Is Crete better than island-hopping?
For many travellers, yes. Crete can give beaches, food, ruins, villages and road-trip texture without the constant reset of island-hopping.
Answer
Crete is the answer when you want variety but do not want every few days to begin with luggage. It has enough beach, food, landscape and history to hold a full trip, especially for families or travellers who dislike fragile ferry chains. The catch is that Crete is still large; you need to choose bases and accept driving times rather than pretending the whole island is easy. Island-hopping is better if the joy is the movement, the ports and the contrast between smaller islands. Crete is better if you want Greece to feel less like a schedule.