Greek island cruises are one of the easiest ways to see the Aegean properly. Unpack once, wake up in a different harbour each morning, and in a week you can move from the white villages of the Cyclades to the medieval walls of Rhodes and the monasteries of Patmos, places that would take twice as long to reach by ferry. The question is not whether to cruise, but which kind of ship suits you.
This guide covers the islands worth building a cruise around, when to sail, and the three broad styles of Greek island cruise, then compares the lines that genuinely know these waters, from 50-guest motor yachts to elegant ships of six or seven hundred.
The quick answer
- Best months: May, June, September and early October, when it is warm but not baking and the ports are calmer.
- Best for small, lesser-known islands: small ships and sailing ships such as Variety Cruises, Star Clippers and Emerald Yacht Cruises.
- Best for luxury and space: Seabourn and Silversea, with all-suite ships and long Greek Isles itineraries.
- Best for value and Greek character: Celestyal, the Greek line with short cruises from Athens.
- Most cruises start from Athens (Piraeus or Lavrion), with good flights from the UK.
Which islands will you visit?
Greece has more than 200 inhabited islands, and no single cruise sees them all. Most itineraries combine a few headline names with one or two quieter stops, and the smaller the ship, the more of those quieter stops you get.
The Cyclades
The classic Greek island picture: whitewashed villages, blue domes and windmills. Santorini is the showstopper, its villages strung along the rim of a flooded volcanic caldera; ships anchor in the caldera and you go ashore by tender, then up by cable car or on foot. Mykonos has its Little Venice waterfront and the archaeological island of Delos a short boat ride away. Smaller ships add Milos, with its sculpted white rocks and sea caves, Paros, Naxos, Sifnos and Amorgos.
The Dodecanese
Closer to Turkey, with a different, more layered history. Rhodes has one of the best-preserved medieval old towns in Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built by the Knights of St John. Patmos, where St John is said to have written the Book of Revelation, has a hilltop monastery that is also on the World Heritage list. Little Symi, with its neoclassical harbour, is a favourite on small-ship itineraries.
Crete and the Peloponnese
Crete is big enough to deserve a full day, usually for the Minoan palace of Knossos near Heraklion. On the mainland, Nafplio is one of Greece’s prettiest towns and the gateway to Mycenae and Epidaurus, and Monemvasia is a fortified town on a rock joined to the coast by a causeway.
The Saronic Gulf and the Ionian
Car-free Hydra and green Poros sit close to Athens and often open or close a cruise. On the west coast, the Ionian islands of Corfu, Kefalonia and Zakynthos feature on cruises linking Greece with Italy and the Adriatic.
When to sail
The Greek island cruise season runs from around April to late October, with a few lines sailing earlier and later.
- April and May: spring flowers, pleasant temperatures for sightseeing and quieter ports. The sea is still cool for swimming in April.
- June: long days, warm seas and the ports not yet at their busiest. One of the best months overall.
- July and August: hot, dry and busy, with the strongest crowds at Santorini and Mykonos. This is also the season of the meltemi, the strong northerly summer wind of the Aegean, which can make sailing livelier and occasionally changes a small ship’s route.
- September and early October: the sea is at its warmest, the heat eases and the crowds thin. Our favourite time for most clients.
School-holiday families will find the widest choice of departures in August, but if you can travel in June or September, you will see the islands at their best.
Three ways to cruise the Greek islands
Large ships
Big resort ships sail Greek itineraries all summer, usually calling at the headline ports: Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, Crete and Corfu, often as part of a wider Mediterranean cruise. They offer plenty of choice on board and suit families who want entertainment and facilities. The trade-off is that you share the most famous ports with several thousand other passengers and rarely reach the smaller islands.
Small luxury ships
Ships carrying a few hundred to around a thousand guests strike a balance: suites, fine dining, a high ratio of crew to guests, and itineraries that mix the famous islands with places such as Patmos, Symi or Nafplio. Many are all-suite and include drinks, gratuities and Wi-Fi. If you want comfort, space and a calmer pace, this is usually the right category.
