Review of the Norwegian Jade: 7 Days in the Greek Islands (Athens, Crete, Rhodes, Mykonos, Katakolon, Corfu, and Santorini)

In October 2021, I took my first trip to Greece, via my first cruise ever... hopefully the first of many more such trips!

I've said before that because I didn't travel very much until 2017 or so, I like to hit many different places in one trip to see as much as possible. However, during our vacation to Mexico, my husband realized how much he enjoyed being able to unpack and stay in one place, and he really wanted another vacation where we weren't constantly on the go, lugging suitcases. A cruise was our compromise -- we'd be able to visit multiple locations, but without having to pack and unpack or deal with all the time and costs involved with moving cities or countries. So we booked a week around the Greek islands on the Norwegian Jade -- and we loved it! 

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The ship itself was an experience -- there were so many different restaurants, activities, and entertainment that you could wander the ship every day and night and find something new or different in every room. In fact, I almost wished we'd had a sea day (or 2) so that I could really make the most of being on board. And I loved waking up in a different location every day and seeing more of the country than I would have otherwise if I'd planned our itinerary myself. The only negative aspect was wanting to do things in each city that we didn't get to, either because we had to prioritize other excursions or because the logistics were too difficult in such short time on land -- but on the other hand, the cruise helped clarify which islands I definitely want to go back to.

We loved cruising so much that while on board, we put down deposits for 2 more! I have wanted to do an Alaskan cruise for years, so we are definitely going to do Alaska for one of them, and are now trying to decide between Norway or Africa for the other one, although my husband is also pushing for the Mediterranean.

The Cruise

tips and advice:

• Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) offers freestyle dining, which means "you can dine when and where you want, with no fixed dining times or pre-assigned seating." I really liked this because all of our days were different and we got hungry at different times each day, and not sharing tables especially makes more sense right now.
• Put sunscreen on before leaving the ship and bring it with you, especially if you're not planning to return to your room all day.
• Check the hours for restaurants on land -- I created general lists for each city of places that looked good, but some of them were only open for dinner.
• Greece's pipes are very old, so always check the bathroom for any signs about where to deposit toilet paper (in the bowl or trash can) and never throw anything else in.
• I didn't opt to pay for the ship’s Wifi because my phone plan has always included international data. However, due to a recent merger, my plan changed, and I spent the first 48 hours out of the U.S. trying to figure out what was wrong. So always check your plan before travel! Even once the issue was resolved, my service was touch and go in some of the less busy islands and out on the water.
• NCL does have an app and offers a Wifi option that's free for the app, and the ship also provided a daily newsletter with helpful info about each port, including weather expectations. I read through each newsletter and appreciated them, but I wish the NCL app had showed the weather, since I didn't have reliable service to use my own weather app. (If it did, I couldn't find it.)
• We got slightly unlucky with weather -- though it was 70s-80s, it rained a few times, and it wasn't quite as brilliantly sunny as we were expecting. That said, I was still glad we went in October, because Greece is busiest from May to September and I wouldn't have wanted the ship or the cities to be more crowded than they were (especially in Oia). 
• There were so many cats all over Greece!! Way more than we saw in Rome.
• I really enjoyed being able to hear all the different languages being spoken by the passengers on the ship.

In the Garden Cafe

packing list:

I'm an overpacker, so I took full advantage of the fact that flying internationally meant I could check a bag for free and also bring a carry-on. I'm so glad I did -- there was so much room in our cabin (including a closet and several giant drawers), and I didn't think about the fact that I'd wear one thing during the day, come back to the ship and shower, and change into a second outfit for dinner/the evening on the ship. (There are laundry services on board, too.)

