Greek cruise ports differ in how the ship arrives: it ties up at a quay in one town and drops anchor off the cliffs of the next, so passengers walk down a gangway in one place and ride a tender in the other. Plan a longer stay ashore with the full range of tours in Greece.
The sections below cover the nine ports of the seven-night loop and how a call works, the season, Piraeus, Thessaloniki, the old and new ports of Mykonos, the tenders and cliff stairs of Santorini, the Venetian harbour of Heraklion, the Mandraki harbour of Rhodes, Skala on Patmos, the two Turkish calls, and a closing FAQ.
Which greek cruise ports does a seven-night Aegean loop call at?
A seven-night loop calls at nine ports: seven of the greek cruise ports and two Turkish ones. The ship leaves Piraeus and visits Thessaloniki, Istanbul, Kusadasi, Santorini, Heraklion, Rhodes, Patmos and Mykonos. It returns to Piraeus on the eighth day. Each port has its own way ashore.
Santorini and Heraklion share one day, and so do Patmos and Mykonos. Istanbul and Kusadasi are the two Turkish calls. This page treats the greek cruise ports one by one, from the quay or anchorage to the walk into town. The big inland sights belong to other pages.
Geography sets the shape of the loop. Wikipedia says the Aegean lies in the gap between the Balkans and Anatolia. It lists Thessaloniki, Heraklion and Kusadasi among its settlements. It places Rhodes and Patmos among the Dodecanese islands. Istanbul lies past the Dardanelles and the Marmara Sea, on the Bosphorus.
Piraeus forms both ends of the loop. A port page calls it a homeport, the turnaround port for round trips, and also a call port. Wikivoyage says the detailed itinerary tells you whether the ship ties up or anchors at each stop. For the greek cruise ports, that means a pier at one stop and an anchorage at another.
The next section follows one call from the gangway to the all-aboard time. Later sections cover Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, Heraklion, Rhodes, Patmos and the two Turkish ports. A short list of traveller questions closes the page.
How does a call at greek cruise ports work from the gangway to the all-aboard time?
A call at greek cruise ports starts when the ship reaches a pier or an anchorage. It ends at the all-aboard time. Wikivoyage sets that time 30 minutes or more before the scheduled departure, so the walk back must fit inside it.
A pier call lets passengers step off by a ramp. Where the ship cannot reach a pier, it anchors or moors off the coast. Lifeboats or commercial boats then carry passengers to a landing. Tendering a very large ship takes a long time. Wikivoyage lists the queue: the ship’s own tours first, then early birds with first-come tender tickets.
At greek cruise ports that need a tender, plan the hours ashore around that queue. Wikivoyage adds that port customs can delay going ashore slightly, whether the check covers the ship or its passengers. Sailing hours move too. The tide, how far the next port lies and special tours ashore can shift the departure.
A dock can sit among working freight. Wikivoyage says the port authority can forbid walking there. A shuttle can take passengers to a terminal where taxis and buses wait, and the ship’s newsletter reports port conditions. At such greek cruise ports, look for the return shuttle details too, since the way back needs a plan.
A day at greek cruise ports has fixed edges. Wikivoyage describes port visits that open by 7 or 8 in the morning. Sailing follows at 5 or 6 in the evening. Once the crew prepares to raise the anchor, it cannot easily drop it again. A late passenger travels to the next port alone to rejoin the ship.
Which season suits the greek cruise ports of the Aegean?
Late spring into June and September into mid-October suit the greek cruise ports. Wikivoyage on Mykonos calls the first spell the early season, when the air is not too hot. It calls the second spell the post-season. The same page expects rain showers on the island between October and April.
High summer is the peak at the greek cruise ports. Wikivoyage places the warmest weeks between mid-July and mid-August, when the north wind called the meltemi cools the country. The same page adds that the bulk of the country’s tourists come in the height of summer.
Crowds at greek cruise ports depend on the number of ships. Wikivoyage warns that tours anywhere can sell out when a number of cruise ships share a port. A port page counts 760 ship calls at Piraeus in one record year. Wikivoyage on Greece adds that major cruise ships visit the islands.
Winter is a different picture. A port page says Piraeus started an effort to attract ships in the winter months too. Wikivoyage on Greece calls November to February mild but not beach weather, with hardly any other tourists. Its cruise page splits the year into high, low and shoulder seasons. Check the sailing season before you plan.
What makes Piraeus one of the main greek cruise ports?
Greece has no larger harbour than Piraeus, the chief sea port serving Athens. Piraeus sits eight kilometres southwest of central Athens, facing the Saronic Gulf from its east coast. It anchors the greek cruise ports of this loop, which starts and ends at its quays.
