A wide range of Greek destinations covers the new cruise program presented by Royal Caribbean for the summer season of 2027.
Specifically, Rhapsody of the Seas, which returns to the Mediterranean after a 4-year absence, will offer 7-night trips in the Eastern Mediterranean, starting from Piraeus. The ship will call at Mykonos, Santorini, as well as the ports of Tangier, Bodrum, Istanbul and Alexandria.
Brilliance of the Seas will offer 7-night cruises from Ravenna, with stops in the Greek islands, Croatia and the Adriatic.
Explorer of the Seas, with the same length of itineraries, departing from Barcelona, ??Civitavecchia, Ravenna and Piraeus, will call at ports in Italy, France, Spain, Croatia, Montenegro and the Greek islands.
Odyssey of the Seas, homeporting in Rome, will sail 7-night itineraries to the Greek islands, calling at Ephesus and Naples.
Royal Beach Club Santorini
According to the company, the cruise ships Rhapsody, Brilliance and Odyssey will visit Royal Caribbean’s new Santorini destination, the Royal Beach Club Santorini, which is expected to open in the summer of 2026.
The beach club will be part of the “Ultimate Santorini Day” activities for passengers, marking Royal Caribbean’s first exclusive destination in Europe.
Royal Caribbean said in a statement that the Royal Beach Club Santorini aims to offer “an innovative way to alleviate crowding on the island by better distributing guests,” by providing three distinct areas for travel to the destination to limit the concentration of large numbers of visitors.
However, the municipality of Thira is expressing its opposition to the planned investment, stressing that Santorini is a public and vibrant place that cannot be turned into a private destination for a few. It points out that the establishment of a “private village” or exclusive access areas would harm the local economy, create social inequalities and alter the cultural and social fabric of the island.
