Customer Reviews for Go Ahead Tours The Greek Islands
Go Ahead Tours The Greek Islands
Nothing rivals the spectacular scenery of the Greek Islands.
Average Customer Rating:
(71 Reviews) 71
19 out of 27 70% of customers would recommend this tour.
Customer Reviews for The Greek Islands
Review 1 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by JBUCHER4 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:4/25/2008 12:00:00 AM
Location:FL
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with friend(s)
by JBUCHER4 |
December 28, 2011
Good trip
Great tour guide, most hotels and ship were clean and acceptable. Trip is VERY challenging. Lots of walking on uneven steep walks and steps at most island stops. Enjoyed the trip, but was not prepaired for all the walking.
Recommended for: First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+1point
2out of 3found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
3
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by JELMER |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:9/30/2011 12:00:00 AM
Location:NC
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by JELMER |
November 21, 2011
Great Location and Tour Director But......
The Islands were absolutely enchanting, Athens was exciting and interesting to be in in October of this year, and the tour director was tops. The weather was, at times, cold and rainy, as befits this time of year. My major problem with the tour was that, coming at the end of the tourist season, our group was very small (11 people total), which meant that optionals were sometimes cancelled due to insufficient group size for the side-trip (losing Delphi was a particular disappointment); also, due to group size, there was SITUATIONAL pressure to take part in other side-trips even if one had not planned to go on them. Another big problem came at the beginning of the tour when no one seemed to know which gate our flight was departing from (Air Canada apparently does not have a big presence in Atlanta). A final gripe that I personally have, being a non-drinker, is that I apparently paid for the included alcoholic beverages but was not usually offered an alternative.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Solo Travelers, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
3
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by MAFRANWILL |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:09/30/2011
Location:MA
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by MAFRANWILL |
October 29, 2011
back to the homeland
I am a retired 62 year young teacher of Greek descent. When I was 20, I hitchhiked through Europe and visited over 15 countries including my grandparents' birthplace in Greece. I vowed I would return again soon, but then life happened. - two husbands and 4 kids. I got back to London and Italy, but never to Greece. This 15 day tour to Athens and the islands with an extension to Istanbul was the perfect trip for me. I got to stay on islands that I had not visited before and and see the historic sites that I had missed years ago. There was enough free time to interact with the locals and practice my Greek. I had a wonderful time.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
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Review 4 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
3
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by jebhawkins |
Number of past tours:4
Traveled on:10/7/2011 12:00:00 AM
Location:OH
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by jebhawkins |
October 26, 2011
Disappointed with this tour
We just returned from this tour yesterday. Our itinerary was adjusted a couple of times because of strikes in Greece, so we were unable to stay in Mykonos or visit Delos, and stayed two extra days in Santorini instead. We had several days of rain and chilly weather, so that made some of the touring less enjoyable. The big disappointment, however, was the cruise. The ship was huge, and our group competed with about 1200 other passengers for dining room space. Also, the shore excursions to Ephesus, Mykonos and others were not included in the tour price, so the additional cost for excursions was about another $200 per person. I reviewed all the literature sent to me by GoAhead, and didn't see anything indicating that the cost of these excursions was extra, so it was an unpleasant surprise. The best part of the tour for us was an extra days in Santorini and the add-on to Istanbul. Our guide, Roberto, was excellent and handled all the last minute itinerary changes well and kept us informed.
Recommended for: Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Relaxing Retreat, Experienced Travelers
+6points
6out of 6found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
2
/
5
Tour Director
1
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by ALIZAKOWSKI1 |
Number of past tours:4
Traveled on:09/30/2011
Location:IL
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by ALIZAKOWSKI1 |
October 26, 2011
Group too Small
We only had 11 people in our group. As a result, 3 of 6 optional excursions did not run. The extension to Istanbul had only 8 people. No optionals were available. If the extension was permitted, then optionals with all participating should have taken place. Our tour director in Istanbul paid very little attention to our group. We did not see him after the second day! We had to call him to find out details regarding our transfer to the airport for our flights home. Overall, very disappointing and far below the value we expect from GoAhead.
