Just back! Our VIKING SKY-mazing 7 day Ancient Mediterranean Treasures - 6/25 to 7/2/2022. Full trip report with tons of pix!

[Azulann]

Love your trip report. You photos bring back many memories for me of past cruises. 
I too love the same space off the WC as  my favorite spot on a Viking ship . My next Viking cruise is not till 2023 so your food pictures will just have to do for many months! 
look forward to you next Viking trip report!

Edited July 3, 2022 by Azulann

[FetaCheese]

1 hour ago, Flgreg said:

Thanks to Sleep7 and cruiseinchrissy for the replies. Just went to MVY and there it is. Our cruise from  Athens  isn't until late November so who knows what the policy will be by that time.

V has been updating the pre-embark doc. almost daily.  As you said, will be changing before our next cruise.

Edited July 3, 2022 by FetaCheese
Clarity

[Blue willow]

Thank you for this wonderful, detailed trip report!

Your photos are lovely! Your dresses are so fresh! 

 

We were on the same cruise with you, and you captured the festive, yet relaxed spirit of the cruise beautifully. 

The service was impeccable; the food scrumptious; the gym well equipped; the spa delightful: the literary fascinating. 

You made me appreciate the whole experience afresh, despite the 26 hours it took us to get home last night. 

 

Warning to all travellers:

Heathrow is a hectic challenge, understaffed, with a palpable undercurrent of panic as crowds try to make their connections.

Expect to sprint to your gate after the circuitous security checkpoints-- yes, plural security points. 

I am not suggesting the security level is unreasonable, just that it is very time consuming and a bit frantic. 

Their understaffing puts their personnel under untenable stress. 

Please know: they are very strict about all your liquids and jells being in the plastic bags they provide or you already have. I mean, all. Every lipstick, every cream, every random condiment. 

 

A man from our cruise spent a stressful half hour as they tested and examined his luggage  because of one tiny tube of toothpaste, buried beneath his clothes. 

Seeing him try to reassemble the previously orderly contents of his suitcase made an impression. 

 

Disobey their rule at your peril, as my small jar of honey at the botom of my backpack  and I discovered. 

I should have known better. All on me. 

We just made our gate as they were already well into the boarding process. 

That was stress I could have prevented.

Luckily we arrived and departed within the same terminal. 

Please read the signs and bag your liquids/jells. 

 

I agree the heat in Athens was formidable. 

We went on a mid morning food tour that was fun and informative, as we hugged any available shade. 

We also highly enjoyed the "new" Acropolis Museum.

Stunning views of the Acropolis, air-conditioned. Lovely cafe inside. 

Incredible displays of artifacts. 

 

My daughter and son in law went on an evening electric bike tour on Friday night that they wished they had skipped.

The Plaka was simply too crowded with pedestrians to maneuver safely;  the heat was too much; the guide was disappointing in sharing relevant information. 

 

We had a terrific meal in a Plaka restaurant. 

 

Ephesus was the absolute hIghlight of the trip for all four of us-- mind blowing magnificence. 

The tour of the ancient Roman homes was worth every steep step! 

Several elderly people on our tour feared they could not climb the 150 steps and the steep slopes up and down, but they all accomplished it without incident!

They took their time and navigated impressively.

I admit I was scared of falling. 

I urge people to wear sneakers with excellent traction to remain secure on the downward slope, exiting the ancient homes, if you choose that tour. 

And it may help to bring a walking stick for balance. 

 

Istanbul was an exotic revelation, beautiful, vast, cacophonous, Intriguing city.

The jenky exit off the boat on the included waterway tour was ridiculously dangerous.

Not the Viking Sky, the waterways tour boat.   

The tour itself was enchanting on the Bosphorus;

the exit from the boat to the dock over a half inflated tire and rickety steps set at a tottering angle was insane. 

 

We agree Rhodes was lovely-- so picturesque. Our Viking guide there was great. 

 

Troy was hot and confusing, the various versions of the city difficult to distinguish, at least for me. 

But I loved being there, able to visualize The Iliad. 

The site will benefit from more archeological investment in the future, hopefully. 

 

Our guide's comments throughout the tour showed he is no fan of the Allied Forces.

Gratuitous comments about WWI that no one on the tour prompted from him. 

Given the majority Viking clientele on that tour, it would have been prudent for him to employ more tact and diplomacy. 

The Australians, in particular. 

Gallipoli resonates tragedy still. 

It was, however, super interesting to appreciate, on site in Canakkale- Troy and in 

Istanbul,  the strategic importance of the Dardanelles in the geopolitical sphere throughout history and today. 

 

 

[MikeyB]

Sleep 7

Very nice writeup.  Thank you for the effort you made in providing lots of good info on your cruise.