The port area measures 39 square kilometres, according to the Wikipedia box for the port. The Wikipedia introduction ranks this harbour with the biggest in Europe. Wikivoyage counts the Zea and Mikrolimano marinas as part of Piraeus. Fish bistros stand along the coast, especially around Pasalimani and Mikrolimano bays.
A port schedule page calls Piraeus both a home port, where round trips begin and end, and a call port. Among the greek cruise ports of this loop, it is the home port. The same page lists gate E11 for Terminal A. Gate E12 leads to Terminal B on the Themistocles breakwater.
Wikipedia gives each cruise terminal an hourly rate. Terminal A, the main one, handles 1,200 passengers an hour. Terminal B handles 1,500, and the smallest, Terminal C, handles 700. Wikivoyage adds that large ships dock closer to the busy harbour entrance than modest ships do.
From central Athens, the Metro is the very convenient way to Piraeus, the first of the greek cruise ports. The station lies next to the port, and a suburban railway station stands north of it. Cafes and shops line the harbour front toward the cruise terminal.
How does the port of Thessaloniki work among the greek cruise ports?
Wikipedia stresses the short distance between the port of Thessaloniki and the heart of the city. It notes that this passenger terminal ranks with the largest around the Aegean Sea. It is the first call after Piraeus among the greek cruise ports of this loop.
Wikivoyage looks back to a time when this was the largest harbour in the Balkans. Wikipedia adds that motorways and railways link the port with Southeastern Europe. The passenger terminal began as the customs house of that port. Eli Modiano built it in the last three years of the Ottoman period, working from designs by Alexander Vallaury.
The terminal is fully compliant with the ISPS security code, Wikipedia notes, and it receives both cruise and ferry passengers. Ferry lines from the quay reach the Cyclades, the Sporades, the Northeast Aegean and Izmir. Thessaloniki is a ferry port as well as one of the greek cruise ports.
The White Tower has the shore boulevard as its address. The street is called Nikis, which means Victory. Wikipedia adds that the city has adopted the tower as its symbol. It is 34 metres high. It once guarded the eastern end of the city’s sea walls. Inside, exhibits trace the history of the city across its different eras.
Wikivoyage lists a seafront promenade of 12 km. A morning call among the greek cruise ports covers one stretch of it. Ladadika, west of the centre, is named for oil stores that sold oil from the adjacent harbour. Wikivoyage calls Aristotelous Square the focal point of the city.
How do the old port and the new port of Mykonos work among the greek cruise ports?
Mykonos is one of the greek cruise ports with two harbours. The older one sits in the town, and the newer one at Tourlos lies about 2 kilometres north. Wikivoyage reports that nearly every cruise ship ties up at Tourlos, though others berth at the old port.
Wikivoyage points passengers at the new port to the cruise shuttle bus. A taxi is possible, but the page calls one hard to catch when the whole crowd arrives together. Expect a shuttle ride of under ten minutes. Tourlos also holds the marina, which yachts and fishing boats share.
Wikivoyage expects the shuttle to stop at a parking area not far from the northern bus station. From there, everything lies within walking distance. A walker covering the whole way from Tourlos needs around forty-five minutes. The main road is busy and has no pavement.
Ten minutes on foot separate the old harbour from the centre of Mykonos Town, Wikivoyage states. For this short link, the page adds, a bus is neither needed nor available. The stroll follows the shore and is brief and uncomplicated. That makes the old harbour the simpler of the two for the greek cruise ports day on Mykonos.
Fast catamarans keep to the old harbour, while the ferries mainly call at Tourlos. Wikipedia lists three main bus depots, and the one by the old harbour focuses on Tourlos and Agios Stefanos. The greek cruise ports plan for Mykonos hangs on one answer. Ask the provider which of the two harbours the ship will use.
How do tenders and cliff stairs work at Santorini among the greek cruise ports?
At Santorini a cruise ship stays off the shore. Wikivoyage places the anchorage in the caldera, three kilometres north of the ferry port at Athinios and west of Fira. Boats carry the passengers in, which makes Santorini a tender stop among the greek cruise ports.
Boats called tenders carry people between a ship and the shore. Ships turn to them when the dock is too small, the sea is rough or time is short. In poor weather a cruise ship can delay or cancel its landing shuttles, says Wikivoyage. The sea has a say at greek cruise ports with an anchorage.
Fishing boats sometimes carry passengers to the old port of Fira, says Wikivoyage. Larger, decorated shuttle boats serve the docks below the town. A cruise ship’s lifeboat tender carries up to 100 to 150 passengers and two or three crew.
Anyone landing at the old port of Fira meets a climb, since no road leaves that dock. Among greek cruise ports with a cliff landing, that matters. The cable car lifts people to Fira. Donkeys carry riders up the 588 zigzagging steps. Wikivoyage warns that the stairway twists, has narrow stretches and is guarded only by low walls.
