AmateurCruiser01

We only got on the tender at 10am because they shut down the port prior to that, we got on the Oia speedboat at around 11. There was a short line at the ticket office (with the sign "Transfer to Oia" at the end of the dock), but it's nothing like the long cable car line we walked past. Once we got the tickets we were able to get on the first available boat which didn't take very long to arrive. We suspect not as many people knew about this option since it was not advertised by any crew members (to sell more excursions I guess!) There was a bus at the end of the boat ride that took us up to Oia town. We ended up exploring Oia for 2 hours before getting on the hourly bus ride back (at the same point where they drop you off). Also, they do take credit cards but it seems like they would much rather have cash, so just be prepared for that. We ended up walking down which went better than I expected. The line was 1-2 hours long as the other poster mentioned. It was weather related, choppy seas on the way to Athenios I suppose. We noticed the occasional choppiness on the boat ride to Oia but nothing major. Thanks for sharing! Sorry to hear about your experience, seems like the speedboat we took was the way to go especially when multiple ships are in port.

Also ended up on Santorini on June 17 when four large ships were in port. All excursions going to Athenios port from our ship were cancelled, so there ended up being a 2-3 hour line for the cable car to Fira. We ended up doing the Transfer to Oia boat ride from the old port dock which was exactly as advertised (boat to Oia bay, transfer to Oia town, then hourly transfer back to Fira). 30 EUR/p was money well spent to skip the cable car line and visit Oia, which was gorgeous but crowded.

Yep. Also 2 ships leaving at 8pm and one leaving at 9pm. I'm prepared to skip the cable car and walk down the donkey path, at least that's easier than walking up.

We will be in Santorini from the Disney Dream on June 17 (same day as OP!) Had a ship excursion booked already because of tendering/cable car concerns but am now having last-minute second thoughts about going private (which we're doing at other ports). Although because our port times were extended we now face the prospect of arriving with 3 other ships and departing with 2 other ships 🫠

Thanks everyone! Also how much in general are the taxis from Civitavecchia station to the port terminals? Seems like if multiple people are involved then that may be a better way to go.

Hi! First time cruising in the Med/from Rome. From recent info (https://civitavecchia.portmobility.it/en/shuttles) it appears that there's now a shuttle option that goes directly from the train station to the cruise terminals (skipping the bus -> shuttle switch). I've seen videos of people using this service but is anyone here able to verify it? Like the poster above me, I'll be departing on June 12 and am weighing a 11:57am Frecci train vs. using private transfer. Our cruise leaves at 3:45pm and I'd want to squeeze in a little more Rome sightseeing that morning but also not spread ourselves too thin.