Greece/Turkey Cruise Trip Report
Here is the destinations trip report. The cruise part is a separate posting
Athens
The National Museum is closed until I think October, which was a real disappointment. We arrived at our hotel at 4:30 and was told there may be a strike by the archeological site workers for 3 days so we rushed over to see the Parthenon. It seems the workers had been striking every Sunday but did not feel they were getting their message across.
We stayed at the Grande Bretagne which has just recently been redone. It is stunning. It is also well located. Its across from the Parliament building so we could watch the big changing of the guard ceremony on Sunday from our room. It is near the edge of the Platka so we just walked. We had a great dinner our first night but found breakfast the next morning a little steep at $30 each. I would highly recommend this hotel.
Monemvasia, Greece
This is an uncommon stop for cruise ships. The ruins at Mystra were really significant as it was one of the last Byzantine holdouts. Its about 2 hours from the port, and is built on the side of a several thousand foot tall hill. That means lots and lots of steps required if you want to check out lots of the buildings. Some people did not think the trip was worth it, but we loved it. We broke away from the tour group and just started exploring the whole site. Although we probably walked up and down thousands of steps, for us it was really significant. Almost everyone slept on the bus on the way back to the ship. Seabourn only fills the busses up half full so it was real comfortable stretching out for the return trip.
Bodrum, Turkey
There are two major things to see in Bodrum. The ruins of the Mausoleum is one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Its a long walk from the pier but very doable. The other item is the castle/fort at the port. There are a lot of steps, but it was really neat to wander all thru it. There are little museums all through it that were quite well done.
Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey
The ruins of Ephesus are truly stunning. You can walk the same marble streets as people 2000 years ago. They have excavated and re-assembled large sections of some of the most significant buildings in the city. The Library facade is the most famous. The theater holds 24,000 and was where the Apostle Paul preached before he was run out of town. Then he wrote Paul's Letters to the Ephesians cause he couldn't go there anymore. We did the ship tour, but after meeting and getting to know the guide I lined up in Istanbul, Levent Solmaz
www.leventsolmaz.com, I really wish we'd used him here. He guides people all along the Turkish coast. He mentioned a number of neat things that it turns out we missed cause the ship's guide didn't point them out. You wind up waisting a lot of time when your in big groups. Its much more efficient to have a private guide. I would highly recommend it. To tour Ephesus takes about 2 hours, and it is 20 minutes away from the port. Nearby we also saw what's left of the Temple of Artemis (not much left actually) which was one of the wonders of the ancient world.
Kusadasi is where we bought our Turkish rug. When we finished the Ephesus tour, there was a rug demonstration. We had already done some research but the demo helped. We actually bought our rug from a different store than where we saw the demo. They will offer you wine or apple tea. Make sure you try the apple tea. I really liked it. The wine was actually good too. This doesn't commit you to anything, its just a jesture of hospitality. It took us 2 hours to buy our rug. We had paint, carpet and tile samples we brought to make sure it would match. This really helped them find rugs that had the right colors in it. We probably looked at 50 rugs before we picked one. Don't be hesitant to do that as they have guys whose job it is to unfold and fold the rugs while you work with the sales guy. You have to use a reputable store as a lot of "Turkish" rugs are now made in China (cheaper labor). The reputable stores won't do this. Note that the first price can be 20% to 50% too high, depending on the rug type. We had a lecturer on the ship that taught us the different types and what to look for. It helped a lot but it is still a challenge to know if you got a good deal.
Istanbul
By far this was our favorite stop. We spent 2 days here after getting off the ship. We saw all the usual things, but the thing that really made it special was the use of a great guide. We used Levent Solmaz
www.leventsolmaz.com. He was very reasonably priced, and really bought this stuff to life. It is amazing when you realize how old some of these buildings are and all the history they have seen. We saw things from the Byzantine Empire when this was known as Constantinople, and then of course the Sultans during the Ottoman Empire. Life was good if you were the Sultan. Levent took us to see all the usual tourist stops, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace with Harem section where 22 Ottoman Sultans spent their lives, Kariye Museum (Museum of St.Saviour in Chora) one of the finest Byzantine mosaics and paintings from the 4th century, Dolmabahce Palace the last and gaudiest Sultan Palace, Grand Bazaar with its more than 3500 covered shops. But he also showed us a few items off the beaten path like the Underground Cistern;built in the sixth century, a Turkish bath and the last smoking bar in the city where they still smoke through the water pipes. Those places gave us a better feel of life in Istanbul. Having a private guide who knows where everything is means you get to see all the things that interest you in the most efficient manner. I highly recommend using Levent. I wish we had another day cause there is just too much to see. We felt completly safe at all times. Although it turns out we did not need our guide for safety, I would highly recommend using one cause the efficiency gained is critical to see the most possible in the lease amount of time, and get all the interesting history behind the stuff. The people were very polite, although lots of them try to sell you rugs. Now is the time to go cause nothing was crowded, we never had to wait in line.
