Disembarkation by tender

[JannoWilliamstown]

Can anyone who has disembarked from Riviera by tender, please tell me approximately how long the process takes? We get into Santorini, Greece at 12:00 noon and I'm wondering when I can anticipate actually getting ashore. Also, it's unlikely that we would be doing one of the Oceania organised excursions. Thank you for your help.

[kuldalai]

The tenders at Santorini for all cruise lines are provided by the Longshoremen of Santorini.

 

Ships tours get priority and tender to a separate port area where road coaches can get down onto the dock. So if you want to avoid steps, donkeys and queuing for the cable car and get off first then book a ships shore excursion.

 

Independent travellers tender to the quay at foot of the cliffs above Fira. Three ways up 1. Over 300 steps often littered with donkey landmines 2. the beloved donkeys and really quite safe, spectacular views or 3. the Cable Car .

 

Independent tarvellers are usually required to get Tender tickets and you come when called. the shore ex people all go first, then the independent travellers at say 45 - 60 minutes after arrival.

[PY33]

We were there on Riviera in May and the process was very smooth and speedy. Go to the Riviera Lounge on Deck 5, collect a ticket and wait to be called. As a result there is no scrum to get on to the tender boats.

[Hawaiidan]

This is one of those ports where it pays vastly to take the tour.:cool:

 

I was on another ship last year and the folks who did not take the ships tour spent hours in line to get the cable car or walk the donkey sewer path.

 

Getting ashore is one thing, getting into Fria a whole other thing...

 

The ships normally first stop at a port where busses are driven for the tours, then it relocates to anchor. Then the locals tender the independent travelers. it can take several hours....

[Caroldoll]

Santorini is lovely, but a ship's tour would really serve you well on this one.

[kuldalai]

Ships do not actually anchor in the Caldera at Santorini, it is too deep .

 

The ships mark time all day in a holding pattern .

[roothy123]

There is another way to get up to the cliffs that few people write about, and that is by a privately-run boat for 25 euros from the tender dock to the beautiful town of Oia up north (half hour drive). After exploring Oia you are taken by bus to Fira (the town at the top of the cable car/donkey area). From there you go back down to the tender pier on your own (5 euros by cable car, walk, or unhappy donkey). There is a thread about this option somewhere in the Oceania section, and a smaller one in the Ports section. I don't know if they run the boats in the afternoon, however. I think in the afternoon they take you by boat down to the ferry port (where the ship's excursions start) and then put you on a bus to Oia, then later bus you back to Fira.

 

In general with Oceania, I have found that if you go to the lounge early and ask about getting on a tender as an independent traveler, you can often get on the first tender, especially if you're just one or two people. (I didn't word that well, but you know what I mean!) However, since the shore excursion folks go to the ferry port (Athinios) rather than the old port by the cable car/donkey area, I guess you may have to wait until they're all gone to get a tender to the old port.

 

Sorry, but we went in 2006 and I don't remember how long it took. Between tendering to shore and waiting for a cable car, though, I'm thinking it was at least an hour before we made it up the cliff. At least at noon you aren't likely to have a long wait for the cable car unless other ships are due in then. I would go to cruisett dot com, ports section, and look to see how many ships are in port that day. If you click on a ship's name, it will tell you the hours the ship is expected to be in Santorini.

Edited November 27, 2014 by roothy123

[hondorner]

We went ashore independently in Santorini, and I don't remember waiting an extraordinary amount of time for a tender. As mentioned earlier, the tenders are supplied by locals, and I recall there being enough tenders that ship's tour folks took one and independents another, and so forth, almost simultaneously. I don't recall them using all the tenders for the tours and making the independents wait.

 

As first-timers, we opted for the donkeys going up and the cable car coming back down. I'm glad we did the donkeys - once - but probably wouldn't repeat the experience. We were with friends who had done the donkeys previously, but gamely did it again in order to share our "enjoyment" :rolleyes: -- those are true friends!

[no fuss travel]

It also depends on how many other ships are visiting Santorini. The wait for the cable car can be long if there is more than one ship.