Cruise Buzz

Port Buzz: Athens, Greece

Find out what cruise passengers can do in this bustling city before or after their cruise.

Having survived a rather long flight from LAX, I arrived to Athens, Greece. As soon as I gathered my bag, I met my Silversea ground representative who transferred me to the Athenaeum InterContinental Athens which is one of two pre-cruise hotels offered by the cruise line . The ride from the airport, without traffic was about 45 minutes. Since all the arrangements were made by Silversea, my transport to the hotel and from the hotel to the pier were seamless.

 

Pre-cruise self-guided tour of Athens

Boarding of Silver Spirit was in the afternoon so the morning was spent touring the old city. The hotel offered a free shuttle to the Acropolis and the Plaka. We arrived before the mid-day sun, which would later cause a small kink in our exploration of the parks and historic ruins that line Syngrou Avenue, like Hadrian’s Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus.shopping area.

But before the heat and our 1:00 pm departure from the hotel to the pier, we splurged and paid 12 Euro, to gain entry in the sites of the Acropolis.

 

Welcome aboard

The transfer to the port of Piraeus took about  20 minutes and boarding the ship was an easy affair. Boarding Silver Spirit was like going home and I can’t wait to discover the great ports we have lined up. Read about the itinerary, click here.