Variety Cruises

Holiday Cruises

First-Time Cruisers

Athens (Piraeus)

Greece

Europe - All

Mediterranean

Excellent

Terrible

Average

Very Good

Galileo

Harmony V

Variety Voyager

Pegasus

Panorama II

Harmony G

Panorama

Callisto

Fabulous experience on the Galileo around the Cyclades

Tortola

Friends recommended this cruise to us and it didn't disappoint.  We absolutely loved it and we met the most fabulous people who we will hopefully see again one day.  We were the only Australian/ New Zealanders on the cruise, there was a huge variety of nationalities, couples and singles from America, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Argentina, England, Scotland, we met a few really fabulous people from the States who we hope to keep in touch with, a gorgeous Mother / Daughter couple from Germany who we also hope to stay in touch with.  My husband was super concerned as he gets sea sick but he coped really well, took the crews recommendation of drugs and how best to manage it.  The cruise as relaxing, not a thing to think about other than having fun and enjoying every minute, we had a lovely crew who looked after us well, we felt spoilt.  The room was to be expected, small but very comfortable, we slept well.  I couldn't fault it, it exceeded all of our expectations and we look forward to doing another cruise someday soon.

Marketing Coordinator

We bought this cruise in a benefit auction for Aces In Motion, a non-profit in Gainesville, Florida which teaches tennis to help develop life skills and character in teenagers who want a better life!. We were delayed 3 times by covid and once by Variety but the timing of the trip 3 Nov 2022 couldn't have been more perfect. The weather did reroute us to Messalinghi which turned out to be an amazing place for flamingos and a brilliant sunset. Dietmer, our cruise director, worked  so hard to keep us on track, and help a disabled cruise passenger see everything with the challenging geography. Jenny was so informative about the places we saw, the modern and ancient Greek culture and history, and her enthusiasm was contagious. Iro lead a great hike from Delphi, and other places (which we didn't attend because we saw antiquities). The boat was clean and comfortable and the Captain friendly and knowledgeable. I had to watch my head a lot through doors though- I'm 6'6".  The food was so fresh every day and tasty with an emphasis on Greek foods, presentation, and preparation. I ate dessert first because it was so good. And because we were the last scheduled boat this year the crowds were nonexistent. We had a great time seeing Greece for the first time on this Variety cruise

Ancient history and places put smiles on our faces

We absolutely loved our cruise.   It was our very first cruise experience and it was perfect.   The staff was amazing.  They went above an beyond.  They remembered every preference and were so helpful and enthusiastic.  

We really enjoyed the swim stops.  Seeing only the sea and a remote, uninhabited island was so fun.  The crew was great about safety and getting us to and from shore.  

The islands were amazing.  We had just the right amount of time off the boat to explore.  They were so helpful with restaurant suggestions and how to get places.  

The boat itself was beautiful and well taken care of.  Our cabin was small but that was expected.  I only really had trouble with the size the first night.  I would say that if you were choosing Cabin C, to try to be away from the anchor.  That was the loudest part.  The motor didn't bother us.  But bringing up the anchor in the mornings at 4/5am was not pleasant.  

I would highly recommend this trip.  We were the youngest couple on our cruise; however, the other passengers were so great to include us and we had a great time getting to know them.  We played cards each night with 2 other couples and went on walks and took taxis to another to see different places on the islands.

Loved it!

Let me list the points:

1) Accommodation - we paid for a cat A cabin and on arrival were shown to a cabin with twin beds.  We argued that we booked a double but manager just shrugged shoulders and said boat was full which turned out to be a complete lie.  Met the couple opposite us and they had been booked into cat B and then decided they didn't like the cabin and were given an upgrade (at a discounted rate) to a double room.  My bed was 1 metre wide, against a wall with a bunk bed folded above it.  It is just a foam mattress on the hard base which had a slope from all the previous people lying on one side trying to avoid hitting their head on the bunk.  The sheets were worn and yellowing. The room was dirty - can see the dust in the gaps between the furniture, the bathroom was only 2 stars, the shower curtain didn't reach the bottom so we constantly had water running over the floor.  When the sea is rough the water doesn't drain properly.  Toilet didn't flush properly.  Another couple we met had exactly the same complaint re lack of double room.

