Classical Greece
Classical Greece
Cruise overview
Cruise ID
EMERALDE06G130626-1
Cruise Line
Cruise Type
Ocean
Ship
Duration
7 nights
Departure Port
Destination
Piraeus
Departure Date
13 Jun 26
From £4,490pp
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Day 1
Piraeus (Greece)
About Piraeus
It's no wonder that all roads lead to the fascinating and maddening metropolis of Athens. Lift your eyes 200 feet above the city to the Parthenon, its honey-color marble columns rising from a massive limestone base, and you behold architectural perfection that has not been surpassed in 2,500 years. But, today, this shrine of classical form dominates a 21st-century boomtown. To experience Athens—Athína in Greek—fully is to understand the essence of Greece: ancient monuments surviving in a sea of cement, startling beauty amid the squalor, tradition juxtaposed with modernity. Locals depend on humor and flexibility to deal with the chaos; you should do the same. The rewards are immense. Although Athens covers a huge area, the major landmarks of the ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine periods are close to the modern city center. You can easily walk from the Acropolis to many other key sites, taking time to browse in shops and relax in cafés and tavernas along the way. From many quarters of the city you can glimpse "the glory that was Greece" in the form of the Acropolis looming above the horizon, but only by actually climbing that rocky precipice can you feel the impact of the ancient settlement. The Acropolis and Filopappou, two craggy hills sitting side by side; the ancient Agora (marketplace); and Kerameikos, the first cemetery, form the core of ancient and Roman Athens. Along the Unification of Archaeological Sites promenade, you can follow stone-paved, tree-lined walkways from site to site, undisturbed by traffic. Cars have also been banned or reduced in other streets in the historical center. In the National Archaeological Museum, vast numbers of artifacts illustrate the many millennia of Greek civilization; smaller museums such as the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art Museum and the Byzantine and Christian Museum illuminate the history of particular regions or periods. Athens may seem like one huge city, but it is really a conglomeration of neighborhoods with distinctive characters. The Eastern influences that prevailed during the 400-year rule of the Ottoman Empire are still evident in Monastiraki, the bazaar area near the foot of the Acropolis. On the northern slope of the Acropolis, stroll through Plaka (if possible by moonlight), an area of tranquil streets lined with renovated mansions, to get the flavor of the 19th-century's gracious lifestyle. The narrow lanes of Anafiotika, a section of Plaka, thread past tiny churches and small, color-washed houses with wooden upper stories, recalling a Cycladic island village. In this maze of winding streets, vestiges of the older city are everywhere: crumbling stairways lined with festive tavernas; dank cellars filled with wine vats; occasionally a court or diminutive garden, enclosed within high walls and filled with magnolia trees and the flaming trumpet-shaped flowers of hibiscus bushes. Formerly run-down old quarters, such as Thission, Gazi and Psirri, popular nightlife areas filled with bars and mezedopoleia (similar to tapas bars), are now in the process of gentrification, although they still retain much of their original charm, as does the colorful produce and meat market on Athinas. The area around Syntagma Square, the tourist hub, and Omonia Square, the commercial heart of the city about 1 km (½ mi) northwest, is distinctly European, having been designed by the court architects of King Otho, a Bavarian, in the 19th century. The chic shops and bistros of ritzy Kolonaki nestle at the foot of Mt. Lycabettus, Athens's highest hill (909 feet). Each of Athens's outlying suburbs has a distinctive character: in the north is wealthy, tree-lined Kifissia, once a summer resort for aristocratic Athenians, and in the south and southeast lie Glyfada, Voula, and Vouliagmeni, with their sandy beaches, seaside bars, and lively summer nightlife. Just beyond the city's southern fringes is Piraeus, a bustling port city of waterside fish tavernas and Saronic Gulf views.
