Don’t give up on a European vacation in 2025!
Celebrity, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and Royal Caribbean are popular choices for guests wishing to explore the dreamy Greek Isles.
Here’s our take on which Greece cruise you should book to fit your travel style in 2025.
Celebrity Ascent
Best for: New ship lovers
Celebrity Ascent is Celebrity Cruises' newest ship part of their award-winning Edge Class. This summer, Ascent offers a variety of sailings to Greece, ranging from 7 to 11 nights. Most itineraries visit Santorini and Mykonos. However, the longer your itinerary, the more unique destinations you'll visit, including Corfu and Olympia.
Ascent is the ship for cruisers who love that new ship smell and want first dibs at all the latest restaurants and attractions. The ship features over 20 dining and drinking venues, innovative cabins with indoor/outdoor spaces, and the exclusive Retreat area where suite guests have their own restaurant, pool, sun deck, and lounge.
The three-deck Eden space offers a unique hangout by day and cutting-edge entertainment at night, and the Magic Carpet, cantilevered off the side of the ship, adds a wow factor to after-dinner drinks, as well as tender boarding in ports like Mykonos.
There are plenty of places for amazing days at sea, including the pool and adults-only solarium, the spa, the rooftop garden, the casino, or perhaps the Martini Bar. While Ascent isn’t a kid-centered ship, Celebrity does have a kids club.
Norwegian Epic
Best for: Active explorers
Norwegian Epic will sail jam-packed itineraries from Athens, beginning in May 2025. The routes feature new ports nearly every day. For example, on a 10-night cruise from Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy, you'll visit 8 ports with just two much-needed sea days to rest.
If your goal is to see as much of Greece, these sailings are for you. It hits the island playgrounds of Mykonos and Santorini and historic sites like Olympia. Read up on your Greek history and mythology before you set sail, so the sites will be more meaningful (and you can impress your fellow cruisers with your knowledge).
Don’t expect to lay low during sailing hours. Norwegian Epic is hopping with activity day and night for those who like to explore onboard. Check out more than 16 dining options, including French, Italian, and Asian.
Read more: I sailed on Norwegian Cruise Line’s worst-rated ship. Here's what it was really like.
Odyssey of the Seas
Best for: Families
Royal Caribbean is always one of our favorite cruise lines for families. Odyssey of the Seas is a great ship to explore the Greek Isles but also for staying busy during sea days. Onboard there's an indoor SeaPlex, sky diving simulator, rock climbing wall, multiple pools, adults-only Solarium, and more.
The entire family can take advantage of a wide variety of restaurants and shows at night after their time in port. Mom and Dad might even find a quiet moment to slip away to the Solarium or sneak out to the casino or onboard bars for a nightcap while their offspring are at the Adventure Ocean kids club. With plenty of activities day and night, no one will complain about boredom.
The itinerary is as go, go, go as the ship. After boarding in Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy, you will sail to Santorini, Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey; Mykonos; and Naples, Italy. Longer voyages venture to the stunning ports of Chania (Souda), Crete; Limassol, Cyprus; and Athens (Piraeus), Greece. Interested in an overnight stay in Istanbul, Turkey? Consider Odyssey of the Seas' Oct. 12, 2025 sailing.
If your kids are Percy Jackson fans or study mythology in school, they’ll love exploring Greece’s historic sites mixed in with some island swim time. Parents should find time to sample the local cuisine, whether or not the rest of the family shares their adventurous palates.
Sun Princess
Best for: Traditional cruisers with a touch of luxury
Sun Princess is Princess Cruises' newest ship and is returning to Europe for a great seasonal stint this summer. Unlike Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, Princess ships lack many thrills that appeal to families with younger children. As such, Sun Princess is great for those who enjoy a more classic cruising experience with modern amenities. That's right—Princess finally upgraded its staterooms to get rid of the clingy shower curtains.
The itinerary variety on Sun Princess is unmatched, offering everything from weeklong cruises to the Greek Isles to 21-day Mediterranean explorations. These longer sailings provide ample time to visit different destinations, from the iconic islands of Mykonos and Santorini to gems like Crete and Málaga, Spain.
Sun Princess' onboard experience is just as noteworthy. With everything from the cruise line's first Teppanyaki restaurant to beloved favorites like the Crown Grill, you'll have plenty of tasty dining options. Plus, Sun Princess is home to the most unique entertainment in the cruise line's fleet, with mesmerizing aerial shows in the glass-enclosed The Dome and feet-tapping original production shows in the brand-new Princess Arena.
Guests looking for the most upscale and exclusive experience onboard will want to book one of the ship's high-end Sanctuary cabins. These staterooms provide access to the Sanctuary deck, as well as a private dining room.
Nieuw Statendam
Best for: Seasoned travelers
This summer, Holland America Line is partnering with The HISTORY Channel™ to blend the art of leisurely travel with the power of immersive storytelling.
As such, you'll find itineraries visiting more than the most sought-after ports in Greece. For example, have you ever wanted to see the Egyptian pyramids in Cairo or explore the ancient ruins of Carthage in Tunisia? Each itinerary is different, so you’ll need to match your preferred sail date to your bucket list destinations.
Because Holland America Line targets more seasoned travelers, the pace onboard will be less frenetic and less crowded than on the larger ships. Onboard, you won’t find water slides and cantilevered restaurants, but you can enjoy high-quality live music.
Foodies will revel in cooking demos and multiple dining venues, including the cruise line's classic steakhouse, sushi, and Rudi's seafood restaurants. After a hard day of sightseeing, the spa beckons, with its muscle-melting treatments and a hydro pool to soak that foot fatigue away.
Read more: Holland America Line Ships By Age — Newest to Oldest (2025)
Erica Silverstein
Erica Silverstein is a cruise and family travel expert, who has been covering the industry for more than 15 years. Her articles have appeared on Cruise Critic, Porthole, TravelAge West, and USA Today. A staunch advocate of cruising as an ideal family vacation, she has, on occasion, banned her own children from cruising with her.
