8 days and nights in Greece

4 days in Athens

4 days Greek Island Cruise

$1,499 double occupancy

Visit our PHOTO GALLERY replete with images captured by us on our Greek visit last March.

 

Ski and Sea… now there is a concept!  That is exactly what we are offering you with our 20th Anniversary Alps-Fest. How about spending one or two weeks skiing in the Italian Alps, then moving  on to an eight night stay in Athens and the Greek Islands.  This is what Skiman and Deb did after last year’s Italy ski week and it was so wonderful. We are now offering the same opportunity to YOU!  We had a great time in Greece and fell in love with the people, the food, the scenery, and the magnificent history. We are pretty sure you will love it as well. At the end of the second ski week in Champoluc, those who join us will fly from Milan, Italy to Athens, Greece. We will spend one night in our four-star hotel (Divani Palace Acropolis)  located a short walk from the Acropolis and the Parthenon.  

The next day we will take a short ride to the harbor where we will  board our Louis Cruise ship for a whirlwind 4 night tour of the Greek Islands. After the cruise we will return to the same hotel of our first night stay and begin our 3 days in Athens.  INCLUDED in our tour is a full day, private, guided tour of the Acropolis, the Plaka, and the Roman Forum. Included as well: a visit to the spectacular Acopolis Museum.  You will visit the birthplace of democracy and tour VERY old temples and buildings that are in incredible states of preservation. The next day, we will take you to two of  Skiman’s favorite sites:  the ancient cities of Corinth and the Mycenaen city of King  Agamemnon. Corinth is set at the base of beautiful mountains and was visited by the Apostle  Paul in the first century. It was a very important trading center in ancient times. They even carved out a canal to connect it to the sea. Agamemnon was the King of a civilization that  pre-dates the Greeks. They built magnificent cities and left behind amazing pieces of art. We will visit the chief city of Agamemnon, known for its fascinating  burial tombs. Both of these full-day tours are private, with charter buses and guides included. They are exclusively for our group and are not public tours.On the last day in Athens you are at your leisure and  can do whatever you like. Go to the beach or visit the AMAZING archeological site of Delphi, where the Oracle saw her “visions”.  Set in a beautiful mountain setting, it is one of the best ruins in the world. Or you may choose to spend more time in the fabulous Plaka eating and shopping.  It is easy to find things to do in Athens.  It is a wonderful city!

Important note: FOOD! Deb and Skiman were overwhelmed by the wonderful Greek cuisine. Amazingly, it rivals Italy, and that says a lot. The Greek salads and the cheeses are wonderful. The variety of main dishes is incredible.  Food is always a big part of any trip and Greece sparkles in this category.

 THE CRUISE: WOW! We had so much fun on this cruise. It is only four days and four nights long, but it covers a huge amount of ground (or sea, in this case!) Think of it as a sampler of the Aegean Sea and its islands. In just 4 days you will visit 6 ports!  Some days you visit two islands on the same day. This is not a cruise where you will spend days in one place. It is designed to take you to a lot of destinations in a short time. Again: it is a sampler of the region. 

 

THE CRUISE LINE AND THE SHIP:

› LOUIS CRUISES  www.louiscruises.com

› SHIP: Olympia   **For details about your specific cruise:

      http://louiscruises.com/en/cruises/cruise-itinerary/G4D/4-day-cruise-monday-to-friday-from-greece.html

› DETAILS ABOUT THE SHIP: http://louiscruises.com/en/cruise-ships/cruise-ship/LO/louis-olympia.html

 For specific room type information, scroll down to “Olympia Deck Plan and Staterooms” and click on each deck’s icon. The room types referenced on the price chart below are viewable there, deck by deck. 

 

Visit our PHOTO GALLERY replete with images captured by us on our Greek visit last March.

 

WHAT IS THE SHIP LIKE? We enjoyed everything about this cruise. The ship was clean and the staff friendly and efficient. The food was very good. We liked that you can sit with a group of friends or you can have a romantic dinner at a table for two.  The Olympia is not a mega-luxury ultra modern cruise ship that carries 4,000 passengers. If that is what you are looking for, this is not for you. The cruise is designed to take you to as many Aegean islands as possible in four days. There are no full sea days. It is go go go! We found the Olympia to be the perfect ship for this island sampler cruise and had no complaints. Again: it is not a five star mega-ship, which was fine with us. We think you will very much enjoy this ship and this cruise as we did. 

 THE ISLANDS VISITED:  Mykonos » Famous jet-setter island with some very cool old windmills to see. Classic blue and white buildings and winding cobbled streets in the shopping areas. 

 

Kusadasi, Turkey (Ephesus) » Ephesus was one of the most important cities of the ancient world. Today it is one of the most magnificently restored and preserved ancient sites on Earth. The ancient library, the apartments  with walls still displaying 2,000 year old paintings, cool toilets… you get the picture. Paul stayed in Ephesus and was arrested and jailed there on his way to Rome. The jail is still there! Ephesus is a must-see for anyone who loves history. Skiman has been there three times and cannot wait to return. 

Patmos»  This tiny island was where the apostle John was exiled to by the Roman Emperor. It was here that he

claimed to have his vision that was the source of the last book in the Bible: Revelation. You can visit the small cave where he lived and where this all took place. The village and harbor are beautiful here as well. 

Rhodes» This island was the site of one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World: The Colossus of Rhodes, a huge medal statue whose legs spanned the harbor. It is a beautiful city today, full of amazing Greek and medieval history. Spectacular place! 

