Athens (Port of Piraeus), Greece
This was the first day of my 2nd cruise on the Royal Princess also known as turnaround day for crew. Since we didn't have much time in port before we were scheduled to work we decided to stay in the city of Piraeus instead of taking a bus into Athens.
It took us about 40 minutes to walk from the cruise terminal to downtown Piraeus. Since most tourists go into Athens we were among the locals going about their daily routine in Piraeus. We saw fish markets catering to the locals as well as supermarkets that had good bargains you wouldn't find in a more tourist-populated destination.
Interestingly, we passed by several coffee shops but did not see a single Starbucks. If local coffee shops are your thing Piraeus is the city for you.
On the way back to the ship I bought a spanakopita (Greek spinach pie) from a pastry shop. It was legitimately one of the most delicious pastries I have ever had! The warm flaky phyllo dough and the savoury spinach and cheese filling were delectable.
Santorini, Greece
(The ship anchors and you will need to take a 5 minute tender to the dock.)
My love and interest for Greece stemmed from the pictures I have seen of Santorini. I knew this was the reason I needed to go to Greece and it did not disappoint.
A cable car located a few steps away from where the tender docks takes you up to the cliff-side town of Fira. Alternatively, you could also ride a donkey or if feeling particularly active you could walk up a thousand steps alongside the donkeys' pathway to get up to the town of Fira.
Note: It costs 6 Euros for a one-way ticket on the cable car and round-trip tickets are not available. A discount for crew applies.
The ride on the cable car was only a few minutes long and upon reaching the top I was immediately wow-ed by the buildings dotting the cliff-side.
After spending some time taking photos in Fira we went to the local bus station to catch the 30 minute bus ride to the town of Oia.
Note: It costs 1,80 Euros for a one-way ticket which you will have to purchase on the bus. Someone will walk by and collect your money for the bus ticket as soon as the bus starts moving so don't worry about having exact change for the bus.
Almost every postcard of Santorini will have a picture of Oia on it and being there in person exceeded my expectations of how beautiful this town truly is. I took so many photos and as happy as I was with my photos I won't forget how much better it was to see it in person.
After an hour or so in Oia we took the bus back to Fira where we walked around and browsed the shops. I'm not a big souvenir collector but I did buy a bracelet (made in Athens) to remind me of the time I went to Santorini. For lunch I ate a pork gyro at a restaurant and took advantage of their free WiFi to catch up with friends and family back home.
While waiting in line to take the cable car back down to the dock I was reminded of how amazing the scenery is from this village located on a cliff. The views were breathtaking!
I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to be in Santorini.
Kotor, Montenegro
I only had a couple hours in Kotor before my afternoon shift at work started so I spent the day walking around Old Town and New Town.
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| Old Town of Kotor |
However, it is still worth checking out as the sea walk provided gorgeous views of the fjords in the distance.
Tip: As you exit the cruise terminal where the tender drops you off, turn left and follow the harbour to get to the beach.
Messina (Sicily), Italy
I took the Princess Cruises shore excursion to Taorimina.
The bus ride from the port of Messina to the resort town of Taorimina took about 45 minutes.
Upon arrival at Taorimina the guide walked us through the busy streets toward the Greek Theatre.
Note: Entrance fee to the Greek Theatre is 10 Euros but admission was included in this tour.
Taorimina is located 700 feet above the sea and the Greek Theatre provided lovely views of the bay below.
We had about 50 minutes of free time to explore the town after the tour guide dropped us off at the Greek Theatre. After snapping a few photos of the view from the Greek Theatre I made my way through the streets again. I bought a ferrero rocher-flavoured gelato on a cone and the vendor was extremely generous with giving me a giant scoop of gelato onto my cone (for only 2 Euros!)
Quickly eating my gelato as the heat was melting it faster than I could consume it I strolled through the distinctly Italian streets.
Naples, Italy
I had to work at 10am so I got off the ship at 7:30am to make sure I didn't miss the chance to set foot in Naples. The architecture of Castel Nuovo, the Grand Palace and the St. Francis of Badua church was a marvelous sight to behold. I stumbled onto the narrow alleys where a few local shops and residential neighbourhoods were located and admired the quaint Italian-style streets. Eventually I found my way back to the main shopping street but many stores were still closed this early in the morning. Nevertheless, I was still happy to get the chance to see Naples.
Part 1: Greek Isles cruise
Part 3: Mediterranean cruise