Day 2
Delos (Greece)
About Delos
Day 2
Mykonos (Greece)
About Mykonos
Although the fishing boats still go out in good weather, Mykonos largely makes its living from tourism these days. The summer crowds have turned one of the poorest islands in Greece into one of the richest. Old Mykonians complain that their young, who have inherited stores where their grandfathers once sold eggs or wine, get so much rent that they have lost ambition, and in summer sit around pool bars at night with their friends, and hang out in Athens in winter when island life is less scintillating. Put firmly on the map by Jackie O in the 1960s, Mykonos town—called Hora by the locals—remains the Saint-Tropez of the Greek islands. The scenery is memorable, with its whitewashed streets, Little Venice, the Kato Myli ridge of windmills, and Kastro, the town's medieval quarter. Its cubical two- or three-story houses and churches, with their red or blue doors and domes and wooden balconies, have been long celebrated as some of the best examples of classic Cycladic architecture. Luckily, the Greek Archaeological Service decided to preserve the town, even when the Mykonians would have preferred to rebuild, and so the Old Town has been impressively preserved. Pink oleander, scarlet hibiscus, and trailing green pepper trees form a contrast amid the dazzling whiteness, whose frequent renewal with whitewash is required by law. Any visitor who has the pleasure of getting lost in its narrow streets (made all the narrower by the many outdoor stone staircases, which maximize housing space in the crowded village) will appreciate how its confusing layout was designed to foil pirates—if it was designed at all. After Mykonos fell under Turkish rule in 1537, the Ottomans allowed the islanders to arm their vessels against pirates, which had a contradictory effect: many of them found that raiding other islands was more profitable than tilling arid land. At the height of Aegean piracy, Mykonos was the principal headquarters of the corsair fleets—the place where pirates met their fellows, found willing women, and filled out their crews. Eventually the illicit activity evolved into a legitimate and thriving trade network. Morning on Mykonos town's main quay is busy with deliveries, visitors for the Delos boats, lazy breakfasters, and street cleaners dealing with the previous night's mess. In late morning the cruise-boat people arrive, and the shops are all open. In early afternoon, shaded outdoor tavernas are full of diners eating salads (Mykonos's produce is mostly imported); music is absent or kept low. In mid- and late afternoon, the town feels sleepy, since so many people are at the beach, on excursions, or sleeping in their air-conditioned rooms; even some tourist shops close for siesta. By sunset, people have come back from the beach, having taken their showers and rested. At night, the atmosphere in Mykonos ramps up. The cruise-boat people are mostly gone, coughing three-wheelers make no deliveries in the narrow streets, and everyone is dressed sexy for summer and starting to shimmy with the scene. Many shops stay open past midnight, the restaurants fill up, and the bars and discos make ice cubes as fast as they can. Ready to dive in? Begin your tour of Mykonos town (Hora) by starting out at its heart: Mando Mavrogenous Square.
Day 3
Bodrum (Turkey)
About Bodrum
Day 4
Rhodes (Greece)
About Rhodes
Early travelers described Rhodes as a town of two parts: a castle or high town (Collachium) and a lower city. Today Rhodes town—sometimes referred to as Ródos town—is still a city of two parts: the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site that incorporates the high town and lower city, and the modern metropolis, or New Town, spreading away from the walls that encircle the Old Town. The narrow streets of the Old Town are for the most part closed to cars and are lined with Orthodox and Catholic churches, Turkish houses (some of which follow the ancient orthogonal plan), and medieval public buildings with exterior staircases and facades elegantly constructed of well-cut limestone from Lindos. Careful reconstruction in recent years has enhanced the harmonious effect.
