Santorini, Greece

Santorini, the whole reason we decided to take another cruise through the Mediterranean. Our first trip to this most iconic of Greek islands was so enchanting and alluring that we wanted to re-live it all over again. I've never before seen such a breathtaking island paradise. I've been to many places in this world, but somehow Santorini has haunted me since I first visited 3 years ago.

I'm very fond of saying that if a picture is worth a thousand words, then being in Santorini is worth a million words. As gorgeous as pictures of this beautiful island are, nothing compares to being there in person.

The Captain had informed us the previous night that if we were up early on Santorini day that we wouldn't be disappointed as the island should be coming into view at around 6:00 am. As we had wanted to be one of the first ones off the ship that day, we were already up and at breakfast by 6:00 am and we weren't disappointed by the stunning view. Just before 6:00 am, the twinkling lights of the small village of Oia that sits high atop the caldera on the northern end of the island could be seen. It was still dark out, so all you could make out was the silhouette of the island itself and the glowing lights of the village. Oia, sleepy and quiet, waiting for daylight to come and the throngs of visitors that are sure to follow. As we came closer to the island, the first hints of light appeared out on the horizon, just behind the island. The island was starting to become awash in brilliant reds, and fiery oranges as the sun was starting to rise. We could now make out the pure white color of the whitewashed buildings set against the dark black of the volcano cliff face. It was a spectacular sight to say the least.

In the three years since I've been to Santorini, I had read about the headaches of going ashore and coming back to the ship, and I wanted to make sure that I didn't get stuck in the mess of it all. What makes Santorini a difficult place for cruise ship passengers to get to is the fact that the island does not have a deep harbor port. And as the ship enters the caldera of the volcano, dropping anchor is impossible too. So what the ship has to do is idle in place out in the ocean and transfer passengers to land via tender. The unique aspect of the tendering process here in Santorini is the fact that the local authorities require the use of local tender boats rather than the ship tenders, so that slows down the process quite a bit. However, as Santorini gets 2-3 ships a day during the busy summer months, the local tender operations are very familiar with the drill. But, you can imagine, on a very busy day, with tens of thousands of cruise ship passengers all wanting to get off the ship and on the island, the process can be rather time consuming.

We wanted to make sure that we weren't stuck in the hordes of passengers that we were ready bright and early. At the appointed time, we went and got our tender tickets, and were assigned to the first tender off the ship. Now, it was just a matter of waiting until the local tender operations set up. In the morning, as we were rounding Oia and the sun was rising, we had already seen the Splendour of the Seas making her way around Santorini and coming in right behind us. And from my research, I knew that there would be at least one other large cruise ship in town that day. So it really was imperative that we get on the island as soon as possible.

Once tendering operations began and we got on board the first tender, we were greeted by a sight I certainly didn't expect to see: fog. There was fog everywhere. It was so thick that we couldn't see to the top of the caldera and Fira, the town that rests up there. Another unexpected sensation, humidity. It wasn't a cold fog we were experiencing, it was more like a thick haze, and very high humidity. We later found out, that this was unseasonable humidity that the locals never really experience. And the haze was just weird because the locals say it's never like this either. In fact, the haze never really burned off all day long. The bad thing about having the haze around all day is that it was hard to see Santorini in all it's glory without the sun's rays glinting off the ocean and accentuating the whitewashed houses of the island. But it only but a slight damper on the day, it certainly didn't ruin it by any means. The island was still just as I had remembered it, beautiful, special, amazing.

Upon getting off the tender, you're dropped of at the base of the caldera where there are a few shops, but not much else. If you want to see the island, you need to get yourself to the top of the caldera to the city of Fira (or Thira). There are 3 ways to accomplish this task: take a cable car up to the top, walk up a zig-zagging path, or use that same path and ride a donkey. Walking uphill can be difficult, and probably isn't recommended. The donkey's are a unique experience, and before there was a cable car, it was probably the method most people used. But the risk of smelling like donkey the rest of the day wasn't too appealing, saying nothing about the fact that some of the donkeys appear to be unhappy and emaciated. So cable car it was. Last time I was here, I took the cable car then too. The cable car system was donated to the island by a wealth Greek businessman. The system contains 6 cable cars on the right track, and 6 on the left track. Each cable car only seats 6 passengers, so at any one time, the maximum number of riders you can have is 36 going up while 36 come down. Now you can see why trying to get 10 or 15,000 passengers from the bottom to the top can be quite the process. Luckily for us, getting on the first tender, off the first ship to begin tendering operations, meant that we were one of the first ones up the cable cars.

