Greek Isles- NCL Jade 7/13/2012 review

[tiggerman101]

We made it to Fira and parked a down a hill from the main drag. It was a bit of an uphill hike to get to the top and really not for the mobility challenged. Once at the top of the hill we were in the main section of Fira and our tour was over. We had a ticket to get back down via cable car whenever we wanted to go.

 

Now Fira is very beautiful as well. It just isn't quite the same as Oia. I am not sure how to explain it, but they are different from each other. Fira also has amazing views and architecture.

 

 

Looking up to Imerovigli, a village that basically runs up to Fira:

 

 

One neat thing are these doors set up along the street that lead to restaurants or bars. They frame the caldera perfectly and create a cool effect:

 

 

From Fira, you get great views of the volcano in the center and the ships in port:

 

 

[tiggerman101]

We ducked down a side street and looked around a bit:

 

 

Of course we found a pastry and ice cream place. I had an amazing piece of caramel baklava:

 

 

We both got a cup of gelato. We get it everywhere we go in Europe. Wade loves the fruit flavors and I tend to go for more of the cream ones:

 

 

We walked around a bit more and looked for the cable car. We knew where it was and headed that way.

 

[BubMunkeyBles]

Oooh... I miss Greece. I fell in love with Santorini when I went on my budget Greek Island cruise. So amazing. I can't wait to go back. :) Your pictures make me want to book now! But it's pretty far from me now.

Edited August 20, 2012 by BubMunkeyBles

[tiggerman101]

We got there and there was just no way I was going to wait in that line. It went forever down the street, around corners, etc. I was hot and tired so we decided to find the donkey trail and walk down. After a bit we found it. I knew right away it was going to be an experience.

 

 

There were donkeys everywhere. At the start men were herding people onto these beasts for five euros. There were donkeys going up and down this path and they didn't care where you were. Also, there was donkey droppings everywhere that you had to avoid. I think it goes without saying what the whole thing smelled like. You know what though? It was a fun walk. We were both laughing at the whole thing and partially because we were scared to death of these charging donkeys.

 

 

Me on the trail:

 

 

Oh yea, it is not some small jaunt down a hill. It is over 600 "steps" and took at least 30 minutes to get down. When you saw the donkeys coming you got out of the way:

 

 

Finally we made it to the bottom and were met with a much needed cup of water and ice cold towel . They had them at every port and it was a nice thing to get while waiting to get back on board.

 

[tiggerman101]

Ahhh...the site just ate my last post. Oh well, here goes:

 

We got back to the ship and headed to the cabin for rest and coffee. We showered and changed clothes and thought about dinner. I figured why not see if there were any tables available at the Great Outdoors to eat and watch the sunset. I was pretty surprised that it wasn't quite full. The sun was going down as we grabbed a table:

 

 

The Great Outdoors is an extension of the buffet area, but it is outside on the back of the ship. It is actually a really nice place. It was a perfect place to eat that night. We sat out there and periodically got a small plate of food:

 

 

The sunset was beautiful

 

 

Right after dark the ship turned and began to head out. I took one last look at Fira in the night:

 

 

After that, we headed to the cabin. It was kind of late and we were needing sleep. Tomorrow was Mykonos. Thus ended one of my favorite cruise days ever.

[cabincop]

tigger hun great review broought back memories there is nothing like cruisin the grand canal oh and the pix of the moon was amazing, tigger you need to smile more Wade smiled alot your a gorgeous couple smile:D

[SBwannaB]

Loving your report and the pictures are fabulous!! I really want to do this cruise one day! Taking notes and starting to plan...

:)

[fabnfortysomething]

Even though I've already posted, thank you again for sharing your review and pictures! I find it incredibly disappointing how people work so hard on reviews and don't get many reactions. I worked on a very thorough review of our Grand Mediterranean cruise with Princess that included lots of port tips and pictures and halfway through, people basically stopped commenting. I have basically given up on the thread. I always try to thank and encourage people who post helpful reviews on here.

 

dont be too discouraged by lack of comments-I've just finished an NCL Med review and knew that people were reading it by the number of views.I wrote it mainly for my own enjoyment and assumed lack of comments/questions along the way were because I'd already covered that to their satisfaction.Now I've finished it I am getting questions from people who have read from start to finish.

 

If everyone who was reading posted a comment the thread would become unwieldy very quickly.

 

I have been reading your review and enjoying it so dont give up on it!

 

Lyn

[snorklinbarb]

Wonderful review and pictures! DH and I really enjoyed the Jade in Apr. from Barcelona to Venice. While we were on, the crew was getting ready to begin the Greek Isles cruises. We've never been there.

 

Happened to ask the concierge about a B2B with the Greek Isles being the "relaxing" 2nd leg. Carlos' reply: "Have you ever been to heaven?"