We stayed at the Four Seasons, which is stunning. Its not cheap, but the service is unbeatable. It is very well located also, right in the midst of the old city (it used to be an old jail). It was only a block away from the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, and a few of blocks away from most the other tourist sites.
Part 2 of 2
We cruised Athens to Istanbul on the Seabourn Spirit. It was our first time on Seabourn. We have previously sailed Crystal and Raddison Seven Seas. The level of service on Seabourn was great. The ship was in great condition, although I did see a section of carpet that really should be replaced. Seabourn can be very expensive, but the Athens/Istanbul itinerary was heavily discounted since it was sailing so soon after the war. We felt we really got a tremendous value with this high a level of service at a discounted price. The ship was full with almost 1/3 Europeans (mostly British). This is a very small cruise ship. As a matter of fact its more like a mega-yacht than a cruise ship and that's how Seabourn markets it. Ship size is a personal preference thing. I actually liked the smaller, more intimate feel. However I am very motion sensitive. We had smooth seas but I imagine in a rough sea you will get quite a lot more motion than the larger ships. When we were in Kusadasi, Turkey, we were docked next to the Silver Whisper (Silverseas). The Seabourn Spirit looked small next to that ship, and that one is considered a small ship.
Boarding was a breeze. The next day was a holiday in Greece so we couldn't go see the Monastery on Amorgos Island. Instead they pulled into a protected cove and opened up the marina off the back of the ship. This is really a cool feature and doesn't get used all that often. They pulled skiers, banana boats and tubes. There were inflated canoes and paddle boats. They also have a large steel cage you can swim in but we just swam in the open off the back of the yacht in the Agean Sea. It was very salty so you were very buoyant. Can't beat it.
The food was really good and we wound up seeing the Chef on a number of occations as he came around to insure everything was right. There were a number of people with dietary issues that he would personally check on . I did the galley tour and it was sparkling. Oddly, I always had trouble getting a glass of water in the Veranda restaurant for breakfast. Always had to ask multiple times. We met some really demanding people and the crew did their best to satisfy them. One night I asked if by chance they had a Creme Brule in the kitchen (it wasn't on the menu) and out came the most wonderful chocolate one. At lunch on the top deck my wife and another person we had met wanted vegi-burgers. They did not have any but called down to the kitchen to see if there was anything they could do. 15 minutes later, up came a real vegi-burger made by the Chef. It had chopped vegies and used mashed potatoes as a binding agent. It was really good and of course, real.
Drinks were all included and you get 2 bottles of liquor in your room (your selection). We had rum and vodka and one day wanted a Bloody Mary. We left a note for our Stewardess to see if there was any mix we could get and when we returned to our room, there was a pitcher of mix in our ice box. One of the things I liked the most about Seabourn is not having to sign all the time when you order drinks. Its all inclusive. We wind up doing a lot of signing on both Crystal and Radisson.
We got lucky in that Eric DeGray, who had just signed on with Legend, was promoted to Cruise Director and moved to our ship. He is incredibly talented and brought a breath of fresh air to the usual lounge lizard entertainment on small ships. Eric was talented enough to actually do a "show".
We had one of the French Balconys. I would recommend them. We had full balconies on our previous cruises and while this was no substitute, it sure was nice to open up the "wall" and look out. The weather was nice so we had it open a lot when we were in the room. The bottom of the balcony is only out about 1 1/2 foot and the top is only out about 9 inches. It has a plexiglass sheet that was always dirty and hard to see out of. Once we put the footstools on the balcony and sat out there but it was a bit too crowded.
Seabourn always has a free shore excursion that provides an "experience" you can't get anywhere else. Ours was in Ephesus. In front of the Library building facade, they had set up cocktail tables and chairs, covered of course like they do at fancy banquets. There was a Quintet of strings which played a concert for us as the sun went down and the Library facade was illuminated in lights. Stunning.