+6points
6out of 6found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
4
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by HTAMAI2 |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:09/23/2011
Location:CA
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by HTAMAI2 |
October 19, 2011
Greek Islands Tour
In general, i enjoyed this tour. The first port where I left the ship, Kusadasi .was pretty much of a waste of time. We went to the shopping areas of Kusadasi since we already visited Ephesus on another tour of Turkey...we just got hassled by all of the street vendors here. Enjoyed the visit to St. John Monastery on Patmos..I would recommend taking this tour. The visit to Lindos on Rhodes was only okay (the path to the fortress there was too narrow with too many people). The visit to the Palace of Knososs was also only okay on Crete. I really enjoyed the visit to the archeological museum in Heraklion, Crete. Santorini was a nice stop. Its a beautiful island and the hotel there was excellant. There was a noise problem at the hotel on Mykonos and we had to change rooms several times.The archeological museum on Crete, visiting Santorini, and St John Monastery on Patmos are probably what I will remember most on this tour. Also, the people on this tour were a nice group although it would have been better with a smaller number
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Food & Wine
+3points
4out of 5found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by Anonymous |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:7/8/2011 12:00:00 AM
Location:VA
Age:30-39
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by Anonymous |
September 19, 2011
The Greek Islands
This trip was one of the best vacations I have ever taken! Our tour guide Kostas was exceptional!!!! He was more than happy to go out of his way to make our experience memorable and enjoyable. I highly reccomend this tour to anyone who would like an amazing Greek experience.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime
+6points
7out of 8found this review helpful.
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Review 8 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by KTURBETT1 |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:07/08/2011
Location:CT
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by KTURBETT1 |
August 4, 2011
wonderful Greece
The tour was very well planned, we had time for our self,almost everyday, Kosts was a wonderful person very happy smiling, most of the time.. the exc. were very informative. the cruise was great the meals were great, some times to much food was given,especialy at the on the wine tasting tour.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
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Comments (1)
JELMER
Wilmington, NC
Laundry Info
Posted August 31, 2011
are there laundry facilities about halfway through the tour?
0points
0out of 0found this comment helpful.
Review 9 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by VBREWER8 |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:06/10/2011
Location:SC
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by VBREWER8 |
July 6, 2011
Greece
The tour was great and I feel it was well worth the money spent. Iris was a wonderful tour director who kept us moving and handled any unforeseen problems in a timely manner.
I have mixed feelings about the ship/cruise part of the trip. It was nice to have the mobility to see several islands, but using the word "cruise" conjures up images of luxury, great food, and great interiors. This was not the case. Also, as soon as we boarded the ship we were told that the excursions aboard the ship would cost more money, which was not what we were told when we signed up for the trip. The excursions at Ephesus and Rhodes, which were some of the excursions offered by the ship, were highlights of the trip.
The hotels on the islands were great and the islands were magical. Sunset at Santorini, shopping/eating in Crete, and staying on Mikonos were all great parts of the tour.
Great trip.
I have mixed feelings about the ship/cruise part of the trip. It was nice to have the mobility to see several islands, but using the word "cruise" conjures up images of luxury, great food, and great interiors. This was not the case. Also, as soon as we boarded the ship we were told that the excursions aboard the ship would cost more money, which was not what we were told when we signed up for the trip. The excursions at Ephesus and Rhodes, which were some of the excursions offered by the ship, were highlights of the trip.
The hotels on the islands were great and the islands were magical. Sunset at Santorini, shopping/eating in Crete, and staying on Mikonos were all great parts of the tour.
Great trip.
+7points
7out of 7found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by CMAYO8 |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:06/10/2011
Location:GA
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by CMAYO8 |
July 6, 2011
Greece and the Greek Isles
The tour was great and the hotels were very nice with very good food. The big disappointment was the cruise. The food was horrible, the ship was not the ship shown to us in our trip brochure, and we did not receive the information that the excursions while on the cruise would be extra $. Our whole group of 12 were shocked that we had not been sent this information.
We did find out from other people on the tour that they paid a good bit less and were given a free excursion and had booked the previous fall. We book 1.5 years ago and did not receive this plan. Out of principal, on this issue, I will probably not book another tour.
We did find out from other people on the tour that they paid a good bit less and were given a free excursion and had booked the previous fall. We book 1.5 years ago and did not receive this plan. Out of principal, on this issue, I will probably not book another tour.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Solo Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, First Time Travelers
+12points
12out of 12found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by KROSELL1 |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:06/10/2011
Location:KS
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with a group coordinator/organization
by KROSELL1 |
July 5, 2011
Greece
great trip for our private group. Our guide, Kostas, was fantastic and knew our groups likes throughout our trip. Good mix of active, intellectually stimulating and relaxing activities.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Family Vacations, Trip Of A Lifetime
0points
1out of 2found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by PWASWICK1 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:06/10/2011
Location:KS
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by PWASWICK1 |
July 5, 2011
Greek Isles
Images for this Review
(click to see full-size image)
Our travel to the Greek Isles was a tremendous experience. Our Guide Kostos was everything we could have asked for in keeping us safe, entertained, rested, and on time for all of our excursions! Kostos went out of his way to help us to experience the Greek culture and enjoy the beautiful landscape. We hope to return some day!
