Steven Kona Simao CTC, CIS
Vice President of Sales, North America at Variety Cruises. Creative, entrepreneurial cruise/tour/travel industry sales executive, motivational leader, and results focused business planner.
Earlier this morning, I disembarked Variety Cruises’ Harmony G in Marina Zeas (Piraeus/Athens), Greece. Like the other boats of Variety, Harmony G is more private yacht than cruise ship. She sails with only 44-guests who are graciously and attentively served by 17 crew. Our 7-day sailing visited the islands of the Ionian Sea- a different direction than the typical Greek Island Cruises which visit the islands of the Aegean. And as it turns out, not only a different direction, but a completely different experience too! But I’m getting ahead of myself!
Before you reach the Ionian Sea, you must pass through history. A bucket list crossing for many, is to sail through the Corinth Canal. The Corinth Canal was completed in 1893 but was actually envisioned as early as the 7th Century BC. Due to it’s narrow size, not many cruise ships fit, but our 177-ft Harmony G glided through with ease – twice, in fact – on the first evening of the cruise and the morning of the 7th day on our way back to our home port.
I had sailed last year with Variety Cruises on the Classical Greece itinerary which I generally recommend for first-timers to Greece because it goes to the places one thinks of in North America when we think of Greece. The Classical Greece route is bit of an antithesis to the Unexplored Ionian cruise. As busy as one is exploring historical sites, ruins, temples and visiting the popular islands of Santorini and Mykonos on Classical Greece itinerary, on the Unexplored Ionian cruise you spending your time relaxing, swimming, and hanging out in small ports with all of the Greeks and other Europeans on their private boats and yachts.
And that, is one of the reasons why, I would recommend the Unexplored Ionian cruise. It’s the perfect way to rest and recharge. We called on six ports of call in 7 days and had an equal number of swim stops. Swim stops, if you aren’t familiar with the concept, is where your Captain decides that he has found a most idyllic spot just off a secluded beach, with the clearest and colorful water you have ever seen, and your biggest decision is whether to take the zodiac to the beach, swim there, or just dive off the back of your boat. This is something you will not see on a traditional cruise ship. A typical day onboard this cruise consists of a leisurely breakfast onboard, a swim stop, back onboard for a lunch BBQ, a few hours of sailing time and then an arrival at a small town for a tour or time to explore on your own, followed by dinner ashore at a local Greek taverna. It’s a relaxing pace that is easy to fall into. And we all did, by design.
Variety Cruises is a family-owned Greek company for over 75 years. We say “family at sea” and with less than 50 guests onboard we quickly became that. Onboard the crew know your name and it seems as if everything is personalized just for you. There is also something special about sailing aboard a Greek boat in the Greek islands. You will have an immersive experience-onboard you hear the Greek language spoken by the officers (of course, with North American guests, the crew efficiently switch to English), food served is primarily Greek, and on Greek night you will find yourself dancing with the local entertainment. You don’t feel like you are on a cruise ship in Greece, you feel like you are in Greece, on a cruise if you get the subtle difference here, which in reality, is not so subtle.
The majority of ports of call are towns with about 10,000 to 15,000 inhabitants. You generally won’t see other cruise ships on this itinerary (the only exception is Corfu.) This is not a cruise about temples but about understanding the Greek lifestyle. In Kefalonia, we explored Melissani Cave and tasted local wines. An overnight in Paxos allowed us to try local flavors and experience the local nightlife. Corfu added a slightly different twist as the occupation by the ancient Venetians brought a bit of an Italian flavor to the island (and to the most amazing Gelato I’ve ever tasted!) In Ithaca, we were quite content to see our boat docked amongst the local yachts, while we walked along the waterfront strolling in and out of boutique stores while the toughest decision we made that day was which amazing restaurant to choose for dinner.
On our final day, we called in Aegina, a short sail from Athens. It was there we actually saw our first temple, the Temple of Aphaia. Unlike the Acropolis in Athens, there were no crowds- just the 7 of us in our tour van and two other couples who had arrived there via taxi. We could touch and feel the magic and felt like we had the place to ourselves – because, well, we did! It was in this moment, we understood the concept of “unexplored!”
When it comes to exploring Greece, you have choices. Variety Cruises offers the best, immersive experience in true Greek style. It’s a convenient way to avoid a series of flights and ferries and packing and unpacking. Our classical Greece itinerary still makes an excellent choice for first-timers to the region and if you are looking for even more history, you should consider our Antiquity to Byzantium route. But if you are returning for a second time and want to truly connect with the culture and people of Greece, you need to consider one of our Unexplored Cruises either to the Aegean or Ionian. I also learned this week, even if it is your first time to Greece, these Unexplored Cruises make a great add-on to some land experiences in Greece for a chance to rejuvenate before returning home. They also can offer you a very different and more exclusive way to explore all the beauty and hospitality of Greece.
Come explore the unexplored!