 

Seeing it now in your pictures makes it a must do! You guys sure are adventuresome. Since you took the ship tour in Santorini, did you find there was a discernible difference if you went "right" or "left"?

 

For the more directionally challenged (!), was it easy to find your way back to the meeting spot after all the ups and downs and winding around?

 

Never would have thought about dinner in the Great Outdoors - great tip!

 

Can't wait to read the rest. We also stayed at Piazzale Roma for the same reasons of convenience to the cruise ship pier. We were getting off in Venice and found the People Mover very easy. Stayed at the Hotel Santa Chiara. Rooms there are also smallish. Do you remember about how much you paid at your hotel? It's hard to find anything reasonable. Was breakfast included? Continental?

 

Keep it coming!:D Thanks so much for taking the time to do all of this - it's a huge undertaking.

[ibcnusoon]

Great review, my DD graduates college in 2013 and since middle school she has dreamed of going to Santorini (after watching "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants").

 

Will be following your review and am patiently waiting for the Summer 2014 itineraries to post!!

[tiggerman101]

Wonderful review and pictures! DH and I really enjoyed the Jade in Apr. from Barcelona to Venice. While we were on' date=' the crew was getting ready to begin the Greek Isles cruises. We've never been there.

 

Happened to ask the concierge about a B2B with the Greek Isles being the "relaxing" 2nd leg. Carlos' reply: "Have you ever been to heaven?"

 

I actually enjoyed the cruise more then I thought I would. It was one of my favorites. I wish we could have taken a B2B, but we have been to the ports on the other cruise and Wade had to limit his time (we already did the 15 day hawaii and have another cruise together in October).

[/color][/color]

 

Seeing it now in your pictures makes it a must do! You guys sure are adventuresome. Since you took the ship tour in Santorini, did you find there was a discernible difference if you went "right" or "left"?

 

She said to go right first which is why we did. I think there was a little more to see. We actually avoid a lot of ship's tours, but considering the travel logistics and time restraints, I felt it was a good choice. If we were there from say, 12 hours or so, I would probably do it all myself.[/color]

 

For the more directionally challenged (!), was it easy to find your way back to the meeting spot after all the ups and downs and winding around?

 

Yes, it was. It is a small village and everything is laid out in front of you.

 

Never would have thought about dinner in the Great Outdoors - great tip!

 

Can't wait to read the rest. We also stayed at Piazzale Roma for the same reasons of convenience to the cruise ship pier. We were getting off in Venice and found the People Mover very easy. Stayed at the Hotel Santa Chiara. Rooms there are also smallish. Do you remember about how much you paid at your hotel? It's hard to find anything reasonable. Was breakfast included? Continental?

 

It was a nice hotel. The bathroom was very nice. It is an old Sofitel that is now an Mgallery Hotel. It was 230 Euros the fist night and 260 the second. There was no breakfast included though. They offered very good service.

 

Keep it coming!:D Thanks so much for taking the time to do all of this - it's a huge undertaking.

 

Thank you. As someone said, I do a lot of it to have a record of the trip for us. I always regret not doing a review for some of our big trips, so I figured I would just sit down and knock it out.

Edited August 20, 2012 by tiggerman101

[www3traveler]

David,

I am loving your pictures and your comments. Looks like a wonderful trip. Two questions: (1) since I do not speak another language, can I manage both on and off ship? (2) I am a 66 year old widow not in good physical condition- how easy would this cruise be to do?

[tiggerman101]

Mykonos, Greece

 

 

Alright, we arrived in Mykonos at 8 AM. This was a port that I was kind of up in the air about. I knew I wanted to explore the town, but what else to do? The place is famous for its beaches so there were a lot to choose from. However, they all involved public transport and I didn't know if I wanted to deal with the bus issue. I had heard their were not a lot of cabs there either. Mykonos is not a big island and it also reminded me of Aruba and Curacao in that it was very dry, windswept and not much vegetation. It is very pretty though.

 

The other thing was the fact that we had no idea if it was going to be a tender port of if we were going to dock at the new port (which holds 1 ship). They still couldn't tell us the day before. That was a little odd to me, but I guess that is how they work it out there.

 

Turns out we did dock and there were two other ships there that were tendering. I am rather glad we docked because the wind became quite strong throughout the day and the water was rough. I am sure it wasn't a fun tender for the other people. There really is no pier as you dock right next to the land. However, it is a bit of a stretch from the town so NCL provided buses to go to and fro. They were free of charge so it was a nice gesture.

 

I made my coffee and got ready. We stopped by the Garden Cafe for breakfast before we headed out. I figured we would just wing it. I knew we could go into town and I also knew basically where the buses were if we wanted to hop on one. Again, I dod all the planning, research, etc and Wade just kind of goes with it. Thankfully, we have done this enough now that he doesn't question anything.

