I do believe that a lot of travel has to do with expectations, so I don't want to oversell it.
Some of the things that made this trip great:
Guides - Mary and Kira. Mary is an experienced Greek guide who helped design the trip for Disney. She is a brilliant lady and a warm and special person. Kira is an experienced guide who ABD seems to be able to slot in anywhere. She is very organized, efficient and a good communicator.
Itinerary - This trip has been around for a long time so it just runs like clockwork. I think they have this ABD down to a science. It is an excellent mix of incredible sites and outdoor adventure. The longest bus time was 2.5 hours to and from Delphi with a stop both ways and an incredible lunch with a view built into the day.
Food - The food is not gourmet but just incredibly fresh and tasty. It is Greek food every day but somehow we never got tired of it. All produce is fresh, fish were caught that morning and the creamiest yogurt and cheese I have ever eaten.
People - The Greek people are very hospitable, friendly and proud of their country and culture. This is something we weren't expecting. They are lovely, passionate people. It also helped that they just came out of their economic crisis so everyone seemed happy.
Please note we were there during shoulder season so the weather was not too hot and places were less crowded.
Crete - was an unexpected favorite. The Porto Elounda, where we stayed, is a five star beach and golf resort with top notch service. Crete is a large island and was just not crowded.
Pace - the pace of this trip was perfect for our family. China was a great trip, but by the end we were just exhausted. This trip we found we had more down time which was much needed and appreciated.
Some of the things that weren't as great:
Athens - The sites are incredible. It is very safe to walk around; however, there are pickpockets and gypsies so you must be aware of your surroundings and not make yourself a target. There is graffiti everywhere so be prepared and some areas appeared dirty. Our hotel was nice but not in a convenient location. It has been changed to a new hotel closer to the Plaka for next year.
Santorini-This was a bit of a disappointment as we have all seen the iconic photos with the blue domed buildings. Well, there is really only one place to get this photo and it was incredibly crowded. Even though we were there in "shoulder season" the narrow pathways in the streets were too crowded. There were 4 cruise ships in port which was why it was so crowded. Again, it is about expectations. We anticipated this would be our favorite location based on photos we have seen and we were really ready to leave after two days (not that it isn't gorgeous.) We did enjoy all our activities there, but it was very touristy.
Group Size - We had 36 people in our group. When I heard this, I expected long waits at restrooms and photo stops. For whatever reason, this was not the case. We had an incredible group of adults who were always on time or early. The group just jelled really well and everyone was very down to earth. Kira made a point at the beginning of the trip to point out that there are no reserved seats on the bus and to make sure to not always sit in the same place. We never had an issue with people rushing to the bus to get in the front. Also, they used Mercedes buses which were much nicer than the ones we had in China.
Okay, I think that is enough for now. I hope you enjoy the trip as much as we did. Let me know if you have any other questions.