Exploring the Smaller Islands of Greece with Azamara

Written By Krista Nannery

The Pursuit docked in Kusadasi, Turkey, the port for the ancient city of Ephesus

Greetings from Rhodes, Greece!

I am on the Azamara Pursuit, half-way through their 10 day Greece Intensive itinerary. Given my business success to date, I was invited to join this cruise as part of an Azamara Seminar at Sea, where we attend training sessions and meet with ship staff throughout the week. For example, this morning, we met with the hotel director and learned about what's in the cards for Azamara over the next four years. Hint: Eclipse cruises are going to be big!

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Now, truth be told: I am not really a cruiser. But there are some places like Alaska -- and the Greek islands -- where cruising makes a lot of sense. Especially when you are on a smaller ship like The Pursuit. (The alternative in Greece would be ferry hopping from one island to the next. But have you ever seen those TikTok videos about ferries in Greece in July and August? HARD NO from me.)

My last cruise was on Princess with my dad back in 2023. The Caribbean Princess takes 3,140 passengers. Azamara Pursuit takes just 700 passengers. After getting so used to the size of Princess, it's refreshing to just be a short walk away from either elevator bank. I've gotten to know a number of other passengers, and I see them regularly! On a larger ship, you may vibe with a few people and then never see them again. The staff on The Pursuit are also much better at remembering my name. Everywhere I go, it seems that some staff member knows me. (And this is without Princess' amazing medallion system...an Air Tag system for passengers. Azamara just uses a regular key card for room access and embarking/disembarking.)

As always, I've learned a lot of lessons during this cruise and it's only Day 5. Here are some things I've been thinking about...

Historically, I've told clients you want to be on a floor with nothing but cabins above or below you. On this cruise, I am on Deck 6, which is one floor above the main dining and social floor. It is SO refreshing to just "pop downstairs" for dinner each night. No long waits for elevators. So..I may relax this floor rule for clients as long as the cabins aren't over the cabaret lounge. Yes, it may be okay to be over the social floor! (But I would not want to be under the social floor.)

It is also SOOO refreshing to have all drinks included. Specialty coffees, French rose...it's all included in my cruise. Now, if you are a hard liquor drinker (I am not), you may want to upgrade your package to get access to better alcohol. But if you are just a wine/beer drinker, the included stuff might be enough for you.

A view of The Pursuit from The Cave of the Apocalypse in Patmos, Greece, where St. John the Theologian wrote the Book of Revelation.

Small ships are AMAZING for smaller ports. Yesterday, we were in Patmos, Greece and I seriously fell in love. This island gets one cruise ship a day, if that, during the summer months. The old town area was so cute. I loved it. Okay, there were a lot of shops but they were NICE shops. Not fridge magnet shops. If I ever island hop again in this part of the world (by ferry, not by cruise), I am coming back to Patmos. Syros was also nice (but a bit busier given that they are the administrative hub of the Cyclades) and they only take three cruise ships a week!

Azamara has some amazing intensive cruises in Spain and France where they can go places that other cruise lines just can't.

My cabin on The Pursuit, before I set up the magnetic hooks. I was lucky to not have a roommate.

Bringing magnetic hooks for my cabin was a great idea. Even an old travel advisor can learn new tricks. I bought a pack of six hooks and they are so handy for hats, laundry bags, and random stuff.

Azamara is an Upper Premium cruise line. It is not 5 star luxury. (Although the bedding is fantastic -- better than the bedding at the 5 star hotel I stayed at in Athens -- and I am a sucker for good bedding.) There are pluses and minuses to sailing with an Upper Premium cruise line. A big plus of Upper Premium cruising is the price in comparison to Regent, Silversea, and Seabourn. A con is just that some shore excursions feel a little rougher around the edges. For example, today, I did a ship-organized beach day in Rhodes and the bus was EXTREMELY tired. (Like the seats wouldn't even stay up and kept reclining on their own.) I have a hard time believing that Silversea would allow for this sort of bus to be used for their clients.

During our training today, I learned that the average age of Azamara customers in July and August is 55. (Kids are out of school, more public holidays allowing for longer vacations, etc.) In the winter months, the average age jumps up to 65.

To me, the biggest advantage for Azamara is the ship size and the interesting itineraries this allows. Smaller ports are so much more fun and interesting to me than running the gauntlet in a big port like Rhodes. (We're here with Virgin's Resilient Lady, Holland America's Oosterdam, and Crystal's Symphony, the most cruise ships we've seen in one port since the cruise started.)

More to come over the next few weeks as I fully digest this experience!

About Krista

I’m a Virtuoso travel advisor based in West Palm Beach, Florida. University of Notre Dame undergrad, University of Chicago MBA. 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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Traveling with Parkinson’s Disease: Safe, Seamless, and Still Full of Joy