Thoughts on Rhodes, Crete, Nauplion, Argostoli and Corfu?

We are sailing on the Oosterdam late June going into July, 2018. Having never been to Greece and overwhelmed with the thought of shore excursions to each Greek port on a port intensive cruise, I'm feeling a little bit lost and unprepared for what's ahead! I've arranged activities in Santorini and Athens, but the remaining Greek ports, I'm at a loss. The HAL website isn't that helpful, so I'm looking for suggestions from my fellow cruisers. I'm trying to balance relaxation, being spontaneous and making the most of our time in Greece, traveling with mostly mobile and young at heart 70 year old Parents. We love food, local culture, want to be good/responsible visitors and history. Knowing which ports are tender ports would be great too, as HAL isn't that forthcoming with info.

Thoughts/suggestions on Rhodes, Crete, Nauplion, Argostoli and Corfu?

Of those I’ve only been to Rhodes last year with Princess. We docked near the city gate which made seeing the old city easy. It was a 8-10 min walk. We did rent a car for the day and picked it up and dropped off next to the ship. We drove to Lindos and ancient kamiros which is on the opposite side from Lindos but lovely drive through mtns. We saved old town for last since it was closest to the ship. We were in port 7-7 so we had plenty of time and never felt rushed. Rhodes to date is my fav cruise port.

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If you don’t want to do tours in every port, then both Corfu Town and Rhodes Town are close to where you dock and are lovely places to explore on foot, without any tour. Just do a little research beforehand on the sights to see there.

I think Argostoli warrants a tour of the island. Watch Captain Corelli’s Mandolin to see how scenic it is!

I haven’t been to Nauplion. There is more than one port in Crete. Which one do you call at? It is a very large island.

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Which Crete port? Probably Heraklion or Chania - if it's Chania, most ships dock at Souda, from where you can easily get a bus into town; the centre is beautiful, with a Venetian harbour & lots of lovely tiny lanes with ancient, renovated stone buildings. A few ships tender into Chania harbour itself, unusual but very dramatic.

If Heraklion, the obvious answer is bus to Knossos & to the Archaeological Museum which is in the city, both very easy & you don't need to buy an expensive organised tour if you don't want to. Try to see Knossos either early in the morning or later in the day, if your schedule allows, as it get very hot, busy & loses atmosphere in the middle of the day

Nafplion...

maybe the most beautiful city of Greece. The ship doesn't docking but is tender very close to city port.

Attractions: Old Nafplion, Mycenae, Epidaurus and Palamidi castle.

In old town you can find many restaurants and taverns for taste the local food (very good fish and sea food but first check the prices :D).

Mycenae is an archeological site 15 miles from Nafplion and you will spend over 3 hours there (isn't so friendly place for persons with mobility problems).

Epidaurus is an archeological site too with the famous theater. Is 30-40 miles from Nafplion and you will spend 4-5 hours there.

Palamidi is a medieval castle at the top of a hill in Nafplion (10 minutes with car).

Swimming:

Arvanitia beach... in Nafplion (10 minutes walking from port - pebbles and rocks).

Karathona beach... 10 minutes from Nafplion by car (sandy and very organized - has some cafe and taverns)

Tolo.. a small village 15-20 minutes from Nafplion (sandy with many taverns and cafe)

At Tolo village you can go with local buses (every 1 hour), for Karathona beach you must get a taxi.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! For Crete, yes, it's Heraklion. I did want to take a dip in the ocean at some point, so it sounds like Nafplion might be the place.

Of those I’ve only been to Rhodes last year with Princess. We docked near the city gate which made seeing the old city easy. It was a 8-10 min walk. We did rent a car for the day and picked it up and dropped off next to the ship. We drove to Lindos and ancient kamiros which is on the opposite side from Lindos but lovely drive through mtns. We saved old town for last since it was closest to the ship. We were in port 7-7 so we had plenty of time and never felt rushed. Rhodes to date is my fav cruise port.

 

 

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Hi, How did you find out where and from who to rent a car. ? Is there one company or many ??? Thanks

Here's a good thread on car rental in Rhodes: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2519798&highlight=RENT+CAR+RHODES

We rented a car for our day in Rhodes and headed down to Lindos then drove all the way around the island. It was a lovely day and very easy driving. Galaxy met us at the port with the car and just had us park the car in the same spot and leave the keys in it when we were done. We then went into old town and walked around until it was all aboard. Very nice day.