• Day outfits (dresses, shorts, shirts, jeans)
• Night outfits (dresses -- since dinner is a little nicer)
• Exercise clothes
• Swim suit + cover-ups
• Raincoat + light jackets
• Sun hat/baseball cap
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Dramamine
• Pepto-Bismol
• Hair products + tools
• Hair ties, headbands, + hair scarves -- I had read that Greece was very windy, so I wanted things to keep my hair out of my face.
• Nail polish + nail polish remover pads from CVS -- I love painting my own nails but hate having any chips, and these pads take off even my red polish easily.
• Hanging make-up organizer and toiletry bag -- I ordered this one from Amazon (affiliate link) and LOVED it -- not only did it save counter space, I didn't have to pull everything out at once.
• Comfortable walking shoes and sandals -- no high heels (discouraged on the boat and not worth it on land)
• Adapters (although the ship did have American outlets)

One thing I wish I had brought (or been provided) was a robe or more lounge wear, just for milling around the room). I ended up using my raincoat with its fleece, which was a good substitute.

itinerary:

• We left D.C. on a Friday night, landed in Athens on Saturday, and boarded the Norwegian Jade on Sunday, which would be our home away from home for a week. Upon arriving back in Athens the following Sunday, we flew home on Monday. We flew Turkish Airlines both ways, which was incredible and the nicest experience I've ever had in the air. (We did choose to upgrade to business class on the flight to Athens, and I've never felt so pampered; I think the airplane bathroom was nicer than mine at home!)
• Sunday: Athens (depart 11pm)
• Monday: Heraklion, Crete (arrive 10am, depart 7pm)
• Tuesday: Rhodes (arrive 7am, depart 4pm)
• Wednesday: Mykonos (arrive 7am, depart 4pm)
• Thursday: Olympia (Katakolon) (arrive 8am, depart 5pm)
• Friday: Corfu (arrive 7am, depart 3pm)
• Saturday: Santorini (arrive 12pm, depart 9pm)
• Sunday: Athens (arrive 6am, off the ship by 8:30am)

Magnum's Champagne & Wine Bar and the piano bar

where to eat and drink:

Our cruise package included 2 specialty dining options in addition to the general restaurants, so we chose Le Bistro (the French restaurant) and La Cucina (the Italian restaurant). I loooved Le Bistro and could have eaten there every night. I wish we could have also done sushi and/or the steakhouse!

FYI: A staff member recommended we make our reservations as soon as possible because places would fill up and we'd have a harder time getting the reservation we wanted if we waited.

Dinner at Le Bistro -- my escargot was delicious.
Romper: Nordstrom (affiliate link)

what to do on the ship:

Here's what we especially enjoyed...

• The pool and hot tub
• I was particularly impressed by how much live entertainment there was, rather than just music being played over speakers. (That being said, much of the hallway and elevator music was 90s, which I loved.)
• Justin Golan, the piano bar comedian/beat boxer -- he's hilarious (and raunchy!)
• Bingo (I won $83!)
• Blazing Boots show. Highly, highly recommend this show. It was incredible. I was blown away by the choreography and the male and female performers, and I would have paid money to watch it again. It was definitely sexually charged -- I think I'd describe it as a tamer Magic Mike meets country Coyote Ugly? The songs/artists included Carrie Underwood, "Save a Horse" by Big & Rich, "Mean" by Taylor Swift, "Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line, "Bartender" by Lady A, "Girl Crush" by Little Big Down, "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" by Shania Twain, "Redneck Woman" by Gretchen Wilson, and "Country Girl" by Luke Bryan.
• The jogging track/sports activities

COVID Precautions

• Vaccination was required in order to book the cruise. All passengers had to provide proof of vaccination. (This meant that there were no children, and very few teenagers, on board.)
• We took a test in the U.S. before our flight and within 72 hours of boarding the ship.
• We were required to take a test and wait for results immediately before boarding the ship. (This was handled by Norwegian at the port and went very smoothly.)
• Temperature checks took place upon boarding after each port.
• Due to EU regulations, masks were required indoors on the ship except when eating or drinking. (This wasn't the case when we first booked, since every passenger was vaccinated, but it was out of the ship's hands once the EU implemented a mask mandate.)
• Many restaurants off the ship required that we show our vaccine cards in order to eat and drink.
• We were required to take a test within 48 hours of debarkation day. (This was handled by Norwegian on the ship and went very smoothly.)
• We were required to take a test within 72 hours of our flight back to the U.S., and fortunately we were able to use the ship's since it was within the allotted time.

