Cruise Greece in a Small Yacht and Save $500 By Booking Soon

Enjoy the beauty of the Mediterranean Sea with the wonderful atmosphere of Greece on the next cruise you take. And do it by saving $500 per person!

Offering intimate ships that carry only 50 passengers, Variety Cruises is giving travelers who book ahead the chance to save $500 on special departure dates for a cruise in Greece.  In addition to these spectacular savings, two free nights at an Athens hotel and a free half-day sightseeing tour are also included in the package. There are three different cruise packages available: the Classical Greece, Aegean Odyssey, and Jewels of the Cyclades.

Variety Cruises’ motorized ships are sailing Greece’s mainland and lesser-known islands over seven nights between April – October 2010. However, this promotional rate must be booked and paid for prior to February 1, 2010.

Classical Greece Cruise 

This package is an eight-day cruise that departs on the Harmony V or G Mega yachts from Athens or Crete, and travels across the Aegean Islands, Crete and continental Greece. The cruise will start off in Korrisia, and then travel to Tourlos, Mykonos, Santorini, Heraklion, Rethymnon, Monemvassia, Nafplion, and Spetses. Discounted sailings include April 30, July 9, 16, 23, 30, August 6, 13, 20, 27, and October 29, 2010. Receive a $500 discount per person; valid for all category cabins. A lesser discount applies to these departure dates: May 7, 14, 21, 28, June 4, 11, 18, 25, July 2, September 3, 10, 17, 24, October 1, 8, 15 or 22.

In Mykonos, make sure to see the windmills and Petros, the pelican mascot of Mykonos who made the place his home in the 1950's. The original has since died, but the people of Mykonos have continued to keep his spirit alive by having another pelican named in his honor. While in Santorini, experience the natural beauty of an active volcano. In Heraklion, visit the Aqualand of Hersonisos, an aquarium filled with turtles, snakes, fish, marines and reptiles that are found in Crete. At Monemvassia, visit the many shrines like the Elkomenos Christos, Shrine Panaghias Myrtidiotissas, and the Shrine Panaghias Chrysafitissas. Then at Spetses relax and play at either the Agia Marina Beach or the Agio Anargiri Beach.

The Aegean Cruises

Consider an eight-day cruise that departs from Marina Zea in Athens, also using the above-mentioned mega yachts. The Aegean Odyssey itinerary will travel to Delos, Mykonos, Ephesus (in Turkey), Samos, Patmos, Fira, and Folegandros. The sailings departing April 9, 16, 23, 30, July 30 and August 6, 13, 20, 27, 22 or 29th of 2010 are selling for a $400 discount per person, per week. The sailings departing May 7, 14, 21, 28, June 4, 11, September 3, 10, 17, 24, October 1, 8, or 15th in 2010 will get you a $300 discount per person, per week.

In Delos, soak up the history of Greece by seeing the Sanctuary of Dionysos and the Sanctuary of Apollo. Continue the history lesson in Ephesus, considered one of the great outdoor museums of Turkey. See the Odeion, the Temple of Domitian, and the Gates of Heracles. Then stop in Samos to play at the beach and drink some of the wine Samos is famous for. Next, take in some religious history in Patmos, and visit the Cave of the Apocalypse where St. John stayed during his exile.  Additional sites of interest are the Monastery of St. John the Divine, and the convent of Zoodochos Pigi, the home of the "Three-eyed Virgin," an icon of the Virgin Mary that has been said to work miracles.

The Jewels of the Cyclades package is an eight-day cruise that departs from Athens aboard the M/S Galileo and heads southeast through Greece. It will travel to Poros, Kimolos, Folegandros, Santorini, Paros, Mykonos, and Kea. Discounts only apply to category A and B cabins but they are still worthwhile. If you can plan to depart on April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, October 22 or 29 2010, you will receive a $400 discount per person, per week. If you prefer the dates of May 14, 21, 28, June 4, 11, 18, 25, July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, August 6, 13, 20, 27, September 10, 17, 24, October 1, 8 or 15, 2010, you will only get a $300 discount per person.

While in Poros, try out some water sports like water skiing, or go mountain biking down Poros' mountains. At Kimolos, visit the diving school in Ellinika, and try your hand at fishing in Goupa. Relax and take in the beautiful scenery at Folegandros, known as the "island of peace." At Paros, try out windsurfing, or go scuba diving, both good activities to sample there. Then spend time at Kolymbithres beach, a great beach for families with rock formations that resemble a lunar landscape. Then at Kea, make sure to see the Lion of Kea, a big sculpture of a mythical lion.  

These packages are only available for a limited number of cabins, with rates based on double occupancy, so book soon.

For more detailed information and bookings on Variety Cruises call 800/319-7776 or visit their website.