Planning a solo trip to Greece this June with a main focus on the ancient ruins of the mainland.
(Athens- Acropolis site, Mycenae ruins, Delphi site)
However, to cover Santorini and Heraklio's Palace of Knossos; I'm thinking of any cruise where I can **save travel-time/ hotel cost by staying on board.***
Please recommend best options or if a ferry is better?
You can take overnight ferry from Athens/Piraeus to Heraklion, arrive at 6am or so, visit Knossos, stay overnight and take ferry next morning to Santorini. I can't imagine any cruise being cheaper than what you can do yourself, and you'll have a lot more time to see/do what you want as well.
How long on Santorini? Cruises don't stay long at their ports of call. A quick browse of a few web sites shows that they spend on average a few hours. It seems a pity to me to go to Santorini for less than a day and that's what you'll likely get with a cruise. At least with a do-it-yourself approach you can stay a couple of days on Santorini.
I've seen one company with a 50% surcharge for single occupancy, and additional obligatory costs related to excursions blabla .. one company didn't even have prices on its webpage, but invites you to contact them for an 'offer'.
Do it yourself. And if that's too much for you, then go to a travel agent in Athens, tell him where you want to go, and he'll make ferry/hotel bookings for you. Still cheaper than a cruise.
Hi Aayusha1,
I also think that booking a cruise would end-out more expensive than ferry ticket + hotel in Heraklion. I propose that you take ferries to do this. You can book your Piraeus - Heraklion ferry and then keep flexible (unless travelling in high season) for the Heraklio - Santorini connection, in case you would like to stay in Crete more. Try, www.ferryhopper.com to see the schedules. High season in these connections is mid-July to end of August, and during this period availability might be an issue.
Another vote for you doing it yourself. Even if there was such a cruise offered (there's not) your time ashore would be very limited, just a matter of a few hours in each location. Not only that, it would be more expensive doing it that way. Instead, take an overnight Anek Lnes or Minoan Lines ferry (departure time for both is 9pm) from Athens/Piraeus to Heraklion. Book a cabin for that night. Arrive at 6am. Book hotels that will arrange transfers for you from the ferry ports so someone is there waiting for you. After exploring Knossos hop on the fast morning ferry to Santorini. After Santorini take a taxi back to the port and catch another ferry back to the mainland. Or fly back (You have that option). If you're not inclined to take this on by yourself you can hire a travel agency in Athens to set this all up for you in advance. Check with Dolphin-Hellas Travel and Fantasy Travel. Both have websites. They are both very reliable and will arrange everything, including transfers.
To add to everyone else's advice...cruises are just not that suitable to Southern Europe, period. You arrive in a town during siesta time, time is too limited to see the dramatic countryside, and after you get back on the cruise, the locals come out for a lively evening (one of the most quintessential Southern Europe experiences during the warmer months).
That said, if you must cruise, pick cruise whose ports of call you really want to see. Heraklion doesn't have well-preserved historic center like, say, Chania does. But, if your primary interest is Knossos, that works.
Also, if you're looking for a cruise that just does within Greece, rather than a Mediterranean cruise, you may be able to find a small intimate cruise (though these can be expensive), that spends more quality time in the country.
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