Santorini 25th June

[gordylad]

We will be in Santorini on the 25th June on the Reflection. Have never been before and there will be another 3 cruise ships in as well MSC Fantasia, Seaborn Sojourn and Splendour Of The Seas

 

With the number of passengers I can only imagine the cable cars will be busy.

 

Can anyone provide advise as to whether we should go with a ship tour?

 

Thanks

[timbo89]

When you tender in, go to the far left of the cable car station and donkey path and take a boat over to Oia. There will be several locals to help you find a boat. Oia is the beautiful town in Santorini. When you are done browsing, shopping, eating, etc, catch a bus back to Fira and walk down the donkey path (it's a bit smelly, but ok)

 

This saves a bunch of hassle and it costs about $10

 

 

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[cinnamon]

I echo that advice. You can get a ticket on the dock where the tender drops you that includes the boat to the base of the cliff below Oia, the transfer up to the town and a bus back to Thira at a specific time.

 

DO go as early as possible though to avoid the worst of the crowds and be prepared for a long queue at the funicular to return.

 

 

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[Lastdance]

We will be in Santorini on the 25th June on the Reflection. Have never been before and there will be another 3 cruise ships in as well MSC Fantasia, Seaborn Sojourn and Splendour Of The Seas

 

With the number of passengers I can only imagine the cable cars will be busy.

 

Can anyone provide advise as to whether we should go with a ship tour?

 

Thanks

 

It will also depend on the time the Reflection docks and lets you go ashore as to how crowded it will be. Find the times the other ships let their passengers go ashore. it was crowded when we were there in the morning, but it went quickly; on the way back it was crazy, but yet we made it just fine! Taking the boat over is good too, just depends on your comfort level and what you are doing...we toured the entire island and wished we hadn't as there were many places that visually made you sad. Stick with the main ones!

Edited June 10, 2014 by Lastdance

[gordylad]

thanks it gets in at 2pm. we just decided that since its our first time we would do the 3 hr 30 min celebrity tour which includes a wine stop, oia and then fira

[ghstudio]

Not sure if it matters but the ship tour ends in Fira and you will be in the same "mob" as everyone else to get the cable car down to the tenders. Hopefully, your ship will leave earlier or later than the others.....or you will walk down the path with the donkeys (wear old shoes for obvious reasons).

[kevinyork]

Ive been up the path on a Donkey. Its pretty scary especially on a tired and hot donkey that feels like its seconds away from toppling over the edge. Have to say the smell was really bad and the path was pretty messy. Get the funicular at all costs unless you need to run down the path to get back onboard in time.

 

 

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[gordylad]

ship leaves at 10pm the others leave at 5pm and 6pm

[softail]

ship leaves at 10pm the others leave at 5pm and 6pm

 

We were on the Reflection in October and it wasnt that bad getting up the cable car as all the other ships docked in the morning. And the same coming down no line at all at 9pm. Enjoy Larry

[welshfamily]

We have been to Santorini three times.

 

The first time we queued to get up the cable car and down, queuing took a long time.

 

The second we had a near death experience with the donkeys.

 

The third.... We were on the Reflection last August and did a excursion which sounds very similar.

Some positives.

We were tendered off the boat and on to coaches and taken to Oia. Seamless and no waiting around. It was about 2.30pm and we could see the queue for the cable car, it was huge. Oia is simply beautiful.

 

However,

It was quite a journey and there was poor air conditioning on the coach. We only had about 50 minutes in Oia not enough time to look round and sit for a drink. It was HOT.

We then had a journey to the wine stop.........total waste of time, poor undrinkable wine, dreadful nibbles, no seats and an incredibly expensive shop. Very crowded. This stop was allocated the same length of time as Oia.

 

We then joined the coach to Fira, the coach had to stop at the other side of Fira in a coach park. Many passengers had trouble keeping up with the guide who left us on the outskirts of Fira in incredible crowds.

 

Even after looking around, shopping and a lovely restaurant we still queued for nearly 90 minutes to get back down to the tender.

 

In hindsight we should have told the guide we were stopping in Oia and made our own way to Fira.