 

So the bus drops you off on the edge of the small town right where all the ferry transports are that head out to the mainland and other islands. Now Mykonos is also a HUGE party island and has a major reputation for its nightlife. A lot of these people looked none too happy to be sitting out in the bright sunlight. So we got off the bus and began walking to town

 

 

The water was also insanely beautiful there. The white buildings are there to keep the structures cool and they create a beautiful effect against the clear sky and turquoise water:

 

 

It was still early so the town was just getting started. This is a little beach on the side that would get a lot more popular during the day:

 

 

I stopped for a photo op.

 

[tiggerman101]

From there we entered the town. Mykonos town is really a bunch of little white buildings with stone streets for walking. Everything is white except for pops of color that the residents paint the railings, shutters, etc with. It creates a beautiful ambiance and it is fun to just walk around. I could see an old beat up windmill on the top of the hill so we meandered up in that direction.

 

 

 

We just took our time and enjoyed the views. We were in a more residential area and we were trying to be quiet:

 

 

I love the small alleys and streets. It was fun to just wind your way around and go wherever. We would walk and just go one way or the other.

 

[tiggerman101]

We kept going up. It wasn't a big hill, but we wondered if their were some good views from the lone windmill up there. Again, the flowers were beautiful:

 

 

From the base of the windmill you could look out over the town:

 

 

 

 

We decided to keep going up the hill to see what was up there. We went through a tunnel under the street and kept going. Soon it became evident that there was really nothing worth heading to. There were some more flowers, etc though:

 

 

We headed back down and did come across some ruins of a building

 

[tiggerman101]

Walking back down we just submerged ourselves into the narrow streets again

 

 

There were small churches here and there as well

 

 

Eventually we turned a corner and were smack in the middle of a main shopping area. It was beautiful and we realized where all the people were. We did stop into a shop and grab some coffee and a pastry. Everyone was real friendly there.

 

 

We headed out to the windmills on the edge of town. These are pretty iconic for Mykonos. They are right next to a section of town along the water that is dubbed "Little Venice". It is basically just a row of restaurants and shops lined up against the water:

 

[tiggerman101]

By this time the wind was really picking up. The windmill area is exposed and we were getting a little beat up. Still, it was pretty hot there so the wind was a welcome relief. I never felt like I was getting fried in the sun like I did in the other ports. The windmills attracted a lot of people, but they are nice to walk around.

 

 

 

They are out on a little jut of land and you get some good views of a lot of the island from out there. The water is just gorgeous.

 

 

 

I made Wade go stand out on the end here for a photo. You can't tell, but I was a little afraid he was going to be flung into the sea by a gust of wind.

 

[tiggerman101]

So turning our backs to the windmills I could see a beach in the distance. It looked kind of nice and uncrowded. It also looked like an easy walk. We talked and decided to head that way. I figured we could hang out there for awhile instead of trying to find a bus, etc.

 

 

We walked past this small beach that people were laying out and swimming at.

 

 

It was a nice walk and very beautiful. It actually was easy and not far at all. When we got down there there was one restaurant at the end of the beach and a hotel at the other. They did have some chairs laid out, but they were reserved for restaurant guests only. I wasn't sure how it worked so we just walked by and laid our towels on the beach.

 

 

The beach was corse sand, but felt alright

 

 

The water was great although a little cold. There were some small waves, but nothing too bad. I will say that the waterline was very rocky. I had to go back and beg Wade for his water shoes. I had left mine at home this trip and Wade always brings his.

 

Side note: We bought a good pair of water shoes before our first cruise. I think we have used them all over the world now and on just about every cruise at some point. I always tell people they are a great buy. Just don't go cheap because they will tear up your feel and fall apart. We got ours at a Rec store for about $50. Well worth it.

 

[tiggerman101]

For once my research failed me a bit. I did not realize that the restaurant on the beach was so highly regarded or we would have definitely ate there. I got home and looked it up. It has some great reviews on Trip Advisor:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g662620-d1189597-Reviews-Joanna_s_Nikos_Place-Mykonos_Town_Mykonos_Cyclades.html

 

I also realized the name of the beach is Megali Ammos Beach. I am sure you can do a little better on the island, but for convenience factor it was fine. I got in the water a few times and we just laid out there and relaxed for a couple hours. It made for a nice afternoon. After awhile we were really hungry so we decided to head back to town and find something.

 

 

We cut through "Little Venice" and the waves had picked up with the wind which caused the water to come up over the sidewalk in parts:

 

 

 

Behind the waterfront is an area with more stores. We walked and browsed through a few of them:

 

[tiggerman101]

Here I got a little "artsy" with my photos. I just love the simple colors on the stark white.