Embarkation Day: Athens, Greece

Boarding the ship on embarkation day!

Hat: Brixton Joanna (affiliate link) | Shirt: Old Navy | Shorts: BLANK NYC | Shoes: Sperry

Since this was my first cruise, I'm not sure how embarkation day usually goes, but we thought it was an absolute breeze. Because of COVID-19, passengers received a specific window to arrive. We were scheduled to board between 1:30pm and 2pm, but we happened to get to the port very early (around 12:45pm), and there were very few people there so they started processing us immediately, taking our luggage and directing us to the area for our mandatory COVID tests. After taking our tests and receiving our (negative!) results, we were stepping on board the ship at 1:30pm on the dot. By the time we got to our room, our luggage was already waiting, so we unpacked and went to explore the ship.

Our room! I wish I had taken a photo before we dumped our luggage, whoops. The bathroom is the door in the upper right of the photo, with several large drawers next to it. The couch pulled out into a bed if we'd needed it, and the outlets (including American outlets) are underneath the TV on the right, where all the cords are. Our room was right near staircases/elevators, which we loved because it was so easy to get to the pool or buffet.

View from our balcony. I didn't spend as much time out here as I would have liked, but I was really glad we had it -- it helped make our room feel bigger, and I liked being able to get fresh air and to watch the scenery change. And I could step outside to check the weather when my weather app wouldn't load!

We basically had the ship to ourselves when we first boarded!

My husband immediately took advantage of our food and drink package.

The tennis/basketball/soccer court and field

Day 1: Heraklion, Crete

We got to Heraklion early in the morning (10am) and departed at 7pm. I was really excited because this is the home of King Minos, the labyrinth, and the Minotaur! I didn't know that this is the most populous Greek island or was the home of Europe's first advanced civilization, or that archaeologists theorize that one of the largest volcanic explosions in recorded history led to the Minoan settlement collapsing (likely via a subsequent tsunami).

itinerary:

Upon disembarking the ship, we quickly came upon a Hop On Hop Off bus, so we decided to do it. (We have loved taking similar buses in Rome, Paris, and Sydney.) At the Koules Fortress, we bought tickets to tour it. Afterwards we walked around the city for a bit before having lunch on the rooftop restaurant Herb's Garden. The waitress was very friendly and brought us raki on the house (though I wasn’t able to finish mine).

After lunch, we wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to move around, so we walked to the Cathedral of St. Minas, before getting back on the bus and heading to the Palace of Knossos for a tour.

On the ship that evening, we saw the Blazing Boots performance. I have no musical talent so I'm always amazed by others' ability to sing and dance. I'm sad we didn't manage to see it any other night -- I wish they offered the show on DVD, I would definitely buy it! 

where to eat and drink:

• Peskesi
• Herb's Garden (rooftop drinks and lunch)
• Kastella Tavern
• Parasties

what to do:

• Koules Fortress 
• Old Town 
• Natural History Museum of Crete 
• Cathedral of St. Minas 
• Palace of Knossos 
• Morosini Fountain in Lion Square 
• Ammoudara Beach 
• Day trip to nearby cities and beaches

On the top of Koules Fortress

Koules Fortress

Palace of Knossos -- where we also saw 2 peacocks wandering about!

Palace of Knossos

Wandering Heraklion

In the port, waiting to get back on the bus

Hat: Brixton Joanna (affiliate link) | Dress: Old Navy | Shoes: Lulus (affiliate link)

My aperol spritz from Herb's Garden

Cathedral of St. Minas

Inside the cathedral

Back on the boat for a beautiful sunset

Dress: Lulus (affiliate link)

On our balcony

Blazing Boots! Here's the show description: "Imagine yourself bellying up to the best country bar at sea. You are all invited to Blazing Boots - a first class tribute to pop country showcasing songs from the genre's biggest superstars including Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Shania Twain, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, and many others. This dazzling full scale production show blends eye popping music video visuals, hot locals, and innovative choreography into an evening that is part rock concert and all fun. From tear-your-heart-out country ballads to barn burning up tempo hits, this show is sure to get you fired up and your boots blazing!"