If you can, book an excursion for Argostoli as some of the more scenic aspects of the island are away from the actual port and town. We simply wandered around, and while tidy and neat, the town itself didn't offer an awful lot to see. On the upside, where we docked was an easy walk to the main part of the town.

I'm from Kefalonia so feel free to ask me anything you need to know about the island! First of all, Argostoli, the capital city of Kefalonia has Lithostroto which is It is the place that local people drink coffee, make serenades and here is the place where the customs of local tradition are revived. It starts from Kampana Square and and reaches almost to the central square of Argostoli, Vallianos’ Square. Apart from the various shops, you will find the church of Saint Spyridon with its beautiful carved gold temple and the Catholic church of Saint Nicholas. At the end of Lithostroto you will see “Kefalos“, the grand theater of Kefalonia. Also near the sea you can see turtles and take some photos. The place has been recently reformed with palm trees and pebbles. Also the main square of Argostoli was recently reformed and has many caffes. The port where you will dock is about 5-10 minutes by walking to the main city. But, in my opinion you shoud try and hire a taxi with other cruisers (the best choice for money around 60 euros totally I think) or take an excursion (costly but safe option). Best places to see is 1. Melissani and Drogarati Caves. Melissani cave has an underground lake which is open from above and the rays from the sun make the water so clear you think your boat is flying and not floating (best time to visit around 12) 2. Myrtos Beach is the most famous beach on the island but I dunno you will have the opportunity to swim there cause of the time limit. But it has spectacular scenery for sure and this place is a must for some photos. 3. Rombola winery and Saint Gerasimos monastery.

You can taste local wines among them the famous Robola first and then you can visit the monastery where the island’s patron saint and his relics are kept in a silver sarcophagus which is opened during services for the congregation to kiss his feet .Set in the Omala valley ,known for its robola vineyards,the monastery is the island’s largest and more majestic ,with a splendid bell-tower build in the architectural style peculiar to the Ionian Islands. This is the top 3 choices of places to visit in Kefalonia in my opinion and I think only by taxi you can visit all of them. Other places of interest: Sami (where Captain Corelli's mandolin was filmed), Agia Efimia (beautiful fishing village), Fiscardo (another picturesque village which many celebrities usually visit every summer but it's the the most time consuming to reach village cause it's too far away from Argostoli) and if you decide to stay in Argostoli you can take the local bus (very cheap) to go to the nearest beaches Makris or Platis Gialos with beach bars and water sports. I hoped I helped you with this info about my island and I wish you a nice cruise! Everything else you need, you can ask me!

I'm from Kefalonia so feel free to ask me anything you need to know about the island!]

 

Thank you for the helpful information about Kefelonia! My trip there isn't until next year, but I will save your suggestions until then. ~Maya

Here's a good thread on car rental in Rhodes: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2519798&highlight=RENT+CAR+RHODES

 

 

We rented a car for our day in Rhodes and headed down to Lindos then drove all the way around the island. It was a lovely day and very easy driving. Galaxy met us at the port with the car and just had us park the car in the same spot and leave the keys in it when we were done. We then went into old town and walked around until it was all aboard. Very nice day.

I just sent an mail to this rental company and will wait for a short time before trying another way if they don't answer. Was there a charge for extra insurance in case of an accident?

Hope you had a great trip. We are leaving for the same trip Mid august. Haven't booked any excursions (yet). Would love to get feedback from you if you don't mind.

Plan to research this week and try to finalize at least what we want to do.

Thanks for any info!

I was on the NCL Star in July and arranged a taxi with Dimitri via this email dim.kefaloniataxi@gmail.com and he was a lovely man and took us quickly to the caves, Myrtos beach and a taverna for lunch. Highlight of our cruise!