It was a bit of a weird feeling as we were sitting in the cable car climbing to the top of the caldera. Due to the fog, it was difficult to really be able to see anything. Once we got to the top of the caldera and into Fira, it was a bit better, but it was still hazy. Our plan was to immediately walk to the bus station and take the local bus over to the village of Oia. From our previous trip here, we already knew where the bus station was, so we just started walking.

In another sign of the increased tourist activity to Santorini, when we arrived at the bus station, we saw that there was a large sign written in English that said "Bus Station," plus there was a board with the names of the bus destinations and a map and prices written on it. Lastly, the man sitting at the information window was passing out sheets of paper in English with the map, the prices, and a bus timetable on it. The first time we were in Santorini, there was none of this: no sign for the bus station, no maps, no time tables, and people who barely spoke English. By the time the first bus left from Fira to Oia, it was packed with cruise ship passengers.

The ride from Fira to Oia only takes about 25 minutes. As we approached Oia, we could see that there was fog here at the northern tip of the island as well. The hope was that we would make it up to Oia before the cruise ship shore excursions passengers overran the city. By the time we arrived, we discovered that there were already some cruise ship passengers there, but it wasn't too bad.

The best part of Oia is the views. This little village atop the caldera is really the quintessential Greek island community. It's what you picture in your head when you think about the Greek islands. Narrow cobbled lanes, completely whitewashed houses, churches with blue domed roofs, infinity pools that seem to just drop off, all clinging to the edge of the volcano in this island paradise. We ended up staying in Oia for quite a few hours. We stayed while most of the tourist horde came and went and the village was quiet again. We even enjoyed a light refreshment on a rooftop terrace overlooking the ocean just to soak up the sights and the sounds.

From Oia, we took the local bus back to Fira and decided to spend the remainder of our day there. Even when we returned past midday, the fog was still so thick that it was hard to see the cruise ships idled out in the water from the top of the caldera. We spent the rest of the day just shopping, walking around, enjoying the views and the sights and the sounds, and of course, partaking in some ice cream! By the time we were ready to head back down to catch the tender to the ship, we discovered that the line for the cable cars was enormously long. This is something we didn't encounter on our first trip to Santorini either. But with the influx of cruise ship passengers, and with the cable cars only being able to handle 36 passengers going down at any one time, the line had gotten pretty long. We knew that as the day wore on, the line would just get longer and longer, so we decided to just get in line now. The line took about 30 minutes to get through. But once we were back down at the harbor, it was a quick little jaunt from the tender back on board the ship.

Shortly after 5 pm, once everyone was back on board, the ship set sail in a southerly direction headed for our next port of call in Naples, Italy, but not before we were to enjoy our one, and only, sea day of the cruise.

Santorini will be a place I always consider special. The views and the sights of this island are just beyond what words can describe. This time around, the crowds and the fog put a little bit of a damper on the experience, and if I hadn't ever been here before, I might have a different perspective on the island. But having seen the beauty and amazement that Santorini can offer, this experience didn't dull my senses to what has to be one of the most gorgeous spots on Earth.

Rhodes, Greece

Rhodes was a true diamond in the ruff. A destination that I knew very little about, expected much less from, and instead discovered a treasure trove of wonders. This port stop was certainly the most surprising stop of the entire cruise, and one of the most memorable, for several reasons.

Prior to leaving for the cruise, I had tried to do as much research as I could on all of the ports of call. Unfortunately, I found the least amount of information Rhodes. It seemed like guide books just glossed over the island. So, I figured, this would be one of those not-so-memorable type of port stops where the highlight would be the beach, or something like that. That couldn't have been any further from the truth.

Rhodes is a rather large island that is located just off the coast of Turkey. Therefore, the feel of this largest of the Dodecanese islands, feels much more Eastern than it does Western. From my research, I had decided that we were going to take try and take the public bus out the city of Lindos and try and climb to the top of the Acropolis. Beyond that, I wasn't quite sure what we would find, what we would see, and how we would feel about it. Luckily, I was able to get some help in advance regarding the bus schedule from Rhodes Town (where we were docked) to Lindos, so I had an idea of timing of everything in relation to our time in port.

