Greece and Turkey Cruises

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Cruising Around Greece and Turkey

A Greek Islands cruise has to be top of anyone's list of stress-relieving experiences, particularly when your ship calls at such a variety of different destinations every day.

These voyages cleverly combine the best of Turkey's coastline as well to bring together some of the Mediterranean's true holiday hotspots.

There's no shortage of choice of cruise lines and cruise ships as so many take to the clear waters of the Aegean Sea.

Departure ports include Barcelona, Venice, Rome (Civitavecchia), Savona and Piraeus, the port for Athens, for Greece and Turkey fly-cruises.

Among companies sailing on cruises to Greece and Turkey are Azamara Club Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Holland America Line, NCL, Ocean Village, Princess Cruises and Thomson Cruises.

Greece cruises also run from the UK, with companies such as P&O Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises among those offering 16- or 17-night voyages from Southampton.

Istanbul cruises often include an overnight stay to give time to explore highlights such as the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Place and the labyrinth of streets that make up the Grand Bazaar, originally established as far back as the 1450s. A popular stop on a Turkey cruise will be the ancient city of Ephesus is easily reached from the port of Kusadasi.

Cruises around Greece can also call in Athens for unforgettable tours to the rock of the Acropolis with the 2,000 year old ruins of the Parthenon. Athens has always been a city crying out to be explored. Whether you're heading for the Acropolis and the Plaka, the Temple of Zeus, Hadrian's Arch or the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, this has become even more enjoyable since the city's Olympic-inspired facelift in 2004.

Santorini cruises provide the opportunity to view the island's collection of more than 250 unique white washed churches, many jutting precariously out over the ocean.

Some cruises start and finish in Crete or Corfu and can be combined with stays on the islands.

Throughout cruises around Greece there will always be an abundance of resorts full of bars, cafes, hotels and beaches, yet they also retain their natural beauty and preserve their historical heritage.

A Greek islands cruise is full of must-sees including the Temple of Lindos on Rhodes and the Temple of Knossos near Heraklion on Crete. Also not to be missed is the original Olympics site - Olympia, which is near the sleepy fishing port of Katakolon.