I'm from Kefalonia so feel free to ask me anything you need to know about the island! First of all, Argostoli, the capital city of Kefalonia has Lithostroto which is It is the place that local people drink coffee, make serenades and here is the place where the customs of local tradition are revived. It starts from Kampana Square and and reaches almost to the central square of Argostoli, Vallianos’ Square. Apart from the various shops, you will find the church of Saint Spyridon with its beautiful carved gold temple and the Catholic church of Saint Nicholas. At the end of Lithostroto you will see “Kefalos“, the grand theater of Kefalonia. Also near the sea you can see turtles and take some photos. The place has been recently reformed with palm trees and pebbles. Also the main square of Argostoli was recently reformed and has many caffes. The port where you will dock is about 5-10 minutes by walking to the main city. But, in my opinion you shoud try and hire a taxi with other cruisers (the best choice for money around 60 euros totally I think) or take an excursion (costly but safe option). Best places to see is 1. Melissani and Drogarati Caves. Melissani cave has an underground lake which is open from above and the rays from the sun make the water so clear you think your boat is flying and not floating (best time to visit around 12) 2. Myrtos Beach is the most famous beach on the island but I dunno you will have the opportunity to swim there cause of the time limit. But it has spectacular scenery for sure and this place is a must for some photos. 3. Rombola winery and Saint Gerasimos monastery.

You can taste local wines among them the famous Robola first and then you can visit the monastery where the island’s patron saint and his relics are kept in a silver sarcophagus which is opened during services for the congregation to kiss his feet .Set in the Omala valley ,known for its robola vineyards,the monastery is the island’s largest and more majestic ,with a splendid bell-tower build in the architectural style peculiar to the Ionian Islands. This is the top 3 choices of places to visit in Kefalonia in my opinion and I think only by taxi you can visit all of them. Other places of interest: Sami (where Captain Corelli's mandolin was filmed), Agia Efimia (beautiful fishing village), Fiscardo (another picturesque village which many celebrities usually visit every summer but it's the the most time consuming to reach village cause it's too far away from Argostoli) and if you decide to stay in Argostoli you can take the local bus (very cheap) to go to the nearest beaches Makris or Platis Gialos with beach bars and water sports. I hoped I helped you with this info about my island and I wish you a nice cruise! Everything else you need, you can ask me!

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For me the best option is a taxi tour, but there are some good tour companies on the island too with most notable Avalon travel. There is also Ainos Travel and Ertsos Travel but from what I know they are associated with the cruise ships, so the shore excursions that company does is with the help of these tour companies. Avalon, from what I know, is working independently. Also give a look to Caesars Limo Kefalonia. I hope I helped you a little bit. And btw when are you sailing and in which ship? :)

For me the best option is a taxi tour, but there are some good tour companies on the island too with most notable Avalon travel. There is also Ainos Travel and Ertsos Travel but from what I know they are associated with the cruise ships, so the shore excursions that company does is with the help of these tour companies. Avalon, from what I know, is working independently. Also give a look to Caesars Limo Kefalonia. I hope I helped you a little bit. And btw when are you sailing and in which ship? :)

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Hi akke29,

 

 

Hope you had a great trip. We are leaving for the same trip Mid august. Haven't booked any excursions (yet). Would love to get feedback from you if you don't mind.

 

Plan to research this week and try to finalize at least what we want to do.

 

Thanks for any info!

Hi Mommyz - sorry to have taken so long to reply, been swamped at work after the vacation. We had a fabulous time on the cruise and met some wonderful people. Re: shore excursions... We booked ones in Santorini and Athens. We used Nikki Olympic tours and were overall quite happy. The other Greek ports were spent doing our own thing and using the lack of plans to rest as the cruise was very port intensive.

Santorini - it's a tender port and the tendering that morning was awful. That said we got a bit of a late start on the tour with another boat ride to the single dock that serves Oia. Once finally there, the time in Oia was less of a tour and more of a "here's where we'll meet, be back in 2 hours" sort of thing. Our tour guide was friendly, patient and informative and always willing to answer questions, but we weren't really on a tour, per se. After Oia we boarded the bus and drove to a winery on the other side of the island and made a stop to take in the view along the way. After the winery we ended in Thira. To be fair, we booked this tour almost entirely for its transportation and logistics and then expecting some commentary, which we got, so based on my expectation I was satisfied. Expectations of others in the group were not met. YMMV. I could have done without the winery and have had more time in Oia and/or Thira.