However, we got off to a bit of a late start. Due to some high winds, and the tricky way that the Ruby Princess had to dock at Rhodes Town, we were almost 30 minutes late in docking. The ship actually docks just outside of the Old Town portion of Rhodes Town. Old Town is enclosed behind a very thick and formidable wall that was used for protection purposes in medieval days. Old Town tends to be the favorite stop of most cruise passengers arriving in Rhodes.

As soon as passengers were cleared to disembark the ship, we were one of the first ones off. We immediately tried to find the bus station to catch the bus to Lindos. We had 30 minutes to make our way there, and it appeared that it was going to be pretty tight in timing. The bus station in Rhodes Town was not easy to find at all. It's not within the walls of Old Town, and it took me asking about 5 people for directions, and about 25 minutes before I found the bus station. Once I arrived, we located the bus to Lindos, the bus driver opened up the doors, we paid for our tickets, and the bus took off for Lindos exactly on time at 9:00 am.

The drive from Rodos (Rhodes Town) to Lindos took approximately 90 minutes, with a few stops in between. Surprisingly, the island is rather large, and in terms of distance, the two cities are separated by almost 70km. In Lindos, the bus actually drops you at Krana Square, which sits above Lindos itself. Like most other Greek islands, Lindos is made up of whitewashed houses. The town itself sits down at sea level, and the famous Acropolis of Lindos rests atop this huge rock that seemingly rises up out of nowhere just off the coast. Once you arrive at Krana Square, you still need to get yourself down to the main square of Lindos. This can be accomplished by either taking the free bus that circles between Krana Square and the Lindos Town Square all day, or by walking. In our case, walking was not an option. Luckily for us, the free bus arrived at Krana Square right when our public bus arrived.

The first difference we noticed between Rodos and Lindos was the temperature. Whereas Rodos was windy with the ocean breezes cooling down the town, Lindos was the exact opposite. Even though we were situated right next to the ocean, there was nary an ocean breeze. And the sun was blazing. This was by far the hottest day of the cruise. With the sun pounding down, the temperature soared to well over 100 degrees, and that task of climbing up to the Acropolis became even more daunting.

Once we arrived to the main square in Lindos we had two options for getting to the top of the Acropolis: walk on foot, or take a donkey ride up. I had initially thought that I wanted to take a donkey. But when I got there, I just couldn't do it. Luckily, the first half of the uphill walk to the top of the Acropolis is through Lindos' tourist shopping zone. Somehow walking and looking at souvenirs made the walk not feel so bad. It's only the last little bit up to the ticket booth where the incline becomes quite steep. Once you're past the ticket booth, all that's left to navigate is a steep set of stairs to the main entrance of the Acropolis. However, with the weather being as hot as it was that day, even that last set of stairs was grueling.

The Acropolis in Lindos is certainly not as lauded as that of the Acropolis in Athens; it's history is not as grand; but nonetheless it's views are spectacular. Atop the Acropolis there are few ruins that still stand. There are scattered stone pieces here and there, and it appears that there is a concerted effort to restore, or rebuild, the temples and buildings that once stood atop the Rock. It appears that the lone standing building that remains is a small monastery. However, it's not the buildings that make this Acropolis spectacular, it's the view. From the top of the Acropolis the views out over the ocean are gorgeous. There's a beautiful little cove with a beach down below the Acropolis, and everywhere else you look there's nothing but the beautiful blue ocean with the sun's rays glinting off the surface like explosions of light.

After spending a bit of time atop the Acropolis, we walked back through Lindos and it's maze of vendors stalls, even stopping for a crepe, before making our way back to Krana Square to catch the next bus to Lindos. Our timing was perfect as the next bus was scheduled to depart in less than 10 minutes. The trip from Lindos back to Rodos took a little bit longer than our trip out there because there was a lot more afternoon traffic in Rodos.

By the time we made it back to Rodos, it was early afternoon and we had a few hours left to wander through Old Town. Rhodes Old Town, contained within the city walls was amazing. The cobbled streets, the vendors, the buildings, all of it. There's so much to like about Rhodes, and absolutely nothing to dislike.

Since it was so hot, I couldn't resist stopping at a little gelato place for some cool refreshment. Only this wasn't your typical gelato stand, they were clever enough to shape all of their gelato flavors to look like animals! It was the cutest thing I've ever seen. And it turned out to be pretty good gelato too.

