Crystal Greek Excursions Review

[ddaley822]

Sailed Crystal August 13-20, 2022 and had a great time at all the ports! The ship and crew leaves a bit to be desired but I sailed her because of the itinerary, not the ship, so we certainly weren't disappointed. Below are some thoughts on all the excursions we went on, almost all booked through the ship. 

 

Athens
There is a 30€ package available that bundles several ruins/historical sites together and is of great value. Seeing the Acropolis alone is 20€ so for 10 extra bucks you can see 6 additional sites. We were able to see the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Acropolis and slopes, Ancient Agora and Hadrian's Library in the span of 4 hours or so. Once you are in Plaka, all of the sites are easily walkable. The Uber from the port of Piraeus to this part of Athens was around 15€ and took about 10-15 min. I recommend visiting the Acropolis right at 8am when it opens to miss the heat of the day and the majority of the crowds. As we were descending at 9am, the crush of people just entering was crazy! 
 

Headout - Acropolis + 6 Additional Sites with Audio Guide - This is basically just an easy way to skip the ticket line at the Acropolis if you're getting there right at 8am. When we got to the smaller ticket window on the south slope at 7:55am, there was already a huge line for tickets and a shorter line for entry. We jumped in the entry line saving some time. You can buy this combo ticket (no audio guide) at any of the major Athens attractions listed for only €30 instead of €36 but the convenience was worth it to me! 

For restaurants, I recommend the Anafiótika Cafe Restaurant on the stairs (has a Cycladic feeling in the big city) and Strofi Athenian Restaurant (amazing Acropolis view). Also be sure to try souvlaki (kebab style) or gyros meat (shaved) from any of the hole-in-the-wall type spots, the meat was amazingly tender and tastier than any of the major restaurants we tried it at. 

Thessaloniki
We did the Panoramic Thessaloniki tour that circles the city and hits a bunch of important sights. The White Tower, Gallerius Arch, the Rotunda, the remaining city walls to name a few. The waterfront is easily walkable from the port and leads you straight to the White Tower. Departing from under the tower are a couple floating bar cruises I definitely recommend. They cruise the harbor in 30 min intervals and the only ticket price is buying a drink! (4€ without consumption). We took the Klio cruise bar and had a great ride. 

Kusadasi (Turkey)
We toured Ephesus on the included excursion. I definitely recommend a hat and/or SPF umbrella to protect you from the unrelenting heat! There is no shade to be found at the ruins. Also, if you're planning to buy a guide book, buy it at the starting point on top of the ruins. Once you get to the bottom/exit and decide you want one, they are priced 5€ more than at the top! 

There are a couple nice seaside restaurants/bars walking distance from the port. Everything is priced pretty cheaply. Try an Efes beer, made in Turkey and my favorite above all the Greek beers we tried. 

Rhodes
In Rhodes we also took the included excursion to Lindos. The old town is easily walkable from the port and has lots of shops and restaurants. There is also a small beach right by the port and a nicer beach about a 20 min walk away. Lindos is about a 50 minute ride from port but the Acropolis view was worth it! You have to walk up about 300 steps from the town and maneuver along a winding path with no handrails. There is a crazy long line at the top of the hill and you can bypass this with the ticket pre-purchased by your guide. 

Heraklion (Crete)
We toured the city on our own since we had a short stop from 7am-12pm and skipped visiting Knossos. The city was about a 20 minute walk from port and was flat to the old port with the fortress and up a slight hill to see all the shops and the historical Bembo and Morosini Fountains. The city is heavily influenced by Venetian architecture. 

Santorini
We took an excursion via the cruise line to Megalochori and Oia in order to be among the first tenders from the ship (Spectacular Oia on the Caldera Rim). On excursions you get a bus ride up the hill from the new port and return via pre-paid ticket on the cable car to the old port. Sunset in Oia was nice but the crush of people was unreal! I recommend finding a spot at a restaurant to escape the crowds during the prettiest part. Restaurants will ask you at the door if you intend to eat, SAY YES! Even if you just order an appetizer.. if you say you just want drinks they'll lead you straight to the back tables with no views. We ate at Thalassia and had a gorgeous view, tasty wine and sampled the Moussaka (eggplant lasagna) and Keftedes (meatballs), all was amazing. 

