SDI, Voyage 12134 ex Venice to Athens – 22 Sep 2021

10 Night Cruise sailing from Venice to Athens onboard Sea Dream I.

Let’s face it! Some vacations at sea can be boring. But a holiday with SeaDream Yacht Club is something new. Unstructured! Unexpected! A casual, free-form holiday with plenty of room for personal choice.

We are not a cruise line. Quite simply, yachting is different from cruising. Yachting has an open casual ambience. Cruising does not. Yachting provides guests the ability to fulfill their dreams at their own pace without having to stick to a rigid fixed schedule. With yachting it’s no clocks, no crowds, no lines, no stress.

Our twin mega yachts, SeaDream I and SeaDream II offer seven-day Caribbean and Mediterranean sailings. The elegant twins call at smaller yacht ports. There’s lots of water sports activity. “Water Toys” including wave runners, kayaks, snorkel gear, Sunfish and Zodiacs for water skiing. If you feel lazy you can snooze on deck in private Balinese sun beds—designed for two. Fun under the sun or indoors. And dining with SeaDream is superb whether you are in our main Dining Salon or up on deck in our Topside Restaurant. In short, the SeaDream twins offer guests the ultimate in the elegant, but, oh so casual yachting lifestyle. An intimate, friendly, comfortable, romantic yachting experience where you can always expect the unexpected.

Highlights of this cruise:

Venice
Venice has been known as the “Queen of the Adriatic”, “City of Water”, “City of Masks”, “City of Bridges”, “The Floating City”, and “City of Canals”. Luigi Barzini, writing in The New York Times, described it as “undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man”. Venice has also been described by the Times Online as being one of Europe’s most romantic cities. Founded in the 5th century, the city stretches across 118 small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic. In 1987 Venice and its Lagoon was inscribed as a UNESCO Heritage site. SeaDream typically docks at the San Basilio pier after navigating by the famous St. Mark’s Square down the grand canal. With its yacht stature, SeaDream vessels are amongst the very few commercial vessels that can navigate this famous waterway.

Piran
Piran may be the most beautiful of Slovenia’s coastal towns. It is perched on a tiny piece of land jutting into the sea. It has the feeling of being more like an Italian coastal town, without all the tourists. Piran was part of the Venetian empire from the late 13th century to the end of the 18th century and also had some influence from Austria-Hungary Empire. We have excellent reviews when guests participate in the adventure to see the Lipizzaner Horses as well as the walking exploration.

Trogir
UNESCO awarded Trogir is considered to be one of the oldest and most exciting villages along the Adriatic Coast. This town is located on a small island that lies between the mainland and Ciovo and sports some impressive medieval walls and a collection of Romanesque and Renaissance architecture. Kindly check the Land Adventures tab to see the wonderful options in store for you.

Split
Split is one of the oldest cities in the area and the second largest city behind Dubrovnik in Croatia. The Diocletian’s Palace is not only listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site but is also considered to be one of the world’s most impressive Roman monuments. This city is believed to be over 1,700 years old, while archaeological research relates the settling to the ancient Greek colony of Aspalathos (6th century BC) establishes the city as being several hundred years older. SeaDream offers three unique land adventure opportunities; Rafting on the Cetina River, the Split Archipelago by speedboat and naturally the Historic Split overview that included the Diocletian Palace as well as the Mestrovic Gallery.

Neum
Travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s only coastal town. Neum is the country’s only access point to the Adriatic Sea. Its peaceful bay offers the perfect conditions for water activities, including scuba diving, yachting, jet skiing and more. Visitors are enthralled by this under-the-radar destination’s history and spectacular natural sights. Neum’s relaxing beaches are one of the region’s best-kept secrets.

Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik (Pearl of the Adriatic) is one of the most prominent destinations in the Adriatic Sea. It lies in the region of Dalmatia and was awarded World Unesco Heritage status in 1979. The population is approximately 43,000 and is considered to be among the 10 best medieval walled cities in the world. SeaDream anchors off the walled city as a port of call and tenders directly to the town gate. If you check the land adventures here, you will find that there are many different excursions to consider in this incredible town. Dubrovnik is also an embarkation point on select voyages. On these occasions, the yacht is docked at the cruise terminal.

