Smart Eight

Duration: 11 days / 10 nights
Ammoudi bay in Santorini
Package rate per person in double room during low season From 1960

Explore the Aegean and the rich history of its civilizations in style! This package contains a cruise that will explore the 4 corners of the Aegean Sea, from Thessaloniki to the north to Crete in the south, and from the western Athens to Ephesus in the edge of Anatolia.

After arriving in Athens and settling in, you will take a classic city tour which will take you to the Greek capital's most prominent sites, including the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum. You are now ready to embark upon an adventure around the Aegean! Hop on a week-long cruise which starts in Thessaloniki, the jewel of Macedonia! Then on to the Turkish coast and the Ancient City of Ephesus where you may join an optional excursion. In Rhodes you have the option to enjoy yet another excursion, this time to Lindos and the Citadel of Knights, before reaching Crete. After you've sampled some local delicacies it's time to wash them down with some Santorinian wine in your next destination! Two more stops await you in the last two days of your cruise, first on the cosmopolitan island of Mykonos and then to the immensely beautiful volcanic island of Milos.

If you want to experience as much of Greece as possible in just 10 days, then look no further than this package!

Package starting from Athens: Every Thursday (April - October)

  • 3 nights accommodation in Athens
  • 7 night cruise to the Greek islands and Turkey by Celestyal Cruises (standard inside cabin cat. IA’ on Celestyal Journey), including on-board dining, complimentary essential WiFi for all guests, filter coffee, tea, water and juice throughout the day (6am-10pm), unlimited free soft drinks in the main restaurants with meals
  • Half day Athens city tour
  • Entrance fees during guided sightseeing
  • Transfer service as per itinerary
  • Total meals: 10 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 7 dinners
  • VAT for all services

Not included:

  • International airfare
  • Personal expenses, meals not indicated in the itinerary, beverages etc.
  • Customary tips to your drivers, guides and escorts
  • Port & service charges
  • VISA expenses (if applicable)
  • Stayover hotel tax (to be paid directly to the hotels)
  • Sustainable Development Fee (to be paid directly on the cruise)

Optional: You can upgrade the Athens' sightseeing group tour into a private one, or your cabin accommodation, at additional cost.

 

  • Thursday – Arrival in Athens
    Upon arrival you will meet our assistant and afterwards your driver will transfer you to your hotel. Have the rest of the day at leisure to relax and start your acquaintance with the city at your own pace. Ideally, find a roof garden downtown and enjoy a relaxing drinking with a view of the Acropolis lit up at night!
    Overnight: Athens
    Meals: -

  • Friday – Athens half day sightseeing tour
    After breakfast you will meet our collaborator at the lobby of your hotel or someplace nearby, to start the morning half day Athens sightseeing tour. This classic tour has come to be the best way to see every major site in the Greek capital, without going through the hassle of trying to be your own navigator and guide. The Academy of Athens, Hadrian’s Arch, The Greek Parliament, the Acropolis and its modern Museum, are just some of the stops along the way.
    Overnight: Athens
    Meals: Breakfast

  • Saturday – Cruise embarkation
    Take the morning to walk around by yourselves and maybe have a meal at a cozy tavern in the quaint neighborhood of Plaka, because in the afternoon your driver will pick you from your hotel and transfer you to the port. It’s time to start a week-long cruise on the Aegean with stops in both the Greek islands and Turkey!
    Overnight: On board
    Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

