Greek Island Cruise (Part 3)

(54 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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Part of the inclusions of an Azamara suite is unlimited access to the two specialty restaurants – Prime C and Aqualina. Prime C is a US themed steak house and the view, service and food are excellent.Tip of the day – Another inclusion of an Azamara suite is 235 minutes of free internet per person in the suite. Unfortunately, the internet is a bit tricky and you need to make sure your browser is working properly. Otherwise, you will have trouble logging off and may end up wasting your internet time. Make sure that you visit the tech lounge to make sure you have the logoff site icon added to your bookmarks. Day 5 – Skiathos, Greece – Skiathos is just 35 km south of Volos near the coast of Greece. The port of Skiathos is a small, iconic Greek fishing village transformed into a vacation spot, not as well known as Santorini or Mykonos, but just as picturesque. Skapelos is a neighbouring island which was featured in the movie “Mama Mia” and you can take a tour to the island and visit the church and the beach from the movie. Be prepared to listen to ABBA music for the entire trip to and from the island. Skiathos is best known for its beaches. The best known is Lalaria beach with its famous arch. The legend is that if you swim through the arch once, you will have good fortune. If you swim through it twice, you will find love. If you swim through it three times and you are a young woman, you will conceive. Not sure what happens to men who swim through it three times. At the port, you can choose which island or beach you want to visit. The ferry to Lalaria cost Euros 10 pp return. The ferry left at 10 am and left Lalaria at 2:00. The timing worked well as most of the other ferries left at noon and the passengers on our ferry were the only ones on the beach after noon. The beach, like many others in Greece, is pebble, so bring flip flops or water shoes as it can be difficult to get out of the water. Lalaria does not have any facilities so bring water and food and visit the wc before you go. Another beach is Koukounais Beach which is on the south part of the island. This beach has beach chairs, umbrellas for rent as well as a small café, plus a sandy beach.Spend some time visiting Skiathos port, wander the small streets or sit in a café, most of which have comfortable patio sofas and loungers and guests are welcome to spend the afternoon there. Each café offers free Wi-Fi so you can get caught up with the outside world if you want. Tips of the day – At Lalaria Beach, walk to the arch end of the beach as there is the most shade. There are no umbrellas available and the rest of the beach is exposed to the sun. In Skiathos cafes, the wifi password is usually the café telephone number which is on the menu.Day 6 – Kusadasi Turkey – Back across the Aegean Sea to Kusadasi, Turkey. Turkey is the home to some of the most precious Roman ruins. The most famous is Ephesus, the former Roman capital of Asia Minor and second only to Rome in wealth and splendour. The ruins are still being excavated and some of the most iconic ruins are located here. While Ephesus is the most famous, there are many other important ruins nearby. The Temple of St John and the House of the Virgin Mary to name a few. Kusadasi used to be a farming and fishing community until the 1980’s when tourism became the biggest economy driven by the excavations of Ephesus.Kusadasi also has wonderful beaches within 15 – 30 minutes by taxi from Kusadasi. In addition, because of the tourism, Kusadasi is famous for its markets and bazaars. Café’s and restaurants line the waterfront. North American hotels are building resorts and condo complexes in the city as well. Tip of the day: Ephesus is a large complex with little shade. Many tours last for several hours, but only include an hour or so at the ruins. The rest of the time is taken up by shopping tours. We found a wonderful taxi on Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor – Yucel Bor, from Can Taxi. His website is www.kusadasitaxiport.com. He will drive to the upper gate at Ephesus and meet you at the bottom gate. Timing is your own. He can also add other sites including Pamukke salt pools. He only takes payment at the end of the tour, so you won’t be worried about losing him along the way and being stranded. He is new to the internet, but is receiving great reviews, ours included.