Category: 2023 – Norwegian Jade, Greece, Israel & Turkey, 17 – 26 Apr

Because our flight was at 6:30am on Sunday morning, we actually started our journey on Saturday afternoon so we could spend the night at T5 Sofitel which eliminated a very early start from home. The hotel is linked to the terminal and it’s just a short walk to the lifts that take you to departures so a real no-brainer if you have an early flight out of T5. This was the 3rd time we have used this hotel for preflight accommodation and it probably won’t be the last either, plus we have also become very partial to their really comfortable beds and bedding.

The bag drop opened up at 5:35am and we were through security and airside in 12 minutes. There was just enough time to grab a coffee and buy something to eat while on the plane, this was because there wasn’t an in-flight meal on this route with BA. After a 40-minute delay taking off, our flight to Athens took 3 hours, and 10 minutes and we touched down just after 12:20pm local time. We then faced a 50-minute snake queue to get through immigration. I’m told it’s one of the benefits of Brexit 🤔

I actually had my name called out over the airport PA as our driver was panicking that we were lost or had missed him. 😂

After a 30-minute drive, we arrived at The Athens Gate Hotel which is our overnight accommodation prior to boarding tomorrow.

The room is compact and will do for one night but the best thing is the 8th-floor bar which has excellent views of the Parthenon and the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

After a quick drink in the said bar, we set off in search of vegan food for Nicole and as luck would have it, we found somewhere within 5 minute walk of the hotel and it was open. We both came away totally stuffed, as a non-vegan the food was exceptional.

It is Greek Orthodox Easter weekend and there are many places shut including many if not all of the monuments.

The only thing for it was to get some steps in which is what we did, the cafés and bars eventually came to life early evening and certain areas were quite lively. At 8:00pm we called it a day and headed back to the hotel for a nightcap in the bar. It’s been a long day and we are both cream crackered.

What a view to end our day off with. 😁

This cruise came about in quite an unusual way, our original plan was to try Costa Venezia before she moved to US waters and rebranded as Carnival Venezia. We found a cruise that really appealed, but on two occasions after actually booking and then rebooking, Costa cancelled them saying they were no longer available. So we gave up on Costa and looked to see if there was anything else of a similar nature at the same time of year and I found this one. The itinerary ticked boxes and because we know the ship from cruising on her in 2015, the decision was easy and we booked.

We have not sailed with NCL since 2015 and that last outing was actually on Norwegian Jade so it will be interesting to compare the two experiences. One difference is this time we have the added vegan aspect to deal with and research has shown it is possible to eat well as a vegan but we will need to make sure we speak to the dining teams once onboard and get them onside.

There are 4 new ports for us on this cruise and we have tours booked at 3 of them so it really does feel like things are returning to normal with regard to organising and planning shore excursions.

Date	Location	Arrival	Departure
Monday, April 17, 2023	Piraeus, Greece		5:00 PM
Tuesday, April 18, 2023	At Sea
Wednesday, April 19, 2023	Ashdod, Israel	6:00 AM	11:00 PM
Thursday, April 20, 2023	Haifa, Israel	6:00 AM	8:00 PM
Friday, April 21, 2023	Limassol, Cyprus	7:00 AM	3:00 PM
Saturday, April 22, 2023	Rhodes, Greece	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Sunday, April 23, 2023	Kusadasi, Turkey	6:00 AM	12:30 PM
Monday, April 24, 2023	Istanbul, Turkey	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Tuesday, April 25, 2023	Mykonos, Greece	1:00 PM	9:00 PM
Wednesday, April 26, 2023	Piraeus, Greece	7:00 AM

Our cabin selection was a simple enough exercise and we have found a standard balcony in more or less the exact location we favour.

We also have a new departure port for us on this cruise and we will be sailing to and from Piraeus, Greece. We fly out the day before, (Sunday morning) and will spend one night in Athens prior to boarding the next day.

In the 2 weeks prior to our departure, civil unrest and the threat of terrorist attack, rocket fire and military confrontation in Israel forced the cruise prior to ours to abandon stops at both Ashdod & Haifa, replacing them with Santorini and Heraklion. However, things seem to have settled down in the region since and at the time of writing we are still scheduled to make these two stops. 🤞🏼 We are cautiously optimistic they will happen but if they don’t then so be it, better to be safe than sorry.

So, all that remains, for now, is to get to Athens, details of which will follow in the next instalment.