Day 5
Santorini (Greece)
About Santorini
Undoubtedly the most extraordinary island in the Aegean, crescent-shape Santorini remains a mandatory stop on the Cycladic tourist route—even if it's necessary to enjoy the sensational sunsets from Ia, the fascinating excavations, and the dazzling white towns with a million other travelers. Called Kállisti (the "Loveliest") when first settled, the island has now reverted to its subsequent name of Thira, after the 9th-century-BC Dorian colonizer Thiras. The place is better known, however, these days as Santorini, a name derived from its patroness, St. Irene of Thessaloniki, the Byzantine empress who restored icons to Orthodoxy and died in 802. You can fly conveniently to Santorini, but to enjoy a true Santorini rite of passage, opt instead for the boat trip here, which provides a spectacular introduction. After the boat sails between Sikinos and Ios, your deck-side perch approaches two close islands with a passage between them. The bigger one on the left is Santorini, and the smaller on the right is Thirassia. Passing between them, you see the village of Ia adorning Santorini's northernmost cliff like a white geometric beehive. You are in the caldera (volcanic crater), one of the world's truly breathtaking sights: a demilune of cliffs rising 1,100 feet, with the white clusters of the towns of Fira and Ia perched along the top. The bay, once the high center of the island, is 1,300 feet in some places, so deep that when boats dock in Santorini's shabby little port of Athinios, they do not drop anchor. The encircling cliffs are the ancient rim of a still-active volcano, and you are sailing east across its flooded caldera. On your right are the Burnt isles, the White isle, and other volcanic remnants, all lined up as if some outsize display in a geology museum. Hephaestus's subterranean fires smolder still—the volcano erupted in 198 BC, about 735, and there was an earthquake in 1956. Indeed, Santorini and its four neighboring islets are the fragmentary remains of a larger landmass that exploded about 1600 BC: the volcano's core blew sky high, and the sea rushed into the abyss to create the great bay, which measures 10 km by 7 km (6 mi by 4½ mi) and is 1,292 feet deep. The other pieces of the rim, which broke off in later eruptions, are Thirassia, where a few hundred people live, and deserted little Aspronissi ("White isle"). In the center of the bay, black and uninhabited, two cones, the Burnt Isles of Palea Kameni and Nea Kameni, appeared between 1573 and 1925. There has been too much speculation about the identification of Santorini with the mythical Atlantis, mentioned in Egyptian papyri and by Plato (who says it's in the Atlantic), but myths are hard to pin down. This is not true of old arguments about whether tidal waves from Santorini's cataclysmic explosion destroyed Minoan civilization on Crete, 113 km (70 mi) away. The latest carbon-dating evidence, which points to a few years before 1600 BC for the eruption, clearly indicates that the Minoans outlasted the eruption by a couple of hundred years, but most probably in a weakened state. In fact, the island still endures hardships: since antiquity, Santorini has depended on rain collected in cisterns for drinking and irrigating—the well water is often brackish—and the serious shortage is alleviated by the importation of water. However, the volcanic soil also yields riches: small, intense tomatoes with tough skins used for tomato paste (good restaurants here serve them); the famous Santorini fava beans, which have a light, fresh taste; barley; wheat; and white-skin eggplants.
Day 6
Khania (Greece)
About Khania
The second-largest city in Crete and capital of the Homonym Prefecture, Chania is located in Minoan Kidonia at the end of the Homonym Gulf between the Akrotiri and Onicha peninsulas. Chania City is divided into two parts; the Old Town, which is comprised of several connected districts built around the old Venetian Harbour, and New Town, a larger, more modern city whose centre is situated next to, and south of, the Old Town. The Old Town is home to Venetian buildings and Turkish elements that combine to create a unique architectural style, and is considered to be the most beautiful urban district on Crete. It was once surrounded by old Venetian fortifications that separated it from the New Town; however, only the eastern and western parts remain today. Due to its compact size, Skiathos can be easily explored in just a single day.
Day 7
Hydra (Greece)
About Hydra
Rising from the turquoise expanse of the sunny Mediterranean, Hydra is the counterpoint of choice for Athenians - who can swap the city chaos for blissful relaxation with an hour’s boat journey. Known for its inspiring celebrity appeal - Leonard Cohen bought a house here in the 60s - Hydra is a pretty island of rising streets, whitewash mansions, and carefree clamour. Located a stone's throw from the Greek mainland, the authorities have resisted the temptation to cash in, meaning Hydra remains an endearing time-warp, which revels in life in the slow lane. With cars and new building developments banned – discover an island of donkeys plodding cobbled streets, and fishing boats undulating gently on the harbour’s waves.
