Santorini Advice

[PleasantonCruiser]

Hello, we are sailing on Celebrity Reflection May 27 - Jun 7, and we are interested in touring Santorini on our own after visiting Fira. I am scheduling with a rental car agency and am trying to estimate the time that we would want to rendezvous with them.

 

Because we are not taking a cruise-blessed excursion, we will have to tender after the privileged class :-). Can anyone provide me with an estimate on when we can reasonably expect to be able to disembark and then cable our way up to Fira?

 

Many thanks.

 

 

Rick A.

Pleasanton CA

[Wine-O]

Since you are getting into port (anchor) around the same time as Costa Deliziosa, which has 2200 pax, I would guess you will be off the ship and up the hill via the cable car by 9am or maybe a little earlier. If the seas are pretty calm, the commercial tenders move quickly and hold quite a few people.

[PleasantonCruiser]

Many thanks, Wine-O. We're looking forward to our first-ever Med cruise...

[cruising in mn]

Hello, we are sailing on Celebrity Reflection May 27 - Jun 7, and we are interested in touring Santorini on our own after visiting Fira. I am scheduling with a rental car agency and am trying to estimate the time that we would want to rendezvous with them.

 

Because we are not taking a cruise-blessed excursion, we will have to tender after the privileged class :-). Can anyone provide me with an estimate on when we can reasonably expect to be able to disembark and then cable our way up to Fira?

 

Many thanks.

 

 

Rick A.

Pleasanton CA

 

You will LOVE Santorini! We were there last year right around this time. We too did the island on our own, however we didnt rent a car, we took the local bus from Fira to Oia (I think I spelled those right) and it was easy peasy and cheap. We took the Donkey's up after tendering in and the cable car down when it was time to get back on the ship. I dont know how much time we spent in each, but we sure felt we had enough time and werent rushed at all. The bus went straight there, and I think each way we waited no more than 10 mins. You buy the tickets right on the bus. So if you're only going to that one place, you might want to skip the car and take the bus and enjoy the ride :-)

We are on the Mediterranean again next week, on the Connie doing a different route, and I only hope it can live up to how great the 12 day Greece itinerary was, we loved it!

 

Have a great time!

[cruza]

Hello, we are sailing on Celebrity Reflection May 27 - Jun 7, and we are interested in touring Santorini on our own after visiting Fira. I am scheduling with a rental car agency and am trying to estimate the time that we would want to rendezvous with them.

 

Because we are not taking a cruise-blessed excursion, we will have to tender after the privileged class :-). Can anyone provide me with an estimate on when we can reasonably expect to be able to disembark and then cable our way up to Fira?

 

Many thanks.

 

Rick A.

Pleasanton CA

 

We rented thr car from the place next to the cable car and we went right there without any arrangements... We went to the winery and Perissa(black sand beach), then toward Acrotiri for lunch. After that we went to spent time in Oia. I had a pleasant drive there , just one road and it was very simple (no need for bus or taxi). The car cost us 50 euro for 4 people.

Enjoy your cruise, Mike

[Teenybk]

Hello, we are sailing on Celebrity Reflection May 27 - Jun 7, and we are interested in touring Santorini on our own after visiting Fira. I am scheduling with a rental car agency and am trying to estimate the time that we would want to rendezvous with them.

 

 

 

Because we are not taking a cruise-blessed excursion, we will have to tender after the privileged class :-). Can anyone provide me with an estimate on when we can reasonably expect to be able to disembark and then cable our way up to Fira?

 

 

 

Many thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

Rick A.

 

Pleasanton CA

 

 

Hi, Rick - we're from Danville and will be on the Constellation on the 31st from Rome - sounds like we'll literally be ships passing in the night somewhere in the Mediterranean. Also looking forward to Santorini. Enjoy your cruise!

Tina

[4774Papa]

Parking is going to be your big problem in Santorini.