 

My advice is accept that you will queue therefore allow queuing time and spend your money on Taxi's this will allow you to set your own pace and get the most out of Santorini. Or

Use the Ships excursion simply to get to Oia and then do your own thing.

 

Hope this helps

[Lastdance]

thanks it gets in at 2pm. we just decided that since its our first time we would do the 3 hr 30 min celebrity tour which includes a wine stop, oia and then fira

 

I just use Celebrity tours for getting to a specific place and then back again. You have some good ideas on this thread, especially about many of Celebrity's tours. You might be disappointed with your time allotments.

[dollydosh]

We have been to Santorini a few times and found the easiest way, when there are other ships in, is to take the ships tour to Oia.

 

With the ships tour you are one of the first passengers to leave on the tender. It takes you to the shore further round the coast from where the cable cars are where you will meet the coach. On the tour we took, it stopped off at a winery for about 1/2 an hour..The views there are stunning, didn't think much to the wine.

 

We had 2hours to wander round Oia, then the coach took us back to Thira. They give you a ticket for the cable car and you are free to go back to the ship at anytime .

 

Thira is also beautiful, and cheaper than Oia.

 

Enjoy!!

[nana541]

We have been to Santorini a few times and found the easiest way, when there are other ships in, is to take the ships tour to Oia.

 

 

 

With the ships tour you are one of the first passengers to leave on the tender. It takes you to the shore further round the coast from where the cable cars are where you will meet the coach. On the tour we took, it stopped off at a winery for about 1/2 an hour..The views there are stunning, didn't think much to the wine.

 

 

 

We had 2hours to wander round Oia, then the coach took us back to Thira. They give you a ticket for the cable car and you are free to go back to the ship at anytime .

 

 

 

Thira is also beautiful, and cheaper than Oia.

 

 

 

Enjoy!!

 

 

I completely agree with this method... Actually been on 2 different cruiselines and used this option.

It's relatively inexpensive, you are off the ship before everyone else, avoids the huge huge lines to get up the hill at the gondola (no donkey poop for me). We actually dumped the tour in Oia and grabbed a taxi back to Thira after spending a fabulous day in Oia.

 

 

 

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[gordylad]

Thanks everyone

 

This is the excursion we have booked. Can anyone confirm if you get 2hrs in Oia?

 

Island Of Santorini & Village Of Oia

 

Overview

 

Explore Santorini Island in luxury. This tour will take you past small villages and an active volcano to the village of Oia, where you’ll explore a winery and bodega. On a narrated sightseeing drive, you’ll learn about the geological processes that made Santorini Island what it is today. Then you’ll explore Oia’s craggy cliff-side environs and Cycladic architecture. Last stop is Mitropolis Church in Fira, followed by time to explore the city at your leisure.

[welshfamily]

Had to look up last years tickets but I believe that was the name of our excursion.

We certainly didn't have 2 hours in Oia as I have already stated.

Tour was 3 and a half hours.

After a frank exchange of views :D ( 4 members of the 8 who traveled ate dinner with me last night ) it was agreed it took about 50 minutes to get from the boat to Oia. We were then walked up to the promenade by a beautiful square and church, about 10 minutes and given just an hour to be back at the bus. Another approx. 20 minute's drive to the winery again about 45-50 minutes stop which included a 5 minute talk. Then a drive to a coach park on the out skirts of Fira, maybe 10-15 minutes and a 10 minute walk to the Mitropolis church.

These times make up approx. the 3and half hours of the trip.

They are only approximations as we didn't time each part of the journey and we had fellow passengers who didn't keep us waiting at any stop.

 

Celebrity excursions may have had complains and altered the tour but it sounds very similar. The journey to Oia was much slower than I had expected but then it's a beautiful Greek Island with some interestingly shaped roads.:) The guide talked on the journey, she was interesting. If the winery was removed and the extra hour spent in Oia the trip would have been excellent.

I hope this helps.

Have a great cruise.

[neilrod]

We are on the same cruise. We were not going to book any celebrity tours as we have joined some groups and booked others independently that are much better value. However we took the advice of others who have been to Santorini before and booked the 3 and half hour trip as you apparently get priority for tenders? It does look like a good little trip and you can apparently stick around and take the cable car whenever you want to.