Mykonos
This was my favorite port stop. The cruise line provided a free shuttle from the dock at the new port to Chora old town and it was super easy to walk around and see the alleys, Little Venice and the windmills. We also took a tour (Mykonian Countryside and Little Venice) that included a stop at Kalafatis beach and in the small central town of Ano Mera, it was worth it to get to see the countryside and all the rounded off houses/tiny trees! Wind speeds can reach 70km/h so all the buildings and landscape reflect this. 

If your cruise departs late, I absolutely hands down recommend a reservation at 180º Sunset Bar on the hill above the old port. The views are spectacular and it makes the minimum spend pricing worth it. If you want to try and walk in (no minimum $), be there right at 6:30p when it opens to access a spot at the bar. The place gets jumping and we could hear the music even after walking all the way back to town (easy 5 min downhill stroll, we took a taxi uphill - 20€). 180º Sunset Bar Reservations

Milos
You can easily walk around the port town but the best views are found in the town of Plaka (Plaka Castle) at the top of the hill. We did a boat tour to the pirate sea caves in Kleftiko from Agia Kiriaki beach (Nostalgic Milos Cruise) and it was absolutely jaw dropping! They provide masks, snorkels and noodles and you get to swim through the caves. We also had another deep blue swim at a second location. The tour provides raki shots after! We also visited Sarakiniko beach on the north side of the island, the lava flows are stark white and feel like a moonscape, definitely instagram-worthy. This excursion is only available once you board and will only go once it gets enough guests to sign up. We went straight to the excursions desk upon boarding and got this booked. Later when we walked by around dinner time the line snaked all the way through the reception area and out to the stairwells!! Go early! 

Chania (Crete)
After the cruise, we stayed in Athens another night and then hopped a 30 min flight to Chania in Crete for an additional 5 nights. We took several tours while staying at a beach resort in Kolymbari, all booked via Viator.

Viator - Gramvousa and Balos Full Day Tour - The first was a boat tour to Balos beach and Gramvousa island. We were bussed from hotels to the port at Kissimos and took the Gramvousa ship to these 2 locations. The ship had food and drinks for sale and rented beach umbrellas (5€ rental + 5€ deposit) which were absolutely necessary at both beaches since there is no available shade. At Balos, the ship docks directly onto the rocks and you wade across the lagoon to access the beach side. The lagoon is less than a foot deep all the way across and was very warm, perfect for young kids. The beach side has a very rocky coral entry so I recommend water shoes or bringing a float to cross the area "croc-style." Gramvousa is also very rocky so don't plan to lie comfortably on the sand. There is a castle on the top of the hill at Gramvousa if you crave a hot uphill hike to get a beautiful view! 

Viator - Snorkeling and Boat Tour from Marathi Beach - Our second tour was a snorkel adventure with Chania Diving. We met the tour in Marathi beach (although they offered pickup) and walked easily to the dock for our boat. The tours are very small with no more than 10 guests for snorkeling or scuba excursions, offered at the same time on separate boats. We made two stops and got to see some pretty interesting stuff at both including some debris from a sister ship to Titanic that was shipwrecked in the early 1900s. The first stop had an interesting effect in the water where 3 freshwater springs poured into the sea creating a "blurry" effect in your mask and a flipped water temperature phenomenon that had the hot water trapped below a layer of cold fresh water.  We also had goat onlookers on the cliffs surrounding us! This tour provided your equipment as well as wetsuits and the mask/snorkel was the best quality I've ever encountered on a tour. 

Viator - Quad ATV Safari from Georgioupolis Area - The third tour was from Georgioupolis Safari and had us riding automatic ATVs across the valley from the beach to the mountains and included an exhilarating amount of pouring rain on our ride back down. The tour provided rain jackets which were much appreciated, I believe it was also supposed to stop at an olive oil farm/factory but this was skipped due to the rain. I still loved this tour as the views were incredible and I liked riding through all the tiny hillside towns you'd never get to see in a car. 

