Note this is NOT a sponsored post. I paid for my own trip and am sharing my honest opinion and review of a Norwegian Jade 7 day Greek Isles cruise with you.
My first trip to Greece was with my extended family on the Norwegian Jade 7 Day Greek Isles cruise in September 2022. I will review the cruise ship, dining options, ports, and excursions to give you an idea of what to expect on a similar trip. Given that there are 227 inhabited Greek islands, it’s difficult to try to see them all. A cruise is a nice way to check out multiple in one trip.
Overall, I enjoyed this cruise and the opportunity to see Dodecanese, Ionian, and Cyclades islands. There were a few cons, including feeling rushed in some ports. I would do a Greek cruise again but try a different cruise line next time.
The Norwegian Jade
This ship was a little older and showing some signs of wear. For the pros, service was great throughout the ship. For example, we had a family member with a food allergy and a staff person came and found us each day to coordinate meals. They asked what our family member wanted and told the kitchen staff to prepare it dairy free in advance. This was a nice and very appreciated touch. We also really enjoyed the drinks and loved drinking at the bar on the back of the boat for great views and an ocean breeze.
For cons, many of the activities (other than the theater shows) either cost extra or were an attempt at some sort of sales pitch. I felt there was a significant push to upsell throughout the cruise from activities to wine choices. It became tedious very quickly.
7 Day Greek Isle Cruise Itinerary
Our scheduled itinerary was:
- Sunday: Athens (ship departs 6pm)
- Monday: Kusadasi, Turkey (6:30am – 12:30 pm) & Patmos (6:30pm – 11:59pm)
- Tuesday: Rhodes (8am – 6pm)
- Wednesday: Mykonos (7am – 4pm)
- Thursday: Argostoli (10am – 6pm)
- Friday: Corfu (7am – 3pm)
- Saturday: Santorini (12:30pm – 9:30pm)
- Sunday: Athens depart 6am
A few weeks before we embarked, we were notified that the stop in Patmos was canceled. No explanation was provided but I wasn’t too upset since visiting 2 ports in one day sounded exhausting. NCL adjusted the Kusadasi arrival and departure time so we didn’t have to start our excursion quite as early in the morning which was appreciated.
A bigger disappointment occurred on Wednesday when we had to skip Mykonos. On Tuesday night, the boat was rocking. I didn’t get seasick, but you could definitely feel quite a bit of motion and some people said they fell out of bed. It was extremely windy and some of the decks were closed. Due to the weather, when we arrived at Mykonos in the morning we were told we couldn’t disembark. This was extremely disappointing because Mykonos was an island many of us were looking forward to seeing. Instead, a day at sea was added to the itinerary.
Embarkation
Embarkation was extremely smooth and only took a few minutes. We scheduled a specific time to arrive and in order to maximize our time in Athens we chose the later 4pm slot. There were still COVID-19 precautions that required us to show a negative test. Afterwards, we went through security and boarded. Our luggage showed up in our room within 20 minutes.
Review of the Room
Our room was a Club Balcony Suite on the deck 11. The room has a queen sized bed, a small sitting area, and a slightly larger shower. This layout gave me and my family member some extra room to spread out. Plus, we loved having our full sized balcony!
Dining on the Norwegian Jade
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) offers freestyle dining meaning no reservations are required to eat where you want, when you want, with no assigned seating. In reality, if a restaurant is full you are going to have to wait to be seated. It’s highly recommended to make dinner reservations so you can eat when and where you want.
Specialty Dining
The Norwegian Jade has several regular and specialty dining options. We had 2 nights of specialty dining included in our package and chose the Italian restaurant (La Cucina) and the steakhouse (Cagney’s Steakhouse). These meals were by far the best we had and next time I would upgrade my package to have specialty options each night.
Regular Dining
For regular dining options, we liked O’Sheehan’s Bar & Grill for lunch. We ate dinner in the Grand Pacific main dining room and it was hit or miss depending on the day. Note, the Grand Pacific and Alizar have the same menu. The Grand Pacific is more spacious so I recommend eating there instead.
For breakfast, buffet is the only option. Here, they only offer regular coffee so if you prefer a latte or other specialty coffee you need to visit the Atrium Café. This is a specialty dining option so if you don’t have the right package you will need to pay for your morning caffeine fix.
