a flight would seem to be a better way to go.

But really, before anyone can provide helpful advice, you will want to answer some questions for yourself. Do you like to be in charge of when and where you explore (even if it means potentially added stress of the somewhat unknonwn)? Do you like to make your own plans for dinner? Or do you like having all the details taken care of for you? What kind of nightlife do you like? Do you like museums, hiking, etc.? All of this would help with your question.

How about a third option; charter a skippered sail boat. It's less expensive than you might think. And it's an adventure you'll never forget.

Well to some extent it boils down to do you want to pack up and drag your bags unless you plan extended stays on the islands. You can see more islands if you cruise and it's nice to unpack one time. You would get much more of the real feel of the islands if you stay several nights. These things being said, I have done several cruises that stopped at the different islands and I really enjoyed it. But I am hoping that next year we will do the ferries to two or three islands for longer stays. If you decide on the cruise, take note of the times in port - the longer the better, that way you should at least be able to do some lunches and maybe even get in a sunset before returning to your ship. Cruising on short notice might help you get a really good deal on the cruise - prices could be low trying to fill up any unsold cabins.

Your two options are not the only choices. There are many ways to visit Greece. But do you really want to experience Greece or do you just want a relaxing vacation with pretty scenery? A cruise would be the best choice for the latter.

There are other islands to visit. Naxos is popular here as more genuinely Greek. Then there's Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, etc. Or you could rent a car and drive around the Peloponnese. We recently rented a villa on the Peloponnese for a week. Lots to see there.

My husband and I had the same agonizing decision to make, haha. We opted for a small ship cruise (Windstar) which is not the way we normally travel. As an anniversary trip we thought it sounded relaxing.We have had friends who say being on these wonderful sailing/cruise ships is a wonderful experience. We are going in October and got a great price. We are doing our adventure time in Istanbul at the end of cruise. Best of both travel worlds IMO. Happy traveling!

Point of view is everything. For me the cruise would be the 'cliche' way to see Greece. You make a stop for a few hours, are herded ashore to the souvenier shops and over-priced tourist restaurants, then it's on to the next stop on the list. Been there, done that, easy-peasey.

A DIY trip through the Greek islands is so much more rewarding. You can stay put for as long as you want, enjoy your surroundings, get into the rhythm of island life, then move on to the next island, or stay where you are. Your choice.

But choosing Santorini AND Mykonos out of all those beautiful islands is another cliche you might want to address. Both of these are very beautiful and VERY popular. I recommend that you choose one of them and another island close by to give yourselves a more balanced and diverse experience of the islands. For example: Santorini+Paros or Naxos, Mykonos+Andros or Tinos.

You need to decide if you want to be in Greece or just looking at it.The ferry rides between the islands were easy and fun.Add other islands, such as Naxos and or Paros.

The way I see it is this: with a cruise you spend your days and nights aboard ship with a few hours on each island; with ferries you spend your days and nights on the islands with a few hours aboard ship. If you like shipboard activities, a cruise may be right for you. To me the ship (ferry) is a necessary evil to get me to the islands, and if the ferry takes more than 5 hours I will fly to the island instead.

I love getting up whenever I like in the morning and walking to a sidewalk cafe for a leisurely breakfast, then spending the day sightseeing or at the beach. When you stay on an island you never have to look at the clock. Stroll into town in the evening, browse in the shops, sit down for a drink, then pick a nice taverna for dinner. Greek tavernas are an experience not to be missed, and when you stay on an island you can choose a different one every night if you wish.

:-)

Many Thanks to everyone for their response.

Me n hubby like to make out own plans for the day when we travel, thats the reason why we are skipping the hoards of packages avlbl for greece and working on our own itenarary.

Although i was really tempted to take the cruise, but the idea of visiting "tourist places only" kills the fun for us. I think we'll leave the cruise for some other time and travel with a Lonely Planet again this year.

Now with that settled, would you also help me with suggestions on how many days will it take to taste the Greek life on every island. Unfortunately with both of us working we have just 6N in our hands, max 7 !!!
Although most might say thats not enough, unfortunately thats all we have.

The reason for picking Santorini and Mykonos was coz they are the obvious not-to-miss spots for a first time traveller.

We are planning to fly to Athens (2days), take a ferry to Santorini (2days), again take a ferry to Mykonos (2days) and come back to Athens to fly back.
Thats what we have in mind as of now but we are open to suggestions.

Also since this is the second vacation in 3 months, we are a bit cost sensitive this time.
Which areas in Athens/Santorini?mykonos would you all suggest we pick for our stay so that we can be closest to the must see places.
Any hotels that you suggest will go a long way in helping to take the decision. Looking for no-frill hotels with atleast a good (if not great) view, breakfast, and wifi (optional)

You are travelling in early October? Summer links between Santorini and Mykonos end around the middle of October, but you should be okay early in the month. Be aware that each change of location wastes most of a day, so if you plan two days per island you will, in reality, have only one day there. My inclination would be to spend all four days on one island, and that island would be Santorini.

For such a short trip you need to make best use of your time, and I would recommend flying directly to Santorini upon arrival in Greece, and saving the two days in Athens for the end. Why? Because you are already at the airport, and will save a lot of time not having to go into the city and checking in/out of a hotel. It will also give you a cushion against flight or ferry cancellations. :-)

Completely agree with Heimdell. With your time fly directly to Santorini, spend the time there and then fly back to Athens for 2 days then fly home. It really makes the most sense.

Another option to consider is Naxos.

If you do want to visit a second island, you could do worse than Naxos. It's on the ultra-reliable Blue Star ferry route from Santorini to Piraeus, and only 2½ hours travel time. At least that would give you a contrast between a touristy island (Santorini) and one that will be very quiet (Naxos) in early October. If you had the time, you could rent a car on Naxos and take a day trip to the mountain villages, giving you a glimpse of authentic Greece that you won't get on either Santorini or Mykonos.

Let me say that I do enjoy Mykonos, but my primary motivation for going there is to visit the archaeological site on Delos, which you may not have time to do. The only link between Santorini and Mykonos is by small catamaran, and a weather cancellation could seriously foul up your plans. Blue Star sails in almost any weather. :-)

My wife and I spent 10 nights in Santorini, and while incredible, we look back and wish we had adventures to other islands, most notably Naxos and Crete. I would recommend spreading the love like others have suggested. I also remember the cruise goers being herded around the island like sheep, it did not look like fun. I also realky don't like cruises, so my opinion is clearly biased.

Just because you are on a cruise does not mean you have to be hearded around like sheep. Nobody makes you do that. You can always do your own thing. We've never taken a single organized tour while on a cruise.

On Santorini, we (along with another couple) simply found a taxi to take us around. The driver turned out to be very knowledgeable and happily talked about his home: everything from culture and history to agriculture. We made several stops with time for walks, drinks and snacks, and a lovely stop at a beach.

OTOH, I do agree that if you want to get to know a place, even several hours during the day doesn't cut it. Everything changes in the evening.

As Sassafrass says you don't have to take the ship's excursions and sometimes a cruise is fine for getting an idea of what different places have to offer. We've been to these islands both by cruise and later to spend more time them, enjoyed both experiences.

Heindall's suggestion of flying straight to Santorini makes sense, keep Athens for the end of the trip. We loved Naxos, very different from the more touristy Santorini & Mykonos.