GREEK CRUISE AN ISLAND ODYSSEY
Celestyal offers stay-over flexibility — just catch the ship when it docks again
On the first evening of my Greek Islands cruise, I was nowhere near Celestyal Olympia’s lovely dining room. I was on the party island of Mykonos, but it wasn’t what you think.
Though the rocky island is famous for its late night partying, it was the sunset that was holding me up. Spectacular shades of orange and pink tinted the sky above the tiny harbour and I dined at an outdoor table and watched the reflection off the water until the very last rays of daylight were gone. It’s possible I was the last passenger back on board.
There are more than 2,000 Greek islands and each one has something that makes it unique and beautiful. Great food, fantastic scenery, fascinating culture, lovely beaches and a variety of ancient ruins and historical sites are found on islands that range in size from tiny atolls to Crete, the largest of the bunch at more than 8,300 square kilometres.
The Greeks have been island hopping for centuries, but these days there’s one more authentically Greek way to explore. Celestyal Cruises is the only cruise line that home ports in Greece. Their two ships the Celestyal Olympia and the Celestyal Crystal are older vessels that were purchased from other cruise lines and renovated. They aren’t fancy, but they’re all Greek — from the on-board entertainment to the food and drink. Perhaps the most unusual feature of these cruises is that guests can begin the cruise at any of the ports of call and there is the option to stop for an extended stay on any of the islands and catch the ship again when it docks in the port. That kind of flexibility is something that most of the big ships can’t offer.
My four-night cruise began and ended in Athens with stops in Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Rhodes, Crete and Santorini.
The two ports of call after Mykonos were both important biblical archeological sites. Our only stop in Turkey, Kusadasi, is very near the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Ephesus. The ancient city was famed for the Temple of Artemis, which was considered one of the wonders of the ancient world. Ephesus was also one of the seven churches of Asia cited in the Book of Revelation and some scholars believe the Gospel of John was written there.
The Apostle Paul lived there, preached there and was imprisoned there. It is believed he wrote his letter to the Corinthians from that prison and later when he was imprisoned in Rome, he wrote his letter to the Ephesians — both important books in the New Testament.
The tiny island of Patmos was the site where the Book of Revelation was written by John of Patmos who lived in a cave while exiled there. The Cave of the Apocalypse and the nearby monastery of Saint John the Theologian were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
In Rhodes, I explored the old town and toured the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes, the original headquarters for the Knights Hospitaller. The gothic palace was restored and renovated between 1937 and 1940 to become the holiday residence of the King of Italy. Benito Mussolini holidayed there when Rhodes was under Italian rule. After the tour, I spent the afternoon basking in the sun on the eastern side of the island at Tsambika Beach, one of the best beaches on Rhodes.
On our next stop in Crete, I toured the capital city of Heraklion and visited the ruins of Knossos, which is considered Europe’s oldest city dating back to 2,000 BC. According to Greek legend, King Minos lived in the palace and had a labyrinth constructed to retain his son the Minotaur. You can still see the remains of a labyrinth at the site.
The final evening of the cruise was spent exploring the lovely island of Santorini and relaxing at a cliff edge restaurant watching the sunset. It seemed appropriate to end the cruise just as it began — with a spectacular sunset. I caught the very last tender back to the ship.