We chose this cruise more for the itinerary than for the ship itself and based solely on the itinerary we had a great time. If this was a review just of the cruise ship I'd say it was below average for what we've had in the past. I'm putting this recap out there mostly to help others with ideas for the ports of call and less for the ship itself.

We left out of Venice on Saturday, June 8th, but were delayed leaving by several hours because of protesters in the water protesting all the cruise ships and tourists. (The previous Monday a cruise ship from a different cruise line hit a ferry and the dock in Venice causing multiple injuries so the local populace was upset about all the tourism) Because of our late departure the captain told us we would not be able to make our stop in Kotor, Montenegro. That was a real disappointment as we had read how beautiful that was. So, instead of that first stop Sunday became a day at sea.

On Monday we made our first stop on the island of Corfu. it was a beautiful and green island. We chose to walk from the pier into the old part of town. I took us about 30 minutes walking to make it all the way into town where there we visited the old fortress and climbed all the way to the top of the lighthouse. The climb up was a bit steep, especially on the smooth stones so be careful going up and down. Entrance fee was around 6 Euros each. Right in that general area there is a shopping district where you can buy touristy items. After seeing the fortress we picked up a taxi and we had a beach in mind we were going to visit and the taxi driver, Giannis, talked us into a better beach that was about a 30 minute drive from the cruise ship. The beach we went to was Glyfada beach and it was spectacular. It was a long beach with beautiful sand and the best part was it was not crowded at all. We rented two beach loungers with an umbrella for 20 Euros and that also included a large bottle of water and free towel rentals. There were several bars and eating establishments to choose from if you were hungry and they would bring you drinks to your lounger. There were also restrooms and showers. The water was warm and you could walk out 50 yards and still only be in water up to your waist. Just a beautiful beach and experience. Giannis arranged to pick us up at a certain time and he was there right when he said he'd be. It took about 30 minutes to get back to the ship so if you go there plan your time accordingly. As for Giannis, if you are looking for a taxi driver in Corfu, he is your guy. He speaks perfect English, was entertaining, and got us to and from where were going just like he said he would. If you want to try and pre-arrange something you can email him at johnleivas83@yahoo.gr or call him at +30 693 484 3704. Read more