Which is the best Greek Island?

White-washed villages, impossibly blue seas, and mouthwatering fava: Welcome to the Greek Isles.

The popular cruising season in the Greek Islands is May through October, with July and August being the busiest (and hottest) months. A few companies offer Greek Isles itineraries year-round. Most ships sail round-trip from or between Athens, Istanbul, Civitavecchia (Rome) and/or Venice, with cruises ranging from three nights to three weeks.

Many itineraries hit one, two, or three of the most popular Greek Isles - typically Santorini, Rhodes, and Mykonos. A few itineraries are more intense, calling on as many as 10 islands, some wonderfully obscure like Kos and Chania.

We've culled the options aboard ships carrying from 30 to 3, 000 passengers and came up with the top Greek Isles itineraries and cruise lines for 2012, based on ports, ship vibe, and pricing.

Though Greece is currently going through a period of political and economic turmoil, travel agents have reported it has not affected the operation of shore excursions and touring. In fact, expect prices to be lower in port due to the challenging economic times there.

Summer 2015 prices of these Greek Isles itineraries are provided by Just Cruisin' Plus (tel. 800/888-0922; ).