That said, Variety Cruises, a family-owned small-ship line in Greece, is starting to market its weeklong Greek island and Red Sea cruises to North Americans and, while the fares are not as cheap as a Western Caribbean cruise on Carnival, most are a bargain considering the region and size of ship.

Variety, started in 1949 as an "educational ferry" by the father of the current owner, now runs more than a dozen ships on more than a dozen itineraries through the Aegean and Ionian seas. (Also, starting last month, the 32-passenger Harmony V began sailing up the Red Sea with stops in Aqaba, Jordan; Taba and Sharm el Sheikh, Sinai; and Safaga and Hurghada, Egypt.)

Most notable about the service (other than the prices) is that the ships arrive later and stay longer in the ports, giving passengers an opportunity to experience the culture at night - often when the real culture is thriving and after the oppressive hordes from the other ships have sailed off. (Passengers get breakfast and one other daily meal, which is Variety's not-so-subtle way of encouraging you to get out, explore and discover local cuisine at a chic restaurant or funky taverna - arguably one of the most fun ways to experience local culture.)

The company's bread and butter is visiting iconic Greek fishing villages, Roman ruins, volcanic islands, Medieval towns and impossibly scenic and secluded beaches typically available only to small-ship cruises. The main routes are Aegean Odyssey (with stops in Marina Zea, Kea, Folegandros, Samos, Patmos, Santorini and Mykonos, as well as Kusadasi in Turkey), and the Classical Greece trip, with some of the same stops, as well as Nafplio, Spetses, Monemvasia, Rethymno and Heraklion.

Fares for each start at $2,290 per person and include taxes, translators and (gasp!) most drinks with meals, including wine and ouzo. The Jewels of the Cyclades trip is similar to the Classical Greece, but it uses the older, masted Galileo and fares start at $1,450.

More important, the single supplement is just 50 percent, meaning single travelers pay just three-quarters of the doubles price instead of the full amount.

Variety is an appropriate name, considering the fleet: The 10 ships used for regular itineraries range from 17 to 36 cabins, and include a traditional wooden schooner, sailing boats, a Greek schooner, a "steel motor sailer" and a couple of sleek, modern mega-yachts. (The company has 15 ships in total, five of which range from four to six cabins and sail private group charters.)

Three of the company's ships sail under the banner of Zeus Casual Cruises, an arm of Variety that is less expensive and more, well, casual. The "simple yet well-appointed motor yachts" fit 34 to 50 people and ply the Ionian Sea east of Greece (the Italian side of Greece, geographically and culturally), as well as a few groups of lesser-known islands off Turkey. Zeus stops on the Ionian Sea trips include Corfu, Paxi, Lefkas, Ithaka, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Parga and Sivota. The Grecian Delights itinerary includes stops in Kalymnos, Kos, Nissiros, Symi, Halki and Lindos.

For more information, visit www.varietycruises.com or contact a travel agent.

S.F. Port visits fall

The new schedule for the Port of San Francisco reflects a continuing drop in ships homeporting here. Of the 51 visits by large ships in 2009, more than half (26) are by just three ships. The Sea Princess will spend most of the summer running 10-day Alaska cruises out of San Francisco (13 departures); and Silversea's Silver Shadow will run five 12-day trips to Alaska. In October and November, the Norwegian Sun will sail 11-day cruises down the Mexican Riviera.

The majority of the remaining visits are the seasonal one-time stops (in mid-May to mid-June and late September to mid-October) that ships make moving to and from the Alaska market.

On the dock of the bay: Large cruise ships expected at San Francisco's Pier 27, 32 and 35 during the next two weeks: Oriana (P&O;), Tuesday. For updates, go to www.sfport.com and select the "Cruise" and "Cruise Schedule" links.

Deputy Travel Editor Spud Hilton travels anonymously and doesn't accept complimentary trips or special rates from the cruise lines. To comment, go to sfgate.com/travel.

This article appeared on page E - 7 of the San Francisco Chronicle