Recommended for: Anniversary Trips, Art, History, & Culture, Honeymoons, Experienced Travelers
0points
1out of 2found this review helpful.
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Review 13 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by THUMPHREY |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:06/10/2011
Location:SC
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by THUMPHREY |
July 5, 2011
A wonderful trip
I enjoyed my trip to the Greek Islands very much. If I would do things differently I would not take as many excursions so I could enjoy relaxing and maybe exploring the local restaurants, beaches etc. at a leisurely pace. The number of steps and vertical climbs are not for those without some degree of fitness. My favorite sites were Ephesus, Chania, Santorini, and Mykonos. The Acropolis must not be missed but it was quite crowded and the marble steps were very slick. I would recommend shoes suitable for hiking. The ship was enjoyable however, the breakfast and lunches were nothing to write home about. The evening meals were better particularly if you chose the sit down dining room. The entertainment (the band and Greek dancers) on the ship were very good. It was unfortunate that their shows were not well attended.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, First Time Travelers
+2points
3out of 4found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
3
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by rxrunner4 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:6/10/2011 12:00:00 AM
Location:OH
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by rxrunner4 |
July 1, 2011
Expensive, fun, beautiful, and overbooked
OK it is truly a mixed bag about how I feel about this tour. First off 44 people in a tour group is ridiculous. The tour guide was fantastic, but she had to work hard to make her money. With 44 people that aren't spring chicks there is plenty to go wrong for the guide to have to deal with. I must say that Iris Andre handled everything beautifully and if it weren't for her the trip would not have been the success that it was.
I felt that the cruise portion of the trip was a total disappointment. We were on a ship (the Calypso) that wasn't the quality that I expected. The food on the cruise was horrible. Plus most of us had no indication from the literature that GoAhead sent out that there was nothing planned or provided while on the cruise as far as excursions. If you wanted to do something it was an additional charge. I felt like we were being nickel and dimed to death.
Hotel qualities were wonderful however the free dinners that were provided at the hotels were average. Breakfast was great.
Of the excursions that were offered I would highly recommend Delpi. That was my favorite.Skip Posideon and Delos.
HIGHLY suggest the extension to Turkey. What a value for your money! It is beautiful and the tours were great. Once again avoid the touristy Turkish night out excursion. I would make another trip to Turkey. It was very fascinating the Bosphorus Straight tour was fabulous and the lunch was a 5 course true Turkish meal. Make sure that you are hungry.
A tip....the phone cards that they suggest do NOT work anywhere but in Athens. Get the phone not the pre paid card. That was a total waste of money and deceptive.
Set up a debit card so that you can use the ATM. That is the best way to make your purchases. A lot of place do not take credit cards. Capitol One has a card that does not charge a foreign exchange charge.
Bottom line....it was fun, but it is not a good value for the money.
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by buckeye61 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:5/13/2011 12:00:00 AM
Location:SC
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by buckeye61 |
June 4, 2011
Fabulous trip
We just returned from the Greek Isle trip. We had a great time. The three day cruise part was just average This is what I had expected from the Greek cruise line but I would do it again for the European experience. The trip was well organized and we had a terrific tour guide.
Linda and Wayne Riehl
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, Food & Wine, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
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Review 16 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by MRICHARDSON28 |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:4/29/2011 12:00:00 AM
Location:TX
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by MRICHARDSON28 |
May 27, 2011
The beautiful Greek Islands and the amazing water
Our tour was fantastic. Our guide Gloria was beyond amazing. She kept things moving and entertaining. Ephesus was awe inspiring. The islands were beautiful and the people were so kind. We went the first part of May and the tourist season had not started but still there were crowds. It was too early to really enjoy the water at the beaches but it was relaxing to sit on the beach. The hotels were nice but not really near anything to do. You had to travel to see or do anything. The food was good. The cruise ship was OK, we have been on much nicer ships. The trip to Cape Sounion was a little long, it was a pretty drive but a long way to go. You spend more time in the bus than at the Temple of Poseidon.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Trip Of A Lifetime, First Time Travelers
+8points
8out of 8found this review helpful.
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Review 17 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by smjack1 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:10/8/2010 12:00:00 AM
Location:TX
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by smjack1 |
December 8, 2010
Great Trip
Overall, the trip was a great experience! The itinerary and all of the excursions/tours were outstanding, and the individual city guides were super. We saw all of the sites which were meaningful to us.
Our Go Ahead Tours guide, Gloria, was absolutely the best! She was extremely knowledgeable, personable, and experienced. She ensured that we got the most from every free moment. When weather prevented the ferry from taking us from Santorini to Mykonos (I would recommend going earlier than October, as we did.) Gloria scrambled to provide us things to do on our extended stay on Santorini, and booked flights back to Athens, at no additional charge to us.