After the show, we sat in the hot tub until they closed at midnight.

Swimsuit: Cupshe (Amazon) (affiliate link) 

Day 2: Rhodes, Rhodes Island

I learned on this trip that in most of the Greek islands, the main town has the same name as the island. So for example, the medieval city of Rhodes is located on the island of Rhodes, the location of the Colossus of Rhodes (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World). Rhodes seemed quieter in the morning than Heraklion had been. I recommend visiting the Acropolis of Rhodes in the morning, before the sun has really risen, while the city is still quiet and there are few other people.

itinerary:

The boat docked at 7am, so we wandered from the boat around the port, then walked through the medieval city of Rhodes. We were so early that it was very quiet at 8 and 9am, with almost all the shops closed, but it was nice to have the streets to ourselves, and there were plenty of signs pointing out landmarks and detailing the history of the medieval city of Rhodes. We decided to walk to the Acropolis of Rhodes (about 2 miles) and then rested there for a bit in the shade, people-watching, before returning back to the main area.

We had time before our lunch reservation, so we headed to a rooftop garden to overlook the city. When the waitress asked for our order, I panicked and instead of ordering an aperol spritz, I accidentally ordered ouzo (which is 40% alcohol and even came with a little pitcher of water to help dilute it) -- which I made my husband drink, haha!

I wanted to see the Temple of Aphrodite (which turned out to be ruins I'd actually walked past earlier without realizing -- whoops!) and the Lady of the Castle (which was unfortunately closed on Tuesdays -- bad luck!), and then we headed to lunch at Romios Restaurant. Rhodes was definitely much busier at this time, as people had started their day and I think a few more cruise ships had arrived.

At one point during lunch, we felt the remnants of an earthquake in Rhodes! At first we couldn't tell if we were just feeling residual swaying from being on the ship. We also got lucky with rain -- it started while we were eating lunch and held off while we were heading back to the ship.

where to eat and drink:

• To Megiston Taverna
• Meltemi
• Romios Restaurant
• Louis Restaurant
• Marco Polo Cafe

what to do:

• Explore the medieval city of Rhodes 
• Visit the ancient Acropolis of Lindos 
• Drive to Agios Pavlos Beach (St. Paul's Bay) 
• Monolithos Castle

We chose to walk from the port to Old Town and explore along the way.

Walking through Old Town on the way to the Acropolis.

The marble odeon at the Acropolis (with the stadium/track in the background)

The marble odeon, with the stadium to the left

Sunglasses: Kate Spade | Romper: Amazon (affiliate link) | Hair tie: Amazon (affiliate link) 

My ouzo, with its water pitcher 

At lunch, before the rain forced us inside

When we were back in our room, I decided to set up my camera off our balcony for a time lapse -- and I'm so glad I did because I captured the formation of this rainbow!

I loooved being in our room and being able to see islands pass by. Because we left Rhodes at 4pm, there was still plenty of daylight to see our surroundings.

Swim suit cover-up: Amazon (affiliate link)

FYI: The trip from Rhodes to Mykonos was incredible. I wish I'd known in advance how scenic it was so I could have planned to just sit outside and watch and take photos.

Day 3: Mykonos (Chora), Mykonos

Another place where the main town has the same name as the island -- Mykonos. The town is also known as Chora (which means "town" in Greek) or Mykonos Town.

This was the first island where the ship didn't dock and instead we had a smaller boat (called a tender) take us from the ship to the port. We signed up for a ship excursion, which meant we had a pre-scheduled tender time.

itinerary:

We signed up for a selfie tour through our ship! Over the course of 5 hours, this tour took us through Mykonos Town and Little Venice, the beaches of St. John and Kalafatis, and Ano mera and a farm for a wine tasting. It was a great way to see so much of the island in just one day, ensuring that we didn't spend all our time in one area, and it was nice being able to follow someone around rather than wander on our own or determine to go. Once back on the ship, we had dinner at La Cucina, one of the specialty restaurants.

