Enjoy the beauty of the Mediterranean Sea with the wonderful atmosphere of Greece on the next cruise you take. And do it by saving more than $1,500 per person!

Offering intimate ships that carry only 50 passengers, Variety Cruises is giving travelers the chance to save 79% on its regular prices on a cruise in Greece.  In addition to these spectacular savings, two free nights at an Athens hotel and a free half-day sightseeing tour are also included in the package. There are three different cruise packages available: the Classical Greece, Aegean Odyssey, and Jewels of the Cyclades.

Classical Greece Cruise 

This package is an eight-day cruise that departs from Athens or Crete, and travels across the Aegean Islands, Crete and continental Greece. The cruise will start off in Korrisia, and then travel to Tourlos, Mykonos, Santorini, Heraklion, Rethymnon, Monemvassia, Nafplion, and Spetses. The price is a $750 reduction per person with two free nights at a 4-star Athens hotel, and a free half-day sightseeing tour of Athens. Fares for the Classical Greece cruise start at $1,540 per person, per week.

In Mykonos, make sure to see the windmills and Petros, the pelican mascot of Mykonos who made the place his home in the 1950's. The original has since died, but the people of Mykonos have continued to keep his spirit alive by having another pelican named in his honor. While in Santorini, experience the natural beauty of an active volcano. In Heraklion, visit the Aqualand of Hersonisos, an aquarium filled with turtles, snakes, fish, marines and reptiles that are found in Crete. At Monemvassia, visit the many shrines like the Elkomenos Christos, Shrine Panaghias Myrtidiotissas, and the Shrine Panaghias Chrysafitissas. Then at Spetses relax and play at either the Agia Marina Beach or the Agio Anargiri Beach.

The Aegean Cruises

Consider an eight-day cruise that departs from Marina Zea in Athens. The Aegean Odyssey itinerary will travel to Delos, Mykonos, Ephesus, Samos, Patmos, Fira, and Folegandros. Like the Classical Greece package, $750 is reduced per person with two free nights at a 4-star Athens hotel, and a free half-day sightseeing tour of Athens.  Before the huge discount, fares would normally be nearly $2,300 per person.

In Delos, soak up the history of Greece by seeing the Sanctuary of Dionysos and the Sanctuary of Apollo. Continue the history lesson in Ephesus, considered one of the great outdoor museums of Turkey. See the Odeion, the Temple of Domitian, and the Gates of Heracles. Then stop in Samos to play at the beach and drink some of the wine Samos is famous for. Next, take in some religious history in Patmos, and visit the Cave of the Apocalypse where St. John stayed during his exile.  Additional sites of interest are the Monastery of St. John the Divine, and the convent of Zoodochos Pigi, the home of the "Three-eyed Virgin," an icon of the Virgin Mary that has been said to work miracles.

The Jewels of the Cyclades package is an eight-day cruise that departs from Athens aboard the M/S Galileo and heads southeast through Greece. It will travel to Poros, Kimolos, Folegandros, Santorini, Paros, Mykonos, and Kea. The cost of this package, is $1,150 per person, per week, with prices being reduced by $300 per person!  While in Poros, try out some water sports like water skiing, or go mountain biking down Poros' mountains. At Kimolos, visit the diving school in Ellinika, and try your hand at fishing in Goupa. Relax and take in the beautiful scenery at Folegandros, known as the "island of peace." At Paros, try out windsurfing, or go scuba diving, both good activities to sample there. Then spend time at Kolymbithres beach, a great beach for families with rock formations that resemble a lunar landscape. Then at Kea, make sure to see the Lion of Kea, a big sculpture of a mythical lion.  

Zeus Casual Cruises

Variety Cruises also owns a few smaller boats that are sail and motor-powered and offer a more value-conscious cruise. Described as "informal and spirited," Zeus Casual Cruises offer unique explorations through Greece's Ionian and Dodecanese islands, with all-inclusive rates starting at just $872 per person for seven days. Itineraries include the M/S Viking Star from Rhodes Town, with ports of call at Nissiros, Kalymnos, Kos, Halki, Symi and Lindos. Our son loved this trip when he 5-years-old and the staff could not have beeen more accommodating to his interest in visiting the galley, throwing out the anchor or swabbing the deck. Families can also sail the Ionian from Corfu on the M/Y Zeus II to explore Sivota, Paxi, Antipaxi, Kefalonia, Lefkas, Ithaga, Zakynthos and Parga. Both ships have sail dates into the first week of October, when the weather is still wonderful but the crowds have dispersed.

These packages are only available for a limited number of cabins, so book soon.  Each package offers different itinerary dates, but for the most part the discount is valid for travel through October 2009.

For more detailed information about Variety Cruises and specific dates on the cruise packages, check out www.varietycruises.com or call 800/319-7776.