Observations from Greece & Getting Ready for Peru…

Written By Krista Nannery

I am back from my Azamara 10 night Greece Intensive cruise! It was a great experience. I am not not a sea day or casino gal — and this is only my 3rd ocean cruise ever — so it was fantastic to be in a new port every single day with lots to explore. I was on the Azamara Pursuit, which holds 702 passengers. The small size of the ship means we were nearly always docked right in the middle of things. Azamara specializes in immersive journeys like this. Check out their intensive itineraries in Japan, Croatia, and Italy,

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The Azamara Pursuit off in the distance in Patmos, Greece

Favorite Port: Patmos! Where John the Theologian received the visions that became the Book of Revelation. While I am not a regular church-goer, after 17 years of Catholic school, this was interesting to me! Also, the main old town in Patmos was very lively with cute shops and restaurants.

Port that is Touristy but a Vibe: Kos! Loved our wine tasting experience here along with our moussaka cooking demonstration. I’d go back to Kos.

Least Favorite Port: Rhodes but this is my fault. I opted for a beach day and the ship excursion took us to a very busy beach with very questionable bathrooms. This became stressful because Azamara had reserved loungers on the beach but regular people kept trying to sit in them and so for four hours straight, I had to watch/listen to staff try to kick people out of the reserved loungers.

Ataturk in Alacati

Most Surprising Port: I really enjoyed Cesme, Turkey. I did a day trip to Alacati and it was a cute vacation destination. I also enjoyed my visit to Spinalonga, the former leper colony, in Crete.

Who I think Azamara is Right For: People who like to explore new and interesting destinations. People who have a bigger budget than mass market cruises but aren’t ready for Regent/Silversea/Seabourn yet. People who like small ships. People who don’t mind a small shower.

My delightfully old school room at Grand Bretagne in Athens

Pre-Cruise Hotel Stay: MGallery Athens Capital. Modern and fresh but a very busy lobby. Nice rooftop restaurant. Small rooftop pool where I could never get a seat.

Post-Cruise Hotel Stay: Grande Bretagne (Marriott Luxury Collection). GRANDE DAME. My favorite type of hotel. ALL THE MARBLE ALL THE TIME. Great bar, great rooftop pool where I had no problem getting a seat. Burned a lot of Bonvoy points but it was mostly worth it.

Athens Pre-Cruise Tours This was my third time in Athens so I didn’t need to see the Acropolis again. (Have done it twice.) Instead, I did this amazing wine tasting with my new friend George. And then I also did this food tour which was super fun with a great guide.

Things I’d Do Differently Next Time: More stairmaster. Climbing to the top of Patmos to visit St. John’s monastary was a steep hike!

Craziest Thing I Saw: At Ephesus in Turkey, so many people slip and fall or faint in the heat that they have ambulance numbers posted every 20 feet. As our tour guide warned, “Don’t go to Ephesus without travel insurance. Turkish hospitals will rob you blind.” Please buy travel insurance, even if it’s just to cover you for accidents and sickness.

Travel Revelation: Man, you can pay with Apple Pay anywhere these days. It’s very refreshing. Don’t have two euros for a bottle of water when viewing archaeological ruins in Santorini? Apple Pay!

Travel Things I’ve Learned Recently That Have Little to Do With Anything Above

  • Tauck has launched a new touring line aimed at people in their 40s and 50s. (This is one of those examples of why travel agents exist. Tauck can’t possibly market this to all travelers. They need travel advisors like me to market their products. Same with Virgin Voyages. They tried to launch without travel agents and failed. Want to book a Virgin cruise? Boo Book through my link here.)

  • T-mobile now provides free international roaming in many destinations! I was suprised when I arrived in Greece that T-mobile told me that 5G data was included.

  • If your entertainment doesn’t work on your Delta flight to Greece, complain and specifically ask to be compensated in miles. Maybe you’ll get 15,000 miles like I did!

  • Products that keep you cool seem to be the newest travel accessories. So many people on my cruise had cooling neck bands and portable fans!

  • Dehydration in the elderly after long flights is no joke. If you are over ~65, please make sure you drink lots of water during your long flights, stock up on Liquid IV, and drink lots of Gatorade or coconut water when you reach your destination.

  • Palm Beach airport is the best airport ever! For my Greece trip, I showed up at PBI at 9:45 am for my 11 am outbound flight. (I flew through Atlanta.) On the return, I got off the plane at PBI at 8:40 pm and arrived home at 9:21 pm! That may be a record for me. The 8:40 pm arrival meant our luggage arrived super quickly. I ordered my Uber from baggage claim and he pulled up as soon as I made it to the Uber pick-up zone. I know many people dislike connecting flights, but I hate Miami airport more!

Where to Next? Well, I’ve got a lot going on. I have my host agency’s annual conference coming up and then I was invited to Peru! Yes, I’m going on an Amazon river cruise. Piranhas, pink dolphins, and MOSQUITOS. I’m a little worried about the mosquitos! Send me any and all tips to avoid them!

About Krista

I’m a Virtuoso travel advisor based in West Palm Beach, Florida. I attended the University of Notre Dame for undergrad, and have my MBA from the University of Chicago. Prior to moving to Florida to take care of my elderly mom with Parkinson’s Disease, I spent over 11 years living and working in London, England. My background and 20 year career in the investment management industry have taken me all over the world. To date, I’ve been to 78 countries. Now I bring the joy of travel to others as a Virtuoso travel advisor. I offer a 30 minute complimentary vacation consultation to anyone looking to plan their next trip.

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Krista Nannery
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Exploring the Smaller Islands of Greece with Azamara