FYI: If you're signed up for this excursion (or a similarly long one), be sure to check what's included, eat beforehand, and bring snacks. We didn't get back to the ship until 3pm or so, and the wine tasting provided a few snacks but nothing significant and there wasn't time to purchase anything more.

where to eat and drink:

• Nice n Easy
• Pepper Mykonos
• Kastro's
• Mamalouka
• Kounelas Fish Tavern
• Lucky Fish
• M-Eating
• Caprice Bar
• Katerina's restaurant and cocktail bar
• Passo Doble cocktail bar
• Negrita bar and nightclub
• Scorpios (beach club)
• Nammos (restaurant and beach bar)
• Hibiscus (gelato)
• Ninnolo (gelato)

what to do:

• Old Town and Little Venice
• Paraportiani Church
• Windmills
• Scuba dive the Peloponnese wreck
• Visit one of the beaches
• One of the beach clubs
• Party -- our selfie tour guide mentioned that Mykonos is known for its party vibe (whereas Santorini is more laid-back)

So many selfie sticks...

Sunglasses: Illesteva (affiliate link) | Jean jacket: J. Crew | Dress: Amazon (affiliate link) | Shoes: Vince Camuto | Purse: Longchamp (affiliate link)

Mykonos is known as the "Island of the Winds," but we fortunately got lucky with almost no wind because of the weather the day before (according to our tour guide) -- which I was happy about because I'd decided to wear a shorter dress rather than a maxi!

Hair tie: Amazon (affiliate link) | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban (affiliate link) | Swimsuit: Victoria's Secret

Earrings: BaubleBar (affiliate link) | Dress: Asos (affiliate link)

Day 4: Olympia (Katakolon), Greece

3-in-1 Coat: L.L. Bean (affiliate link) | Tank top: J. Crew | Jeans: Articles of Society (affiliate link) | Shoes: Adidas Ultraboost (affiliate link)

This is one of only 3 total photos I took on this island because it poured the entire time. I was definitely a little bummed, but it was also nice to have a totally chill day without feeling like we needed to be on the go. So we grabbed food from Jimmy's Taverna and then sat there relaxing.

where to eat and drink:

• Jimmy's Taverna (which had great Wifi and I thoroughly enjoyed my gyro)
• Aegean
• Ambrosia
• Knisa

what to do:

• Ancient Olympia
• Beaches (Plakes Beach is closest and Lime Beach Bar has high ratings; Agios Andreas Beach is most scenic)
• Shop (because prices will be low here compared to other islands)
• Temples of Hera and Zeus
• Katakolon Fun Tourist Train

Day 5: Corfu, Corfu island

I loooved Corfu, and I'm not even sure why -- just something about it. I definitely want to go back some day, especially since the weather wasn't great the day we visited, and I want to see the beaches and complete some hikes.

itinerary:

We had a late start, despite the ship arriving in Corfu at 7am, so we decided to ride another sightseeing bus. We stopped to take photos with the CORFU letters and to look out over the airport runway and walk-path to Mouse Island. We got off again at the windmill to explore a bit and then decided to walk from the windmill to the Old Fortress to stretch our legs, especially since we'd been less active the day before because of the weather. After touring the fortress, we walked back to the port to board the Jade.

where to eat and drink:

• Pomo d'Oro
• La Famiglia
• Abakas Mezedopoleio
• Venetian Wall

what to do:

• Old Fortress
• New Fortress
• Drive to Ambelonas winery
• Achillion Palace
• ATV safari guided tour
• Boat tour of caves
• Cape Drastis
• Canal d'Amour
• Spianada Square
• St. Spyridon Church
• Paleokastritsa Beach (and La Grotta Lounge and Pub and Angelokastro Castle)
• Porto Timoni Beach
• Hike Mount Pantokrator

Sunglasses: Ray-Ban (affiliate link) | 3-in-1 Coat: L.L. Bean (affiliate link) | Hair tie: Amazon (affiliate link) | Leggings: Nike | Flip flops: Old Navy (my running shoes from the day before were still soaked through)

The Old Fortress in the background

The Old Fortress just gave me Hogwarts vibes.

