I orginally created this page to plan some sailing cruises. I wanted to capture the fun and atmosphere of some of my sunsail trips. I was looking for a berth rental. Originally created in 2023, and I went with Farout Cruises in 2024 & 2025. I rearranged this page in May 26. I didn’t cruise in the Med in 26 in the end, but gave the page another polish as I began to plan for 2027.
2027
I had a look at NCL’s Venice to Istanbul trip, but the cheaper cabins have gone and its a bloody big boat. I asked ChatGPT for five companies that might do this trip. They found five.
- One of the them, Azamara has a search page and does a number of trips from Athens. Prices quoted at per/person. Athens to Venice via Turkey and Crete and back, 18 days £5,250 p.p. (Can any of them be split?) Otherwise, this, this and this, and 2028, Athens to Istanbul
- ChatGPT also suggests Windstar, who have this journey, Istanbul to Pireaus, via the Corinth Canal, but also fucked because of the p.p. quote of £4,500.
- I also found this site earlier in the year; A sailing trip from Santorini in the Cyclades, by “Sailing Classics” on a a proper yacht, they have three, this is one the them. They are quoting €3,500 p.p.
- Like once before, I may have to DIY, here’s ChatGPTs ideas, and here’s the flying dolphins 2026. They reckon £1800 + flights.
2025
- Adventure Life offer a cruise on a super yacht, see their Ionian odyssey cruise page from Piraeus to Corfu and Ithica and back. They also offer a trip called, from Antiquity to Byzantium, where the main attraction maybe the boat which is, the Galileo, a three mast sailing ship, the current route. The Galileo also does a journey called Jewels of the Cyclades. Xmas 2024 They also offer a trip, on a motor yacht called the Douglas Mawson, the trip is called Sailing the Greek Islands.
2024/5
I made some notes in 2024, these need checking as to if they are still doing things:
- Or blue cruise, their cabin charter page about £850 + 70% p.w. = £1,445 probably + flight but the Ada Deniz looks cool.
- Or https://www.medsailholidays.com/athens-cabin-itinerary/ from & to Athens
- Or https://www.yachtgetaways.com/summer-2024 destinations in Croatia or Greece, (Paros, Lefkas or Corfu), definitely do book a cabin but expensive. I misread the currency, they quote in Euros, but don’t mention a single berth uplift. €1632 pp, but I assume based on full rooms and they are all doubles.
See https://www.goolets.net/blog/7-amazing-facts-about-turkey-gulets
Unfulfilled dreams for 2025
On the trip to Turkey with Farout Cruises, I found this, a trip from Santorini to Zaynthios, by boat, although it’s by bus from Athens to Lefkas and thus avoids the Corinth Canal which would be the point of it, and ferry from Santorini to Athens. It’s also 18-39. I wrote to them to see if they plan an older fogies trip, and they said they would, but eventually I made other plans. I captured their route map.
There are several Google hits suggesting it’s possible. There are two trips advertised, from the Saronic Gulf i.e. the Athens side, from Enjoy tours Greece and Corinth canal cruises; these are there and back again trips. I wonder if I can put something together myself. Tripadvisor have advice on the Corinth Canal
Beyond my reach
See https://www.charterworld.com/index.html?sub=yacht-charter&charter=motor-yacht-larimar-7711, Now chartering at €20K per week, although room for upto 12 guests!
See also
I also, on my Greece page, on this wiki, documented Island Sailing who don’t seem to offer a berth only and also Getting back to sea which offers some mile builder trips.
Trailfinders work with Silversea to offer trips with smaller boats, and an Island hopping experience.
I checked Far Out cruises yesterday, and the Greek trips are full. I was offered a week from Fethiye [Trip Advisor | Google Maps] , the offer is just what I want, and available when I want it, but I wasn’t planning on visiting Turkey although why not. It’s not necessarily easy to get to and boarding is at 09:00 hours.
I am looking at the end of April/early May. Expedia can get me there from LGW with a 7:30 take off. NB Turkey is three hours ahead today, I need to check what its time management rules are. I’d need to be at Gatwick by 5:30; Uber is ridiculous at that time in the morning so bus and train it is, but I have done it before. I have written a journey into my calendar.
Turkey currently observes Eastern European Summer Time (EEST) all year. Eastern European Summer Time is 3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time and so in April, until September, Turkey is two hours ahead.
I plan to go out the day before since they start at 09:00, I have an Expedia trip saved.
I added pictures from my 2nd Turkish cruise, and notes about some luxury charter cruises.
I need to review this page to see which of the links are still live. I made a chatgpt query to see if one could travel from Santorini to the Ionian. Previous research suggests that passage through the Corinth Canal is rare.Apart from the three suggested by chatpgt, I should check go-sailgreece and farout cruises, both of whom seem to have changed their offerings. Oddly, the best option might now be NCL.
✰ NCL’s dates and prices are not convenient. The Istanbul/Athens/Venice is expensive but they have a September sailing. I need to make sure they don’t conflict with GMB Congress or the America’s cup. MUch of the expense is caused by the single traveller supplement and NCL’s ship has solo cabins. I found a trip via Trailfinders.
Today, I tidied up the page.
Amendment No 1, is to move the 2023/5 paragraph to here.
Farout cruises, use a Turkish gulet but had at least one trip which starts and ends in Rhodes and only visits Greek Islands, this seems to have gone away though. They claim to do single berths. Their Turkish trips didn’t require an e-visa. See this site for other travel tips in Turkey, including a page on communications and a page on electricity.
I made a map, on Google Maps.
On Turkiye and Farout, a visa was not required for a holiday for UK citizens at the time I travelled. Turkiye is not part of BT’s “Roam at Will”; I was saved by my expenditure cap, might be best to get an eSIM next time especially as the phone will hold two sims. (This did not work well, possibly because the network coverage was poor.
I travelled in the yacht Esmeralda, captained/owned? by Yaçir. I repeated the journey the following year.
Sunsail stopped doing berth charters in 2025.
I took some pictures and uploaded them to flickr, my 25 trip and my 24 trip.