9 nights, Piraeus (Athens) to Piraeus (Athens)
Explora's name for it: A Journey of Sapphire Seas & Stone Carved Shores
Nine nights out of Piraeus and back, seven calls, no sea days. The route swings from the Cyclades up the Adriatic and into the heel of Italy before turning home through the Ionian. Day one belongs to Athens, with the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora, and the Plaka lanes clustered within a short walk inland from the port. The strongest stretch is the run up the Adriatic: Dubrovnik's intact medieval ramparts, walkable in a single circuit above the terracotta roofs, then Kotor, where the hour-long sail into the bay past Perast and its two islets is genuinely half the day. Volos is the sleeper call, one of the rare ports where the ship ties up in the heart of town, a short walk from the tsipouro taverns where a round arrives with whatever seafood meze the kitchen picks.
This is a heritage-and-walls itinerary, not a beach or party one. It rewards travelers who want history under their feet and don't mind that several ports, Dubrovnik, Brindisi, Corfu, put the dock a few kilometers from the old town, so a shuttle or taxi eats part of the day. If you came for long Aegean beach afternoons, look at a different route. If you want fortified medieval towns and a steady pace, this one delivers.
Explora II is all-suite, all-oceanfront. Send me your dates and the suite tier you're weighing.
The itinerary, port by port
7 calls over 9 nights, round-trip from Piraeus (Athens). 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 →
- Embark
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 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.
- Spontaneous Summer Invitation
- A near-term fare on a small set of summer-season sailings. Onboard credit where the offer applies.
- Air-Inclusive Fare
- A fare that folds airfare into the voyage price on a smaller set of sailings.
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 →