Athens - fantastic experience and wish it was longer! Between the port of Piraeus and Athens we were given commentary on Athens history etc... Once in Athens we drove by many important monuments, sites and buildings. But the only one we stopped at was the Panathenaic stadium. Then we went to the Acropolis museum and had an incredible private tour of the terrific museum in the comforts of wonderful a/c. It was one of the hottest days of the year that day and the daunting task of climbing the acropolis to the Parthenon was still looming. After the museum, we did make that trek to the Parthenon but it was worth every ounce of sweat. The journey wasn't difficult, it was just bloody hot. Afterwards we had some time in the Plaka, but not nearly enough. We then headed back to the ship. Not sailing until 11pm that night we had so much more time and I considered returning to the city for more. It was a wonderful snapshot of Athens and will definitely be back.

As I mentioned earlier, the other ports we had no plans and just took the day as it came.

Rhodes - spent most of the day on the ship, nursing a cold that was clearing up. I did wander through the old town next to the port in search of some medicine, but quickly realized there was nothing there but shops, restaurants and beggars. With more time, planning and not being sick, I'm sure there's a lot more to see there.

Crete - hired a cab and went to Knossos Palace. It was pricey, (80 euro) but it was efficient and the cab driver obtained our entry tickets for us, allowing us to bypass the snaking line to just buy tickets, let along entry. Well worth the euros. The palace was interesting, worth our time, but I only wished we followed that with the archaeological museum afterwards. The heat and still feeling slightly under the weather had the ship calling for our return. Yes, one can do it cheaper, but I was all about paying for convenience at this point.

Nauplion - A quaint and charming old town. We tendered to port and wandered around the old town admiring the charm. Here we did some shopping for gifts as well as art/pottery for home. There is a hop on hop off train option here, which we would have done purely to get to the fortress high atop the city. With more time (we got a late and leisurely start) we would have done it.

Argostoli - another leisurely day. I had been dying to get into the water and had discovered this may be the best place to hit the beach. We took a cab from the port to a nice beach for a few hours. Tip - spend the euro for chairs and umbrella. While HAL provides beach towels, there isn't much natural shade. Water was fantastic. There are water sports for hire as well, which looked fun. We went to Lassi beach, but there are others to visit as well.

Corfu - we just wandered around the town, did some shopping. We stumbled upon a toy train tour, which was pricey, but it was a nice way to get a quick overview, a place to sit and catch some breeze, as it was quite hot. From the port, there are multiple ways to get to the old town. We took the public bus which is set up perfectly for the cruise ships. Cabs and Hop on Hop off busses are also available.

That's it in a nutshell. I hope this helps!

Hi Mommyz - sorry to have taken so long to reply, been swamped at work after the vacation. We had a fabulous time on the cruise and met some wonderful people. Re: shore excursions... We booked ones in Santorini and Athens. We used Nikki Olympic tours and were overall quite happy. The other Greek ports were spent doing our own thing and using the lack of plans to rest as the cruise was very port intensive.

 

Santorini - it's a tender port and the tendering that morning was awful. That said we got a bit of a late start on the tour with another boat ride to the single dock that serves Oia. Once finally there, the time in Oia was less of a tour and more of a "here's where we'll meet, be back in 2 hours" sort of thing. Our tour guide was friendly, patient and informative and always willing to answer questions, but we weren't really on a tour, per se. After Oia we boarded the bus and drove to a winery on the other side of the island and made a stop to take in the view along the way. After the winery we ended in Thira. To be fair, we booked this tour almost entirely for its transportation and logistics and then expecting some commentary, which we got, so based on my expectation I was satisfied. Expectations of others in the group were not met. YMMV. I could have done without the winery and have had more time in Oia and/or Thira.

 

Athens - fantastic experience and wish it was longer! Between the port of Piraeus and Athens we were given commentary on Athens history etc... Once in Athens we drove by many important monuments, sites and buildings. But the only one we stopped at was the Panathenaic stadium. Then we went to the Acropolis museum and had an incredible private tour of the terrific museum in the comforts of wonderful a/c. It was one of the hottest days of the year that day and the daunting task of climbing the acropolis to the Parthenon was still looming. After the museum, we did make that trek to the Parthenon but it was worth every ounce of sweat. The journey wasn't difficult, it was just bloody hot. Afterwards we had some time in the Plaka, but not nearly enough. We then headed back to the ship. Not sailing until 11pm that night we had so much more time and I considered returning to the city for more. It was a wonderful snapshot of Athens and will definitely be back.