Now....where have I seen you........Syosset....Plainview....maybe the Home Depot in Jericho?

[cruisinchrissy]

Looking forward to your review of your last day in Istanbul .

[MarkTapley]

@Sleep7

 

As usual for you, terrific reviews and great pics; and it’s fun to travel vicariously with you.  Thanks much for taking the time to post with so much detail.

 

What is your next trip?

[debbieandnorm]

I really enjoyed reading your informative post. We’re excited to take our first ocean cruise on Viking Sky in September, from Athens to Rome. We’re flying into Athens independently a few days early & had scoped out Covid tests months ago,  prior to the changes made by Viking. I’m curious to know if you were charged for your tests at the port?

You also answered a few other questions I had been thinking about! Plus it was great to read about Crete & Rhodes, which we had previously visited on our own in 2002. Loved both islands. We always said we would take a cruise when we got to the point where we didn’t want to drag our bags around any more!

 

[Sleep7]

16 hours ago, FetaCheese said:

The Greek lamb shank was my absolute best dinner December 2021, Greek Odyssey. Am sure your chateaubriand and fish were equally delicious. On that voyage, the taste of Greece buffet was a lunch.  Was terrific!  Hope you tried the 3 varieties of Baklava.  

👋Good morning FetaCheese!  Yes.. Viking's Greek night food was absolutely delicious.. and the 3 baklavas and halvah was a perfect ending to one of the best meals on the cruise.😊

[Sleep7]

16 hours ago, Azulann said:

Love your trip report. You photos bring back many memories for me of past cruises. 
I too love the same space off the WC as  my favorite spot on a Viking ship . My next Viking cruise is not till 2023 so your food pictures will just have to do for many months! 
look forward to you next Viking trip report!

👋Good morning Azulann!

Thank you so much for your sweet words.  I'm so glad that you are enjoying my trip report and that the photos are bringing back such nice memories for you.   And yes! That is the best spot on the ship to eat.  It's so relaxing and you get the best of all worlds.. the shade but also being outside.

They actually added more outdoor tables on the deck along the side of the World Cafe and those are nice too but much less protected from the wind.

 

 

[cruisinchrissy]

How was your day in Istanbul? Did you do any tours?

[Sleep7]

13 hours ago, Blue willow said:

Thank you for this wonderful, detailed trip report!

Your photos are lovely! Your dresses are so fresh! 

 

We were on the same cruise with you, and you captured the festive, yet relaxed spirit of the cruise beautifully. 

The service was impeccable; the food scrumptious; the gym well equipped; the spa delightful: the literary fascinating. 

You made me appreciate the whole experience afresh, despite the 26 hours it took us to get home last night. 

 

Warning to all travellers:

Heathrow is a hectic challenge, understaffed, with a palpable undercurrent of panic as crowds try to make their connections.

Expect to sprint to your gate after the circuitous security checkpoints-- yes, plural security points. 

I am not suggesting the security level is unreasonable, just that it is very time consuming and a bit frantic. 

Their understaffing puts their personnel under untenable stress. 

Please know: they are very strict about all your liquids and jells being in the plastic bags they provide or you already have. I mean, all. Every lipstick, every cream, every random condiment. 

 

A man from our cruise spent a stressful half hour as they tested and examined his luggage  because of one tiny tube of toothpaste, buried beneath his clothes. 

Seeing him try to reassemble the previously orderly contents of his suitcase made an impression. 

 

Disobey their rule at your peril, as my small jar of honey at the botom of my backpack  and I discovered. 

I should have known better. All on me. 

We just made our gate as they were already well into the boarding process. 

That was stress I could have prevented.

Luckily we arrived and departed within the same terminal. 

Please read the signs and bag your liquids/jells. 

 

I agree the heat in Athens was formidable. 

We went on a mid morning food tour that was fun and informative, as we hugged any available shade. 

We also highly enjoyed the "new" Acropolis Museum.

Stunning views of the Acropolis, air-conditioned. Lovely cafe inside. 

Incredible displays of artifacts. 

 

My daughter and son in law went on an evening electric bike tour on Friday night that they wished they had skipped.

The Plaka was simply too crowded with pedestrians to maneuver safely;  the heat was too much; the guide was disappointing in sharing relevant information. 

 

We had a terrific meal in a Plaka restaurant. 

 

Ephesus was the absolute hIghlight of the trip for all four of us-- mind blowing magnificence. 

The tour of the ancient Roman homes was worth every steep step! 

Several elderly people on our tour feared they could not climb the 150 steps and the steep slopes up and down, but they all accomplished it without incident!

They took their time and navigated impressively.

I admit I was scared of falling. 

