Looking for some recommendations.
Planning a trip to Greece next summer for husband and me. Debating between doing a Royal Caribbean cruise versus just flying to Athens and then island hopping.
There are options from Athens-Athens, Rome-Rome, Venice-Venice, and even Athens-Rome. All 7-night cruises that stop in Athens, Santorini, and Mykonos, with some also stopping in Croatia or Crete. If we did cruise we would like tack on a 1-2 at the beginning and end of the cruise.

Debating what would be the best bang for buck, and also the most fun. If we didn't do a cruise, we would likely fly into Athens, ferry to Paros spend a few days, and then ferry to Naxos and spend a few days.

What is the better trip?
Food and beach are top priority. We like to drink but aren't big club people. We also like history and would be down to see artifacts/ go to museums.

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Posted by Fun Bunch

New Orleans

Member since May 2008

127763 posts

Posted on 9/26/25 at 10:34 am to princessmull

I never recommend cruises, except to Greece.

I did not do a cruise in Greece, we island hopped. But it was one of the most logistically challenging, exhausting trips I have ever done.

If you are a really experienced traveler, perhaps you want to do the island hopping. You will be able to go to much better islands than Mykonos, like Paros or Milos etc.

If you are not a very experienced traveler, then the cruise. The ferries can be a whirlwind and overwhelming, and the constant moving around, logistics of getting from place to place etc can be a bit exhausting.

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Posted by Fun Bunch

New Orleans

Member since May 2008

127763 posts

Posted on 9/26/25 at 10:36 am to princessmull

quote:
Debating what would be the best bang for buck, and also the most fun. If we didn't do a cruise, we would likely fly into Athens, ferry to Paros spend a few days, and then ferry to Naxos and spend a few days.

Sorry didn't read this far. If that's all you are doing , I would definitely go this route.

First of all...I love Paros with all my heart. Its one of my favorite places I have ever been.

Just going to Naxos and Paros would be very easy.

Do this trip

Edit: To add:

We stayed in the most WONDERFUL hotel in Paros near Naoussa (which is where you want to stay). It was not in town, it overlooked the town.

it is run by the nicest, most charming family. The older husband would run a shuttle that goes down to town throughout the day every hour, to take you back and forth if you want to go. The breakfast spread they put out was beyond comparison. I have never seen a spread like this at any hotel ever. It was all homemade by them and changed every day.

The rooms were mostly nothing special, but the property itself was beautiful. They gave us a handmade glass ornament upon checkout and took our information because their daughter wanted to visit New Orleans to get some recommendations. Lovely people, perfect, quiet hotel.

They are only open a few months out of the year. They vacation the rest of the year. You cannot book them online, you have to either email them or call them during their business hours. Its mostly Europeans as a result (honestly by design). Great pool with an awesome view.

Its called Petres. Its possibly my favorite place I have ever stayed.

This post was edited on 9/26/25 at 10:57 am

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Posted by geauxpurple

New Orleans

Member since Jul 2014

16433 posts

Posted on 9/26/25 at 11:19 am to princessmull

We are taking the Viking Empires of the Mediterranean cruise next April. It starts in Athens, makes a few stops in Greece, then goes up the Adriatic to Venice. Before the cruise we are spending three days in Hydra which we chose because it is only an hour and a half ferry ride from the Athens port.

I have taken a Rome to Rome Mediterranean cruise before and enjoyed it very much, but the only thing I didn’t like about it was that too many of the places you wanted to go to were not near the port.

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