A big tip on drinks while in port – several Greek ports prohibit cruise ships from selling their passengers anything while in port. This means if something is not included in your dining package (ie: specialty coffee or an upgraded bottle of wine), you cannot buy it in or within about 30 minutes of port. This affected me one morning when I woke up early to buy a latte and the Atrium Café couldn’t sell it to me because we were too close to port. If this sounds like it might affect you, ask a staff member to give you a list of which ports have the prohibition so you can plan in advance.
Review of Ports & Excursions
Athens
We opted to arrive in Athens the day prior to embarkation. This gave us a chance to adjust to the time zone and see the Acropolis on our own. Here is a full guide of how we spent our 24 hours in Athens.
Kusadasi, Turkey
There are a few different excursion options in Kusadasi and we chose Magnificent Ephesus. I can’t recommend this option enough! The Ephesus archeological site, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is fantastic. After the tour, we opted to skip the carpet making demonstration back in port (be prepared to be pressured to stay) and stopped at a café to try a Turkish coffee before returning to the ship. For a full review, check out my guide.
Rhodes
Rhodes is the largest Dodecanese island. For this stop, we booked the Exploring Rhodes Religious Past excursion. This tour requires you to board a bus for a quick trip to a Christian church. Our tour guide took us to an extra, unscheduled church built into a cave and hidden where only locals would know about it. Afterwards, we left the bus and walked through medieval Old Town Rhodes, UNESCO World Heritage Site. We walked by a mosque (you do not get to go inside) and stopped at a Jewish synagogue. Overall, the pace of the tour was very slow and I ended up leaving before the end to eat lunch and explore the medieval town on my own. I also made sure to tour the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes which is not part of the excursion.
Overall, Rhodes was one of my favorite stops on the cruise. As soon as you walk off the boat, you are in medieval Rhodes so there is no need for an excursion or tour guide. Instead, I recommend exploring on your own, doing some shopping, eating lunch, and touring the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes before returning to the ship. For more details on what to do in medieval Rhodes, check out my guide.
Argostoli
Argostoli is a seaside city on the island of Kefalonia, an Ionian Island. We took the Melissani and Drogarati Cave tour (it appears NCL may not offer this anymore). This excursion required walking on uneven surfaces and going up and down many stairs (more at Drogarati than Melissani) which may not make it suitable for everyone. Melissani cave is full of beautiful, blue, crystal clear water. The cave tour involved boarding a paddleboat and taking a short ride around the lake. I highly recommend this stop in Argostoli! If your cruise ship does not offer this excursion, you could book your own tour. To learn more about my experience in these caves, read my guide here.
Corfu
There’s just something special about Corfu. This was my favorite stop of the entire cruise. There are numerous things to do on this Ionian Island so a quick cruise stop will not be enough to see it all. We chose the Timeless Villages and Scenic Drive excursion. The day is mostly spent on the bus with a few stops to get out, walk around, and take photos. Some highlights included Paleokastritsa, Kassiopi, Nissaki, and Barbati. The tour gave a good overview of the island, its beaches, and the sweeping views from the mountains. Out of all the stops we made, Corfu is the one I can most imagine coming back to for a longer trip. To read more about my experience in Corfu, read this guide.
Santorini
I thought we were saving the best for last with our stop in Santorini, a Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea. My whole family was so excited to see this famous Greek island, and I have to say it was underwhelming (I know this might not be a popular opinion!). We took the Greek Style Celebration – Opa tour and I would recommend trying something else. We visited three different villages which led to a rushed day. The provided lunch was mediocre and I am sure we could have found better food on our own. Time in famous Oia was limited, but since the town felt like a tourist trap, I didn’t mind. Overall, I don’t think a cruise stop is the best way to experience this island. To read more about our experience in Santorini, read the guide here.
The Final Day
I disembarked the ship bright and early and headed straight to the airport to catch my flight back to the United States. Overall, I hope my review of a Norwegian Jade 7 Day Greek Isles Cruise convinced you that this is an enjoyable way to see Greece. Next time, I would try a different cruise line, splurge for a specialty dining package, and try to make it to Mykonos since that stop was canceled.
Let me know which cruise lines you recommend in the comments!