Unique Itinerary: Windstar from Athens to Rome

Few places on this earth can match the breathatking beauty of the Greek Islands.  White-washed houses adorned with sky-blue roofs, narrow streets, and royal blue seas have combined to make this one of the most popular cruise destinations on the planet.  The fact that the region is widely considered to be the "cradle of civilization" doesn't hurt, either.

 Windstar Cruises allows guests to experience the magic

of being under sail, but with the amenities of a modern

cruise ship.

Photo courtesy of Windstar Cruises

So when you think of island-hopping from Athens to Rome for a week, it only makes sense to do so by ship.  But Windstar Cruises wants you to take things one step further, and experience the region aboard one of their innovative sailing ships that truly allow passengers to feel as though they've stepped back in time, without fully leaving the modern world behind.

Departing on Saturday, June 11, 2011 from Athens, Greece, passengers sail aboard the 439-foot long Wind Spirit on a weeklong itinerary that takes them to some of the more off-the-beaten-path ports in Greece and Italy, going where larger cruise ships cannot, and doing so in a style that is inherently relaxing.

Like all of Windstar's ships, Wind Spirit is primarily a sailing cruise ship.  Equipped with four masts of sails, she can sail under wind power alone on many itineraries, though she does have a proper engine room which can be engaged in order to maintain her schedule should mother nature not cooperate.  But whether propelled by wind or machine, just being aboard such a unique vessel is a treat in itself.  All the amenities you might expect from a larger cruise ship are here, coupled with the intimate coziness of a smaller sailing vessel.

And in this highly digital age, what could be more relaxing than truly "sailing" the seven seas?

The full itinerary:

June 11 - Athens, Greece - Depart 5.00pm
June 12 - Milos, Greece - 8.00am to 8.00pm
June 13 - Monemvasia, Greece - 8.00am to 2.00pm
June 14 - At Sea
June 15 - Messina, Sicily - 9.00am to 5.00pm
June 16 - Amalfi, Italy - 11.00am to 11.59pm
June 17 - Ischia, Italy - 8.00am to 3.00pm
June 18 - Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy - Disembark

Pricing for this early summer voyage starts at just $2,499 per person, and if you book before March 31, 2011, the line doles out a generous $1,000 Onboard Spending Credit on weeklong voyages through the Greek Isles, Mediterranean, and Italy, as well as other select destinations.

For more information on this itinerary , Wind Spirit and the entire Windstar fleet, be sure to pay a visit to the Windstar Cruises website.