Athinios, the other landing, serves the ferries. Buses meet each arrival, and taxis wait there as well. Every vehicle leaving the port takes one steep, winding road. Greek cruise ports with cliffside steps call for comfortable walking shoes, not heels, says Wikivoyage.
What does the Venetian harbour of Heraklion add to the greek cruise ports?
Heraklion puts a Venetian fortress on the harbour front. The Koules looks over the inner harbour, and ramparts and an arsenal dominate the surrounding port area. That is what Heraklion adds to the greek cruise ports on a seven-night loop: old stone at the water’s edge.
The Venetians bought the city in the early thirteenth century. Wikipedia states that the giant wall they built has seven bastions and measures 40 metres through at its thickest. The Venetians added a fortress in the harbour as well. That history puts a fortress on the water at this stop among the greek cruise ports.
A mole continues from the Koules for almost 2 km, says Wikivoyage. You do not need to enter the Koules to walk the mole. Looking back from the mole, a walker sees the city and the ferry port. Take care where waves break at its base.
The ferry terminal lies near the bus station, just east of the town centre. Taxi ranks wait at the ferry port. Wikivoyage says to walk the central sights and to take a bus for Knossos. The travel pages name the ferry terminal, not a cruise berth, so the ship’s own notes give the quay.
The Venetians raised the Koules in the sixteenth century, and its parapet looks toward the islet of Dia. A working railway once linked the Koules to Xiropotamos while the harbour was built. Heraklion shares its day with Santorini, so these two greek cruise ports fill one day between them.
What does the Mandraki harbour of Rhodes add to the greek cruise ports?
At Rhodes a cruise ship docks at the Commercial Harbour, east of the Old Town. Mandraki, the yacht and ferry harbour, lies on the same eastern waterfront of the New Town. Rhodes therefore adds a dockside call, not an anchorage, to the greek cruise ports along this route.
Mandraki ties this stop among the greek cruise ports to an ancient wonder. The Colossus took Chares of Lindos twelve years to build and portrayed Helios, the sun god. Wikivoyage notes that Mandraki harbour, a possible site of the statue, now holds modern bronze deer statues. Around 226 BC a strong earthquake toppled the statue.
The Mandraki waterfront belongs to the Italian period of the island. Florestano Di Fausto, an architect, drew up a garden-city plan for the Mandraki zone. The Market, the cathedral and the governor’s palace stand along the main sea promenade.
The Old Town, where a medieval wall still surrounds the streets, lies west of the cruise dock. Visitors cross the outer wall and the moat to enter this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wikivoyage advises at least a day for it, the full day Rhodes gets among the greek cruise ports. No page gives a walking time from the quay.
Town buses stop along the Mandraki sea promenade, across the street from the New Market. The city has two marinas, a municipal one in Mandraki and a private one next to Akandia port. On cruise routes Rhodes is a popular stop, above all in summer.
How does the small port of Skala on Patmos work among the greek cruise ports?
Patmos has one commercial harbour, Skala, according to Wikipedia, so the whole island call revolves around it. Wikivoyage describes a small village with a central square, where every ferry and hydrofoil docks. That makes Skala a simple stop among the greek cruise ports of this loop.
Wikipedia names three reasons for a tender: rough weather, a short stay, or a ship too big for the berth. One cruise travel page says passengers tender in at Patmos and only smaller ships call there. Ask the provider how your ship reaches the shore at this stop of the greek cruise ports.
In Skala, Wikivoyage lists taxis, hire cars, bikes and mopeds. Chora, home to the monastery, is linked to the harbour by a bus that runs roughly hourly. The same cruise travel page describes the way up the hill to Chora. Among the greek cruise ports, the ways inland from this harbour are simple.
That travel page advises a taxi for the climb, because the road is really steep. Wikivoyage reminds walkers that Patmos is very hilly. Treat the hill as the main task of the day at Patmos.
Wikipedia lists ferry links from Patmos to Piraeus, Mykonos and Rhodes. Among the greek cruise ports of the loop, Patmos shares a day with Mykonos. The time ashore is split between two ports. Fix the hour for the return to the ship before you start the climb.
How do the Turkish calls at Istanbul and Kusadasi fit with the greek cruise ports?
Wikivoyage says cruise ships dock at Galataport on the European side of Istanbul, closer to the historic centre. Kusadasi is the second Turkish call of the loop. Both calls sit outside the Schengen Area, which sets them apart from the other greek cruise ports.
Wikipedia gives the Bosphorus a length of 31 km, and Istanbul spreads along both of its banks. The sights cluster in Sultanahmet, west of the Bosphorus and bounded by the Golden Horn and the sea, says Wikivoyage. Read that map before this call among the greek cruise ports.
