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9 of the best cruises to see the Greek islands
From temples to taramasalata or sandy beaches and scenery, the Greek islands have plenty to offer holidaymakers – and you can fit even more in with a cruise
Finding the best Greek island can be a challenge for even the most experienced travellers, but luckily a cruise makes it easy to island hop so you don’t have to settle for just one.
You could explore the Acropolis in Athens one day before scenic Santorini on another or just enjoy the beaches and nightlife of Mykonos.
Smaller ships could even take you to more remote islands that larger vessels can’t reach, letting you access more historical sites and unique landscapes that are harder to find on foot.
There are a range of routes available to give you a taste or full tour of the Greek islands.
Many vessels will depart from Piraeus, just 30 minutes from Athens, offering round trips. You could even include the islands as part of a longer Mediterranean cruise, and many may have Greek-themed delicacies and activities on board.
Santorini in particular will be keen to welcome cruise passengers back after a string of devastating earthquakes rattled the island in February.
Here are some of the best itineraries coming up to help you go Greek.
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Star Clippers: Sporades Highlights
Athens, Greece – Dikili, Turkey – Limnos, Greece – Skiathos, Greece – Skopelos, Greece – Poros, Greece – Athens, Greece
Explore Greece from a tall ship with Star Clippers.
This small-ship experience, aboard the 170 passenger capacity Star Clipper, uses its size to reach smaller and more intimate destinations in the Sporades, a group of Greek islands in the north west Aegean Sea.
Port stops include Skopelos, made famous by the Mamma Mia! film, and the beautiful beaches of Skiathos, home to historical ruins that are only accessible by boat.
Onboard activities during this seven-night cruise include yoga as well as kayaking and swimming off the ship’s stern.
Departs 19 July 2025; from £1,800pp
Celebrity: Best of Greece
Athens – Santorini – Thessaloniki – Kavala – Ephesus - Mykonos – Athens
See how the blue dome rooftops of Santorini glisten in the Greek sunshine during this seven-night cruise aboard Celebrity Infinity.
Departing from Athens, the itinerary includes long port calls, staying in Santorini until 10pm and in Greece’s second largest city, Thessaloniki until 7pm.
That should give you more than enough time to explore its historic sites, such as the White Tower dating from the 16th century and home to a range of Byzantine art, before sailing on to destinations such as Ephesus in Turkey and Mykonos.
Departs 2 August 2025; from £539pp
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Celestyal: Idyllic Aegean
Athens – Thessaloniki – Kusadasi – Heraklion (Crete) – Santorini – Mykonos – Milos – Athens
Explore the Greek islands with a cruise company actually based in the region. Celestyal Cruises has its headquarters in Athens and focuses on sailings around the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean.
Its seven-night Idyllic Aegean sailing departs from Athens and takes in the popular islands with overnight stops in Santorini and Mykonos. You can visit the volcanic landscape of Milos as well as the Palace of Knossos on Crete.
The taste of Greece continues on board Celestyal Journey where you can enjoy Greek dancing as well as dishes and pastries inspired by the country all day in The Taverna. Suite guests can also access Mediterranean dishes in the dedicated Smoked Olive restaurant.
Departs 31 May 2025; from £1,139pp for an interior state room
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Variety: Wines of Greece
Athens – Nafplion – Monemvasia – Serifos – Santorini – Samos – Tinos – Athens
Variety Cruises offers a small-ship experience, catering for just 49 guests aboard Panorama. Its new seven-night Wine Cruises of Greece this September will let you raise a glass as you enjoy a more intimate journey through the region.
Passengers will meet winemakers and visit vineyards in hotspots such as Nemea, Santorini and Tinos to learn everything about Greek grapes. Back on the ship, you can also enjoy paired wines with dinner.
Departs 5 September 2025; from £4,130pp for a category C room with portholes
Read more: Weird and wonderful things you can do on a cruise
Windstar: Treasures of the Greek Isles
Athens – Nafplio – Mykonos – Kusadasi – Patmos – Santorini – Monemvasia – Athens
At 148 passengers, Windstar offers another intimate small-ship experience that takes you to ports and views that other large vessels can’t reach.
This seven-night sailing on Wind Spirit starts in Athens but uses its small size to take you to more secluded ports such as Monemvasia, a pedestrian-only village built into a cliffside, and Nafplio, where you can explore Venetian fortresses. There is also a chance to have dinner among the ruins during a visit to Ephesus in Turkey.
Departs 7 May 2026; from $5,199pp (£3,989pp) for an interior state room
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Virgin Voyages: Greek Island Glow
Athens – Santorini – Rhodes – Bodrum, Turkey – Mykonos – Athens
Adult-only brand Virgin Voyages is renowned for its onboard parties, and you can expect the same on its seven-night Greek Island Glow sailing from Athens on the flagship Scarlet Lady.
The partying can continue on land though, with an overnight stop in Mykonos, letting you hang out late into the night without worrying about missing embarkation. Other highlights on the route include Rhodes, as well as a visit to Bodrum in Turkey.
Departs 7 June 2026; from £2,874 for an inside cabin with two people
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Cunard: Mediterranean and Greek Islands
Southampton – Cadiz – Heraklion – Kusadasi – Athens – Santorini – Messina – Messina Strait – Malaga – Southampton
Cunard offers a Western Mediterranean round-trip from Southampton on its newest ship, Queen Anne. The 19-night adventure includes visits to Heraklion in Crete, as well as Athens and Santorini on top of other Med hotspots including Cadiz and Malaga. You can also enjoy 11 sea days.
Departs 7 September 2025; from £2,649pp
Azamara: Greece Cruise
Athens – Syros – Patmos – Rhodes – Marmaris – Agios Nikolaos – Santorini – Monemvasia – Athens
If you like more time to explore destinations, Azamara may be the cruise line for you. This eight-night sailing on Azamara Onward takes in the main Greek Islands and is well-known for longer stays in port. It docks in Rhodes and Santorini until 10pm and has an overnight stay in Athens, giving you plenty of time to explore.
As Azamara Onward is a medium-sized ship, catering for 684 passengers, it can use its relatively smaller size to visit quieter islands, such as Syros and Patmos.
Departs 25 July 2026; from £1,849pp based on club interior room
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Princess Cruises: Best of the Mediterranean
Athens – Santorini – Kotor – Corfu – Sicily – Barcelona – Gibraltar – Marseille – Genoa – La Spezia (for Florence/Pisa) – Civitavecchia (for Rome) – Naples (for Capri & Pompeii) - Crete – Kusadasi – Mykonos – Athens
You can get the best of what the Greek Islands have to offer while also visiting other Med must-see destinations.
This 21-day round-trip from Athens aboard Sun Princess takes in the scenery of Santorini, the beaches of Mykonos and the history of Crete, plus you can also see the sights of Pompeii during a visit to Naples and tour Las Ramblas in Barcelona.
Departs 13 September 2026; from £2,359pp
Read more: Top destinations for cruises across the world, mapped
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