Cruises Greece
The cruises in Greece are the perhaps the most interesting sailing vacations in the whole Mediterranean, for several reasons. First of all, the literally thousands of islands in Greece provide an ideal sailing ground, with lots of stunning ports and beautiful bays and beaches. Another reason why cruises in Greece are so popular is the ancient heritage of Greece. The ancient Greek monuments and accessible archaeological sites are everywhere you look, giving a most romantic atmosphere to cruises. But the concept of cruises Greece also shines because of the gulets! These wooden motor-sailers stem from the ancient Greek coast east of the Dodecanese that today encloses the Turquoise coast of Turkey. In the Turkish waters the typical and luxurious gulet cruises are called blue cruises or blue voyages, yet the Greeks lack such an appropriate sobriquet and use the term motor-sailer cruises in Greece.The motor-sailers are also known as caiques or gullets, but be aware that some caiques are nothing more that water-taxis or day-tripper boats and totally lack the luxury of the true glorious gulets that are built for cruises Greece. Onboard you can expect a jacuzzi, chef cook, large state-rooms with ensuite bathrooms, and most and foremost total privacy since you will have the crew (Captain, Hostesses, Deck hands and Chef Cook) all to yourself: their are no other guests on board if you rent a gulet as so-called full charter or private charter. In comparison: on larger cruise ships you only have the cabin charter option. Another advantage of cruises in Greece on a gulet instead of a larger cruise ship is the possibility to visit the picturesque ports, hamlets and bays where many of the important archaeology of Greece can be found. If you prefer to have a taste of the local culture and cuisine these motor-sailers are the obvious choice.
There is however another option for cruises in greece, though slightly more expensive: the superyachts or megayachts. Although - in my opinion - somewhat less romantic than the wooden & brass atmosphere of a traditional gulet, it has an important advantage, namely the more powerful engines which allow you to visit a far larger area in one week during your cruises in Greece.
