The Cruise Lines & Their Ships

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/greece/0225020154.html


In this section, we describe the ships offering cruises with predominantly Greek

islands itineraries; that is, itineraries where at least half of the port calls are in

Greece and Turkey.

Working with travel agent Sherry Laskin, owner of Florida-based Vacation Shoppe

(tel. 866/727-8473; www.vacationshoppe.com), we present a sample of the actual

prices people are paying for cruises aboard all the ships in this chapter (as opposed

to the often-inflated brochure or cruise-line website fares). We priced summer 2010

cruises in July 2009, and fares are based on two people sharing a cabin, unless

otherwise noted. With a few exceptions, most of these rates were quoted in U.S.

dollars.

The itineraries we list are also for the 2010 season unless otherwise noted. Both

prices and itineraries are subject to change.

We've listed the sizes of ships in two ways: passenger capacity and gross registered

tons (GRTs). Rather than describing actual weight, the latter is a measure of interior

space used to produce revenue on a vessel. One GRT = 100 cubic feet of enclosed,

revenue-generating space.

Note that we've listed Athens as a port of call for many cruises, but in most cases

you'll actually be calling in Piraeus, the port city for Athens. Other popular

embarkation ports include Istanbul, Turkey; Venice, Italy; and Civitavecchia, Italy,

about an hour's drive from Rome.

Celebrity Cruises

1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, FL 33132. tel. 800/437-3111. www.celebrity.com.

Celebrity is a decently priced yet premium U.S. operator that offers eastern

Mediterranean itineraries that, for the most part, operate on Equinox (built in 2009;

2,850 passengers; 118,000 GRTs). The line's biggest ship yet is megasize; a

sophisticated mix of ultramodern and classic, spacious, and sleek, but not

superflashy. Equinox is outfitted in muted woods, beiges, and reds. It has panoramic

ocean views on nearly every cabin, and most staterooms have a veranda. The ship

has plenty of spots in which to relax, including the lawn, spa, elegant bars and

lounges, or the Oasis pool, with its retractable roof. If you're splurging, book a Sky

Suite on Deck 12 for their extralarge, 179-square-foot balconies.