This was the day we had been waiting for. Months before we left home, I came across an offer I couldn't pass up. EasyCruise, from the same folks who brought us EasyJet, EasyCar, EasyBus, EasyHotel, and even EasyInternet, were starting a new week long cruise route of the Greece Islands and coast. Now for those of you not familiar with the “Easy” line of travel options, they offer low cost no-frills travel deals all across Europe and at $20 per night per person, this cruise was definitely not the exception. We had been joking with people for months about what our floating garbage barge would look like and that it would be nothing more than a floating hostel but nonetheless, we were still optimistic.

Now traveling still proves to be a bit of an adventure and just getting to our cruise ship proved to be the case. One of the ways EasyJet keeps their costs down is that they typically fly out of smaller more remote airports. For instance, when we flew from Milan we actually left out of the much smaller more remote airport an hour away in Bergamo. So we should have known something was up when our itinerary indicated Marina Zea at the Port of Piraes as our embarkation point. Not knowing any better many of our fellow passengers made the trek in the rain by foot from the Port to the Marina. Angela, on the other hand, has become much wiser. Although a bit confusing, she insisted that we take the bus and am I glad she did. Twenty minutes later our bus driver gave us the signal to hop off at the Marina Zea stop. Standing in the rain we quickly surveyed the massive marina for anything that resembled a cruise ship. Now there were plenty of big boats but most were the overly lavish yachts... no cruise ship. After running around for a while (in the rain), we finally found it. After another twenty minute walk we finally climbed the stairs and boarded our new home.EasyCruise tip 1: Don't walk, don't take the bus, just pay the five dollar cab fare from the port metro station.

Boarding the boat we went through the customary bag search. No external food or alcohol allowed on board! We had thought about smuggling some “supplies” on board but chose not to at the last minute. Guess it was a good idea as the only way we got Angela's granola bars on board was because she suddenly became temporarily diabetic.EasyCruise tip 2: Wait until your first excursion before you try to smuggle stuff on board. They only check you when you first board the boat.

So how was the ship? Not bad really. We were on the original EasyCruise One vessel which apparently used to be for the somewhat rich and famous. Well after some pretty serious remodeling (i.e. removing everything good and cutting the rooms in half), we were left with the basic necessities. We had a hot tub, bar, restaurant, gym and a couple of sitting areas. The rooms themselves were far from spacious with about 8 inches between the wall to wall mattresses that lie on the floor, but with a little creativity and some careful packing it wasn't too bad.EasyCruise tip 3: When not sleeping, stack your mattresses. You'll have plenty of walking around room and a couch to chill on.

One of the best things about EasyCruise is that unlike most of the “big” cruise lines, we spent so much more time in port than out at sea. Each night our ship would pull away around 3:00 AM and we'd pull into our next destination around 9:00 AM. Every day we were in a new location - locations that we never would have made it to otherwise. The only downside to this is there isn't really much time to just relax. Our EasyCruise experience wasn't really for those wanting to chill and be lazy. By the time we were done, we were exhausted.EasyCruise tip 4: Rest up before and after the cruise. Don't expect much downtime.

Prior to leaving for our cruise, we were invited to sign up for the daily excursions at each of the historical sites, but being the seasoned (and budget conscious) travelers we are, we decided to pass. After all the excursions actually cost more than the cruise itself. We thought we were being pretty smart, but the morning we pulled into the port at Ancient Corinth, we saw just about everybody board the bus for the organized tour. Uh oh!!!! What had we done?!? After wandering around town for a while in search of the bus station, we learned that not only are the bus stops very poorly marked, so are the buses. Our little independent exercise was proving to be a bit of a disaster. So what do you do when everything starts falling apart? TAXI!!!!! Twenty minutes later, we were in Ancient Corinth and had caught up with the organized tour. Disaster averted. But it could have been worse, we could have been like the two Canadian backpackers who walked the 10 miles.EasyCruise tip 5: With a little planning, you can skip most of the excursions and see it on your own. The key is doing a little planning. You'll spend some money, but it was still much cheaper and in most cases more rewarding that following the tour guides around.

That morning at Ancient Corinth we ended up teaming up with a group of friends who were also on our boat. Since they were obviously seeing the sights on their own and had actually done a little planning (unlike us), they seemed like a good and fun crowd to hook up with. We actually spent the rest of the week with our new friends Mike, Erica, Brian, Tara, Mark, and Jose. We later teamed up with two other girls, Lisa and Traci. Without a doubt the best part of our entire EasyCruise experience was making new friends. We spent the rest of the week seeing the sights, playing a few games, and having more than a few drinks.EasyCruise tip 6: It's all about the friends you make. There were more than a few people on board who just failed to make friends. You couldn't help but feel that we were having a bit more fun than they were.

In short, our EasyCruise experience was a blast. It might not be for everyone – after all it isn't called FancyCruise or LuxuryCruise for a reason – but it was a great way to spend a week meeting new people and seeing a few places that were just too far our of the way to do it on our own. EasyCruise is far from perfect as the bar was almost always closed and the staff didn't quite have it together, but all in all it was a great bargain. But you might want to hurry!!!! We wouldn't be surprised if EasyCruise soon becomes as ancient as the sights they take you to visit. The idea is solid, but their laid-back service and inability to squeeze money out of the passengers may mean they won't be around for long.EasyCruise tip 7: Don't wait. This ship might sail for the last time without you!