 

Here are some pics because who doesn't like those?

Athens Acropolis from MS Roof Garden bar


Acropolis (Parthenon) from the site


Thessaloniki White Tower (AKA Blood Tower because they used to chop off heads at the top and let the blood rain down the walls!)


Klio Cruise bar in Thessaloniki


Library of Celsus in Ephesus, Kusadasi, Turkey (There was a brothel next door so men would tell their wives they were "heading to the library" 🤣)


Citadel of the Knights in Rhodes old town


View from the Acropolis of Lindos, Rhodes



Oia, Santorini, looking back towards Fira


Little Venice, Mykonos


180º Sunset Bar, Mykonos



Sea caves in Kleftiko, Milos



Balos Beach, Crete


Gramvousa Island, Crete


Elafonisi Beach, Crete


Snorkel stop near Marathi Beach, Crete


ATVing near Georgioupolis, Crete


PS, last minute Athens hotel recommendation for Coco-Mat BC... it has a roof pool with stunning Acropolis views!

[ddaley822]

Oh also! We rented a car soooo easily in Chaniá, Crete. 

My husband got a $20 International Driver's Permit at a local AAA before our trip and that was all that was needed besides a passport and car rental reservation (no money down, cash on receipt). 

They dropped our car at our hotel in the morning on day 1 of our rental and we left the keys with the hotel's front desk the day we were set to return it, no travel needed! I am sure a cruise passenger could request drop off at the pier and leave the car for pickup at a nearby hotel if you wanted to pursue this option. 
 

https://cretebee.com
 

We were able to drive to Elafonisi Beach (GORGEOUS, worth it) and Falasarna on a day trip from Chaniá. 

[Lynn and tom uk]

Thank you for the review.  The excursions look good to us.  We are going to book this cruise, as the ports will be most important this trip.  If it were anywhere else that we have been a half dozen times, then would probably select a bigger ship, but this looks like it will suit our needs.

 

Thanks again!

[CoPil0t]

The detailed recounting of your travel experiences has me a really looking forward to our July cruise with Celestyal! Thanks for sharing. Are your gorgeous photos taken by a camera phone or something else?

[ddaley822]

On 4/29/2023 at 2:28 PM, CoPil0t said:

The detailed recounting of your travel experiences has me a really looking forward to our July cruise with Celestyal! Thanks for sharing. Are your gorgeous photos taken by a camera phone or something else?

Hi! These were all taken on my old iPhone 11 Pro. Hope you have an amazing time! 

[CruisinKikster]

On 9/27/2022 at 12:34 PM, ddaley822 said:

Santorini
We took an excursion via the cruise line to Megalochori and Oia in order to be among the first tenders from the ship (Spectacular Oia on the Caldera Rim). On excursions you get a bus ride up the hill from the new port and return via pre-paid ticket on the cable car to the old port. Sunset in Oia was nice but the crush of people was unreal! I recommend finding a spot at a restaurant to escape the crowds during the prettiest part. Restaurants will ask you at the door if you intend to eat, SAY YES! Even if you just order an appetizer.. if you say you just want drinks they'll lead you straight to the back tables with no views. We ate at Thalassia and had a gorgeous view, tasty wine and sampled the Moussaka (eggplant lasagna) and Keftedes (meatballs), all was amazing.

@ddaley822 - How long was the Spectacular Oia tour? Do you happen to remember how early you had to catch the tender back to the ship? We are on the 4-night cruise, so we will be there from 4:30 to 9:30 pm. I'm not in love with the cruise excursion options, but I'm also not sure if we'll be able to catch the sunset (which is around 8pm when we visit). Any insight is appreciated! Thank you!

[ddaley822]

20 hours ago, CruisinKikster said:

How long was the Spectacular Oia tour? Do you happen to remember how early you had to catch the tender back to the ship? We are on the 4-night cruise, so we will be there from 4:30 to 9:30 pm. 

This tour started (after tendering) at about 5pm, it first went to Megalochori for a quick stop, then back on the bus about 5:30. Made it all the way around the back side of the island and were set free in Oia by 6:20pm. We were told to be back at the bus by 8:30pm. I am not sure how much this will vary for you since your ship leaves so early! Crystal was in port for us till 2am so we had no worries about getting back. 

