--- type: cruise schema_type: TouristTrip id: 5ece0321-6b2c-4c22-8fda-e20ff37b5544 slug: 2249671 voyage_code: OVL280118 cruise_line: Viking ship: Viking Vela departure_date: return_date: nights: 7 embarkation_port: Athens (Piraeus), Greece disembarkation_port: Istanbul starting_price_usd: 3299.0 bookable: false last_updated: 2026-07-18T13:00:07Z --- # Ancient Mediterranean Treasures-Athens to Istanbul > Viking · Viking Vela · Jan 18 – 25, 2028   (7 nights) ## Quick Facts | Attribute | Value | |-----------|-------| | **Cruise Line** | Viking | | **Ship** | Viking Vela | | **Duration** | 7 nights | | **Departure Date** | N/A | | **Return Date** | N/A | | **Embarkation Port** | Athens (Piraeus), Greece | | **Disembarkation Port** | Istanbul | | **Starting Price** | 3,299 USD per person | | **Voyage Code** | OVL280118 | ## Itinerary ### Day 1: Athens (Piraeus), Greece **Arrives:** 12:00 AM · **Departs:** 12:00 AM Athens is the capital of Greece. It was also at the heart of Ancient Greece, a powerful civilization and empire. The city is still dominated by 5th-century BC landmarks, including the Acropolis, a hilltop citadel topped with ancient buildings like the colonnaded Parthenon temple. The Acropolis Museum, along with the National Archaeological Museum, preserves sculptures, vases, jewelry and more from Ancient ### Day 2: Athens (Piraeus), Greece **Arrives:** 12:00 AM · **Departs:** 12:00 AM Athens is the capital of Greece. It was also at the heart of Ancient Greece, a powerful civilization and empire. The city is still dominated by 5th-century BC landmarks, including the Acropolis, a hilltop citadel topped with ancient buildings like the colonnaded Parthenon temple. The Acropolis Museum, along with the National Archaeological Museum, preserves sculptures, vases, jewelry and more from Ancient ### Day 3: Crete (Heraklion), Greece **Arrives:** 12:00 AM · **Departs:** 12:00 AM ### Day 4: Rhodes **Arrives:** 12:00 AM · **Departs:** 12:00 AM Rhodes, the largest of Greece’s Dodecanese islands, is known for its beach resorts, ancient ruins and remnants of its occupation by the Knights of St. John during the Crusades. The city of Rhodes has an Old Town featuring the medieval Street of the Knights and the castlelike Palace of the Grand Masters. Captured by the Ottomans and then held by the Italians, the palace is now a history museum. ### Day 5: Ephesus (Kusadasi) **Arrives:** 12:00 AM · **Departs:** 12:00 AM Ephesus is an ancient city in Turkey’s Central Aegean region, near modern-day Selçuk. Its excavated remains reflect centuries of history, from classical Greece to the Roman Empire – when it was the Mediterranean’s main commercial center – to the spread of Christianity. Paved streets wind past squares, baths and monumental ruins. The Temple of Hadrian was built before 138 A.D. for Emperor Hadrian’s visit ### Day 6: Troy (Canakkale), Turkey **Arrives:** 12:00 AM · **Departs:** 12:00 AM ### Day 7: Istanbul **Arrives:** 12:00 AM · **Departs:** 12:00 AM The Port of Istanbul is a passenger terminal for cruise liners, which is situated at Karaköy neighborhood of Beyoğlu district in Istanbul, Turkey ### Day 8: Istanbul **Arrives:** 12:00 AM · **Departs:** 12:00 AM The Port of Istanbul is a passenger terminal for cruise liners, which is situated at Karaköy neighborhood of Beyoğlu district in Istanbul, Turkey ## Pricing Prices shown are per person based on double occupancy in USD. | Cabin Type | Starting Price | |------------|----------------| | Balcony | $3,299 | | Suite | $5,299 | ## Cabin Options ### Balcony Cabins **Veranda** (Code: V2) Veranda **Deluxe Veranda** (Code: DV4) Stateroom size: 288 sq ft (includes private veranda) Ocean-view stateroom with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opening to full-size veranda 11 AM Embarkation 2 PM stateroom access Priority shore excursion reservations 67 days prior to departure 1 priority reservation at each alternative restaura... **Deluxe Veranda** (Code: DV2) Stateroom