Greek Isles & Eastern Mediterranean Cruises
Island villages, ancient ruins and Aegean blue.
Get Free Europe Cruise QuotesThe Eastern Mediterranean is where many travelers fall in love with cruising: whitewashed villages, ancient ruins and blue water, island after island.
Where Eastern Med Cruises Go
Most Greek Isles cruises begin in Piraeus, the port of Athens, or combine Greece with Italy or Turkey. Favorite stops include Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes, Crete (Heraklion or Chania), Corfu, Katakolon for ancient Olympia and Nafplio in the Peloponnese. Many itineraries add Kusadasi, the Turkish port for Ephesus, or an overnight in Istanbul. Ships sailing from Italy often call along the Adriatic — our sister site Adriatic Sea Cruising covers Venice, Dubrovnik, Kotor and the Croatian coast in detail.
Rhodes
A walled medieval Old Town by the harbor, with Lindos and its acropolis a short drive down the coast.
Crete
Greece’s largest island: the Minoan palace of Knossos near Heraklion and the Venetian harbor at Chania.
Mykonos
Windmills, Little Venice and beaches. Ships often stay into the evening here.
Santorini and Other Tender Ports
Santorini’s caldera is too deep for ships to anchor easily and there is no cruise pier, so guests go ashore by tender to the old port below Fira, then ride the cable car, walk the switchback path or take a boat to other villages. On busy days the lines for the cable car can be long, so ship tours that tender first and head straight to Oia are popular. Mykonos, Nafplio and several smaller islands can also be tender stops depending on the ship and the day.
Tender days reward flexibility: arrive at the meeting point early, carry what you need for the whole day, and leave plenty of margin before the last tender back.
When to Sail the Greek Isles
The Eastern Mediterranean season runs roughly April to October. May, June, September and October are especially pleasant for walking around ancient sites, which have little shade. July and August are hot and busy, with the strongest summer winds in the Aegean, but the sea is at its warmest.
Ephesus, Olympia and the Acropolis are best visited early in the day. If your ship arrives in Piraeus early on embarkation day, a morning at the Acropolis before boarding is a popular plan — just keep your passport and medication with you, not in your checked luggage.
Making the Most of the Big Sites
Athens, Ephesus and Olympia are the three days most travelers plan around. The Acropolis now uses timed entry slots, so book tickets ahead if you are visiting on your own; ship tours handle this for you. At Ephesus, the walk through the ancient city is mostly downhill when tours start at the upper gate — a good reason to choose an organized tour if anyone in your group has limited stamina. At Olympia, the site and museum sit a short drive from the port of Katakolon, so even independent travelers have time for both.
Island days are different: in Mykonos and Rhodes you can simply walk off the ship and explore. Save energy for the islands by keeping the ancient-site days organized and early.
Plan a Greek Isles Cruise
From a week in the islands to a longer Greece and Turkey voyage, our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will match you with the right ship.
Get Free Cruise Quotes