I urge people to wear sneakers with excellent traction to remain secure on the downward slope, exiting the ancient homes, if you choose that tour. 

And it may help to bring a walking stick for balance. 

 

Istanbul was an exotic revelation, beautiful, vast, cacophonous, Intriguing city.

The jenky exit off the boat on the included waterway tour was ridiculously dangerous.

Not the Viking Sky, the waterways tour boat.   

The tour itself was enchanting on the Bosphorus;

the exit from the boat to the dock over a half inflated tire and rickety steps set at a tottering angle was insane. 

 

We agree Rhodes was lovely-- so picturesque. Our Viking guide there was great. 

 

Troy was hot and confusing, the various versions of the city difficult to distinguish, at least for me. 

But I loved being there, able to visualize The Iliad. 

The site will benefit from more archeological investment in the future, hopefully. 

 

Our guide's comments throughout the tour showed he is no fan of the Allied Forces.

Gratuitous comments about WWI that no one on the tour prompted from him. 

Given the majority Viking clientele on that tour, it would have been prudent for him to employ more tact and diplomacy. 

The Australians, in particular. 

Gallipoli resonates tragedy still. 

It was, however, super interesting to appreciate, on site in Canakkale- Troy and in 

Istanbul,  the strategic importance of the Dardanelles in the geopolitical sphere throughout history and today. 

 

 

👋Good morning Blue willow!!

Ouch.. 26 hours to get home.. I will try to keep my "poor me it took so long to get home" comments to a minimum when I finish this report.😁

First.. thank you for all the compliments on my blog and pix and dresses!

I'm so pleased that you feel that I captured the "the festive, yet relaxed spirit of the cruise beautifully. 

The service was impeccable; the food scrumptious; the itinerary fascinating."

That's EXACTLY what my feelings were too and I'm so glad that I was able to convey that properly.

I know that we chatted back and forth on the roll call and I was sorry that we never connected in person onboard.  We did however meet your sweet daughter in son in law on our middle of the night flight and our race to the connection flight in Paris.  They are charming and delightful and were all smiles about their cruise!  And I was glad to see that their luggage (they were concerned about it) made the connection too as we saw them at baggage claim at JFK too.

I thought all of your observations were wonderful as well.. very helpful to future cruisers..

That if it's a million degrees.. the New Acropolis museum with it's AC and beautiful view is a great option.  Also that Plaka isn't the best place for a bike ride but perfect for a meal.😋

Glad you enjoyed the Roman Houses in Ephesus.. I couldn't make my mind up over which tour that day  to take.. the one that included the houses or the one that didn't.  Now I'm a bit sorry that we didn't take the one that walked through the houses.  Ah well.. next time!

Interesting about the guide in Troy.. 😳

What a story at LHR.. I was going to address our experience at CDG about our connection.  We had a similar experience.. not as hairy though.

And yes.. Istanbul is an absolutely mesmerizing city!  If one has the time to stay pre or post cruise it's well worth it as adds so much to the experience of the whole trip!

 

 

Edited July 4, 2022 by Sleep7

[Sleep7]

12 hours ago, MikeyB said:

Sleep 7

Very nice writeup.  Thank you for the effort you made in providing lots of good info on your cruise.

Now....where have I seen you........Syosset....Plainview....maybe the Home Depot in Jericho?

👋Good morning MikeyB!

A fellow Long Islander!  It's so funny because when I read your post  yesterday I was at Shoprite in Plainview.  We live in Dix Hills.. you are from Plainview?

And thanks so much for your sweet compliments.. glad I was able to offer up some useful information and entertainment.😊

[Sleep7]

23 minutes ago, cruisinchrissy said:

How was your day in Istanbul? Did you do any tours?

👋Good morning cruisinchrissy!

Thank you so much for reading and enjoying what I have been posting!  I plan to finish it this morning.. I was full steam ahead yesterday and then had to take a break as the cobwebs in my head were creeping in.  Today.. is a new day.. I'm looking forward to continuing this happy tale.😊

[Sleep7]

11 hours ago, MarkTapley said:

@Sleep7

 

As usual for you, terrific reviews and great pics; and it’s fun to travel vicariously with you.  Thanks much for taking the time to post with so much detail.

 

What is your next trip?

👋Good morning MarkTapley!

Thank you thank you thank you!!  Your kind words truly touched me.😍

I remember you were so sweet about my blog last fall too.. so glad that you are enjoying this one

as well.

We don't have anything booked but I was looking into a Barcelona to Lisbon one this fall or a Rome to Venice one next spring. Sam usually goes back to work on the Monday after we get home so we are kind of limited to 7 day cruises that begin and end on a Saturday or Sunday.💁‍♀️

[Sleep7]

11 hours ago, debbieandnorm said:

I really enjoyed reading your informative post. We’re excited to take our first ocean cruise on Viking Sky in September, from Athens to Rome. We’re flying into Athens independently a few days early & had scoped out Covid tests months ago,  prior to the changes made by Viking. I’m curious to know if you were charged for your tests at the port?

You also answered a few other questions I had been thinking about! Plus it was great to read about Crete & Rhodes, which we had previously visited on our own in 2002. Loved both islands. We always said we would take a cruise when we got to the point where we didn’t want to drag our bags around any more!

 

👋Good morning Debbie and Norm!

Oh so glad that you enjoyed my posts and that they were helpful to you.😊

Lucky you sailing so soon.. and on your first Viking Ocean Cruise!!

I think the first is always the sweetest since everything is so new and exciting.

Also so great that you are flying in a few days early and will have time to shake off some jet lag and explore on your own.

And I agree about not having to deal with luggage and checking in and out of hotels.. makes the whole vacation so much easier on a cruise.. kind of like a class trip at sea.  The teacher does all the

work.😁

As far as the surprise COVID tests at the port.. no we were not charged and it was a well oiled machine there.  We just filled out a little paperwork, had our noses swabbed and then sat and waited for the results. 

 

 

[Sleep7]

FRIDAY - ISTANBUL, TURKEY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sleep7]

Good morning Istanbul!

 

 

Ahh... what is there to say about Istanbul, Turkey?

It's truly an exotic and magical city that needs WAY more than a day to see all of it's treasures.

We had visited there twice before.. just the two of us in 2007 and then again in 2012 when we brought our daughters.

I'm so glad we did as it would have been a  genuine shame to not have explored the city to it's fullest.

 

 

[Sleep7]

First we must discuss the new Galata cruise port!

We have never seen anything like it.. it's huge and totally different than any other port we have been to.

It's just not a terminal but it's an enormous complex that not only services ships underground but has acres of restaurants and shopping above ground that almost makes it a destination itself.

Here is some info on it that I copied and pasted.

 

"Galataport Istanbul’s hatch system, the first of its kind in the world, and a 29,000-square meter underground cruise ship terminal have enabled the passengers and crew of cruise ships a comfortable and safe travel experience in accordance with the new normal. Equipped with the latest technologies and four-times larger than the previous structure, Galataport Istanbul’s entire passenger and luggage traffic has been carried underground. These include passport control and customs as well as road access by taxi, minibuses and tour buses, enabling unrestricted view of the sea."

 

It's also HUGE and requires a lot of walking and sign following to get in and out.  You need a bar code card to scan yourself in and out when you are getting on and off the ship.  That card is given to you the night before in your cabin.  It's almost like an airport underground complete with an enormous duty free shop that you must walk through to access the ship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sleep7]

We chose the included "Istanbul's Majestic Waterway" tour for our last day.

 

 

 

Boarded our buses and were taken for a ride around the outskirts of the city to see the ancient city walls. 

 

 

[Sleep7]

Then onto the Rustem Pasha Mosque which is covered "head to toe" with the most gorgeous blue Iznik tiles.  Our guide gave everyone a bag to hold their shoes in and the ladies who didn't have a scarf were given one at the door to cover their head for the the visit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sleep7]

The mosque was built in 1561.. the tile patterns were mesmerizing..

 

 

 

 

 

[Sleep7]

Then onto the Spice Bazaar for a short walk around..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was sheep milk cheese in a goat skin container.

 

 

 

[Sleep7]

Last but not least onto the hour and a half sightseeing boat on the Bosphorus.

Asia on one side.. Europe on the other.

 

 

Lots of mansions and fancy hotels along the shore.

This is the Ciragan Palace Hotel where JFK jr. and his wife had stayed on their honeymoon.

 

 

 

 

Even thought the sightseeing boat left from the European side of the Bosphorus (where the Spice Market, Grand Bazaar, Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are) it dropped us off at the Galataport on the Asian side where the Sky was berthed. 

 

[Sleep7]

We only got to see a small portion of the city on the tour so I am going to include some pictures from our trip in 2012 of the major sites.. too beautiful to gloss over.

 

The Blue Mosque.

 

The Hagia Sophia.

 

 

 

 

 

Topkapi Palace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Grand Bazaar

 

 

 

 

 

[Sleep7]

Also.. for you Agatha Christie fans..

In 2012 we visited Sirkeci Railway Station where the Orient Express left from.

It's on the European side close to the Spice Market.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And on the Asian side is the Pera Palace hotel where she wrote the book.

Very cool birdcage elevator there.. bellhops in pill box hats.. a real throwback to a golden age.