We chose this cruise for the destination. We stayed for all the wonderful ship amenities. Our cruise started out a little rough at the airport as there was a bit of miscommunication with our ground transportation, which had nothing to do with Royal Caribbean as we arranged for our own GT through Viator. But all was made well and we got to the port in plenty of time. If you are a first timer to Fuimicino airport, you will likely need to proceed to Door 1 in the Arrivals area after getting your baggage. Be prepared for a bit of chaos as there was a phalanx of drivers with name signs of varying size and ability to find them. Be sure you have a phone number already in your contacts for your pick up person and keep in communication with them until you put eyes on them! Also, Customs at the airport took about an hour and was a bit chaotic as well, so be sure to factor that into your meeting time. Consider using the Royal Caribbean GT, it's probably worth it.

We really enjoyed ourselves, there was plenty to do and the excursions packed a lot into the limited time in each port. The RC excursions were well run, even if sometimes a bit unwieldy, the tour guides were all very professional and knowledgeable. Consider the "small group tours" that are limited to about 25 per. It was easy to book tours on ship and you can change your mind and your excursion with little fuss. The "on/off" bus tours in Athens meet you right at the port. It's a good deal and an easy 3/4-hour-ish ride to the Acropolis, but be prepared for long lines for tix at the Acropolis, and a long walk too. Stop for a falafel or gyro at the Plaka on the way.

There was so much to do on ship and we danced well into most nights. We had a blast on board as well as in our ports-of-call. Food, service, entertainment, and the photographers were all top notch. Dining service in the Tides was fabulous. We did My Time dining which was very handy as we could do an earlier or later dinner depending on what was going on. Every meal was more delicious than the next. Read more