 

Our bus actually broke down before we re-boarded so we stood in the parking lot in Oia for about 30 min while they brought us a new one and we were back in Fira (town with the cable car back to the tender) by 9:45pm. We were set to anchor at 4:30pm too, but according to photo time stamps, I was already seated on the tender for our excursion by 4:39pm! 

[CruisinKikster]

On 5/30/2023 at 11:35 AM, ddaley822 said:

This tour started (after tendering) at about 5pm, it first went to Megalochori for a quick stop, then back on the bus about 5:30. Made it all the way around the back side of the island and were set free in Oia by 6:20pm. We were told to be back at the bus by 8:30pm. I am not sure how much this will vary for you since your ship leaves so early! Crystal was in port for us till 2am so we had no worries about getting back. 

 

Our bus actually broke down before we re-boarded so we stood in the parking lot in Oia for about 30 min while they brought us a new one and we were back in Fira (town with the cable car back to the tender) by 9:45pm. We were set to anchor at 4:30pm too, but according to photo time stamps, I was already seated on the tender for our excursion by 4:39pm! 

This is very helpful! Thank you!!

[GA_Traveler]

This is a great report.  Thank you for all the information.   The pictures are awesome!!

 

Dawn 

[Silent Penguin]

A great read on a cold and snowy day.  The pictures are so compelling. I want to go!  Reluctant to drive in a country where we have no language fluency whatsoever. What's your opinion on that?

[ddaley822]

On 1/19/2024 at 5:13 PM, Silent Penguin said:

Reluctant to drive in a country where we have no language fluency whatsoever. What's your opinion on that?

We found it easy but I did learn Greek before we went. My husband didn’t, and as our driver, he was still able to read the signage when I told him what exits we were looking for. They use the same road symbols, and the signage that lists exits should be easy to parse even without knowing the language. 

 

If you’re looking for an exit at Πλοκαμιανά you should be able to discern by way of matching the letter forms, that you shouldn’t turn instead at Κεφάλι, you know what I mean? 

 

I will say that when I learned Greek, it was all in sentence case. However, when we got there and I was reading all the signage, EVERYTHING is in all caps. I did learn my capital letters back in my sorority days but trying to actually read a sign in all caps when you’re used to sentence case was tricky for me. Again, if you’re just trying to determine exits and street names, you should have no problem matching up the letters on signs to what’s on your map. 

 

I will suggest making note of Greek for please (phonetically - parakalo), thanks (efcharisto) and sorry (signomi) before you go! People loved when I spoke just a bit in their language. 

[Silent Penguin]

2 hours ago, ddaley822 said:

We found it easy but I did learn Greek before we went. My husband didn’t, and as our driver, he was still able to read the signage when I told him what exits we were looking for. They use the same road symbols, and the signage that lists exits should be easy to parse even without knowing the language. 

 

If you’re looking for an exit at Πλοκαμιανά you should be able to discern by way of matching the letter forms, that you shouldn’t turn instead at Κεφάλι, you know what I mean? 

 

I will say that when I learned Greek, it was all in sentence case. However, when we got there and I was reading all the signage, EVERYTHING is in all caps. I did learn my capital letters back in my sorority days but trying to actually read a sign in all caps when you’re used to sentence case was tricky for me. Again, if you’re just trying to determine exits and street names, you should have no problem matching up the letters on signs to what’s on your map. 

 

I will suggest making note of Greek for please (phonetically - parakalo), thanks (efcharisto) and sorry (signomi) before you go! People loved when I spoke just a bit in their language. 

Thank you for your sharing your experience and advice, especially about recognizing the appearance of words in an alphabet I don't know.  I expect that will be a good coping strategy for us when we go to Greece, probably in a couple years.   I agree with you about learning to say please, thank you, and sorry in whatever country you visit.  I practice my vocabulary on my family even though it kind of annoys them to hear me speak anything but English. Since last summer, my daughter has been retaliating in Portuguese.  

Edited January 22 by Silent Penguin