Odyssey of the Seas - Greek Isles

Where this cruise calls, day by day

8 ports and 2 sea days over 9 Nights.

1. Day 1

   Rome (Civitavecchia)

   ItalyDepart
   Rome (Civitavecchia) port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore

2. Day 2 · At sea

3. Day 3

   Chania (Crete)

   GreecePort

   Chania's Venetian harbour, with its Egyptian-built lighthouse and curved arc of waterfront houses, is the reason to come - but ships do not dock there. The berth is Souda Bay, a deep military and commercial harbour about 7km east, so the day starts with a bus. Western Crete's best beaches are genuine but far: Elafonissi and Balos are both long drives on poor roads.

   • The Venetian harbour, the lighthouse breakwater, and the old Turkish quarter behind it
   • The covered municipal market and the leather workshops on Odos Skrydlof
   • Elafonissi or Falasarna beach on the west coast, or the Balos lagoon by boat
   • The Souda Bay Allied War Cemetery and the Akrotiri monasteries

   Getting ashore

   Docked at Souda Bay, about 7km from Chania; ship shuttles, public buses and taxis all run in, 15-20 minutes.

   Best months

   May-Jun and Sep-Oct (hot and dry Jul-Aug; the Samaria Gorge is too long to attempt on a port day)

4. Day 4

   Santorini

   GreecePort

   Santorini is a flooded volcanic caldera, and the towns sit on the rim some 300m above where your ship anchors - which is the whole logistical problem. There is no cruise berth, so you tender to Skala below Fira and then queue for a small cable car, walk up 588 steps, or ride a mule. Arrivals are now capped to thin the crush, but the cable car remains the bottleneck in both directions.

   • Oia on the northern tip, and the caldera-edge path that walks there from Fira
   • Akrotiri - a Bronze Age town buried by the eruption and excavated under a modern roof
   • Assyrtiko tasting at the caldera-facing wineries, Santo Wines and Venetsanos
   • A caldera boat to the crater of Nea Kameni and the warm springs at Palea Kameni

   Getting ashore

   Tender to Skala, the old port below Fira, then the cable car up the cliff - queues of an hour each way are normal on busy days, and the alternative is 588 steps. Excursion tenders often land at Athinios instead, where coaches wait.

   Best months

   May-Jun and Sep-Oct (Jul-Aug is hot, packed, and Oia at sunset is shoulder to shoulder)

5. Day 5

   Kusadasi

   TurkeyPort

   Kusadasi is a Turkish resort town that exists commercially for cruise ships, and the terminal delivers you straight into a bazaar built around that. Almost nobody stays: ships call for Ephesus, one of the most completely excavated Roman cities anywhere, half an hour inland. Go early - the site is unshaded marble, and by midday several ships' worth of passengers are on the main street at once.

   • Ephesus - the Library of Celsus, the 24,000-seat Great Theatre, and the Terrace Houses
   • The House of the Virgin Mary on Bulbul Dagi above the site
   • Selcuk: the Basilica of St John and the single standing column of the Temple of Artemis
   • Sirince, a hill village of old Greek houses now given over to fruit wine

   Getting ashore

   Docked at Ege Ports (Scala Nuova) - never a tender port, with room for four large ships. The bazaar is ten minutes on foot; Ephesus is 15km, about half an hour, and is best walked downhill from the Upper Gate to the Lower.

   Best months

   Apr-May and Sep-Oct (Jul-Aug at Ephesus is brutal - no shade, hot stone underfoot)

6. Day 6

   Mykonos

   GreecePort

   Mykonos is the Cyclades at their most commercial - a whitewashed town that has been a fashion and nightlife destination since the 1960s, with prices to match. Most ships berth at Tourlos, about 2km north of Chora, though when the schedule is full some anchor and tender straight into the old harbour. For many passengers the real draw is next door: Delos, the uninhabited sanctuary island, is a 30-minute boat ride.

   • Delos - the ancient sanctuary of Apollo and its Terrace of the Lions, by boat from the old port
   • Little Venice, the Kato Mili windmills, and the church of Panagia Paraportiani
   • Beach time at Psarou or Platis Gialos, or the party beaches at Paradise and Super Paradise
   • Ano Mera and the Panagia Tourliani monastery, away from the crowds

   Getting ashore

   Two options: most large ships dock at Tourlos (New Port) 2km from town, with a paid shuttle bus or water taxi into Chora; when berths are taken, ships anchor and tender into the old harbour, which lands you in town on foot.

   Best months

   May-Jun and Sep-early Oct (Jul-Aug is crowded and expensive, and the meltemi wind can cancel Delos boats)

7. Day 7

   Athens (Piraeus)

   GreecePort
   Athens (Piraeus) port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore

8. Day 8 · At sea

9. Day 9

   Naples

   ItalyPort
   Naples port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
10. Day 10

    Rome (Civitavecchia)

    ItalyArrive
    Rome (Civitavecchia) port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore