Smart Eight

Duration: 11 days / 10 nights
Ammoudi bay in Santorini
Package rate per person in double room during low season From 1773

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 Crystal), including on-board dining, daily premium drinks package, daily hour of complimentary Wi-Fi, 25% discount on Specialty Dining plus excursion discount for pre-booked shore excursions
  • 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
  • VISA expenses (if applicable)
  • Stayover hotel tax (to be paid directly to the hotels)
  • Port & service charges

 

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 Thessaloniki
    The cruise begins in Thessaloniki, a historic city which used to be the center of the Byzantine Empire for centuries. There are many things to do in the city, but none is more prestigious than the White Tower, standing proud on Thessaloniki’s waterfront. An old Byzantine fortification turned that turned to a prison and execution grounds during Ottoman rule, this imposing tower has spread but safety and terror to different people over the centuries.
    Overnight: On board
    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • Monday – Arrival in Kusadasi
    It’s time to explore the Ancient City of Ephesus, one of the most prominent trading posts and cultural crossroads in antiquity. You will disembark in the Turkish port of Kusadasi and can opt into joining a shore excursion that will illuminate how life was in antiquity for the Hellenic tribes living in Asia Minor. The jewel of the ancient city is without a doubt the Temple of Artemis - one if the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - some remains of which still exist today.
    Overnight: On board
    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • Tuesday – Explore Crete (Heraklion)
    In the morning you will arrive in the island of Crete. Just outside the city lays the Palace of Knossos, a marvel of the Minoans and home to the earliest European civilization. We highly recommend arranging a visit before settling in a cozy tavern in Heraklion and exploring the unique blend of Mediterranean and Anatliona flavors that is Cretan cuisine.
    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 Thessaloniki
    The cruise begins in Thessaloniki, a historic city which used to be the center of the Byzantine Empire for centuries. There are many things to do in the city, but none is more prestigious than the White Tower, standing proud on Thessaloniki’s waterfront. An old Byzantine fortification turned that turned to a prison and execution grounds during Ottoman rule, this imposing tower has spread but safety and terror to different people over the centuries.
    Overnight: On board
    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • Monday – Arrival in Kusadasi
    It’s time to explore the Ancient City of Ephesus, one of the most prominent trading posts and cultural crossroads in antiquity. You will disembark in the Turkish port of Kusadasi and can opt into joining a shore excursion that will illuminate how life was in antiquity for the Hellenic tribes living in Asia Minor. The jewel of the ancient city is without a doubt the Temple of Artemis - one if the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - some remains of which still exist today.
    Overnight: On board
    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • Tuesday – Explore Crete (Heraklion)
    In the morning you will arrive in the island of Crete. Just outside the city lays the Palace of Knossos, a marvel of the Minoans and home to the earliest European civilization. We highly recommend arranging a visit before settling in a cozy tavern in Heraklion and exploring the unique blend of Mediterranean and Anatliona flavors that is Cretan cuisine.
    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

  • To ensure the safety of our guests, all transfers will be private and in line with health protocols.
  • The hotels included in our vacation programs comply with the mandatory health and safety protocols instituted by the Greek National Health Organization in collaboration with the Greek Government.
  • 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.
Rates per person for all services outlined in Euros
Group 1

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

SeasonTripleTwinSingle
April 4 - Oct 3154417732659

Port taxes & gratuities on Celestyal cruise: EUR 357 per person

Group 2

Athens: 4-star Athens Gate (standard room or superior room for 3 persons) or similar

SeasonTripleTwinSingle
April 4-30167818362893
May 1 - July 31 & Sept 1-30174019483109
Aug 1-31 & Oct 1-03170718902993

Port taxes & gratuities on Celestyal cruise: EUR 357 per person

Group 3

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

SeasonTripleTwinSingle
April 4 - Oct 3191922773743

Port taxes & gratuities on Celestyal cruise: EUR 357 per person