And of course I had to get gelato as we walked through the town.

Back on the ship and taking advantage of the sun coming out!

Hat: Brixton Joanna (affiliate link) | Swim suit cover-up: Amazon (affiliate link) | Shoes: Tory Burch (affiliate link)

Headband: Pink Lily (affiliate link) | Swimsuit: Amazon (affiliate link) | Swimsuit cover-up: Amazon (affiliate link)

Dress: Red Dress (affiliate link) | Hair tie: Amazon (affiliate link) | Purse: Tory Burch | Earrings: BaubleBar (affiliate link)

Day 6: Santorini, Greece

You can see Oia in the distance! The island of Santorini has many villages on it, including Oia (pronounced ee-uh), Imerovigli, Firostefani, Fira (pronounced fee-ruh), and Akrotiri. Before we arrived, for some unknown reason, I had been thinking of Santorini like a mountain, where Akrotiri and Fira were at the bottom, Firostefani in the middle, and Oia at the top. However, Oia is the northwesternmost part of Santorini, while Fira is on the west coast, in the center of the island. FYI: Our ship heavily discouraged the use of the donkeys for transportation, noting that they are often overworked and the path is uneven with unpleasant odors.

itinerary:

Our ship was scheduled for Santorini from 12noon until 9pm. Unfortunately, we got a late start because of weather, and because it was another tender situation, we didn't get to Fira until 1:30pm or so. We then took a boat taxi to Oia that left at 2pm, so we didn't arrive in Oia until 2:30pm. 

Upon arriving in Oia, we walked around, took in the sights, and took photos before grabbing a late lunch at Skala. 

There was a ship excursion to hike the volcano (and swim in the hot springs), but it started right away (at 1:30pm), and I wanted to see Oia first before hiking or swimming. So instead I told my husband we should immediately go to Oia, take photos first, and then walk back to Fira, a 10km walk. I thought leaving for Fira at 5pm would give us enough time, but unfortunately, I didn't really think through the logistics. Because that didn't take into account 1) we actually weren't positive about the time of the last tender to get back to the ship; 2) we were frequently stopping to make sure we were on the right path; 3) we weren't confident we knew where in Fira to map our directions to catch the tender; and 4) the sun setting meant that we'd be in the dark for the end of the hike. The uncertainty caused most of my stress: For example, we were reasonably sure we were supposed to go to "Fira Old Port," in which case we had a 15-30 minute buffer... but if that wasn't the right location, we might not have had time to figure out where to actually go and then get there.

Soo I panicked that we'd miss the tender and the Jade would leave without us. I kept sprinting ahead of my husband before remembering my data service was poor and he was the one with the map. Fortunately my husband is the most brilliant man I know and navigated us to the port without a hitch (well, minus me sprinting down the donkey path dodging piles of donkey dung in the dark)! I arrived at the port at 7:35pm and we were able to catch the 8pm tender. So (since we made our ship) now I can unequivocally say the hike is absolutely worth it, just make sure you plan it out better than I did!

where to eat and drink:

• Zafora (Fira)
• Rakadiko Meraki (Fira)
• Argo (Fira)
• Cafe Galini (Firostefani)
• La Maison (Imerovigli)
• Le Moustache (Imerovigli)
• Confetti Dessert Boutique (Imerovigli)
• Lauda (Oia)
• Red Bicycle (Oia)
• Kastro Restaurant Oia (Oia)
• Ambrosia restaurant (Oia)
• Roka (Oia)
• Lolita's Gelato (Oia)
• Sunset Taverna (Ammoudi)
• Dimitri's Amoudi Tavern (Ammoudi)
• Alali Restaurant in the Astarte Suites Hotel (Akrotiri)
• Why Not! Souvlaki
• To Psaraki

what to do:

• Boat tour (Vista Yachting or Santorini Yacht Cruises were recommended to us)
• Santo Winery or one of the other wineries (since grapes grow differently on Greece due to the volcanic soil and lack of rain)
• Visit the Akrotiri ruins
• Visit one of the beaches -- which vary colors (red, black, or white) due to the volcanic mix!
• Cliff jump at Amoudi Bay
• Walk the 10km (6.2 miles) between Fira and Oia
• Hike the volcano or caldera trail
• Swim the hot springs (but only wear something you don't mind getting stained by the water!)