- Passport: Turkey lies outside the Schengen Area, so keep yours with you ashore at both Turkish calls.
- Entry papers: your nationality sets what you need, so confirm it on Turkey’s official e-visa website.
- Cash in Turkish lira: Istanbul’s public transport ticket kiosks take no cards or foreign currency, says Wikivoyage.
Wikipedia describes Kusadasi as a resort town, 95 km south of Izmir, with tourism as its primary industry. Its port serves cruise ship passengers heading to Ephesus. Under Frankish rule the town was known as Scala Nova, or New Port, Wikipedia adds. Among the greek cruise ports, it is the quay for Ephesus.
Wikipedia counts 29 countries in the Schengen Area, with no border controls between them. It names Turkey among the eastern neighbours of that area, so both Turkish calls lie outside it. That line sets these two stops apart from the other greek cruise ports.
Money changes between the calls. Wikipedia names the Turkish lira as the official currency of Turkey, and its list of eurozone members includes Greece. On this loop, only the two Turkish calls use the lira, and the other greek cruise ports use the euro.
What else do travellers ask about greek cruise ports?
Where does a ship drop anchor off the greek cruise ports, and what is a mooring?
An anchorage is a place at sea where ships lower their anchors, as Wikipedia states it. A mooring is different, because it ties the ship to a buoy or a similar fixture. Anchorages are chosen for shelter from weather and other hazards.
Wikipedia names two jobs for an anchorage. Ships wait there to enter a port, or take on passengers where a port lacks enough facilities. Sailing ships once also waited there for the wind to change. A ship at an anchorage stays offshore, so tenders serve certain greek cruise ports.
Off the greek cruise ports that use an anchorage, the ship’s lifeboats double as tenders. They are fully equipped to act as lifeboats in an emergency. Newer designs favour a catamaran hull, which rolls less in calm to moderate seas. Wikivoyage adds that the lowest passenger deck is deck 4 or 5, as a rule.
What can a traveller do when a delay threatens the all-aboard time?
At a tender port among the greek cruise ports, the last boat back matters as much as the all-aboard time. Wikivoyage says the ship posts the time of the final tender with it. It advises leaving a generous window for the way back.
The deadline is for being aboard, as Wikivoyage points out; reaching the pier does not meet it. The time can be given in ship’s time, which differs from local time. A tour run by the ship gives greater assurance, though no guarantee, that the ship waits for a late tour.
If anything blocks the way back, call the ship as soon as practicable. Wikivoyage says to call even before the all-aboard time has passed. Good travel insurance can cover the journey to the next port after a missed departure. The cause must lie beyond the traveller’s control, such as an excursion delay.
Which greek cruise ports have a quay near the town, and which need a ride?
The sections above name where each ship lands. This comparison of the greek cruise ports sets the nine stops side by side.
- Piraeus: the Metro station is next to the port.
- Thessaloniki: the port is very close to the city centre.
- Istanbul: Galataport lies on the European side, closer to the historic centre.
- Kusadasi: taxis wait by the sea port, which serves passengers heading to Ephesus.
- Santorini: ships anchor in the caldera, and a cable car climbs from the old port.
- Heraklion: the ferry terminal is just east of the centre, with the main sights on foot.
- Rhodes: the Commercial Harbour lies east of the Old Town; the sources give no walking time.
- Patmos: the harbour of Skala handles the island’s commercial traffic; buses to Chora run about hourly.
- Mykonos: the new port is about 2 kilometres north; the old port is a 10-minute walk.
What do travellers carry ashore at greek cruise ports?
Wikivoyage advises treating the cruise card like a passport, because a return to the ship can be delayed without it. It also advises a passport photocopy and a government photo ID, together with the card.
Original passports stay in the cabin safe, unless the ship’s daily news or an announcement says otherwise. Port officials in certain countries can ask to review all passports. The ship announces it a day or so before. At greek cruise ports, follow those announcements.
Wikivoyage advises against wearing cruise merchandise or a card on a lanyard, because both give a cruise passenger away. Rejoining the ship brings a security check, much like airport screening. Wikivoyage places it on the ship in the common case, and otherwise in the cruise terminal.
Does one shore tour fill the whole call at greek cruise ports?
At greek cruise ports an all-day tour can fill virtually all the time in port, as Wikivoyage states. That leaves little room to explore alone. Half-day tours are offered as well. They suit a traveller who also wants a walk or a little shopping before or after lunch.
At major ports, tours run in air-conditioned buses for 30 to 50 people, according to Wikivoyage. Popular ports also have air-conditioned taxis and sedans for three to four adults, and vans for six or more.
Wikivoyage adds that a confident traveller can hire a car with a driver and tour guide and design the tour. Two to four fellow passengers can share it. Among the greek cruise ports, check the all-aboard time first, and plan the stops around it.