Jennifer's cruise to Santorini, Kotor & Sicily

By Jennifer Dineen

I recently travelled to Santorini in Greece, Kotor in Montenegro and Sicily in Italy on a 5 day cruise. We flew from Dublin to Athens with Aer Lingus and then back home again from Naples airport. The journey from Athens airport to the port was 40 minutes and the journey from Naples port to the airport was about an hour.

Location

Santorini is a Greek Island that was formed by a volcanic eruption. It is well known for its white washed buildings, blue domed churches and amazing sunsets. Next was Kotor, a town on the coast of Montenegro which is a medieval town known for its winding streets and numerous squares. Finally there's Sicily, an island off the coast of Italy and the largest in the Mediterranean sea. It is home to the famous active volcano Mount Etna.

What I Loved

The ship, although older, had such a good choice of bars & entertainment venues to suit everyone, from relaxing piano bars to nightclubs. The beds were very comfortable, but the food was really the highlight for me; every meal was made to such a high standard. The staff were friendly & accommodating. We didn’t use them, but there is a lovely spa & thermal suites onboard too. It was exciting being in a new place every day. My favourite port was Kotor in Montenegro.

Activities & Places to See

The first port we visited was Santorini. We got the cable car up to Oia and walked around and took in the views. Santorini was very busy. The second stop was Kotor, a beautiful old town with lots of history which we explored on our own. Sicily was very similar; we booked a guided tour that lasted about 40 minutes and used the local train to get around.

Shopping

There is some shopping opportunities available onboard, but not a lot. It was quite expensive.

Food & Bars

There is a huge choice of bars & restaurants available on board the ship. We didn’t get to experience all of the restaurants but what we did was a very high standard. We had breakfast most mornings in the buffet, which had a very good selection on offer. We got pizza in the Prego Pizzeria, where the pizzas are freshly made to order. By the pool was the Trident Grill, which mainly served chips & burgers. In the evening we ate in the Symphony dining room; the menu had a lot to choose from. One night we went to the specialty restaurant the Crown & Grill, which I would highly recommend as they served the most fantastic food. The nightlife available onboard is incredible too; there is a nightclub called Club 6 which, although small in size, has a great atmosphere. They even have a karaoke bar! The more relaxing bars include the Bellini Bar, Vines (a lovely wine bar), and for live music the Vista Lounge.

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