Greek Island Cruise (Part 2)

(52 Reviews)
100% Recommended

Lola Stoker

Mississauga, ON

Cruise Holidays | Luxury Travel Boutique

I was born in The Netherlands and moved to Canada in my early twenties. I started my career in travel and hospitality in Ottawa and later moved to Toronto where I have lived and worked ever since. My home is in Etobicoke, a quiet neighbourhood i...

My background includes a Degree in Hotel Management from the University of Maastrict, The Netherlands. A veteran of the hospitality industry, I spent my early years working in catering, restaurant management and sales. Later, an opportunity arose in Corporate Travel Sales where I represented some of the larger corporate travel companies in Canada. Although I enjoyed this career, I was always envious of the leisure travel specialists that I met; they seemed to be having so much fun researching and booking dream vacations for their clients.

In 2012, I decided to pursue a career in leisure travel and started a boutique travel agency with my husband, specializing in cruises and custom vacations. I've learned more about myself and the world than I ever imagined. I am truly grateful to have this opportunity to help clients, who have been bitten by the travel bug, plan their trips and cruises.

Many of my clients have spent most of their lives in North America and are eager to see more of the world. Canada is an absolutely gorgeous country, but I believe that it is important for people to travel, experience different destinations and cultures to broaden their horizons and enrich their lives. This could mean an escorted tour in Asia, an expedition trip to Antarctica or a relaxing river cruise in Europe.

My background gives me a unique perspective when booking cruises and other travel experiences for my clients. Born in The Netherlands, I traveled extensively throughout Europe. After moving to Canada as a young adult, I continued to travel extensively to Asia, the Caribbean and Mexico. Eventually, opening my own travel agency will allow me to use my unique expertise to help a variety of valued clients.

I love connecting with my clients, hearing their stories and seeing their pictures of their travel experiences after they return. This was particularly true with a client who booked a trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. The client had the opportunity to stay in a jungle resort with an amazing view of a volcano, visit the city of Quito, cruise the Galapagos Islands and get close to the extraordinary wildlife there. The pictures I received after this trip were absolutely breathtaking!

While I travel quite a bit with my agency, I make sure I am available for my clients. While my clients are abroad, I make it a point of being reachable so that I can quickly respond to any questions they may have. After my clients have returned, I'm always eager to discuss their trip, not only to learn about their experiences but to find ways to improve my service to them.

My number one mission is to deliver a once in a lifetime, worry free travel experience through superior service, excellent value and relevant expertise - and I will do whatever it takes to achieve that goal!

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The Cysternes are now only an historic relic of times past, but a testament to the engineering skills of the Romans and the Turkish predecessors. Because they are underground, the temperature is about 17 degrees Celsius while the surface temperature was close to 30 degrees Celsius. The cavernous Cysternes have an eerie, spooky feel to it that seems to come right out of the movies. This is very much a must visit attraction as anything else in Istanbul capped with the two carvings of Medusa in the furthest reaches of the caverns.Mine and Magister Tours Inc. offer custom tours of Istanbul and the rest of Turkey and are extremely knowledgeable about history and the importance of each of Istanbul’s historic sites. Call us to book a tour.Embarkation onto the Azamara Journey was quick and very efficient. We arrived from the hotel in a taxi that cost TL 25 or about C$12.50 and breezed through check in and onto the ship without a wait or a queue anywhere along the way. Another advantage of a small ship. Our stateroom was ready at 1:30 as advised and we were very pleased to accept the upgrade to a suite arranged by the Azamara Sales Rep for Canada. Suite was spacious with a bathroom with a tub. With a suite, the specialty dining is complimentary, as is access to the Thalassa spa and 3 hours of free internet per person. The butler service was also included.A quick tour of the ship showed us a well laid out deck plan with plenty of room for everyone. Deck chairs with towels were plentiful with several different areas for relaxing and sunning all over the ship so that you weren’t limited to the pool deck. No music blaring, just a quiet pool with attentive wait staff ready to take your order. The gym is a fair size with machines and free weights; enough for most workouts. Day 3 – Wednesday, July 22 – Kepez/Canakkale – The ship docked early in the morning before we were awake. Breakfast on the balcony at 7:30. Off the ship to the complimentary shuttles into Canakkale, a small port town on the Adriatic coast of Turkey. Canakkale is best known for two historic sites. First, the ancient legendary city of Troy was located 35 km outside of Canakkale and the remains of the city are a major attraction. More recently, Gallipoli is across the Dardenelles Straits and was the site of a major battlefield in WW1 where the AnZac forces suffered a heart wrenching and horrific defeat. We chose to spend the morning walking the waterfront promenade which has a number of interesting monuments and attractions. First, the Trojan Horse used in the movie “Troy” is found on the promenade with a tribute to the film along with a model of the city. Further down there is a giant sundial. In addition, there is a monument to Pirri Reis, a pirate, an officer in the Ottoman Navy and a scientist from Gallipoli. All along the waterfront are cafes and restaurants that serve tea and coffee and food to the many tourists and locals that come to the waterfront. Fishermen line the walkway hoping to land the next big one or simply to while away the time. Tip of the day: Most café’s have free Wi-Fi internet, so if you want to get connected, stop in for a drink and a sandwich and log on. For us, it was back to the ship for some relaxation by the pool and maybe a workout in the gym.Day 4 –Volos Greece – Volos is the second largest city in Greece. The main attraction from Volos is the tour to Meteora Monasteries. Meteora is a two hour drive north west from Volos in the mountains of central Greece. The rock formations are unique and the monasteries are perched on the top of some of the most inaccessible peaks. Before roads were built, the monks had to climb to the monasteries by rope ladders or be pulled up in net baskets. Many monks lived in hollowed out caves as a test of their faith and dedication to a simple life. The monasteries have been much photographed and even featured in a James Bond movie – “Live and Let Die” with Roger Moore. The scenery is renown as is the workmanship and engineering feat of building the monasteries in such difficult locations. The entire tour took about 8 hours and included lunch and stops at restaurants and icon workshop. . Meteora is a very popular tourist destination and you may want to consider the slightly higher cost of hiring a private car from Volos to avoid the crowds. You will be able to see more monasteries and some of the more remote monasteries and avoid the tourist restaurants and stores that are required on a group tour.