All of the hotels were modern, first class, and excellent. The food was delicious- especially the huge, included breakfast buffets- and the staffs were friendly and helpful. Though most hotels were not near the historic sites and didn't have very attractive views, transportation was either provided, or was nearby and easy to access.
The one exception was the cruise ship. Louis Cruise Lines bumped the whole tour to the Calypso instead of the Aquamarine. Go Ahead Tours had no control over this, and they were not informed about the change until the day the tour began. The air conditioning didn't work; the upgraded room we paid for on the Aquamarine, turned into a basic room which opened to a walkway on the Calypso- so we couldn't even open the curtains; the amenities and meal times were greatly decreased. Even if we arrived at an island first, we had to wait for the Aquamarine passengers to disembark and begin their excursion tour before us. I would never want to cruise with Louis Lines again. That being said, the food, staff, shore trips, and tour guides were excellent. We were allowed to spend most of the day on the islands, instead of the few hours offered by many cruises. If I had to choose between an excellent cruise ship and great shore trips, I would definitely choose the latter.
We booked the tour because of the itineray, and not the cruise, so that wasn't as big a disappointment to us as it was to some of the group. It was still a great experience, and we would book it all over again!
Our Go Ahead Tours guide, Gloria, was absolutely the best! She was extremely knowledgeable, personable, and experienced. She ensured that we got the most from every free moment. When weather prevented the ferry from taking us from Santorini to Mykonos (I would recommend going earlier than October, as we did.) Gloria scrambled to provide us things to do on our extended stay on Santorini, and booked flights back to Athens, at no additional charge to us.
All of the hotels were modern, first class, and excellent. The food was delicious- especially the huge, included breakfast buffets- and the staffs were friendly and helpful. Though most hotels were not near the historic sites and didn't have very attractive views, transportation was either provided, or was nearby and easy to access.
The one exception was the cruise ship. Louis Cruise Lines bumped the whole tour to the Calypso instead of the Aquamarine. Go Ahead Tours had no control over this, and they were not informed about the change until the day the tour began. The air conditioning didn't work; the upgraded room we paid for on the Aquamarine, turned into a basic room which opened to a walkway on the Calypso- so we couldn't even open the curtains; the amenities and meal times were greatly decreased. Even if we arrived at an island first, we had to wait for the Aquamarine passengers to disembark and begin their excursion tour before us. I would never want to cruise with Louis Lines again. That being said, the food, staff, shore trips, and tour guides were excellent. We were allowed to spend most of the day on the islands, instead of the few hours offered by many cruises. If I had to choose between an excellent cruise ship and great shore trips, I would definitely choose the latter.
We booked the tour because of the itineray, and not the cruise, so that wasn't as big a disappointment to us as it was to some of the group. It was still a great experience, and we would book it all over again!
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Food & Wine, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+44points
45out of 46found this review helpful.
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Review 18 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
4
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by JBALDWIN24 |
Number of past tours:3
Traveled on:10/01/2010
Location:CA
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by JBALDWIN24 |
December 1, 2010
Greek Islands
This is the second time that I've sent in a review. The trip was overall very good. The weak part was the ship part of the trip. The Sapphire was dirty and obviously in need of some routine maintainance and refurbishing. The furniture in the lounge was threadbare. We had not been aware of all the options that became available and some people were not prepared financially to take advantage of them. The pace of the activities was not too hectic, but the going on and off ships with luggage was a challenge for many single older females.
+29points
30out of 31found this review helpful.
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Review 19 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
3
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by DBUCK198 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:10/08/2010
Location:WI
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by DBUCK198 |
November 21, 2010
good trip
to many extra expenses
Recommended for: First Time Travelers
+8points
9out of 10found this review helpful.
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Review 20 for The Greek Islands
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by LBANFIELD1 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:09/24/2010
Location:BC
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by LBANFIELD1 |
November 15, 2010
Greece and Istanbul
The guides wer very knowledgable and the tour guide for the overall tour was excellent. The greek cruise ship we were on "The Calyposo" left a lot to be desired. It was old, small, the pool was the size of a large hot tub and the food was mediore. The hotel on Crete was excellent and the other hotels were good. If there was a problem (i.e. put in a smoking room or put in a small single room even though upgrade was paid for) Gloria went out of her way to try to please everyone. Our guide Cem in Istanbul was knowledgable and offered tips on local cuisine and also took us at our request to The Bastille Cistern even though it was not part of the tour itineray
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+15points
16out of 17found this review helpful.
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