Yachts, motor sailers and sailing ships
The smallest vessels, from around 50 to under 200 guests, can moor in tiny harbours where big ships cannot, often overnighting or staying late into the evening. Days have time for swim stops in quiet bays, and the atmosphere is relaxed and sociable. Sailing ships add the romance of canvas, though most of the passage is under engine when the wind does not cooperate. This style suits travellers who want the real islands rather than the postcard ones.
Greek island cruise lines compared
These are lines with established Greek island programmes. Ship sizes are approximate guest capacities.
| Cruise line | Style | Ship size | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Variety Cruises | Greek-owned small ships and motor sailers | Up to around 70 guests | Small islands, swim stops, an informal feel |
| Star Clippers (Star Flyer) | Four-masted sailing ship | Around 166 guests | Sailing romance, lesser-known islands |
| Emerald Yacht Cruises | Modern superyachts, inclusive fares | Around 100 to 130 guests | Yacht style without the private-charter feel |
| Ponant | French small ships and a sailing yacht | From around 30 to 260 guests | Elegant small ships, French cuisine |
| Windstar | Sail-assisted and small motor yachts | Around 150 to 350 guests | Relaxed small-ship luxury, water sports |
| Seabourn | All-suite, all-inclusive luxury | Around 600 guests | Long Greek Isles voyages, fine dining |
| Silversea | All-suite, all-inclusive luxury | Around 600 to 730 guests | Butler service, Greece and Turkey combinations |
| Viking | Adult-only, culture-led ocean ships | Around 930 to 1,000 guests | History and guided touring, included excursions |
| Celestyal | Greek line, mid-size ships | Around 1,250 to 1,350 guests | Short cruises from Athens, Greek food and culture |
Variety Cruises
A Greek family company that has been sailing its home waters for decades. Its small motor yachts and motor sailers, including the 49-guest Galileo on its Cyclades itineraries, carry no more than around 70 guests, and days are built around swim stops, harbour evenings and islands the big ships never reach. Cabins are simple compared with the luxury lines; the experience is the point.
Star Clippers
Star Flyer, a four-masted tall ship carrying 166 guests, spends the summer in the Aegean, with seven-night itineraries from Athens to islands such as Astypalea, Sifnos, Symi, Patmos, Milos and Amorgos. Watching the sails raised to music, climbing the mast (with a harness) and swimming in quiet anchorages are all part of the charm.
Emerald Yacht Cruises
Emerald’s modern yachts, with an open-air pool, a marina platform for water sports and all-suite accommodation, sail Greek islands and Turkish coast itineraries from Athens through the summer. Fares are inclusive, and the size means you can slip into smaller harbours.
Ponant
The French line’s small, elegant ships, including Le Bougainville with 184 guests, sail Greek island itineraries from Athens, often calling at smaller Cycladic islands. Expect excellent food, a stylish French atmosphere and an international mix of guests.
Windstar
Windstar’s Wind Surf, a five-masted sail-assisted ship, runs seven-night Greek loops from Athens, typically including Mykonos, Patmos, Santorini, Monemvasia and Nafplio, and a call at Kuşadası for Ephesus. It is casual-luxury in tone, with a watersports platform at the stern.
Seabourn and Silversea
The two great all-suite lines both have strong Greek programmes, often combining the islands with Ephesus and Istanbul over 7 to 14 nights. Seabourn Ovation and Silversea’s Silver Nova are typical of the ships deployed: spacious suites, most with verandas, several restaurants, and an inclusive fare. Choose Seabourn for its relaxed, sociable style; Silversea for butler service in every suite.
Viking
Viking’s 10-night “Greek Odyssey” from Athens is one of the most popular culture-focused Greek cruises, with an included excursion in every port and stops such as Volos for the Meteora monasteries, Rhodes, Santorini, Crete and Nafplio. Ships are adult-only and quietly Scandinavian in style.
