Greek Island Cruise Update

You will definitely need to go to this link – 4 Day Greek Cruise – and print it out. It is the updated cruise information for our tour with the most current prices for shore excursions and updated information about such things as dress, meals and drinks, payments on board, accommodations and amenities, and tipping.

Note that even though they will tell us the name of the ship 2 weeks prior to departure, do not be surprised if there is another ship in port. Louis Cruise Lines reserves the right to change ships but guarantees the same ship standard.

Important: cabins on the cruise ship are very small. Your room will be below deck and may not have a porthole but will have air conditioning and private bath. Everyone will be roomed in twin rooms, but don’t plan to stay in your rooms! There is much to see and do!

All meals are provided on the cruise. The above document will tell the times of each meal. Drinks are not included but price for drink packages are listed.

Dress is primarily casual but expect a semi-formal night. There will be a Greek night where everyone is encouraged to dress in blue and white. For excursions, wear comfortable walking shoes and note that bare shoulders and shorts are not permitted at religious sites.

Gratuities are not included in your cruise fee. Expect $10 per day to be added to your shipboard account for tipping of staff. This is in addition to the tips we will have for the EF tour director and the EF bus driver. Our group is a private tour and we will be the only ones on the bus, but of course we will be with others on the cruise. Currency on board is the Euro. Shipboard accounts only accept cash or credit cards.

All shore excursions are booked through the cruise line while on the ship, not EF. Note these changes/additions from previous posts with this current brochure:
1. The cruise now offers a 3-hour walking tour of Mykonos for 44 euro. Is it worth it? You can probably walk around by yourself with a guide book cheaper. But read up on it and see if you need the extra help.
2. Ephesus and the House of Virgin Mary excursion is now 65 euro (not 62). Ancient Ephesus excursion is now 62 euro (not 59). The increases are to be expected. The brochure we had when we first started was from 2 years ago.
3. Monastery of St. John and Grotto of the Apocalypse is now 51 euro (not 49). Tour of Patmos Island is now 39 euros (not 34).
4. Rhodes and Lindos ½ day excursion is now 53 euro (not 52). Old City and Philermos excursion is now 54 euros (not 47).
5. Knossos Palace excursion is now 58 euros (not 56). A Taste of Crete excursion (formerly called Panoramic Heraklion and Wine Tasting) is now 54 euros (not 52).
6. Excursion to Oia Village is now 55 euros (not 53) and the Santorini sailing and volcano is now 55 euros (not 52).

Ephesus, Turkey

Our visit to Turkey on the cruise is a stop at the port resort of Kusadasi on Tuesday morning from 7 a.m. until 12 noon. You may choose to stay in town and shop or perhaps spend the morning at one of the local beaches, such as Ladies Beach.

Or you can opt for one of two optional excursions to the Ancient city of Ephesus. Both excursions are the same, except one also includes a stop at a small chapel and the House of the Virgin Mary known as the house where Virgin Mary resided after the crucifixion and spent her last days. Although the site is controversial, the Vatican has sanctioned this site for pilgrimage.

A tour guide will lead us on a walking tour at the site of Ancient Ephesus which begins at the entrance through the Magnesian Gate. Here you will also see the Odeon (concert hall), the Fountain of Trajan, the steam-heated Baths of Scolastika, the Temple of Hadrian and the Latrians, and the famed Library of Celsus.

We will also visit the Great Theatre of Ephesus where St. Paul is believed by many to have preached. It is the largest theater in antiquity having a capacity of 24,000 and noted for its remarkable acoustics. From the theatre we will walk along the Arcadian Way where Mark Anthony and Cleopatra once rode in a procession as newlyweds.

On the drive back to Kusadasi, we will stop at the Basilica of St. John which was erected over his grave in the 6th century AD by the Emporer Justinian. Just downhill lies the site of the ruins of the Temple of Artemis (Diana), one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

The temple was described by Philon of Byzantium: “I have seen the walls and Hanging Gardens of ancient Babylon, the statue of Olympian Zeus, the Colossus of Rhodes, the mighty work of the high Pyramids and the tomb of Mausolus. But when I saw the temple at Ephesus rising to the clouds, all these other wonders were put in the shade.”

Here's a tip: pronounce the town's name "koo-SHAH-dah-suh" if you want to sound like you know what you're doing. That's the correct Turkish pronunciation. (The clueless pronounce it "KOOS-uh-DASS-see.") It means "Bird Island:" kuş = bird, ada(sı) = island.