The balance of the afternoon was spent wandering through the cobbled lanes all throughout Old Town and doing a lot of shopping. We also had a little bit of an adventure trying to find our way back to the cruise ship at the end of the day. Subsequently, we ended up walking about halfway around the outside of the Rhodes Old Town city wall.

What a delightful and charming little city Rhodes turned out to be. Lindos was spectacular, albeit a little hot. And Rodos proved to be a charming medieval village. I certainly wouldn't mind going back to Rhodes again in the future.

Mykonos, Greece

My past memories of Mykonos consist of standing on the deck of a ship from a few miles offshore, seeing waaaaaaay off in the distance the iconic windmills of Mykonos. So close, yet so far away. That day, our ship didn't receive clearance to anchor offshore and tender passengers to land due to rough seas. Oh yeah, I guess I spent time staring at the whitecaps in the ocean as well. That was the one, and only, time I've ever missed a port stop on any of the cruises I've been on.

This time, I was hoping that it'd be different. That luck would be on my side and I'd finally be able to set foot on Mykonos.

To my great delight, by the time it was 6:00 am on the day we were to be in Mykonos, the ship was already alongside the berth. Woo hoo! We made it. The one pier large enough to accomodate cruise ships in Mykonos is located approximately 2 miles from Mykonos Town, or Hora. While walking into town on your own is a possibility, the roads can be treacherous as the majority of the distance you have to cover has no pedestrian sidewalk and is narrow enough that two cars passing each other with pedestrians walking along the side could be a dangerous thing. Accordingly, when cruise ships are in town, there is a local outfit that operates round-trip shuttle service from the pier to a parking lot that is located just on the edge of Hora. The tickets were reasonably priced, so we figured that would be our best option. The shuttle service began operating at 7:30 am, and we were on the first shuttle to town.

By this time, the sun had just risen and daylight was just beginning to shower this beautiful island. None of the shops in town were yet open, and only a handful of merchants were even up and about. Those that were, were very busy cleaning out tavernas and seaside cafes from last night's partying. It was such a nice time to be exploring the island.

From where the shuttle drops passengers off, you can walk straight into the heart of the city, along the shoreline. The view you see of this seafront boardwalk is stunning and majestic. The way the sun glints off of the most amazing, crystal clear, blue green water you've ever seen is one of those Kodak moments that will be ingrained in my head for a long time. I couldn't get the picture of this brilliantly colored water out of my head the rest of the trip. Looking at the water, it looks so inviting, cool and refreshing, contrast that with the humidity, sun, and heat of being on land, the water is like a muse that calls out to you to jump right into it. However, one of the things that I noticed right away was how windy Mykonos Town was. It's no wonder that this port is more often missed on a Mediterranean cruise than any other port stop. While there weren't currently any white caps in the ocean, the breeze sure was strong. The strong breeze also made it apparent as to why Mykonos is famous for its windmills.

Walking through Hora is simple and easy. The city is not all that large at all. And if you continue to follow the boardwalk around, you'll eventually wind your way through two of the most photographed areas of the island: Little Venice and the windmills. In the little harbor that is located in Hora, there are numerous pleasure boats, fishing boats, and tourists boats ready to transport passengers to the mythical island of Delos. It was right near this area that we had an opportunity to interact with some of the islands most recongizable creatures, the famous pelicans of Mykonos. Theory is that long ago there was an injured pelican that made it's way to Mykonos. The residents fell in love with it, so they nursed it back to health and named it Petros. Ever since, Petros, or his descendants have been one of the most iconic features of Mykonos. They are a huge tourist attraction, often fawned over and photographed, and they are constantly fed by the local fisherman and merchants. What a life!

After leaving the pelicans behind, we continued through some narrow alleyways until we came upon the Little Venice section of Mykonos Town. Little Venice is so named because the buildings in this section have facades that butt up against the ocean and the waves lap up against the building much as they would in Venice. However, in Venice you're talking about the facades of buildings mostly facing the canals and pretty calm waters. Here in Mykonos town, you're talking about these buildings facing out to the sea and what can often be described as rougher waters.

From the Little Venice area, the famous Mykonos windmills, the five of them that also make up the Mykonos Maritime Museum, are visible. The jaunt to the windmills is only a few minutes further down the pathway and a little uphill. While the windmills are no longer operational, they are still quite a site to behold. These windmills represent only a few of the original windmills that once stood on this island. While there are a few other scattered windmills that can still be found on the island, these five are the most iconic.