 

As I mentioned earlier, the other ports we had no plans and just took the day as it came.

 

Rhodes - spent most of the day on the ship, nursing a cold that was clearing up. I did wander through the old town next to the port in search of some medicine, but quickly realized there was nothing there but shops, restaurants and beggars. With more time, planning and not being sick, I'm sure there's a lot more to see there.

 

Crete - hired a cab and went to Knossos Palace. It was pricey, (80 euro) but it was efficient and the cab driver obtained our entry tickets for us, allowing us to bypass the snaking line to just buy tickets, let along entry. Well worth the euros. The palace was interesting, worth our time, but I only wished we followed that with the archaeological museum afterwards. The heat and still feeling slightly under the weather had the ship calling for our return. Yes, one can do it cheaper, but I was all about paying for convenience at this point.

 

Nauplion - A quaint and charming old town. We tendered to port and wandered around the old town admiring the charm. Here we did some shopping for gifts as well as art/pottery for home. There is a hop on hop off train option here, which we would have done purely to get to the fortress high atop the city. With more time (we got a late and leisurely start) we would have done it.

 

Argostoli - another leisurely day. I had been dying to get into the water and had discovered this may be the best place to hit the beach. We took a cab from the port to a nice beach for a few hours. Tip - spend the euro for chairs and umbrella. While HAL provides beach towels, there isn't much natural shade. Water was fantastic. There are water sports for hire as well, which looked fun. We went to Lassi beach, but there are others to visit as well.

 

Corfu - we just wandered around the town, did some shopping. We stumbled upon a toy train tour, which was pricey, but it was a nice way to get a quick overview, a place to sit and catch some breeze, as it was quite hot. From the port, there are multiple ways to get to the old town. We took the public bus which is set up perfectly for the cruise ships. Cabs and Hop on Hop off busses are also available.

 

That's it in a nutshell. I hope this helps!

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Akke29,

Thank you so much for the update. Sorry you were under the weather while on the trip. With it being so hot I am worried that one of us will come down with something. We are probably going to wing it as well. I think it will be so crowded we will have to go with the flow! We kind of know what we want to see but are flexible.

Thank you for the great info!

We are sailing on the Oosterdam late June going into July, 2018. Having never been to Greece and overwhelmed with the thought of shore excursions to each Greek port on a port intensive cruise, I'm feeling a little bit lost and unprepared for what's ahead! I've arranged activities in Santorini and Athens, but the remaining Greek ports, I'm at a loss. The HAL website isn't that helpful, so I'm looking for suggestions from my fellow cruisers. I'm trying to balance relaxation, being spontaneous and making the most of our time in Greece, traveling with mostly mobile and young at heart 70 year old Parents. We love food, local culture, want to be good/responsible visitors and history. Knowing which ports are tender ports would be great too, as HAL isn't that forthcoming with info.

 

Thoughts/suggestions on Rhodes, Crete, Nauplion, Argostoli and Corfu?

We just returned from the Oosterdam....lovely ship and great service. Love the Billboard Lounge!

Santorini: is a tender port. Be aware if you ride the donkeys to the top of the hill, you are in the town of Fira. The town of Oia is where you see the white buildings with the blue dome tops.

We booked the "transfer to Oia" tour. We were taken to Oia and given some free time to walk around and take photos, then were taken to Fira and given more free time. You're on your own re buying a ticket for the cable car ride down to the bottom of the hill where you board the tender that takes you back to the ship.

Rhodes: is an old walled city located across the street from where the ship docks. There are many restaurants and shops. There's also the Palace of the Grand Masters with the Street of Knights. We booked the "Old Town, Master's Palace & Trolley Train" tour. If we had to do it again, we would've just walked around in town and perhaps toured the Palace on our own.

Athens: We booked the "night in Athens" tour via HAL....this was one of our favorite excursions.

