Kotor, Montenegro - the ship comes into a 'fiord' and is very spectacular....so have your camera ready and get up on the deck. Be advised the 1st entry point is not the picture spot it is the 2nd entry point where it gets very tight, the ship will blow it's horn and then turn right......it is approx 20 min from 1st to second spot. In the city we were on our own and went into the old city and walked the old fort stairs up the side of the mountain to overlook the port. A must do....go early before it gets hot and will take approx 1.5 hours for a round trip. Take your time as it is a good climb and costs 3 euros per person so bring exact change or small coins.....they do not have the ability to break large bills.Tip. Ship tenders here so you have to get Tender Tickets which are passed out at the Top Hat lounge......get there approx 30 min early and stand by the right entrance. The person should come and set a chair right in front of the door and pass out the tickets. Many folks come into the lounge and sit and wait.....then when the person comes in they call everyone out to get in line......this becomes a zoo.

Kotor

Corfu, Greece - ship had shuttles into the town square where we just walked around, shopped, had lunch and went into the old fort for pictures. Get farther into town than the main shopping street, and you'll find some quaint restaurants. Try Ta Kokopia ("the Rooster") -- fantastic!

Corfu

Mykonos - AWESOME. We tendered here and took the 1st tender (no tender ticket required for early tenders) and walked the city while all the shops were still closed and the city was waking up. It was spectacular....once the city and shops opened it took a completely different and busy appearance. Here just walk about and get lost on the streets and make sure you make your way to the bus circle and the 24-hour bakery which was fantastic for cheap eats and desserts......Wow! Tip: Get off early and walk about when nobody is on the streets except the locals....what a wonderful city. Do not eat by the water, go back in the village as the food is much better and 40% cheaper.....and more a local feel.

Mykonos

Dubrovnik, Croatia - visiting the Old Town and walking the city walls is a must. The Old Town is a 15 minute drive from the port, so we booked the ship's transfer there & back but explored the Old Town on our own. It is an amazing city, especially when you think about how recently they were affected by war. Walking the city walls allows a chance to see not only the spectacular views, but get an idea of what life is like for the locals. Other passengers did a private taxi tour and said it was well worth the cost.

Dubrovnik

Santorini, Greece - this is a beautiful island - but transportation is challenging. We tendered in and as all of the towns are at the top of high cliffs, you get to the top by either cable car, on a donkey or climbing the steps to get to Fira. From there, to get to Oia (the picturesque town), you either take a bus, taxi, or hike 6 miles. OR you can do what we did... We booked a 3hr private boat tour which picked us up at the waterfront below Fira, took us to the volcano, swimming in hot springs, swimming in a bay at a neighboring island, dropped us off at the waterfront below Oia, then picked us up a few hours later to take us back to Fira to meet the ship's tender. We did have to climb steps to get up to Oia, but it only took 15-20 minutes. Others we spoke with later said they had to wait 45 min - 1hr in the hot sun waiting to take the cable car back down. The private tour was definitely the way to go. You can also hire a boat just for the transfer to & from Fira/Oia to avoid the cable car lines. Worth the cost!

Santorini

Athens, Greece - used ship excursion to go to the Acropolis and see the sites with many, many folks doing the same thing. Was a very good tour but it is quite crowded on the hilltop and after a while we just left the group and walked around on our own. From the dock it is 6 kilometers to the Acropolis and takes approx 30 min given the traffic. If you are doing any shopping recommend doing so in the city or by the excursions as there is not much at all by the port. Recommend an excursion here as getting off and walking around will not be of value.

Amazing tour! Ephesus, Terrace Houses, Temple of Artemis, House of the Virgin Mary, and lunch at a local restaurant. It was thrilling to walk the same streets that Paul had walked and see where he had preached. Even if you have a tour guide, read up on the history of the city prior to your visit...it will help you remember things the guide tells you. It's HOT...bring water, wear a hat, and maybe even carry an umbrella for shade.

This is an important place for Catholics, but for us (nondenominational Christian), it wasn't that big of a deal. It is extremely crowded and very small. You spend maybe a minute (if that long) in the house itself. The wall of prayers was reminescent of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem

This is a must-see part of Ephesus. The paintings, mosaics, engineering (central cooling in 500 BC!) were phenomenal! Our tour guide really helped us imagine what life was like living in these homes 2000 years ago.

We were upgraded to a junior balcony suite on the 1st cruise that had Athens in the ports of call and a standard balcony cabin on the following week. Both very comfortable and quite accommodating......for the balcony we were put on the left (port) side of the ship and it did not disappoint to see the sites when pulling in. Our junior balcony suite was on the back of the ship...wonderful for sail aways and relaxing when you wanted to get away from it all. LOTS of storage space and ample closet space as well. There is a tub in the bathroom, not just a shower...much easier for ladies having to shave their legs! The deluxe balcony cabin we had the second week also had plenty of storage space -- these cabins were modified when the ship was updated and the storage shelves are in a separate cabinet next to the closet. Other ships have shelves inside the closet. We liked this configuration much more.

We used My Time dining so we could adjust the week to fit the ports of call and allow us to have food on the stop and then eat later once back on the ship.We booked a 3hr private boat tour which picked us up at the waterfront below Fira, took us to the volcano, swimming in hot springs, swimming in a bay at a neighboring island, dropped us off at the waterfront below Oia, then picked us up a few hours later to take us back to Fira to meet the ship's tender.

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