19 nights, Piraeus (Athens) to Fusina (Venice)
Explora's name for it: An Extended Journey through Storied Marble Streets & Ancient Echoes
Nineteen nights, fourteen stops, one way from Athens to Venice. That ratio tells you most of what you need to know: this is a slow, dense survey of the eastern and central Mediterranean, not a highlights reel. The arc runs out of Greece across to Türkiye, down the Montenegrin and Dalmatian coast, and into Italy, weaving between marquee names and working towns. Some ports do the work for you. Kotor's hour-long sail-in threads a deep fjord-like bay past Perast before the walled town appears, so be on deck, not at breakfast. At Volos the ship ties up in the heart of town near the tsipouro taverns, where lunch arrives in rounds with no menu. Istanbul lands you at Galataport in the middle of the city, with the great monuments a short tram ride away. Smaller calls like Zadar, with its Sea Organ near sunset, and Syros, a real neoclassical Greek town the cruise crowds skip, reward people who like to walk a port without a guide.
This itinerary rewards travelers who want range and depth and don't mind a long run. If you're after a quick Greek-islands sampler, skip it. Note the gateway logistics: Fusina sits on the mainland edge of the Venetian lagoon, so the day starts with a water shuttle across, and several Dalmatian towns dock a few kilometers out. None of these is hard, but they ask for early starts.
Explora II is all-suite and all-oceanfront.
The itinerary, port by port
14 calls over 19 nights, Piraeus (Athens) to Fusina (Venice). Open any port for my full day-ashore guide, what to see, when to go, and how the day actually runs.
Getting there: Flights to Piraeus (Athens) (ATH) are already bookable for these dates. I watch the fare for booked clients so you book at the right moment. When to book your flights →
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- Disembark
Fares on this departure, decoded
Reading the fare fine print is the job. Here's what this sailing currently carries:
- Invitation to Discover More
- Explora's discovery fare, available across most of the calendar. Onboard credit where the offer applies.
- Founders Fare
- A founding-era fare on a selected set of sailings. Onboard credit where the offer applies.
The ship and your suite
This sailing is aboard EXPLORA II, all-suite, every suite with a private ocean-front terrace. Suites run from the entry Ocean Terrace to the Owner's Residence; the right tier depends on how you travel. Compare suites → · What's included →