size: 288 sq ft (includes private veranda) Ocean-view stateroom with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opening to full-size veranda 11 AM Embarkation 2 PM stateroom access Priority shore excursion reservations 67 days prior to departure 1 priority reservation at each alternative restaura... **Deluxe Veranda** (Code: DV5) Stateroom size: 288 sq ft (includes private veranda) Ocean-view stateroom with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opening to full-size veranda 11 AM Embarkation 2 PM stateroom access Priority shore excursion reservations 67 days prior to departure 1 priority reservation at each alternative restaura... **Penthouse Veranda Stateroom** (Code: PV1) Stateroom size: 360 sq ft (includes private veranda) Ocean-view stateroom with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opening to full-size veranda 11 AM Embarkation 1 PM stateroom access Priority shore excursion reservations 77 days prior to departure 2 priority reservations at each alternative restaur... **Veranda** (Code: V1) Veranda **Penthouse Veranda Stateroom** (Code: PV3) Stateroom size: 360 sq ft (includes private veranda) Ocean-view stateroom with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opening to full-size veranda 11 AM Embarkation 1 PM stateroom access Priority shore excursion reservations 77 days prior to departure 2 priority reservations at each alternative restaur... **Deluxe Veranda** (Code: DV3) Stateroom size: 288 sq ft (includes private veranda) Ocean-view stateroom with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opening to full-size veranda 11 AM Embarkation 2 PM stateroom access Priority shore excursion reservations 67 days prior to departure 1 priority reservation at each alternative restaura... **Deluxe Veranda** (Code: DV1) Stateroom size: 288 sq ft (includes private veranda) Ocean-view stateroom with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opening to full-size veranda 11 AM Embarkation 2 PM stateroom access Priority shore excursion reservations 67 days prior to departure 1 priority reservation at each alternative restaura... **Deluxe Veranda** (Code: DV6) Deluxe Veranda **Penthouse Veranda Stateroom** (Code: PV2) Stateroom size: 360 sq ft (includes private veranda) Ocean-view stateroom with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opening to full-size veranda 11 AM Embarkation 1 PM stateroom access Priority shore excursion reservations 77 days prior to departure 2 priority reservations at each alternative restaur... ### Suite Cabins **Owner’s Suite** (Code: OS) Stateroom size: 1,488 sq ft multi-room suite including expansive private veranda Ocean-view largest multi-room accommodations onboard Separate bedroom suite Spacious, well-appointed living room Separate dining area that seats 6 Private library, wine & music collections curated by Chairman Torstein H... **Explorer Suite** (Code: ES2) Stateroom size: 808–1,215 sq ft (includes private veranda) Ocean-view two-room suite with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opening to a generous veranda (layout varies) Well-appointed living area & dining area that seats 4 11 AM Embarkation 11 AM priority stateroom access Priority shore excursio... **Explorer Suite** (Code: ES1) Stateroom size: 808–1,215 sq ft (includes private veranda) Ocean-view two-room suite with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opening to a generous veranda (layout varies) Well-appointed living area & dining area that seats 4 11 AM Embarkation 11 AM priority stateroom access Priority shore excursio... **Explorer Suite** (Code: ES3) Stateroom size: 808–1,215 sq ft (includes private veranda) Ocean-view two-room suite with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opening to a generous veranda (layout varies) Well-appointed living area & dining area that seats 4 11 AM Embarkation 11 AM priority stateroom access Priority shore excursio... **Penthouse Junior Suite** (Code: PS2) Stateroom size: 432 