I really liked Seabourn and will cruise them again if I find a good discounted fare. I think they are too expensive for our needs. While the service IS better, I can't justify spending the large increase over Radisson. We are not as demanding of service as others, who will find Seabourn a good value. To us, once we reach a certain level of service, more has very diminishing returns.
Here are my takes on the Seabourn cruise. The destination report will be on a different posting.
We cruised Athens to Istanbul on the Seabourn Spirit June 15 for 7 days. It was our first time on Seabourn. We have previously sailed Crystal and Raddison Seven Seas. The level of service on Seabourn was excellent. The ship was in great condition, although I did see a section of carpet that really should be replaced (minor).
Seabourn can be very expensive, but the Athens/Istanbul itinerary was heavily discounted since it was booking so soon after the war. We felt we really got a tremendous value with this high a level of service at a heavily discounted price. The ship was full with almost 1/3 Europeans (mostly British). This is a very small cruise ship. As a matter of fact its more like a mega-yacht than a cruise ship and that's how Seabourn markets it. Ship size is a personal preference thing. I actually liked the smaller, more intimate feel. However I am very motion sensitive. We had smooth seas but I imagine in a rough sea you will get quite a lot more motion than the larger ships. When we were in Kusadasi, Turkey, we were docked next to the Silver Whisper (Silverseas). The Seabourn Spirit looked small next to that ship, and that one is considered a small ship.
Boarding was a breeze. The next day was a holiday in Greece so we couldn't go see the Monastery on Amorgos Island. Instead they pulled into a protected cove and opened up the
marina off the back of the ship. This is really a cool feature and doesn't get used all that often. They pulled skiers, banana boats and tubes. There were inflated canoes and paddle boats. They also have a large steel cage you can swim in but we just swam in the open off the back of the yacht in the Agean Sea. It was very salty so you were very buoyant. Can't beat it.
The food was really good and we wound up seeing the Chef on a number of occations as he came around to insure everything was right. There were a number of people with dietary issues that he would personally check on. I did the galley tour and it was sparkling. Oddly, I always had trouble getting a glass of water in the Veranda restaurant for breakfast. Always had to ask multiple times.
We met some really demanding people and the crew did their best to satisfy them. One night I asked if by chance they had a Creme Brule in the kitchen (it wasn't on the menu) and out came the most wonderful chocolate one. At lunch on the top deck my wife and another person we had met wanted vegi-burgers. They did not have any but called down to the kitchen to see if there was anything they could do. 15 minutes later, up came a real vegi-burger made by the Chef. It had chopped vegies and used mashed potatoes as a binding agent. It was really good and of course, real.
Drinks were all included and you get 2 bottles of liquor in your room (your selection). We had rum and vodka and one day wanted a Bloody Mary. We left a note for our Stewardess to see if there was any mix we could get and when we returned to our room, there was a pitcher of mix in our ice box. One of the things I liked the most about Seabourn is not having to sign all the time when you order drinks. Its all inclusive. We wind up doing a lot of signing on both Crystal and Radisson.
We got lucky in that Eric DeGray, who had just signed on with Legend, was promoted to Cruise
Director and moved to our ship. He is incredibly talented and brought a breath of fresh air to the usual lounge lizard type entertainment on small ships. Eric was talented enough to actually do a real "show".
We had one of the French Balconys. I would recommend them. We had full balconies on our previous cruises and while this was no substitute, it sure was nice to open up the "wall" and look out. The weather was nice so we had it open a lot when we were in the room. The bottom of the balcony is only out about 1 1/2 foot and the top is only out about 9 inches. It has a plexiglass sheet that was always dirty and hard to see out of. Once we put the footstools on the balcony and sat out
there but it was a bit too crowded.
Seabourn always has a free shore excursion that provides an "experience" you can't get anywhere else. Ours was in Ephesus. In front of the Library building facade, they had set up cocktail tables and chairs, covered of course like they do at fancy banquets. There was a Quintet of strings which played a concert for us as the sun went down and the Library facade was illuminated in lights. Stunning.
I really liked Seabourn and will cruise them again if I find a good discounted fare. I think they are too expensive for our needs. While the service IS better, I can't justify spending the large increase over Radisson. We are not as demanding of service as others, who will find Seabourn a good value. To us, once we reach a certain level of service, more has very diminishing returns.
Happy Cruising!