There was a good variety of food to please different tastes served buffet style. Overall, the food exceeded our expectations and was very tasty. We had a lot of fun with audience participation on the floor including throwing plates on the floor and dancing on the pieces!

Argostoli: We booked the "Melissani Lake & Drogarti Cave" tour via HAL. After about an hour's ride, we arrived at the "lake".

It's not what we expected. As there was a busload ahead of us, we stood in line on a downhill slope for nearly another hour to board a rowboat that held about 12 people. The oarsman maneuvered the boat about 2 blocks length, then turned around. The ride lasted about 10 minutes. If you've ever seen stalactites anywhere else, then you will be disappointed. This was the worst excursion we've ever taken on over 30 cruises. I do not recommend wasting your time to go here.

Nafplion: We booked the "Ancient Corinth and Canal" tour via HAL. Seeing this canal was pretty neat. We also enjoyed walking around with the narrated tour in Ancient Corinth. However, if we ever went back, we'd book the tour where you actually take a boat ride in the Canal.

Montenegro: The ship is docked across the street from the entrance to the city of Kotor. We took the walking tour via HAL but you could very easily just walk around on your own. There's a Maritime Museum that we entered that was interesting. Some folks walked up onto the hillside. Bring comfortable walking shoes that have good traction if you're leaning to walk up the hill.

Corfu: We booked the "Achillon, Kanoni & Corfu" tour via HAL. We toured the Achillon Palace which is beautiful but at this point we were both getting tired of palaces and ruins....that was just us. I'm sure others will be able to give you better advice.

Iraklion: On this island we booked "Best of Iraklion, Mind the Minotaur" via HAL. We enjoyed the first half of this tour much better than the second portion. We walked among the ruins of the Palace and saw parts of the labyrinth (did not "explore" as advertised in the tour description), then went to village of Arolithos. We walked through/visited the folklore museum in about 15 minutes as it is very interesting but also very tiny. If my memory recalls correctly, there were perhaps two stores in the village-I expected more from the tour description. We had a nice lunch at a local restaurant while musicians played and several folks danced traditional Greek dances. There was also some audience participation which was nice.

Overall, in my opinion, I would visit the Palace ruins but pass on visiting this village.

The evening tour in Athens offered by HAL was much better food wise and entertainment wise in my opinion.

Venice: We booked the City Wonders tour to Murano and Burano. After viewing a Murano glass item being created, we had some free time and took a boat to Burano. Now Burano is a lovely, very colorful town. Rather than take a tour, you can take the boats on your own to either/both of these islands and spend as much time as you like. The lace making demonstration in Burano lasted about 10 minutes if that. All kinds of lace products available for purchase throughout the town and quite a few restaurants/cafes to have a drink or get a bite to eat. Burano was lovely.

At any rate, be sure to take comfortable walking shoes as there is a lot of walking. We went in August knowing it would be hot. June should not be as bad.

On a last note, we were the victims of a pick pocket in Rome upon arrival. I was on the door steps to the hotel and had just paid the driver from the airport transfer company so didn't zip my tote bag with the passport wallet in it knowing I had to show my passport to check in at the hotel. BIG MISTAKE.

Woman came up begging with one hand stretched out with a tin cup. I pulled my arm away from her but just that quick she grabbed my passport wallet with her other hand and took off. The Embassy in Rome is only open M-F 830A-1230P.

They have a photo booth in the building. We were able to get temporary passports within 2 hours. If I may make the following suggestions: be sure your valuables are locked inside a purse. Don't consider knee pockets on men's cargo shorts to be a "safe" place for a wallet or passports, take photo copies of your passports and keep them separate from your passports, limit the money and credit cards you carry with you in each port to only what you think you may need.

Also, assign a pin number to each credit card you plan to take with you. In Europe, credit cards are treated like a debit card in that you need a pin to get a cash advance from an ATM with a credit card. Also, there is a money transfer company called RIA that gives a better rate than Western Union. However, because Rome is considered high risk, they will not wire cash to Rome.

I'm hoping this information will help you and perhaps anyone else reading this information. Be safe!

Thanks Fraudsterbuster for your very complete report. We are leaving on the Oosterdam in 10 days and appreciate your recommendations.

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