Celestyal
Celestyal is the Greek-flagged option, with three- and four-night “Iconic Greek Islands” cruises from Athens and longer seven-night voyages. It is the most affordable way to sample the islands, with Greek food, music and crew, and works well as a short add-on to a land stay in Athens.
How to choose the right Greek island cruise
- First time in Greece? A luxury ship calling at Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes and Ephesus covers the famous names in comfort.
- Been before, or dislike crowds? Go small: a motor sailer or yacht will take you to Sifnos, Symi, Amorgos and Hydra.
- Short on time? A three- or four-night Celestyal cruise from Athens pairs well with a few nights in the city or a beach hotel.
- Want to swim every day? Choose a small ship with a marina platform and an itinerary built around anchorages.
- Prone to seasickness? Avoid the height of the meltemi in July and August, and favour a larger, more stable ship.
We often add a few nights in Athens before the cruise, for the Acropolis Museum and the city’s restaurants, or finish with a stay on an island such as Crete or Santorini.
Three typical itineraries
The classic week: Cyclades and Dodecanese
Athens to Mykonos, with time for Delos; Kuşadası for Ephesus; Patmos and its monastery; an evening in the caldera at Santorini; then Monemvasia and Nafplio before returning to Athens.
This is the shape of many seven-night small-ship and luxury loops, and covers the famous names with a couple of quieter stops.
The small-island week
Athens to Hydra, then Milos, Sifnos, Amorgos, Astypalea and Symi, with swim stops in between.
Only the smallest ships manage routes like this, and they are the ones our repeat Greece clients love most.
The longer voyage: islands, Crete and Turkey
Ten to fourteen nights from Athens, adding Crete, Rhodes, the mainland at Volos for Meteora, and Turkish ports such as Ephesus or Istanbul.
Ideal if you want to combine beaches with the great archaeological sites at an unhurried pace.
Cabins and what is included
On the small luxury lines, most suites have a veranda, and it is worth having one in Greece: sailing into the Santorini caldera or past the Cycladic islands at dawn is half the pleasure. On yachts and motor sailers, cabins are smaller and usually have a window rather than a balcony, but you spend most of the day on deck or in the water.
What is included varies widely. The all-suite lines generally include drinks and gratuities; Viking includes an excursion in every port; small-ship lines often include swim stops and some guided walks. Our Travel Designers will set out exactly what each fare covers so you can compare like with like.
Live Mediterranean cruise search
Fares change daily, so the live search below shows today’s prices and availability for Mediterranean cruises, including Greek island sailings.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best month for a Greek island cruise?
June and September are the sweet spots: warm seas, long days and fewer crowds than July and August. May and early October are also lovely, with milder temperatures for sightseeing.
Which cruise line is best for the Greek islands?
It depends on your style. For small, lesser-known islands, choose Variety Cruises, Star Clippers or Emerald Yacht Cruises. For all-suite luxury, Seabourn or Silversea. For a culture-led cruise with included excursions, Viking. For a short, good-value cruise from Athens, Celestyal.
Where do Greek island cruises start?
Most start and end in Athens, from the port of Piraeus or the smaller port of Lavrion. Some longer voyages begin or end in Istanbul, Venice or other Mediterranean ports.
How long should a Greek island cruise be?
Seven nights is the classic length and allows five or six islands. Three- and four-night cruises give a taster, while 10 to 14 nights let you combine the islands with Crete, the Peloponnese, Turkey or the Adriatic.
Is the meltemi wind a problem on a cruise?
The meltemi is a strong, dry northerly wind that blows in the Aegean mainly in July and August. It keeps the heat bearable but can make the sea choppy, and small ships occasionally change their route. Larger ships are less affected.
Plan your trip with us
Our Travel Designers will help you choose the right ship, the right cabin and the right islands, and can add hotel nights in Athens or on an island before or after your cruise. Tell us how you like to travel.
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Updated 31 October 2026. Ships, itineraries and guest capacities were checked against cruise lines’ published information at the time of writing and can change; fares in the live search are updated daily.