Right near where the windmills are located, we found a small little newsstand that also doubles as a location to purchase bus tickets on the island. We made the decision that we wanted to take the trek out to Paradise Beach. The round trip bus tickets from Hora to Paradise Beach and back were very cheap. The bus station, if it can be called a station, in Hora is just up the hill from the windmills. The bus stop itself is basically a small building with a tiny covered seating area, and a blackboard with handwritten bus schedules that correspond to the few locations that the bus travels to. In our case, we were looking for the bus to Paradise Beach. By the time we hoped on the bus, there was just us, and 2 other singles on the bus. We settled in for the 20 minute drive to Paradise Beach.

About 5 minutes before we reached Paradise Beach, the bus made a stop at Palaga Beach. Palaga is not as famous as it's well-known neighbor Paradise and Super Paradise Beach, but that certainly doesn't mean that it's not as pleasant. By the time we reached Paradise Beach, we found the beach to almost entirely empty. After talking to one of the locals who works for a dive operation that operates at the beach, we were told that Paradise Beach, and it's neighbor Super Paradise comes alive at about 5 pm and the party continues all the way through the night until the sun comes up again. Apparently, the whole night is one big party with loud music, drinking, food, and people dancing on table tops. But when morning comes, everyone goes to bed and the beach is basically a quiet peaceful paradise by day. Since there's no activity during the day, up until about noon, none of the vendors will even charge you for the use of their beach chairs and umbrellas. Be forewarned though that Paradise and Super Paradise Beach are both nude beaches, so it's not uncommon at all to see people entirely disrobed.

Interestingly enough, the worker we ran into told us that Super Paradise beach became very well known as a very gay friendly beach. Super Paradise's reputation as being a very open and friendly beach began to grow, and that attitude of being open and friendly was adopted by the neighboring Paradise Beach. And that has grown into one of the top party spots in all of the Mediterranean today. But by day, it's entirely different story. We spent a little while there soaking in the sounds of the waves lapping on the beach, enjoying a day in paradise at this gorgeous sun drenched beach out in the middle of the Mediterranean.

By the the bus dropped us back off in Hora, it was almost mid day. At this time, the city was certainly starting to come alive. However, being that we were in town on a Sunday, some shops just never opened. Nearby the bus stop, I saw a store that was advertising the fact that they sold rich, creamy and delicious homemade gelato made from fresh Greek milk. I knew I had to try some. And while it was probably the most expensive gelato I had on my trip, it was also some of the best gelato too. Rich, creamy and smooth, just as advertised.

As we walked back down towards the windmills, and then further still down towards the Little Venice area, I noticed that the wind had really picked up. Not only that, a scan of the ocean showed that whitecaps filled the sea, indicating that the water had really gotten rough. Good thing we docked in the morning, or else I may not have made it to Mykonos for a second time.

We decided to head back to the boardwalk area of Mykonos at take a seat at one of the outdoor cafes. We wanted to enjoy a cool refreshment, sit and relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery, and do a little people watching. After all, it's not every day you're on a beautiful Greek island sipping a cool drink (a coffee frappe with ice cream, in my case) ocean side.

After our short little break, we decided it was time to explore Mykonos Town. The streets, if they can be called streets, of Mykonos Town are basically a maze of small, narrow alleyways lined with shops. The buildings are completely whitewashed, and have brightly colored blue, red, and green doors, roofs, and shutters. It's so cute, quaint, and absolutely Greek. Shopping was certainly fun and my wallet took a bit of a hit.

The remainder of the afternoon on Mykonos was really just spent getting lost within the maze of the alleyways, stopping briefly for a classic Greek fast-food lunch of a gyro, and heading back to the waterfront to once again enjoy the views. As we made our way back to the outskirts of town to catch the shuttle back to the ship, I couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful colored the water in Mykonos was. I took so many pictures just trying to capture the color of the water, but the pictures I have just can't do it justice. I've never in my life seen the water in a color that was so richly emerald green, and brilliantly aqua blue at the same time. If this place isn't the epitome of paradise on earth, I don't really know where it would exist.

I was so glad that we made finally made it to Mykonos. After all these years of wondering what I missed out on, now I know. This was the perfect, relaxing, and breathtaking Greek island day.