sq ft (includes private veranda) Ocean-view suite with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opening to a full-size veranda Wheelchair Accessible (#6020, #6021) 11 AM Embarkation 11 AM priority stateroom access Priority shore excursion reservations 87 days prior to departure 3 prio... **Penthouse Junior Suite** (Code: PS1) Stateroom size: 432 sq ft (includes private veranda) Ocean-view suite with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opening to a full-size veranda Wheelchair Accessible (#6020, #6021) 11 AM Embarkation 11 AM priority stateroom access Priority shore excursion reservations 87 days prior to departure 3 prio... **Penthouse Junior Suite** (Code: PS3) Stateroom size: 432 sq ft (includes private veranda) Ocean-view suite with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opening to a full-size veranda Wheelchair Accessible (#6020, #6021) 11 AM Embarkation 11 AM priority stateroom access Priority shore excursion reservations 87 days prior to departure 3 prio... ## Ship Information ### Viking Vela Expand your horizons on our award-winning, all-veranda small ship, with just 998 guests, allowing us to dock where larger ships cannot. #### Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Passenger Capacity | 998 | | Crew | 0 | | Gross Tonnage | 0.0 | | Length | 784.0 ft | | Total Cabins | 0 | ## Ports of Call ### Athens (Piraeus), Greece *Coordinates: 37.9792, 23.7166* Athens is the capital of Greece. It was also at the heart of Ancient Greece, a powerful civilization and empire. The city is still dominated by 5th-century BC landmarks, including the Acropolis, a hilltop citadel topped with ancient buildings like the colonnaded Parthenon temple. The Acropolis Museum, along with the National Archaeological Museum, preserves sculptures, vases, jewelry and more from... ### Crete (Heraklion), Greece *Coordinates: 35.2831, 25.1296* ### Rhodes *Coordinates: 36.1632, 27.9718* Rhodes, the largest of Greece’s Dodecanese islands, is known for its beach resorts, ancient ruins and remnants of its occupation by the Knights of St. John during the Crusades. The city of Rhodes has an Old Town featuring the medieval Street of the Knights and the castlelike Palace of the Grand Masters. Captured by the Ottomans and then held by the Italians, the palace is now a history museum. ### Ephesus (Kusadasi) *Coordinates: 37.8587, 27.2594* Ephesus is an ancient city in Turkey’s Central Aegean region, near modern-day Selçuk. Its excavated remains reflect centuries of history, from classical Greece to the Roman Empire – when it was the Mediterranean’s main commercial center – to the spread of Christianity. Paved streets wind past squares, baths and monumental ruins. The Temple of Hadrian was built before 138 A.D. for Emperor Hadrian’s... ### Troy (Canakkale), Turkey *Coordinates: 40.1468, 26.4085* ### Istanbul *Coordinates: 41.0124, 28.9759* The Port of Istanbul is a passenger terminal for cruise liners, which is situated at Karaköy neighborhood of Beyoğlu district in Istanbul, Turkey ## Booking Information - **Book This Cruise:** https://cruisepirate.ai/cruise/2249671 - **Compare Prices:** CruisePirate compares prices across multiple booking channels - **Price Alerts:** Set up alerts for price drops on this sailing - **Support:** Contact our AI-powered cruise assistant for personalized recommendations ### Why Book with CruisePirate? - Real-time price comparison across booking channels - AI-powered cruise recommendations - Transparent pricing with no hidden fees - Expert cruise search and filtering --- ## Technical Metadata - **Canonical URL:** https://cruisepirate.ai/cruise/2249671 - **Markdown URL:** https://cruisepirate.ai/cruise/2249671.md - **API Endpoint:** https://cruisepirate.ai/api/cruises/2249671/ - **Primary Image:** https://images.cruisepirate.ai/v3/static/cruise-lines/viking/viking-vela/other/4b332b7a.webp - **Data Source:** CruisePirate Cruise Database - **Last Updated:** 2026-07-18 13:00:07 UTC