2) Food - average

3) Diesel fumes - it didn't matter what deck you were on there was a constant smell of diesel fumes - absolutely nauseating.

4) We booked this through Peregrine and after about 4 weeks they responded to our complaint and offered 10% discount off the next tour we book with them.  Well after having one horror experience there is no way we would book any other tours with them.

5) Itinerary - changed due to weather conditions.  Can appreciate that.

6) shore excursions extra.

Worst cruise ever

This is a beautiful small ship (about 25 cabins) with an amazing crew. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff. The food was wonderful..authentic Greek food, perfect for our trip around these beautiful islands. Our tour coordinator, Joseph, was knowledgeable, friendly and funny a perfect combination! The stewards (food and room) were all efficient and friendly, our room was serviced twice a day.

The bar was well serviced and the drinks were generous and reasonably price.

There were several events that included drinks (in Santorini the Greek night was so much fun with ouzo (or wine/beer) flowing freely).

There were shore excursions offered in each port with the trip to Delos a highlight for us (take plenty of water). We loved the swim stops, swimming out from the boat in the sparling water was amazing and unforgettable.

There was a range of ages on our cruise, mid 20's to 80 with most in the mid 40s to mid 60s.

We thoroughly recommend this small ship cruise if you enjoy good company (mainly aussies on our cruise), good food, fun and the joy of experiencing new places you will love it..

Wonderful small ship cruise around the Cyclades

Greece was my bucket list destination. Because we wanted to see a variety of islands and only had a short time we chose the Jewels of the Cyclades Cruise with Variety. I am glad we did. First off. The ship is charming and because of its size you spend a lot of time at port instead of getting to the port.  Our Cabin was necessarily small ( its a small ship!) but well appointed.  I chose Cat A because i like the outside entrance. The staff is fabulous, very accommodating. The food is fantastic. The upper deck is magic.

Second the Islands. Mostly you sail early am or late at night and so you get to spend a lot of quality time at each island. That said. Do your homework or take the excursions. The excursions are small groups and not too expensive so I recommend them if you don't know the islands or don't like to strike out on your own. We tend to go off on our own so I did research and we mostly explored each island either by bus on foot or rented a car  (Make sure you have your International Drivers Cert)  Must see -Go to Rakentia on the island of Folegandros ! you can take a bus from the marina and then walk there from town) 

Don't miss the excursion to Delos.

and so final thought..  I really don't like cruises, and swore I would never take another, but I've been converted. On this small ship cruise you feel more like you are on a private yacht with your friends.

Take this Cruise!

We normally prefer small ship cruises but this was easily the worst.

We made the booking on condition that we would be allocated a cabin with a double bed,at the front of the ship. The request was acknowledged by Variety Cruises.

On arrival, we were shown to a cabin with two single beds at the back of the ship ! 

I queried their error and they argued that there are no cabins with double beds. I showed them their brochure with pictures of cabins which did have double beds and a copy of my email acknowledgment !

They were not even embarrassed by being caught out.The Manager shrugged his shoulders.This was a particularly telling sign.

They then argued that it was now too late as everyone was already on board. I pointed out that two taxis had just pulled up and the passengers were just embarking.

I said if you don’t give us a cabin with a double bed then we would be getting off and would take legal action to receive a refund. At this point they moved us to another cabin with a double bed. We received no apology.

We submitted a formal complaint ,at the end of the cruise, about this and also the lack of service provided if you didn’t “ sign up” for their organised tours.

 In Santorini , as an example,they would not provide a tender from the ship to land after 8.00 in the morning unless we agreed to pay €140 euros each way for a tender.


It took 7 weeks to get a reply from the Company regarding our complaints.They did ultimately acknowledge that “ if you are not going on the tour , having just one time to go ashore at 8am was not ideal”. 

It certainly wasn’t ideal because the return tender was at 16.30pm ,eight and a half hours later.

 

They could have paid the €140 for the tender themselves but they were a penny pinching company in everything they did.

The fundamental problem is that they don’t have their own tender. In Mykonos they moored a fair distance away and we needed to pay for our own public transport to travel to the town centre. The larger ships had their own tenders which went back and forth throughout the day and evening.

Our category grade A cabin was on the small side and needed to be updated but it was ok

The food on board was of a cafeteria standard and should have been better as they were not catering for many people.If the food served on board had been given to us in a restaurant on land ,we would have eaten it but would not have returned. Unfortunately, onboard we had no option.