Day 8
Piraeus (Greece)
About Piraeus
It's no wonder that all roads lead to the fascinating and maddening metropolis of Athens. Lift your eyes 200 feet above the city to the Parthenon, its honey-color marble columns rising from a massive limestone base, and you behold architectural perfection that has not been surpassed in 2,500 years. But, today, this shrine of classical form dominates a 21st-century boomtown. To experience Athens—Athína in Greek—fully is to understand the essence of Greece: ancient monuments surviving in a sea of cement, startling beauty amid the squalor, tradition juxtaposed with modernity. Locals depend on humor and flexibility to deal with the chaos; you should do the same. The rewards are immense. Although Athens covers a huge area, the major landmarks of the ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine periods are close to the modern city center. You can easily walk from the Acropolis to many other key sites, taking time to browse in shops and relax in cafés and tavernas along the way. From many quarters of the city you can glimpse "the glory that was Greece" in the form of the Acropolis looming above the horizon, but only by actually climbing that rocky precipice can you feel the impact of the ancient settlement. The Acropolis and Filopappou, two craggy hills sitting side by side; the ancient Agora (marketplace); and Kerameikos, the first cemetery, form the core of ancient and Roman Athens. Along the Unification of Archaeological Sites promenade, you can follow stone-paved, tree-lined walkways from site to site, undisturbed by traffic. Cars have also been banned or reduced in other streets in the historical center. In the National Archaeological Museum, vast numbers of artifacts illustrate the many millennia of Greek civilization; smaller museums such as the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art Museum and the Byzantine and Christian Museum illuminate the history of particular regions or periods. Athens may seem like one huge city, but it is really a conglomeration of neighborhoods with distinctive characters. The Eastern influences that prevailed during the 400-year rule of the Ottoman Empire are still evident in Monastiraki, the bazaar area near the foot of the Acropolis. On the northern slope of the Acropolis, stroll through Plaka (if possible by moonlight), an area of tranquil streets lined with renovated mansions, to get the flavor of the 19th-century's gracious lifestyle. The narrow lanes of Anafiotika, a section of Plaka, thread past tiny churches and small, color-washed houses with wooden upper stories, recalling a Cycladic island village. In this maze of winding streets, vestiges of the older city are everywhere: crumbling stairways lined with festive tavernas; dank cellars filled with wine vats; occasionally a court or diminutive garden, enclosed within high walls and filled with magnolia trees and the flaming trumpet-shaped flowers of hibiscus bushes. Formerly run-down old quarters, such as Thission, Gazi and Psirri, popular nightlife areas filled with bars and mezedopoleia (similar to tapas bars), are now in the process of gentrification, although they still retain much of their original charm, as does the colorful produce and meat market on Athinas. The area around Syntagma Square, the tourist hub, and Omonia Square, the commercial heart of the city about 1 km (½ mi) northwest, is distinctly European, having been designed by the court architects of King Otho, a Bavarian, in the 19th century. The chic shops and bistros of ritzy Kolonaki nestle at the foot of Mt. Lycabettus, Athens's highest hill (909 feet). Each of Athens's outlying suburbs has a distinctive character: in the north is wealthy, tree-lined Kifissia, once a summer resort for aristocratic Athenians, and in the south and southeast lie Glyfada, Voula, and Vouliagmeni, with their sandy beaches, seaside bars, and lively summer nightlife. Just beyond the city's southern fringes is Piraeus, a bustling port city of waterside fish tavernas and Saronic Gulf views.
Owner's Suite
Min.
occupancy: 1
Min.
occupancy: 2
Our oversized Owner’s Suites are the largest and most opulent, located on the Pool Deck. Boasting a separate bedroom and lounge area, you’ll also enjoy your large private terrace, from which to admire the stunning views of each port you visit.
