Sailing the Greek Isles and Turkey with Royal Caribbean
Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean
“Get Out There” is a column for itchy footed humans written by long-time Paste contributor Blake Snow. Today we sail a sun-soaked Eastern Mediterranean cruise with Royal Caribbean.
If there’s a more charming cruise than Royal Caribbean’s seven night Greek Isles & Turkey itinerary, I wanna know. Having been lucky enough to sail around the world (save for Asia and Australia), I can’t think of a more dreamy route than to these sun-soaked heavyweights in the sleepy Eastern Mediterranean. Not even a 25 year old ship could spoil one of the most memorable, relaxing, and inviting cruises my family’s ever endeavored (save for Antarctica).
The ship: Voyager of The Seas (5,000 passengers and crew). The ports: Athens, Kavala, Istanbul, Kusadasi, Santorini, Mykonos. The result: A greatest hits aboard a classically renovated ship that’s reasonably priced, family friendly, and filled with the most passionate crew, fantastic food, friendly passengers, and surrounded by lovable Greeks and Turks.
Here are five reasons to sail this special part of the world with Royal Caribbean, the world’s most popular cruise line.
A classic ship
In recent years, cruise ships have gotten bigger, while their restaurants have gotten smaller. Whereas before cruise lines embraced Titanic-like multi-story dining rooms, now they favor more (but smaller) dining options spread throughout the ship.
Voyager of the Seas is different in a good way. Its three story dining hall and massive crystal chandelier are beautiful—no formal attire required. The medium sized ship is “perfectly sized,” according to our waiter of 30 years who has worked on nearly every other Royal ship. I agree.
There’s still the signature, city-like promenade that Royal is known for. The late ‘90s motif was tastefully updated a few years ago, while still maintaining its classic feel. And the state halls are comfortably wider than newer ships. My family quickly fell in love with the ship and were legitimately sad to leave it eight days later.
Charming ports
Come for the ship, but stay for the ports. Unlike the Caribbean, Alaska, and even the Western Mediterranean that I sailed a few years ago, every single port on this stacked itinerary with no sea days stands out. 10 out of 10. No skips. I mean it.
Athens, Kavala, Istanbul, Kusadasi, Santorini, and Mykonos are all timeless and utterly welcoming. Kavala, Kusadasi, and Çanakkale Bridge were pleasant surprises, but every port had something to offer—free public bathrooms and friendly locals very much included. Although Santorini is overrun, I’m glad we got to see it. I will never forget swimming off the rocks with my family in Kavala’s crystal clear waters, or walking the cat-filled Middle East and European melting pot of Istanbul.
Pro tip: With so much to see and do in Athens, I recommend spending a couple of extra days there. My family was moved by the antiquity, splendor, and significance of the Acropolis (the birthplace of modern civilization!) on a guided tour with Alternative Athens. We liked it so much, we booked their three hour food tour and ate our hearts out. We liked that so much, we booked another three hour food tour with Greekality on our last day. In a word, Athens’ sights and foods are delightful.
Fantastic food
Speaking of food, we ate nearly as good on board as we did off. In fact, several meals were just as good on the ship as you’ll find anywhere on land. That’s because Voyager of the Seas is the “number one rated dining ship in the entire fleet of 28 ships,” according to the head chef I spoke to. After eating at every one of his restaurants, I believe him.
I ate the best branzino, salmon, and filet mignon of my life at Chops Grille. I was overjoyed and overfed at a seven-course, four-hour feast at Chef’s Table. It even rivaled an amazing meal I enjoyed on the Eiffel Tower and was proof that great chefs don’t need the most sterling pedigree.
But even the ship’s buffet and main dining rooms delivered across breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Their produce was always fresh. The cafe pizza, snacks, and ice cream did their job on hot afternoons, as did the cleaner vegan and vegetarian options. As a mainstream, non-premium cruise line, Royal Caribbean has no business serving food this good. But they did. Which isn’t such a surprise, given that we were traveling through Europe.
Everyone’s a VIP
In real life, only celebrities and royalty get waited on every minute of every day. On the best cruise ships, however, everyone gets to feel like a celebrity or royalty—if only on vacation. Voyager of the Seas is one of those ships. The level of worker pride, passion, and professionalism is humbling. I cannot thank the good people enough who treated my family as a bigger deal than we really are.
They have names. Our servers: Juhn, Royan, and Divas from Indonesia. Our favorite bartender: Saha from Kenya. Luciana and Montserrat from guest relations. Juan, the pianist from Argentina (“Man, what are you doing here!?”). Shintosh, Josep, and Shetty from the executive chef team. Putu, our tireless room attendant from the Philippines. The “washy washy before yummy yummy” girl, whose smile and joy for life were infectious. Simply put, this crew is outstanding.
Family fun
No one has more fun on the high seas than Royal Caribbean. The company is known for making massive, spacious ships that are themselves the destination—a floating fun-port that travels with you. My kids noticed this and remarked how inclusive the activities were. FlowRider. Putt putt. Silent discos. Several pools and hot tubs. Rock climbing. Ice skating. Laser tag. Bottomless soft serve. Classy theater. Foot jugglers. Upbeat DJs.
As we walked up to the ship on our final “all aboard,” I felt sadness. Normally I’m ready to go home after sailing for a week or more. Not this time. Not on a ship this good, with a crew and ports this charming. In that way, Voyager of the Seas in Greece and Turkey far exceeded my expectations.
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Blake Snow contributes to fancy publications and Fortune 500 companies as a bodacious writer-for-hire and frequent travel columnist. He lives in Provo, Utah with his wife, five children, and one ferocious chihuahua.