Treasures of the Aegean
We recently returned from this tour. I can't compete with Alan's excellent summary and photos of the tour. We arrived two days early in Athens, so we did a lot of exploring on our own. One of the fun things we did was take a cooking class at the Artiste Hotel. I would highly recommend it. We also went to the Poet Sandal Maker Shop. It was really interesting to have my sandals custom fitted and made in about an hour - all for 100 euro. We also went to the Central Market and bought spices. My 4-euro Greek Red Saffron is also available on Amazon for $30! The same brand and packaging.
If you are lucky enough to get Penny as the local guide you will be very pleased. Her vast knowledge was delivered in an amusing way. She is the best local guide we have ever had in our 14 trips.
Our first stop on the Wind Star to Mykonos and Delos was skipped because of rough seas and gale force winds. The ship was really rocking all day and night. Many people were seasick. We headed straight to Turkey which words cannot describe.
I was very much looking forward to sailing on the Wind Star, but I was disappointed. We were mid-ship on the 2nd level. I expected the rooms to be small but not tired. The carpeting was stained and worn; the furniture chipped, and the toilet was grossly stained.
The staff was incredible, and they have this infectious laugh that always brought a smile.
I do think Tauck needs to be clearer about the physicality required to really enjoy the tours. The walking involves cobblestones that are not only difficult but also very dangerous. And many times, it involves climbing up steep, slippery and uneven steps. There were numerous people on this tour that had mobility issues. As a consequence, the set pace was extremely slow in the blazing 90+ degree weather.
It was a very interesting tour. I wish I would have studied up on Greek Mythology as it plays an important role. It would have made it easier to keep track of the fascinating stories.
Comments
Wow, great report!
Thanks! It is good to get other perspectives and confirmation of certain observations like the physicality. I think we had a forum discussion about that recently. Both our trips this year (J&E and Treasures) fell into the same category. The walk (and camel ride) in Petra can be tough if you have mobility issues and there are numerous locations on Treasure likewise- the walk to the Acropolis, excursion to Delos, visit to Ephesus, tour of Santori, etc. It is not that you must do it all, but to get the full experience and enjoyment of the tour, travelers need a certain level of mobility and stamina.
You raise another important point which we also found applicable to both our tours- weather. Travelers are often limited to specific times they can travel, but if not, they should carefully research the weather. We were on the 19 May departure, only the second one of the season, of Treasures of Aegean. I expected we would have a few cool days. Instead we had very good weather. It even got a little too warm, but not uncomfortably so. Athens has many records for the highest temperatures in Europe, so going later in the season can be uncomfortable to say the least, and I won't even attempt to describe what happens in Egypt if you go too late!
(110°F ! )
That is too bad, we thought Mykonos, especially the excursion to Delos was quite interesting. A couple of questions as to the impact and how Windstar adjusted or didn't:
Did you spend time loitering in the waters near Mykonos waiting for the storm to pass and lose a day or did you immediately sail for Kusadasi/Ephesus?
Was there any discussion of or possibility of visiting Mykonos after Patmos or after Santorini?
Thank you British!
Alan,
There were gale force winds up to 50 mph and it was a huge front. The ship sailed very slowly to Kusadasi and we arrived the next morning, so we did lose the day. We had the scheduled dinner at the Library of Celsus. Our TD said Wind Star never circles back to an island. There was no compensation or adjustments made. There was a rumor that Wind Star compensated their passengers by offering the higher drink package.
And just our luck, we got up early to view the entrance into the caldera. The fog was so dense none of the islands were visible and it lasted until mid-morning. TD said it only happens 5 times a year
This is what the tour page says
I think what Tauck might do is, when you call about a tour, they could go over the physicality of the tour and ask that you understand it. I don’t think that because of privacy, they can outright ask you, although OAT did that with us when we went on our one and only tour with them….it didn’t stop a fellow passenger being almost wheelchair bound, but that’s another story. Another company we use, you have to fill in a full health question and list all you medications. If you are over 80, you have to send them a report from your doctor.