Island Hopping in Greece Without Breaking the Bank on a Star Clippers Sailing Ship. Seven-night sailings start at $2,300 per person
Greece is comprised of 6,000 islands, 227 of which are inhabited—so it’s easy to see why travelers choose to visit this magical country via cruise ship.
In this case, though, size does matter, especially for those looking to avoid the crowds and call on smaller islands like Patmos and Skiathos. Enter Star Clippers and their selection of sailings through Greece onboard a modern, 166-passenger clipper ship.
Star Clippers offers a variety of seven-day sailings in and around the Greek isles and Turkey onboard the namesake Star Clipper, starting at an affordable $2,300 per person. Because of its relatively small size, Star Clipper can drop anchor in out of the way ports and small harbors that the big ships can’t reach. Designed to reflect the proud heritage of traditional tall ships, Star Clippers ships are thoroughly modern vessels that marry the romance of the sailing era with the comforts and amenities of modern day.
The seven-night Northern Cyclades itinerary takes guests to Amorgos, where the cliffside monastery boasts one of the most spectacular locations in all of Greece, and to Patmos, the site of St. John’s apocalyptic revelations and home to stunning beaches. Other ports of call include Mykonos, Spetses and Kusadasi, Turkey. On the seven-night Southern Cyclades sailing, guests can visit ancient Rhodes, popular Santorini with its iconic views, Hydra and Bodrum, Turkey, site of King Mausolu’s Tomb, one of the seven wonder of the ancient world.
With a nod to Greece’s cinematic history, the seven-night Sporades Highlights itinerary visits several of the islands where Mamma Mia was filmed, including Skopelos, home to the tiny chapel where Sophie was to be married, and Skiathos, where the charming Old Port was the setting for the scene where the three fathers meet. Limnos, Poros and Dikili, Turkey are also on the itinerary.
All Greece itineraries sail round trip from Athens, making it easy to add time to explore the ancient city and its ruins before or after a sailing. And to make a once in a lifetime sailing through Greece even more tempting, Star Clippers is extending their Pick Your Perk offer, which allows guests to choose between receiving $300 in onboard credits and two complimentary shore excursions per cabin, or $400 in air credits and a complimentary Wi-Fi package per cabin, on a variety of 2025 Greece itineraries. Bookings must be made by August 31, 2024 to qualify. Offers is valid for residents of North, South and Central America only.
A Star Clippers sailing includes most everything under one fee—your cabin, three delicious meals a day, entertainment, the assistance of knowledgeable cruise director, and transportation to and from the ports via tender boats—making it easy to stick to a budget. It also affords the luxury of unpacking your suitcase just once, no lugging it across cobblestone streets or worrying about misplacing it, while waking up in a different destination each day. And in addition to saving your budget, a Star Clippers sailing also helps to save something even more precious—your time. Instead of rushing from train station to hotel and back again, guests on Star Clippers’ tall ships can relax and enjoy the thrill of sailing into each port taking it in from the sea before stepping on land.
(Island Hopping in Greece Without Breaking the Bank on a Star Clippers Sailing Ship. Seven-night sailings start at $2,300 per person – Star Clippers)