Quality of dining is important ,particularly on a small ship with no entertainment. So there wasn’t much to look forward to in the evening. Fortunately our fellow passengers were a lovely crowd and we were lucky because this may not have been the case. 

Be very careful if you are on your honeymoon and want a double bed. By the same token ,you could be in for a shock if you want two single beds to then be allocated a double bed !

This is not a cheap cruise , we paid £4700,and after our experience we will never use this company again. Why take the risk ?

Terrible cruise

I have always cringed at the thought of going on a cruise on one of the larger ships so it was with trepidation that I even agreed to go on this one. Boy was I glad I did. From the minute we stepped aboard to the moment we left the ship I cant speak higher of the service from the staff on board.

The ship was beautifully clean throughout with ample areas to relax in the shade or on the sundeck. We never felt that we were too crowded. Our cabin was one of the cheaper ones on the lower deck and although it was small and we could hear the anchor coming up in the morning it was fine for us. It was kept immaculate and  cleaned twice a day and there was  enough storage space. I did look in one of the other cabins on the upper deck and they were quite a bit larger and nicer but I guess it depends on your budget. You really don't spend that much time in the cabin anyway!

The dining area was large and most people tended to find a place and pretty much sit there. The food was wonderful. Always cereal, fruit and hot dishes for breakfast. Plenty of fish, grilled meats, salads and local dishes for either lunch or dinner depending on the days activities. 

It was wonderful to anchor off small coves and go swimming off the boat or get the tender into the beach. Plenty of noodles to float around on and snorkels and flippers. also a couple of kayaks if you felt energetic! We went to some of the smaller Islands which was lovely as when we arrived at Mykonos there were thousands of people off the large cruise ships!! We had a great ouzo and Greek dancing night on board one night but otherwise there was no formal entertainment, but the bar was always open and the lovely Val was happy to serve you whatever you wished for. The drinks were quite reasonably priced also.  Most evening we were in a port tied up next to the local fishing boats and you could wander off to the local tavernas and bars for the evening as we would not leave until early the next morning. 

You could opt to go on the excursions or do your own thing. We did about half and half. It was a fantastic experience and I have some wonderful memories and would not hesitate to go on a small ship cruise like this again!

First time cruise.. won't be the last!!!

My husband and I decided to finally take our honeymoon trip (almost 3 years later) as we were saving it for something big.

We have always wanted to visit Greece (was on our bucket list) but also craved the adventure part, so we decided to go on a cruise. As we were browsing cruise lines in internet we agreed that we didn't want a big cruise, we were looking for something more personal and special, and we now can say Variety Cruises offers exactly that deal.

Our journey aboard the Galileo was one of the most exciting experiences I've had, starting by the breathtaking views and relaxed vibe. 

One of the highlights is the staff, they make sure everyone is comfortable at all times, very diligent and empathetic people with a genuine smile on their face, that made them look like family at the end of our journey.

They even learn everyone's name and make sure nobody's left out.

One of the positive things about it is that they gave us plenty of time to visit each of the Greek islands, you can enjoy the daytime as nighttime.

We made friends easily on the Galileo and enjoyed every moment of it.

We have no doubt that we'll make another trip with Variety Cruises in the future, couldn't recommend it more.!

Spectacular holidays

We loved everything about this cruise! It was our first time in Greece, and after the cruise we were heading out for two weeks of home exchange and our own adventures, so we really appreciated the introduction this cruise gave us. We toured the Cyclades. The ship is delightful, the crew was extraordinarily cheerful, capable and kind. I had an eating challenge that made my diet really complex, and the Hotel Manager memorized my preferences and had special meals created for me - to the point that the other passengers wondered if perhaps I wasn't getting an upgrade!  

The ship is in great condition, everything perfectly clean. Our cabin was kept spotless, the bed was comfortable and there was more space than we expected (Category B). We did not do all the tours, although our shipmates were happy with them. We did the Delos excursion and it was terrific.

We especially loved that the ship had access to the port piers so that we only used tenders at one island. All the other stops we could come and go as we pleased. The half board plan worked great, we really enjoyed scoping out restaurants on all the islands.

We will be back with Variety. This was our 35th wedding anniversary, and we enjoyed every minute!

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