  • Sunday – Visit Kusadasi
    Your first stop will take you all the way across the Aegean, to Kusadasi, an idyllic resort in Turkey. After disembarking you can take a stroll on the town’s waterfront and raid its shops for souvenirs for your friends back home, before settling in a café for some traditional Turkish coffee. Alternatively, you can opt to join an excursion to the nearby site of ancient Ephesus, an important ancient Greek city that was a member of the Ionian League. A cultural center in its heyday, today it is famous worldwide for being home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World!
    Overnight: On board
    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • Monday – Arrival in Rhodes
    Early in the morning we will disembark in Rhodes, a large island on the edge of the Dodecanese and one shaped by the Middle Ages. Rhodes was a prominent spot from which orders like the Knights Hospitaller launched Crusades into the Middle East. The Palace of the Grand Master still stands as a testament to this. If you prefer to explore the roots Rhodes has to antiquity, there is no better place than Lindos, which features its own Acropolis!
    Overnight: On board
    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • Tuesday – Explore Agios Nikolaos in Crete
    In the morning you will arrive in the island of Crete, and specifically to the charming port town of Agios Nikolaos. As before, you can explore the quaint town on your own, or you can opt to join an excursion to a historical site. In Crete, that can be none other than the Palace on Knossos, a very well preserved site which served as the center of the Minoan civilization. Its importance is telling by the fact that in its peak at around 1600 BCE, it boasted a population of 100,000 people!
    Overnight: On board
    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • Wednesday – Arrival in Santorini
    In the majestic island of Santorini, the caldera offers a rare and magnificent view, while the island’s fiery, volcanic past has given birth to uniquely colored beaches, laid with pebbles that once used to be part of fearsome force of nature. This has also created fertile soil which allows Santorini to boast some of the finest wines worldwide! Enjoy a glass as the sun sets in a splendid hue of gold.  
    Overnight: On board
    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • Thursday – Experience Mykonos
    An entire day at Mykonos awaits you and with comes the opportunity to do some elegant and stylish shopping on the famous Matogianni street. Afterwards explore Chora or take a tour to some of the island’s more memorable sites like the Armenistis Lighthouse and the Kalo Livadi Beach. For the more active visitors out there, a sailing tour of the nearby islands of Rinia and Delos comes with a dose of history and unparalleled natural beauty!
    Overnight: On board
    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • Friday – Arrival in Milos
    Your last stop in this eye-opening cruise will be Milos. Gaining popularity among the locals in recent decades, Milos is a wonderful place with white-washed houses, small picturesque villages, fishing ports and beautiful churches sprinkled all around. The Sarakiniko Beach with its white volcanic rocks and clear blue waters may very well be the highlight of your trip!
    Overnight: On board
    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • Saturday – Return to Athens
    Morning arrival in the main port of Athens, where you will be met by our assistant and transferred by your driver to your hotel in Athens. This is your last day in Athens, so make sure to take some pictures that will make your friends jealous and pick up some souvenirs!
    Overnight: Athens
    Meals: Breakfast

  • Sunday – Departure from Athens
    Pack up the wonderful memories you created and meet our assistant at the lobby of your hotel and have a transfer to the airport for your departure flight.
    Overnight: -
    Meals: Breakfast

  • Thursday – Arrival in Athens
    Upon arrival you will meet our assistant and afterwards your driver will transfer you to your hotel. Have the rest of the day at leisure to relax and start your acquaintance with the city at your own pace. Ideally, find a roof garden downtown and enjoy a relaxing drinking with a view of the Acropolis lit up at night!
    Overnight: Athens
    Meals: -

  • Friday – Athens half day sightseeing tour
    After breakfast you will meet our collaborator at the lobby of your hotel or someplace nearby, to start the morning half day Athens sightseeing tour. This classic tour has come to be the best way to see every major site in the Greek capital, without going through the hassle of trying to be your own navigator and guide. The Academy of Athens, Hadrian’s Arch, The Greek Parliament, the Acropolis and its modern Museum, are just some of the stops along the way.
    Overnight: Athens
    Meals: Breakfast

  • Saturday – Cruise embarkation
    Take the morning to walk around by yourselves and maybe have a meal at a cozy tavern in the quaint neighborhood of Plaka, because in the afternoon your driver will pick you from your hotel and transfer you to the port. It’s time to start a week-long cruise on the Aegean with stops in both the Greek islands and Turkey!
    Overnight: On board
    Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