Santorini » Probably the most famous Greek Island and site that many believe was the source of the Atlantis myth. Ride a donkey from the port to the top of the village or take a tram (donkey recommended!)  Most of those great photos you have seen of Greek islands with blue and white buildings and magnificent sea views were probably taken here. 

 

Crete (Heraklion) » The largest of the islands, it was home to the Minoan civilization, which many believe was the basis of the Atlantis myth.  Tons of shopping and dining, tons of history. Minoan art is unique and beautiful. Pick up some Minoan-style art while there.

Weather:  Late March is a PERFECT time to do this cruise. It is not the rainy season and the blistering heat of the Greek summer is not there yet. Skiman and Deb loved the temperature and the sunshine during the entire 2 weeks we were in Greece. It was great to be able to chill on the deck of the ship when at sea, catching rays and having a beer or two, but still be able to enjoy cool weather while touring the sites. March is usually magnificent in Greece. 

ROOM TYPES:  http://louiscruises.com/en/cruise-ships/cruise-ship/LO/louis-olympia.html

        For specific cabin  category information, scroll down to “Olympia Deck Plan and Staterooms” and click on each deck’s icon. The room types referenced on the price chart below are viewable there, deck by deck. 

Single Supplement on Cruise  » These  the additional costs  if you have a cabin with no room mate. The costs vary based on room categories. You can request a roommate and we will attempt to match you up, but cannot guarantee this.

CAT IC	USD				805
CAT ID	USD				866
CAT IE	USD				898
Outside Cabins
CAT XA	USD				932
CAT XB	USD				994
CAT XC	USD				1057
CAT XD	USD				1120
CAT EX	USD				1592
CAT XF	USD				1674
Suites
CAT SJ (Junior Suite)	USD				2095
CAT SB (Balcony Suite)	USD				2345
CAT SG(Grande Suite)	USD				2632
3rd/4th Adult	USD				627

 

Cabin Supplements per person added cost for DOUBLE OCC cabins.

Cabin Category	SELL
CAT IC
CAT ID	86
CAT IE	105
Outside Cabins
CAT XA	125
CAT XB	161
CAT XC	198
CAT XD	235
CAT EX	278.5
CAT XF	314.5
Suites
CAT SJ (Junior Suite)	500
CAT SB (Balcony Suite)	610
CAT SG(Grande Suite)	736

THE AIR TO/FROM GREECE: We must all fly from Milan to Athens at the end of the second ski week and then from Athens back to the States. As usual, the air was a challenge, as this route is not that common. Fortunately  we found a good solution.  Alitalia Airlines had the routing we needed for a very good price. For those doing  Greece,  Alitalia will be your carrier  for the entire routing of your trip. You will fly from JFK airport just like the folks doing the ski weeks only. The only negative is that Alitalia allows only one checked bag, which means that you will have to pay extra to take your skis. Keep in mind that you will have to pay extra on the flight leg from Milan to Athens as well. If this feels like too much of a nuisance, consider just renting your skis in Italy. The extra cost of adding all this extra air is very reasonable: $300 per person plus @ $49 of air taxes. It is a long way from Milan to Greece and this is a good fare. 

 

 

CAN A PERSON DO THE GREEK TOUR/CRUISE WITHOUT DOING THE SKI WEEK(S)?  YES!  It is easy to do. We would simply fly

you from the States into and out of Athens. You would then meet us at our hotel the night prior to our cruise.  Of course, you would have to purchase your air from the U.S. which would add on to the cost of the package, but we could do that for you. Just let us know if you are interested in this option. 

WHAT IS INCLUDED for $1,499 

> 8 nights in Greece: 4 nights Divani Palace Acropolis in Athens (breakfast daily), 4 nights cruise double occupancy

> 4 day/4 night  Louis Cruise in the Greek Islands, inside cabin.  You can upgrade to any level cabin category you prefer, see chart above. 

>All meals on cruise. 

>All transfers to/from airport and cruise ship. 

>Private guided tour day Acropolis, Plaka, and Roman Forum INCLUDING admission to the Acropolis Museum.

>Private guided tour day to the ancient cities of Corinth and Mycenaen city of King Agamemnon.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED: 

>Air fare addendum to fly to Greece from Italy with return from Athens to States, $300 per person plus added air taxes of @$49 per person above the cost of the ski week package price. 

>Port taxes and port fees for the cruise, @$189 per person. 

›Single occupancy for the 4 nights in Athens and the 4 nights on the cruise. Single occupancy adds $298 for the four nights in Athens. For the single occ. upgrade for the cruise, see the table above.

 

WHAT YOU MUST DO TO GET ON BOARD THIS  TOUR:

>Go to the cruise ship web site (noted above) and familiarize yourself with the details of the cruise. It is all there for you to peruse.

>Look at the cabin categories and decide what category of cabin you want to book. WE RECOMMEND AT LEAST UPGRADING TO AN OUTSIDE CABIN. The cost difference is minimal and worth it.  Of course, you can choose your level of luxury up to suites with balconies. It is up to you.  *NOTE: Please do your own homework on the cruise details! The information is on the cruise’s website.  

MINIMUM GROUP SIZE:  If the number of participants falls below 20 passengers, there will be a small surcharge added to the final bill of participating passengers.

>Deposit structure below:

First deposit for Greece  post trip

 $400 per person 

Second deposit for Greece post trip:

$500 per person 

Final payment all segments

 January 20, 2014

CANCELLATION PENALTIES:  See Europe Logistics Page

 

Visit our PHOTO GALLERY replete with images captured by us on our Greek visit last March.

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