 

 

 

 

We just walked around a little bit trying to find a restaurant that suited us. There are a lot all over and some that were set out in the open in a kind of raised square:

 

 

We decided to head back to the ocean front near the beginning of the town. I knew there were a lot of restaurants there. We winded our way through the narrow streets:

 

[tiggerman101]

Now the waterfront area has a whole row of restaurants. The area is really nice:

 

 

A couple were cafes, but most of them were for lunch and dinner. I wanted a dang Gyro or something. We finally decided on one (I can not remember the name) and just talked to a waiter and sat down. It was all outdoor seating under a tarp. The food was really good. We started with some Hummus and fresh pita bread. I also had some garlic dip and a Gyro chicken plate. Wade had something that looked nice. I love Greek food. I actually work for a group of restaurants in an area of Atlanta called Buckhead. Our owner is a Greek family and we have an amazing Greek Restaurant in our group.

 

 

After lunch we slowly headed back to the bus area passing by the main square again:

 

 

We walked by the little beach on the edge of town again and saw that it had filled up

 

 

I poked my head in the gate of a hotel and it was set on some beautiful landscaped grounds:

 

 

We were pretty much back where we started and I was getting a little tired

 

[Choochala]

I don’t want to disrupt your flow but wanted to tell you I am totally enjoying your review. And yes, people do read them beginning to end but try not to post because we are so enthralled with the story.

Thanks for your effort!

[tiggerman101]

Back on the ship I made my coffee and one of us ran up to the Garden Cafe for our nightly cheese plate. Wade loves an evening snack of cheese on cruises. We are used to carnival which also has a nightly sushi bar with a few choices. I usually grab some sushi and he heads up to the buffet and gets some of those cheese cube things. However, NCL puts out some nice cheese on their buffet.

 

 

You just slice it yourself. They had some great Brie and other stuff. One was a spread that was fantastic. The breads they have with it are great as well. We really looked forward to this every night. Yea, we are a little boring that way....

 

Anyway, we left port at 6 PM. By the time we left the wind had really picked up. As the ship moved away from the dock and out you could really feel the entire ship being pummeled by the wind. In fact the whole ship was listing really bad. I stood on the balcony for a bit and could feel the struggle:

 

 

It reminded me of Hawaii and leaving one of the islands there. It was pretty interesting.

 

That night we had no dinner plans. We decided to try Papa's Italian. We never went there the last time and for $10 pp we figured why not. We made a reservation when we went to get our cheese. So after a shower and change we headed out.

 

This was the night they had an acrobatic couple in the main theatre. They promised an "arial show" and other balance tricks. The title of the show was "Without a Net....Just Passionate Hearts". So yea, the title alone almost brought the cheese plate back up, but I wanted to see what they could do. We knew we couldn't see all of it due to out reservation so we sat in the very back where they have a little bar with stools behind it. It is actually pretty good seats. The show was really good and the two performers were very, very talented. They incorporated their own personal backstories into the performance and it made it more interesting. I wish we could have seen it all, but we had to leave near the end. So we headed to dinner.

 

I like the ambiance of Papa's. It is casual, but nice. It is next to the Garden Buffet and also provides a good seating area for the overflow in the morning and afternoon. The food was good, not great, but nothing to really complain about. I have no idea what we started with, but we both got the steak. The steak itself was not the best cut of meat, but it was surprisingly flavorful and had been grilled with some good spices.

 

 

Our waiter was very nice. Soon the Assistant manager came over with a big smile and greeted us with a "Welcome Back". It was actually our waiter from our last trip on the Jade a year and a half ago. We had access to Cagney's for breakfast and lunch on that cruise due to being in a suite and he was a server back then. It was good to talk to him and I was happy to see he had gotten promoted. We picked out our dessert and he sent out a Caramel Macchiatto with them. It was a nice gesture.

 

 

With that we went back to the cabin. I am pretty sure it was another round of "Big Miracle" and those whales again on TV. I needed sleep because we were hitting Izmir, Turkey all day tomorrow.

[DCT61]

Fantastic review...thanks for taking the time to share your trip with us. My partner and I hope to do this itinerary next year.

[Ginagirl51]

Off we go:

 

 

 

 

 

That night we decided to eat at Jasmine Garden. We ate there twice on the other cruise and enjoyed it. Once again, it was a good meal. The service was great and the hostess remembered us from the dining room earlier. By name. I was very impressed. It turns out she was the regular hostess there and throughout the cruise would talk to us whenever we passed by. It was a nice touch of customer service and one that NCL seems to excel at. After dinner, I think we just walked around a bit and then headed back to the cabin for some TV and much needed sleep.

 

 

Thank you for the visuals and commentary...so looking forward to this cruise next month...lots of good info...won't be going into things so blind!