Kotor
Kotor is a coastal town in Montenegro. The old Mediterranean port of Kotor is surrounded by an impressive city wall built by the Republic of Venice and the Venetian influence remains dominant among the architectural influences. In 1979 the Bay of Kotor, City of Kotor and the surrounding territory have been listed in the UNESCO Heritage as a Cultural Site. SeaDream usually navigates close by the small islands of St. George and Our Lady of the Reef. The Bay of Kotor stretches 28 km and is one of the most indented parts of the Adriatic Sea. It is sometimes called the southern-most fjord in Europe (though it is actually a submerged river canyon called a ria). SeaDream typically docks steps away from the town. SeaDream has arranged a few different Yachting Land Adventures. One of them is a walking discovery and the other will show you the heritage and countryside of Montenegro. For the active guests, there’s incredible biking along the coast as well as a hike up to the fortress. On occasion, SeaDream may dock in the bay and tender directly to the town. We regret that watersports are not allowed in this protected area.

Itea (Delphi)
Itea is a small town situated on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, 2 km west of Kirra, 8 km southwest of Delphi. The town has a nice beach along with some shops, cafes and restaurants. It allows the closest access to the incredible sight of Delphi which is within the top three archeological attractions in Greece and in 1987 was inscribed as a UNESCO Heritage Site. It is believed the Zeus wanted to find the center of the Earth so he sent two eagles flying from the eastern and western extremities and where they met was Delphi – becoming the “navel/center of the earth”. SeaDream has arranged the very best guides and vehicles from Athens to enhance this incredible visit further. Your guided visit highlights the ancient Sanctuary of Apollo, where Pythia, the celebrated Oracle dwelt, the Temple of Apollo, the Sacred Way, the amphitheater, the best-preserved stadium of Greece, and the Castalia Spring, where in ancient days the pilgrims had to wash before they were allowed to consult the Oracle. In the Delphi Museum, see such treasures as the Omphalos, which marked the center of the world, and the magnificent bronze Charioteer, one of the finest pieces surviving from the 5th century BC. After the museum, there will be free time to visit the village of Delphi. SeaDream has the option of docking along the small pier in Itea or anchoring off to provide water sports options. This is dependent on availability as well as a number of guests visiting the archeological site.

Corinth Canal (Transit)
So narrow! So dramatic! You’ll understand why SeaDream says “expect the unexpected” as your yacht transits the Corinth Canal. The canal was first completed in 1893, despite previous attempts from ancient times; the first plans being from 602BC. The Roman Emporer Nero actually started construction in 67AD, making the first cut himself with a golden pick. The canal we transit is 6.3 kilometres (3.9 mi) in length. Before the canal, ships sailing between the Aegean and the Adriatic had to circumnavigate the Peloponnese Peninsula adding about 185 nautical miles to their voyage.

Athens
Piraeus, roughly translating to “the place over the passage”, is an important Greek port located within the Athens agglomeration, in the Attica Basin. It is 12 kilometers from the municipality of Athens, considered the fourth largest and is the third most populous amongst all the municipalities of Greece. Now a peninsula, Piraeus, originally a rocky island, was developed in early 5th Century B.C. when it was initially designated as Athens’ import and transit trade port. It is the largest marine-based shipping center of Greece, one of the largest ports in Europe, and considered the second largest passenger port in the world. Inhabited since the 26th Century, it wasn’t until the 6th Century B.C. that Piraeus began catching attention. The land of Piraeus was essentially impassable, flooded by the sea most of the year until centuries passed and the flooding ceased. By the 5th Century B.C. it became a navy base for the Athenian fleet for the natural harbors and the strategic potential they carried. Athenian general and politician Themistocles fortified Piraeus’ three harbors Kantharos, Zea and Munichia, created ship houses and completed his walls in 471 B.C., which led to the port becoming a great military and commercial harbor. There are many archaeological sites, points of interest and entertainment available in Piraeus. Most famous for its tavernas and cuisine, several popular events take place in Piraeus, such as the Ecocinema International Film Festival, the Maritime Festival, the Piraeus Rock Wave Festival and the Three Kings’ Way Festival. There are also many theaters, including the Municipal Theater, the open air Veakeio Theater, and the Menandreio Theater. Museums in Piraeus include the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus, the Merchant Shipping History Institute Exhibition, the Panos Aravantinos Decor Museum, the Georgios Averof Museum Ship and the Museum of Electric Railways. Be sure to catch the panoramic views available from the hill of Kastella, overlooking Athens and the Saronic Gulf!