easyCruise searches Lonely Planet for Greece

posted: 18.07.07

It may be one of the hottest destinations this year but a new fun survey commissioned by easyCruise & Lonely Planet, has found that a surprising number of us are unaware of some simple facts or the historical background of Greece and its surrounding islands.

easyCruise decided to look at our knowledge of Greece as it ties-up with world renowned guidebook publisher, Lonely Planet, to support its newest itinerary taking in Greece and the surrounding islands - an itinerary which has proved to be the company's most successful yet. The new service means that easyCruise customers can find out information about each island the ship visits via the easyCruise website.

The fun survey found that:

• A remarkable 34% of respondents did not know that the Euro was the currency of Greece, with half of these claiming the Drachma was still in use
• When it came to Greek mythology, the survey showed there was confusion in British minds. When asked to name as many of the 12 deities as possible, over 45% of respondents could not name any, while others named Roman Gods in error such as Jupiter, Mars and Venus while other respondents named Nero, Caesar and Herod
• When it came to geography however respondents faired much better with a massive 94% correctly naming the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas as bordering Greece, although 2% claimed that the Black Sea washed around Greece
• 92% of respondents also correctly stated that Greece shares its borders with Turkey, with 40% also being able to tell us that Greece additionally shares borders with Albania and 8% got Bulgaria correct
• Over 88% of people did not know how to say hello in Greek and of those who answered incorrectly, nearly one third thought the Spanish ' Hola' was in fact Greek

To see the full survey click here.

Stelios Haji-Ioannou commented: "Greece has an amazing history, numerous islands to explore and offers great value for money and as such is proving to be one of the most popular destinations this year. Because of this we wanted to provide our customers with the best travel information we could about all of the Greek islands that we visit. We approached Lonely Planet, with its remarkable data base of destination information, to provide easyCruise customers looking at our website with just this. Now customers are just a click away from the useful information that will help them make the most of their time in Greece. The survey was a fun way to highlight what Greece actually has to offer - it's the perfect destination no matter what type of holiday you are looking for."

Lonely Planet Head of Business Development, Ushma Patel commented: "easyCruise's Greek route takes in some of the country's hidden gems and must-see sights. The information that we are providing will help people to plan what they do with their time on land and get the most from their trip. The survey highlights that many people know surprisingly little about Greece despite its popularity as a holiday destination, we'd really encourage people to find out more so that they can experience the best of Greece."

Taking in a mix of cosmopolitan and undiscovered islands plus Classical sites, the easyCruise itineraries, are on sale for departures from now until 6th April 2008. Prices start from as little as £35 per person for a three night mid week break (based on two people sharing a standard inside cabin) with seven night trips from just £70.

Click here to see the new Lonely Planet content on easyCruise.com