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Variety Cruises

Founded in 1949 as Zeus Tours & Yacht Cruises, Variety Cruises is a family-owned company that evolved from humble beginnings into one of the world’s leading small-ship cruise operators. Headquartered in Athens, Greece, the company rebranded as Variety Cruises in 2006 to reflect its expanded global footprint and diverse cruise offerings. With over seven decades of maritime experience, Variety Cruises has built a reputation for delivering intimate, immersive, and culturally rich travel experiences aboard its boutique yachts.
Specializing in small-ship cruising, Variety Cruises offers itineraries to some of the world’s most sought-after and lesser-explored destinations. Their fleet consists of upscale mega yachts and motor sailers accommodating no more than 72 guests, ensuring a personalized and relaxed onboard atmosphere. The line is known for its unique approach to cruising—accessing smaller ports and secluded coves that are typically off-limits to larger vessels. Guests onboard can expect a casual yet sophisticated environment, attentive service, locally inspired cuisine, and shore excursions that focus on cultural authenticity and connection with local communities. Variety Cruises also places a strong emphasis on responsible tourism, offering programs that support conservation, heritage preservation, and sustainable development in the regions they visit. In recent updates, Variety Cruises has introduced enhanced wellness experiences, vegan and vegetarian menus, and themed voyages such as family-friendly cruises and LGBTQ+ sailings. 
The company continues to focus on innovation within small-ship cruising, combining Greek hospitality with global adventure. As of 2025, they remain committed to their mission: "Smaller Ships, Bigger Experiences,” offering travelers an enriching way to explore the world with fewer crowds and more meaningful moments.

Variety Cruises - Destinations

  • Cape Verde Once a former colony and slave trade hub, Cape Verde today showcases a rich fusion of African and Portuguese heritage, stunning landscapes, vibrant culture, and West African rhythms, perfect for exploration.
  • Greece The itinerary explores the Cyclades—Kea, Santorini, Mykonos, and UNESCO-listed Delos—along with Crete, Kythira, Monemvasia, Nafplion, and Hydra, offering daily discoveries of history, culture, and stunning coastal beauty.
  • Italy & Adriatic Sea Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Albania offer a captivating European journey, blending cultural heritage, historic cities, and breathtaking landscapes across the Adriatic coast and Central-Southern Europe.
  • Italy & Malta Italy’s Mediterranean allure shines through Sicily’s diverse landscapes and nearby islands. Malta’s prehistoric sites and timeless temples impress, while the Aeolian Islands offer a UNESCO-listed paradise for adventure and relaxation.
  • Seychelles Seychelles offers an ideal year-round cruising destination with warm weather, romantic escapes, and unique island-hopping itineraries from Mahe or Praslin, featuring diverse wildlife, tropical hikes, and underwater adventures.
  • Tahiti The Islands of Tahiti—Bora Bora, Taha'a, Moorea, Huahine, and Raiatea—offer diverse landscapes from lush peaks to vast lagoons, all united by the spiritual life force known as Mana.
  • West Africa The 7-night Rivers of Gambia & Senegal cruise offers an enriching exploration of West Africa’s waterways, featuring guided visits to four natural reserves and two UNESCO-listed sites, led by an expert Gambian River Naturalist.

Cruise Reviews

Read reviews posted by CruiseBay clients on their cruise experience.

Our Ships

The elegant Motor Yacht Callisto recently joined the VARIETY CRUISES fleet and is true to her name: Elegant, classic. She was fully refit / rebuilt in 2000 and was thoroughly renovated in in 2015-16. This classy Motor Yacht has performed several Atlantic Ocean crossings, and has also sailed along the most interesting coastal sites of Europe, North and West Africa. The M/Y Callisto is of the “boutique” category of cruiser, and offers the highest standard of accommodation, comfort and safety.

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Panorama II is a 2 masted state of the art sail cruiser which can accommodate up to 49 passengers in 25 cabins. Public areas include main lounge with deep pile carpet & comfortable sofas & the swimming platform enables you to swim easily.

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The Variety Voyager is a beautiful mega-yacht and is well designed for sailing to ports that are inaccessible to large cruise ships. The small ship experience allows travelers to get to know their shipmates and crew better. The international flavor of this ship, with guests from many different countries, also adds to the memorable cruise experience. The mega-yacht (72 guests) has an onboard keyboard player and DJ who entertains in the main lounge before dinner and outdoors in the Oceans Bar after dinner. It provides the opportunity to explore charming, off-the-beaten-path ports of call.

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The twin-hulled Pegasus, built in 1990, and renovated in the winter of 2009-10 accommodates up to 49 guests in a relaxed, congenial atmosphere. On board you will enjoy magnificent sea views as you stroll the open deck. You can relax with friends in the handsomely appointed lounge, browse in the well-stocked library or enjoy ocean-view dining in the convivial and spacious restaurant area.

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The 51 meter "Galileo" is a classic steel Motor Sailer built with the most stringent safety regulations, with spacious and well appointed interiors, rebuilt in 2004 and renovated in 2007.

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Discover a 3 masted sail cruiser which can accommodate up to 49 passengers in 25 cabins. The "Panorama" was launched in 1993 and was renovated in 2009. This state of the art sail cruiser has performed several Atlantic Ocean crossings and has sailed from the Seychelles to Monte Carlo and from the Black Sea to Tunis and offers the highest standard of accommodation and comfort safety.

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