The Greek Isles: An Amazing 7-Day Cruise!

In August 2025, I did a Western Mediterranean cruise on Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas. It is an amazing ship with many fun features, like the Bionic Bar—where two robot bartenders will prepare your drinks for you—and the NorthStar, a crane-style arm with an enclosure on the end that raises you to about 300 feet above sea level.

Bionic Bar

With multiple specialty dinning options on board—including Izumi's (sushi), Teppanyaki (hibachi), Chops (a steakhouse), and Wonderland (a themed restaurant)—in addition to the Windjammer Buffet and the main dining room, you would struggle to go hungry. Add to this the amazing lounges—like the ocean liner-style Boleros and the nautical-themed Schooners (my favorite on Royal Caribbean ships)—and you will always find a place to relax. There is also Sorrentos and Cafe Promenade, where you can go for a late-night snack or some of the best pizza at sea.

Our first port of call was Santorini, where we spent part of the day on a "Spirits of Santorini" beer and wine tour. It was great fun to sample all the different spirits before heading to the main town, where everything looks like a postcard. Such an amazing experience. One note for any numismatists: If you collect Greek coins, I did learn from a vendor that it is illegal for those to be sold in Greece.

The sail into Santorini

Santorini

Kusadasi, Turkey, was our second port. Here, I did an excursion to Ephesus, an ancient Greek and later Roman city. Seeing these ruins was incredible and learning about the history and archeology was fascinating. Afterwards, we spent some time in Kusadasi, where looked at a rug store that our guide brought us to. Yes, you will face a fairly hard sell, but there are some nice carpets if that is what you enjoy.

Kusadasi

The library at Ephesus

Mykonos was the third port for this sailing, and there Delos was calling. Delos was the Beverly Hills and Vatican of the old Roman Empire. The island is about a 30-minute boat ride from the harbor and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so it is somewhat controlled. But walking through the streets, looking into the houses, stores, and venues and seeing pottery, statues, and mosaic floors was just breathtaking. After returning to the harbor, we spent a little time in the town of Mykonos. It felt very much like Santorini, just not up on a cliff.

Delos mosaic

The last port was Naples. There is much in Naples to see, but we began our day with an excursion to Pompeii. If Delos was breathtaking, Pompeii was the next level up. In the last nine years, since I was there the last time, they have uncovered more of the city, including a second amphitheater. There were full houses you could actually enter, and you could see Roman graffiti, the Roman bath house, amazing and colorful mosaics, and the plaster casts of the victims of Vesuvius. This was a good half-day excursion, with lots of walking through Pompeii, but it was well worth it and incredible to see this town. Afterwards, we walked around Naples for a while, looked at the castles and selected a nice cafe for coffee and a break before heading back to the Odyssey.

Pompeii outer wall

Pompeii main square

This trip was fun, and seeing all the historic cities was just so incredible. There are so many good memories from this cruise, and I can't stop singing the praises of Royal Caribbean for their amazing Itinerary and their excellent shore excursions.

Cruise tips

Your stateroom is more than where you sleep. I always try to get an Oceanview Balcony, and, because breakfast room service is included on Royal Caribbean, I eat it on my balcony. This is especially satisfying on Mediterranean sailings where you get to port a little later in the morning so you can really watch the scenery as you arrive.

If you want to go to the spa, make sure you visit on the first day onboard and enter the raffle. Then, make sure you return for the drawing. You can't win if you aren't present, and some of the prizes are up to $500 in credit to use toward the spa.

If you are on a Royal Caribbean ship, plan at least one late-night pizza run to Sorrentos. It is well worth it and the pizza is delicious. Usually, there is cheese, pepperoni, a veggie option, and sometimes a chicken (plain or buffalo), but all of them are superb.

There is lots of debate on the drinks package. If you can drink between six and seven drinks a day, then it can be worth it. If not, skip it. Also, remember that everyone in the stateroom who is of age must be on the same drinks package.

Port tips

If you are tendering into the ports, be aware of that as you will need to tender back. This means you need to know when the last tender leaves the port for the ship.

Most locations here take American dollars. All of the Greek and Roman locations take Euros as well. For Turkey, be aware that as of the writing of this, it is on a State Department list, so your debit and credit cards may not work ashore.

For Civitavecchia, the first and last port of this cruise, make sure you have transport arranged when you get back. Your travel advisor can help you with this to ensure that you have a ride to either the airport or your next destination.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our cruises page.