- Your own private terrace
- Separate bedroom and lounge area
- Walk-in wardrobe
- Queen-size or twin hotel-style beds with the finest Egyptian cotton linen
- Pillow menu
- Bathroom with shower, indulgent toiletries and hairdryer
- Complimentary bathrobes and slippers
- Welcome bottle of champagne
- Fruit platter on arrival
- Pre-dinner canapés
- After-dinner sweets
- Full mini-bar, restocked daily
- Complimentary water, restocked daily
- Flat screen HDTV and infotainment system
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Individual climate control
- Coffee and tea-making facilities
- Four laundered items daily
- Personal safe
- Umbrella
- Telephone
Yacht Suite
Min.
occupancy: 1
Min.
occupancy: 2
Positioned at the back of the Observation Deck, you’ll be treated to sensational ocean and coastal views from your own private terrace. You’ll also receive a number of luxury inclusions to help you make the most of your time in your Yacht Suite.
- Your own private terrace
- Walk-in wardrobe
- Queen-size or twin hotel-style beds with the finest Egyptian cotton linen
- Pillow menu
- Bathroom with shower, indulgent toiletries and hairdryer
- Complimentary bathrobes and slippers
- Welcome bottle of champagne
- Fruit platter on arrival
- Full mini-bar, restocked daily
- Complimentary water, restocked daily
- Flat screen HDTV and infotainment system
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Individual climate control
- Coffee and tea-making facilities
- Two laundered items daily
- Personal safe
- Umbrella
- Telephone
Terrace Suite
Min.
occupancy: 1
Min.
occupancy: 2
Our spacious Terrace Suites take pride of place at the back of the Panorama Deck and come complete with a large private terrace, pillow menu and the option to have two items laundered daily, perfect for preparing your wardrobe for a special occasion.
- Your own private terrace
- Queen-size or twin hotel-style beds with the finest Egyptian cotton linen
- Pillow menu
- Bathroom with shower, indulgent toiletries and hairdryer
- Complimentary bathrobes and slippers
- Welcome bottle of champagne
- Fruit platter on arrival
- Full mini-bar, restocked daily
- Complimentary water, restocked daily
- Flat screen HDTV and infotainment system
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Individual climate control
- Coffee and tea-making facilities
- Two laundered items daily
- Personal safe
- Umbrella
- Telephone
Deluxe Balcony Suite
Min.
occupancy: 1
Min.
occupancy: 2
Our Deluxe Balcony Suite are conveniently located on the Pool Deck and feature their own private balcony. With just two per yacht, you’ll benefit from having extra space for your assured comfort.
- Your own private outdoor balcony
- Walk-in wardrobe
- Queen-size or twin hotel-style beds with the finest Egyptian cotton linen
- Pillow menu
- Bathroom with shower, indulgent toiletries and hairdryer
- Complimentary bathrobes and slippers
- Fruit platter on arrival
- Complimentary water, restocked daily
- Flat screen HDTV and infotainment system
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Individual climate control
- Coffee and tea-making facilities
- Mini-bar
- Personal safe
- Umbrella
- Telephone
Balcony Suite
Min.
occupancy: 1
Min.
occupancy: 2
Divided between the Observation and Panorama decks, our Balcony Suites are your stylish home-away-from-home. With everything you need for a great night’s sleep, we’ve carefully designed them to help you relax after a day of exploration.
- Your own private outdoor balcony
- Queen-size or twin hotel-style beds with the finest Egyptian cotton linen
- Bathroom with shower, indulgent toiletries and hairdryer
- Complimentary bathrobes and slippers
- Complimentary water, restocked daily
- Flat screen HDTV and infotainment system
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Individual climate control
- Mini-bar
- Personal safe
- Umbrella
- Telephone
Oceanview Stateroom
Min.
occupancy: 1
Min.
occupancy: 2
Situated on the Emerald Deck, towards the front of the yacht, our Oceanview Staterooms are bigger than the average standard, offering excellent value for money.
