Easycruise

Sorry, can't help on this one. It is advertised each week in the Athens News and I do fancy it for the price. I would say take a chance and if you don't like it jump ship. Best of luck. Looking forward to the feedback. Back in the Uk soon for a couple of months so can't come with my rowing boat.

Do a Google search om easyCruise reviews, and you will get some information. The same ship that does the Greek Islands in summer sails the Caribbean during winter, and they have the same formula for both regions.

From what I have seen, they arrive at each island in the morning, dock duing the day, then sail overnight to the next destination, allowing you the whole day to explore the island. Passengers are of all ages (except young children), but tend to be mainly the 20s, 30s, and 40s. Cabins are very basic, and you pay extra for just about everything else, including room cleaning and meals.

Personally I don't like the idea of a cruise, especially the no-frills type that easyCruise offers. Much better, IMO, to take a ferry to an island, spend a few days there, and move on when you feel like it. An afternoon and evening on each island is not long enough to do much more than wander around the port, do a little shopping, and have a meal.

The ship arrives about everywhere at noon or in the afternoon. That means that you have never the time you need to explore a place or an Island. It leaves early in the morning. Everybody can return to the boat long after midnight. That's fine for people who like to visit local discoes.
All the Agean Islands on the itineraries of the two boats can be reached very easily with local ferries.

Adding to #2, do a search on Easycruise on this forum, too, as this topic pops up now and then.

Otherwise, I'm with #2&#3 on this one: If you're "young 60+, semi adventurous, independent, budget minded travellers", you wouldn't need a cruise at all but for the convenience of having everything set from the start, travelling the Cyclades is really fairly easy (check the Greece branch of this forum for tons of other posts).

Note that easyscruise 'misses' some popular islands like Santorini, a destination many consider very important.

Hello,
I live on Spetses, one of the islands that this cruise does. It just started this year and I don't know much about it other than I see it come in from our house and I have seen people of all ages come off the ship. I think it is in the harbour for most of the night and then it is gone. I could ask the local tourist people about it if needed. But it seems to be doing well. People get off and wonder around the island and eat, take buggy rides to the old harbour and to the monastery etc. At night I don't know what they are doing, I am usually at home, but it seems like they are all having a good time.

Thanks for all the input. My question was really just about the type of boat Esaycruise has. We have been to the Islands on 2 other occasions, using the ferries and exploring the "biggy" islands. THis trip would only have the Easycruise for a part of it - we were intrigued by the low cost(the price of accommodation and t ravel for less than the price of hotels on the islands) and by what looked like an efficient way - no waiting for ferries to run every 3 days - ,etc. to get to the islands nearest the Turkish coast. The rest of the time we will be using the ferries and going to some of the lesser known and less travelled islands. Thanks again, everyone. We are still deciding re:EasyCRuise.

If all you want to know is the type of boat easyCruise has, go to their website: easyCruise.

thanks for that site, I was going to check it out later. I don't see Spetses on there unless I am not looking in the right group. Oh well, they do come here and stay all night. If it doesn't say so on the site.

Pitioussa, easyCruise seems to have drastically changed their cruise itinerary for 2008. You are probably correct that this year they had a short cruise around the Saronic Gulf, including Spetses. They also had a cruise around the Cyclades, including stops at Folegandros and Amorgos, but that seems to be gone for next year as well. In place they have cruises to Turkey and the Ionian.