Level 8 Voyageur Luggage Set

The search for the perfect set of luggage seems to be never ending. Over the past 20 years of travel, we have gone through no less than a dozen different carry-on and checke luggage products.

When it comes to checked luggage, we have had hard-sided luggage and soft duffel bags. We have had luggage with wheels and some without. We definitely prefer those with wheels.

Our most recent checked bags are wheeled soft duffels that came from COSTCO. They have performed well, but are beginning to show some wear and tear.

Finding the perfect carry-on bag is no less challenging. Rickee and I agree that a carry-on must have four wheels that easily swivel and fit "wheels first" into the most common aircraft overhead bins.

We recently became aware of Level 8 luggage from YouTube and reached out to them to see if they would like for us to review their products during a cruise with Swan Hellenic.

The first to arrive was the Voyageur 2-piece luggage set which included a 26" checked bag and a matching 20" carry-on. Some may find the yellow-and-black color scheme to be a bit garish, but we like luggage that we can easily spot in a sea of black bags on an airport carousel.

28" Voyageur Check-In

The Voyageur Check-In is available in three sizes: 26", 28" and 30". We opted for the 28" and it looks quite substantial compared to our current duffel checked bags. The 28" actually measures 27.3"H x 16.6"W x 13.3"D, weighs 11.8 Ibs and has a claimed capacity of 93 liters.

The Check-In is shaped more like a trunk than a traditional piece of luggage. The shell is a German-made Makrolon® polycarbonate construction, which Level 8 claims to be light and durable. Ours came in yellow and black making it hard to miss.

The base of the Check-In is 8" deep while the lid (the yellow part) is 5.5" deep.

The zipper has Level 8 branded pulls which appear sturdy. The zipper is not waterproof, so care should be taken not to leave the luggage in the rain. The zipper is the most likely point of failure on any piece of zippered luggage, and only time will tell if the Level 8 zippers will hold up to the rigors of abusive baggage handlers. The zipper does glide easily and the pulls can be secured into a TSA lock mechanism on the side of the bag.

The four casters each swivel 360 degrees to turn this into a spinner bag. Each caster has two wheels and each wheel has a rubber tread. The bag glides easily on hard or carpeted surfaces.

The aluminum telescopic handle has three detents and is one of the distinguishing features of the Voyageur line up. Unlike on the more traditional spinners, the handle spans the entire with of the bag, making it quite sturdy and stable while placing the support rails inside the bag at the very edges.

This design places the support rails on the interior of the base at the far edges of the bag rather than in the center of the base. This design makes it easier to pack the base without the need to work around the handle support structure inside the base of the bag.

Opening the shell of the Voyageur Check-In may lead to some confusion as the interior designs are not consistent from bag to bag. For some reason, the Voyageur luggage interior comes in two different layouts. On the Check-In sent to us, the black base is covered with a zippered mesh fabric, underneath which are compression straps. On the lid (the yellow piece), is another zippered panel with two zippered pockets. One pocket is a breathable mesh and the other a vinyl “moisture proof” design. The interior configuration of the other version is just the opposite with the two zippered pockets being placed on the black base side.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/26/18 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/26/18

Athen's Custom Taxi Tours

We are huge fans of private tours. Cruise line shore excursions are fine, but they are expensive, regimented and often crowded.

We are huge fans of private tours. Cruise line shore excursions are fine, but they are expensive, regimented and often crowded. In short, it is not the best way to see a city, certainly not a great city like Athens. Of course, when you opt for a private tour of a city, who do you trust? Athens Custom Taxi Tours is not only highly rated on TripAdvisor, but we have personally used the service on a recent cruise to Athens.

We first met Dimitris Stamatelatos in 2008 when we were in Athens to board a Regent[end] Seven Seas cruise. Dimitris met us at the Athens airport and provided a transfer (http://www.stargroup.gr/) to the ship in Piraeus. The transfer gave us time to get to know him and we have stayed in touch through Facebook ever since. We knew that whenever we returned to Athens, we would like to take advantage of Dimitris' private taxi tour service (athenscustomtaxitours.com).

I contacted Dimitris a few weeks before our cruise aboard Paul Gauguin Cruises' m/v Tere Moana, which disembarked in Athens, to arrange a private taxi tour. As promised, Dimitris was at the cruise terminal in Piraeus to meet us as we exited the terminal building. Dimitris escorted us to his Mercedes taxi, which has been impeccably maintained. His taxi even is equipped with free Wi-Fi, so you can check your email or update your Facebook page during your tour!

Before leaving Piraeus for Athens, we stopped at a great place to see the huge marina located here. One thing you will soon learn, Dimitris loves to take photos for his own Facebook page (@dimitris.stamatelatos). When I contacted Dimitris about the private tour, I mentioned that we had already visited The Acropolis during a visit in 1998, so we really did not need to visit it again. This is another huge advantage of a private tour, it can be tailored to your specific interests. Dimitris has more than a dozen different tour packages on his website that range from 1/2-day tours to multi-day tours. And, he offers tours specifically designed for cruise ship passengers who have to be back on board their ship at a certain time.

*The large marina of Piraeus in the background*

After a short drive to Athens, thanks in part to the fact that this is Saturday and traffic is much lighter than normal, Dimitris drives us to one of the highest points in Athens. We have a great panoramic view of the city, including the Acropolis. Along the way, Dimitris takes time to identify historical points of interest. And, since this is a private tour, any time we had a question, all we had to do was ask. And by the way, Dimitris has an answer for everything!

*A great view of Athens in the background*

We drove through town where Dimitris pointed out "The Trilogy", The Academie, The University and The Library. The historic architecture with Greek columns is impressive.

Good fortune had us passing the Parliament just as the changing of the guard was about to occur. Dimitris pulled the taxi over and parked so we could get out and watch the ceremony. Again, try doing this on a motor coach tour with 45 of your cruise buddies. It ain't gonna happen.

What really made the day special was when Dimitris presented us with a hand-painted stone that his daughter made for us. That was very special indeed!

*A special gift from Dimitris' daughter*

After a short drive through Plaka, the old city of Athens, we asked Dimitris if he could take us to a local Greek restaurant. We did not want a "touristy" place, but one where the locals like to eat. That did not take long. Soon, Dimitris was double-parking in front of a local restaurant and were enjoying an incredible meal of Souvlaki (thin sliced pork, tzatzki, french fries, tomato, and onions in a pita bread roll), Greek beer, fried potatoes and Tzatzki (Greek yogurt with garlic, lemon juice, onion, cucumber and dill), followed by a platter of deliciously sweet watermelon. The meal was amazing and one that you will only get if you know a local Greek like Dimitris! He did all the ordering for us in Greek, so it pays to have a friend that speaks the language.

*We all toast "Yiamis" at a local restaurant*

*Do I look like I am enjoying the Souvlaki?*

After the delicious lunch, Dimitris returned us to Piraeus port in plenty of time to board our next cruise on SeaDream Yacht Club. This was a great way to spend an afternoon in Athens. Of course, any time you cruise into or out of Athens, you should plan at least three days to really see the city. Whether you are spending a week in Athens, or if you just have a few hours before you have to be back on board your ship, there is only one way to see Athens, and that is by private taxi. Dimitris offers a variety of city tours tailored to fit any traveler's interests and schedule.

While many cruise ship passengers where shuffling through long lines, getting on and off a motor coach, we were enjoying our day in Athens from the leather seat of an air-conditioned Mercedes with Wi-Fi! Before your trip to Athens, contact Dimitris through his website or Facebook page, and tell him you read about him on CruiseReport.com!

You can check out his website at athenscustomtaxitours.com.