View of Santorini from our ship

View when we stepped off the boat taxi at Amoudi Bay!

Sunglasses: Illesteva in pink/purple (affiliate link) | Earrings: BaubleBar (affiliate link) | Dress: Pink Lily (affiliate link) | Shoes: Lulus (affiliate link)

In front of Kastro Oia Houses...

Sunglasses: Illesteva in pink/purple (affiliate link) | Earrings: BaubleBar (affiliate link) | Dress: Pink Lily (affiliate link) | Shoes: Lulus (affiliate link)

I liked exploring here because it was much less crowded than the area earlier with the blue domes.

Beginning our walk... if you're interested, here is a guide!

This was seriously one of the most unique hikes I've ever done, and the views were so pretty.

And doing this hike right around sunset led to some stunning views...

Day 7: Athens, Greece

itinerary:

The ship docked in Athens at 6am on Sunday, and we were off the ship by 8:30am. We were staying near the airport because we had an early morning Monday flight, so we dropped our things off at the hotel and then went back out to explore.

We visited the Acropolis first, and when we were leaving, we spotted a sightseeing bus, so obviously we hopped on. After completing the entire route to look at the sights and listen to the guide, we got off at the square to eat at A is for Athens. This rooftop restaurant overlooked the Monastiraki Square, so we explored the area, walking through flea markets and people-watching before taking the bus to the Panathenaic Stadium. 

We went back and forth on whether we actually wanted to buy stadium tickets and were actually walking away when I decided we needed to do it, and I'm so glad we did! It was a self-guided audio tour and actually very interesting, with great views of the Acropolis in the background. 

We were honestly kind of beat by that point so we decided to head back to the hotel in order to eat there and decompress before our flight the next morning.

where to eat and drink:

• Brettos Bar
• Funky Gourmet
• Klimataria
• To Kati Allo (I don't believe there's a menu -- I wanted to do dinner here but was too tired)
• Nice N Easy
• Varoulko Seaside
• Orizontes 
• Strofi
• A for Athens rooftop restaurant and bar
• Athens Gate Hotel 
• GB Roof Garden Restaurant at the Hotel Grande Bretagne

what to do:

• Acropolis of Athens -- including the Parthenon, Erechtheion, Temple of Athena Nike, and the Propylaea
• Temple of Poseidon or Zeus
• Climb or ride the cable car at Lycabettus Hill
• The ancient agora of Athens and the Temple of Hephaestus
• Walk the Plaza neighborhood
• Areopagus Hill for view of the Acropolis
• Visit Philopappos Hill
• Panathenaic Stadium

Sunglasses: Ray-Ban (affiliate link) | Crop top: Express | Shorts: Abercrombie (affiliate link) | 3-in-1 Coat: L.L. Bean (affiliate link) | Shoes: Adidas Ultraboost (affiliate link)

The view from A for Athens

Overlooking Monastiraki Square and the Acropolis

In one of the royalty seats at the Panathenaic Stadium

Listening to my audio tour

Whew -- this was a long travel diary! If you made it all the way through, I commend (and thank!) you.

There was much more information I could have included -- about our general cruise experience, about the Jade specifically, about Greece, about each of the stops -- but I tried to trim as much as I could. If you have any questions about anything, though, please feel free to ask me in the comments here or on Instagram!

You'll definitely find me on an Alaska cruise next summer, and I hope to visit Corfu, Mykonos, and Santorini again, as well as some of the other Greek islands we didn't make it to, like Milos. If you have any recommendations for any other cruises, please send them my way!

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