- An ocean-view window
- Queen-size or twin hotel-style beds with the finest Egyptian cotton linen
- Bathroom with shower, indulgent toiletries and hairdryer
- Complimentary bathrobes and slippers
- Complimentary water, restocked daily
- Flat screen HDTV and infotainment system
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Individual climate control
- Mini-bar
- Personal safe
- Umbrella
- Telephone
Emerald Azzurra
Enjoy the perfect small cruise ship experience on board our groundbreaking luxury yacht, Emerald Azzurra. You’ll want for nothing as you relish in the lavish lifestyle, sailing to stunning ports of call while our attentive staff caters to your every need.
Ship Facts
| Speed | 22 | ||||||||
| Width | N/A | ||||||||
| Length | 110 | ||||||||
| Capacity | 100 | ||||||||
| Currency | EUR | ||||||||
| Language | en | ||||||||
| Crew Count | 72 | ||||||||
| Deck Count | 6 | ||||||||
| Refit Year | |||||||||
| Cabin Count | 50 | ||||||||
| Launch Year | 2022 | ||||||||
| Gross Tonnage | 5297 | ||||||||
| Electrical Plugs |
|
||||||||
| Large Cabin Count | N/A | ||||||||
| Wheelchair Cabin Count | N/A |
Sky Deck
- Spa Pool
- Sky Bar
- Lifts
Pool Deck
- Lifts
- Aqua Café
- Aqua Pool
- Owner's Suite
- Deluxe Balcony Suite
Panorama Deck
- Navigation Bridge
- Life Boats
- Terrace Suite
- Balcony Suite
- Lifts
Observation Deck
- Observation Lounge
- Observation Terrace
- Self-service Laundry
- Yacht Suites
- Balcony Suites
- Lifts
Emerald Deck
- Amici Bar & Lounge
- Reception
- Boutique Azzurra
- La Cucina Terrace
- La Cucina Dining
- Oceanview Staterooms
- Lifts
Wellness Deck
- Medical Centre
- Gym
- Infrared Sauna
- Elements Spa
- Hairdressers
- Tender Boats
- Water Sports Boat
- Garage
- Marina Platform
- Lifts
Experience à la carte and fine dining on board our yachts. No matter which ocean you’re sailing on, you’ll find delectable meals on board, prepared using fresh, local ingredients.
With a selection of wines, beers, and soft drinks included with lunch and dinner, there's always a delightful pairing for your meals. Or, if you’d like to extend your selection of beverages, there’s a range of drinks packages to choose form^.
^Available at an additional cost.
La Cucina
Experience: complimentary
Food: regional
Enjoy the most delectable dishes in the opulent surrounds of the La Cucina Dining. Let the tastes of freshly sourced ingredients on your palate, and enjoy complimentary beverages with each meal.
La Cucina Terrace
Experience: complimentary
Food: regional
If you prefer to dine alfresco, head to the La Cucina Terrace.
Take in stunning vistas from the Observation Deck. Swim under the sun in the infinity-style Aqua Pool or take a leisurely dip in the Spa Pool. Unwind in the innovative infrared sauna and, on selected days, enjoy swim stops off the Marina Platform.
From the chilled and relaxed vibe of the Amici Bar & Lounge to the open-air surrounds of the Pool Deck and the serene Observation Lounge, you’ll find plenty of spaces on board to enjoy the company of new-found friends or to take a moment for yourself.
Amici Bar & Lounge
At the Amici Bar & Lounge, grab your morning coffee or meet friends here in the evenings for your favourite drink and some entertainment.
Observation Lounge
Head to the Observation Deck area for spectacular views or a morning yoga session. In the Observation Lounge, sit back and relax with a good book or play a game of chess.
Sky Deck
Enjoy a drink from the Sky Bar, relax on the plush seating, or take a dip in the bubbling Spa pool.
Aqua Pool & Café
Take in the views as you swim in the infinity-style Aqua Pool. Soak up the sun from the comfortable loungers or find some plush seating in the shade. Enjoy a coffee, scoop of gelato, or a freshly-made flatbread at the Aqua Pool Café.
Reception
The Reception can be found on the Emerald Deck next to the Boutique.