Into the Mediterranean blue: a speed date with history

Some ocean cruises simply go out to sea, and come back again, the whole point being the opportunity to have a good time on a ship. Others are languorous affairs with several at-sea days in between visits to ports where the ship might dock for a night or two, maybe even three. Others again are like speed dates with amazing destinations, where time is limited and you have to make it count. This cruise, on NCL's Norwegian Jade - a seven-night, seven-port itinerary - falls into that category. It's a round-trip from Athens that sails around the eastern Mediterranean, dropping by Turkiye, Israel and Cyprus, and a couple of Greek islands for good measure.

I am not surprised to hear, when chatting to one family with teenage kids that the destinations, not the ship, determined their selection of this particular cruise. Make no mistake, the Norwegian Jade, built in 2006 and last refurbished in 2022, is no slouch when it comes to on-board offerings, from its specialty restaurants and spa to razzle-dazzle shows and party-ready pool deck. But on an itinerary like this, it's an efficient and super comfortable delivery mechanism to bucket-list places that awe at every turn. Try seeing four countries in seven days via land or air at this price point (from $2258 per person) and level of convenience (apart from some heavy-duty queuing that inevitably comes with 2500 people doing the same thing at the same time).

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Day 2 is the busiest on this itinerary. I don't think I've ever squeezed two countries, let alone several civilisations, into one day. We're off the ship at the resort town of Kusadasi, on Turkey's Aegean coast, as the sun is throwing its dawn light onto colourful houses built into the hillsides. We pile onto coaches for the short journey to Ephesus, the ruins of an ancient Greek then Roman city that was the site of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis. At 7am, the marble city is already heaving with tourists; our coachload is only a teaspoonful of the people moving through the archaeological site, down the wide and steep thoroughfare of Curetes Street where the soaring Library of Celsus awaits like a reward at the end, lit up in the morning sunshine. The place is chock full of treasures - the remains of amphitheatres, temples, fountains, grand gates, marketplaces, and the site of a fresh excavation at Domitian Square which has recently unearthed money and shops, including a restaurant, from the early Byzantine era. "Incredible," says our local guide Samra.

Back in Kusadasi, there's time for a wander along the sculpture-lined seafront promenade, and through the bazaar where the hawkers, in timeless fashion, hassle like there's no tomorrow. The town is a hugely popular beach resort with Brits and Germans, Samra told us, and there is so much more to do here - beaches to laze on, villages to visit, and evocatively named places like the Cave of Zeus to explore. But there is only time for this brief scratch at the window - we must all be back on board at midday ready to journey onwards to Greece.

Come 1pm, the Jade's six-hour sail to the island of Patmos is well under way, and views of the Aegean sea are being enjoyed by diners in the box seats at O'Sheehan's, where I'm having a very un-Greek lunch, chosen from a menu of hotdogs, burgers, sandwiches and salads. This 24-hour Irish-themed eatery, one of the Jade's six complimentary eateries, is billed as comfort food, and right now it's buzzing. Everyone has arrived at the same time, my waitress tells me, so my cheeseburger (with American cheese, french fries and a "pickle spear") might take a while. Elsewhere on the ship, there's Dollar Bill Folding going on in the Bliss Lounge; a Ladies Pamper Party in the Aerobic Studio; and a 3x3 basketball competition for the teens on board. And the ship will be busy all afternoon - from a ping pong tournament by the pool to afternoon trivia, a cha cha class, bingo, and a Salvador Dali seminar in the art gallery.

It's 6.30pm by the time the Jade's passengers start spilling out of tenders at Skala harbour on Patmos, which has beguiled on our approach with its classic Greek Island vista of whitewashed cubes and domes climbing up, and cascading down, steep hillsides. I have foregone an organised shore excursion this evening, keen to strike out for a solo adventure on foot, and my destination is immediately obvious: the Greek Orthodox monastery of St John the Theologian, 1000 years old and about five kilometres away. More citadel than church, it perches high above the harbour, a clay-coloured contrast against the blue sky and the stunning white town of Chora clustered around its fortifications.

Together they are World Heritage listed, along with the Cave of the Apocalypse, which I come to about halfway up the slope. This is where John of Patmos is said to have written The Book of Revelation. A tour guide inside the small, crowded space is pointing out the spot in the ceiling where three fissures meet, through which John is said to have heard the voice of God, dictating to him the apocalyptic final book of the New Testament. John is also said to have had a series of visions of the end of the world here, somewhat of an irony given the extreme beauty of his outlook.

By the time I'm back at sea level via taxi, after having made it to the hilltop and explored the nooks and crannies of the sprawling monastery in my own sweet time, night has well and truly fallen. But Skala's central square, right near the port, is alive with restaurants, bars and gorgeous shops, where I buy some souvenirs before homing in on Houston Cafe for dinner. As the name does not suggest, the Houston - first opened in 1955 - serves authentic local cuisine, and after my epic uphill trek, I'm hungry. It's also well after 10pm by now. The meze of meatballs and yoghurt, and a bottle of Greek Vergina lager, is perfection.

It's an easy tender ride back to the Jade in time for her 11.59pm departure (destination: Jerusalem) by which point I am having a night-cap at the Spinnaker Bar on deck 13, before turning in to my super cosy balcony cabin three decks below. Day 2, you've been awesome. Swipe right. Day 3, bring it on.

THE SHIP: Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Jade

THE SIZE: 1233 cabins, 2402 guests, 294 metres long

GOOD TO KNOW: If you have teens, the ones on this ship looked to be having a ball, with the Entourage club organising activities from 11pm parties to movie nights and sports comps. Oh, and there's a video games arcade, open 24 hours.

GET ON BOARD: The Norwegian Jade will be in the Caribbean and Bahamas from December to July, 2024. The Norwegian Getaway will sail the eastern Mediterranean on the 10-day Greek Isles: Greece , Turkey and Egypt itinerary departing Tel-Aviv in Israel on October 9, 2024, priced from $3459 per person.

EXPLORE MORE: ncl.com.au

The writer was a guest of NCL.