For the adventurous, the port call in Santorini can provide excitement when the cable car breaks down and you have to descend the 588-step stairway/path (no railing) in a short amount of time or be left behind with your passport on the ship. For those of us past middle age, this can be a challenge; my legs did not recover for several days. To add insult to injury, we were not refunded the six euros included in our fare for the cable car ticket. Celestyal is not resilient enough to arrange for the same buses to return passengers to the alternate port where we landed.

Otherwise, Celestyal does a better job than expected in most areas, although the restaurant/buffet service has more than a few inattentive servers. The process of informing passengers on when and where to meet for port calls and tour groups could be improved. The essential information is scattered amidst advertising and other irrelevant details. Cabins are small, like those on Scandinavian ferries, but kept clean.

I did not expect a Greek Island cruise to best be described as “grueling,” but the strenuous schedule was worth the exertion. My favorite place was Ephesus, but I won’t argue if you prefer Patmos or Crete. My only regret is Santorini. Even with an operative cable-car, it’s a windswept tourist trap where grit gets in your eyes.