  • Sunday – Visit Kusadasi
    Your first stop will take you all the way across the Aegean, to Kusadasi, an idyllic resort in Turkey. After disembarking you can take a stroll on the town’s waterfront and raid its shops for souvenirs for your friends back home, before settling in a café for some traditional Turkish coffee. Alternatively, you can opt to join an excursion to the nearby site of ancient Ephesus, an important ancient Greek city that was a member of the Ionian League. A cultural center in its heyday, today it is famous worldwide for being home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World!
    Overnight: On board
    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • Monday – Arrival in Rhodes
    Early in the morning we will disembark in Rhodes, a large island on the edge of the Dodecanese and one shaped by the Middle Ages. Rhodes was a prominent spot from which orders like the Knights Hospitaller launched Crusades into the Middle East. The Palace of the Grand Master still stands as a testament to this. If you prefer to explore the roots Rhodes has to antiquity, there is no better place than Lindos, which features its own Acropolis!
    Overnight: On board
    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • Tuesday – Explore Agios Nikolaos in Crete
    In the morning you will arrive in the island of Crete, and specifically to the charming port town of Agios Nikolaos. As before, you can explore the quaint town on your own, or you can opt to join an excursion to a historical site. In Crete, that can be none other than the Palace on Knossos, a very well preserved site which served as the center of the Minoan civilization. Its importance is telling by the fact that in its peak at around 1600 BCE, it boasted a population of 100,000 people!
    Overnight: On board
    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • Wednesday – Arrival in Santorini
    In the majestic island of Santorini, the caldera offers a rare and magnificent view, while the island’s fiery, volcanic past has given birth to uniquely colored beaches, laid with pebbles that once used to be part of fearsome force of nature. This has also created fertile soil which allows Santorini to boast some of the finest wines worldwide! Enjoy a glass as the sun sets in a splendid hue of gold.  
    Overnight: On board
    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • Thursday – Experience Mykonos
    An entire day at Mykonos awaits you and with comes the opportunity to do some elegant and stylish shopping on the famous Matogianni street. Afterwards explore Chora or take a tour to some of the island’s more memorable sites like the Armenistis Lighthouse and the Kalo Livadi Beach. For the more active visitors out there, a sailing tour of the nearby islands of Rinia and Delos comes with a dose of history and unparalleled natural beauty!
    Overnight: On board
    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • Friday – Arrival in Milos
    Your last stop in this eye-opening cruise will be Milos. Gaining popularity among the locals in recent decades, Milos is a wonderful place with white-washed houses, small picturesque villages, fishing ports and beautiful churches sprinkled all around. The Sarakiniko Beach with its white volcanic rocks and clear blue waters may very well be the highlight of your trip!
    Overnight: On board
    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • Saturday – Return to Athens
    Morning arrival in the main port of Athens, where you will be met by our assistant and transferred by your driver to your hotel in Athens. This is your last day in Athens, so make sure to take some pictures that will make your friends jealous and pick up some souvenirs!
    Overnight: Athens
    Meals: Breakfast

  • Sunday – Departure from Athens
    Pack up the wonderful memories you created and meet our assistant at the lobby of your hotel and have a transfer to the airport for your departure flight.
    Overnight: -
    Meals: Breakfast

  • Cruise itineraries are subject to change or to be canceled by the shipping company with or without prior notice.
  • The shipping company reserves the right to substitute the cruise vessel with a similar one & also to amend the departure/arrival port at any time with or without prior notice.
  • In Mykonos, Milos and Santorini disembarkation will be implemented by tender boats, as long as the weather permits it.
  • You are kindly requested to check with your Embassy/Consulate whether you need to obtain a multiple-entry Schengen visa for the above cruise itinerary, depending on your country of origin.
  • Please make sure your identification cards, passports and multiple entry Schengen visas are valid and up to date.
  • Please note that the tour dates, cruise itinerary, ports of call, sailing dates and vessel are subject to change at any moment, without prior notice. Please consult our agents for further information
  • You can upgrade the Athens sightseeing into a private tour and/or your cruise cabin at additional cost.
  • In the cruise, essential WiFi allows web browsing, emails and select messaging apps
Rates per person for all services outlined in Euros
Group 1

Athens: 3-star Acropolis View (standard room) or similar

Port Taxes: 310 €
SeasonTripleTwinSingle
May 7 - October 22174519603630
Group 2

Athens: 4-star Acropolian Spirit (superior city view room or family room for 3 persons) or similar

Port Taxes: 310 €
SeasonTripleTwinSingle
May 7 - October 22207020904065
Group 3

Athens: 5-star Athens Capital MGallery Collection (classic room) or similar  

Port Taxes: 310 €
SeasonTripleTwinSingle
May 7 - October 22201022654310

Port taxes & gratuities on Celestyal cruise: EUR 310 per person