[Jerzy Traveler]

We took this cruise last year. You will love it. No problem getting off the ship. You can go when you are ready. No reason to wait for the privileged. We took the cable, there was a line. Took us about 20 minutes. Donkey is slower and we spoke to people who did it, Donkeys do what donkeys want to do. We did not rent a car, I drive enough. You can see more of the island of course. We walked around Fira then took the bus to Oia. Oia is just like the pictures, white and blue on top of a cliff overlooking the bluest of water. Make sure you leave time to have a small Greek lunch or coffee at a café overlooking the sea.

[Iamthesea]

As the OP noted, passengers do have to wait for the "privileged", meaning those that have booked a Celebrity excursion. After visiting Santorini twice, our experience has been that the non-excursion passengers have to wait a couple of hours for all tours to tender in. BTW- They tender to a different dock than the "ordinary" passengers tender to. :D Then the tender is available for everyone else.

 

This is what we did. We booked a winery and Oia tour with the cruiseline. We were off and running almost as soon as the ship docked. Took the tour bus up to the winery (been there befroe, but it is very nice with beautiful views.) After the winery, we were off to Oia. This is a self-service tour and we were to be given an hour or so, only. So when we got off the bus, we mentioned to the guide that we would not be joining the group again and not to wait on us. The guide was very appreciative that we told him our plans.

 

We were able to spend more than 2 hours walking around Oia...our favorite! When we were ready, we walked down to the bus stop and caught the bus heading for Fira. We ended up getting off the bus before getting there. Walked back towards the water and followed the caldera around to Fira for about 30 minutes. Nice walk! Once we got to Fira, we found a bar that was up several steps and overlooked the water. After having a drink and watching the sunsetting, we took the donkey path back down to the ship. I am not a fan of the cable car. Too steep for me!

[macaroni]

No matter what you do...go to Oia first to really enjoy it before the crowds converge...then head out to other sites...but I bet when you get to Oia, you won't want to leave....end your day in Fira so you are not rushed at the end...

[Iamthesea]

Yes, I forgot to mention that after an hour and once the tour buses left, we were pratically the only people, other than residents, that were walking around. :)

[Wine-O]

As the OP noted, passengers do have to wait for the "privileged", meaning those that have booked a Celebrity excursion. After visiting Santorini twice, our experience has been that the non-excursion passengers have to wait a couple of hours for all tours to tender in. BTW- They tender to a different dock than the "ordinary" passengers tender to. :D Then the tender is available for everyone else.

 

That certainly wasn't the case when we tendered on Reflection. The tours/excursions (the privileged :rolleyes:) tendered at the forward accommodation ladder as they met in the theater, and the rest of the folks back aft. Suites & AQ get tender passes and exit first, but no way in heck would it take 2 hours to disembark since the tenders hold a couple hundred people. The only hold up you will have is when you get ashore standing in the queue to catch the cable car.

[Wj420]

Simply one of the most lovely towns! Oka. To spend more time here. Great shopping, bars and restaurants with amazing views. Less commercial than by the cable car. Enjoy!

[PleasantonCruiser]

Many thanks to all who have chimed in here. We are looking forward to a fabulous cruise...

[bama4cruisin]

We visited Santorini last year while on the Constellation. We chose a slightly different approach in our visit. While we did not book a ship excursion, there was not a significant wait to tender as those on ship tours met in the theater and left on tenders from one tender landing while those not on ship tours left from another tender landing.

 

We didn't have a significant wait; however, that could vary greatly based on the number of ships in port, their passenger loads, and the arrival times of each. Since by local rule, local boatsmen are used to tender in Santorini if their numbers are split between many different ships it could slow the process.

 

Once ashore, we purchased a ticket for a boat trip to Oia. They were loading the boat as we arrived so we were headed around the island very quickly. The ticket includes a bus ride up to Oia from the dock below as well as a bus ride to Fira when you are ready. I believe those buses leave at least hourly until early to mid afternoon.

 

We spent much time walking the lanes of Oia, which is truly one of the most lovely places I've ever seen, had lunch overlooking the water and took the bus back to Fira. Once there, we wandered for a while then took the cable car down, caught a tender to return to the ship.

 

It was a most enjoyable day.

 

No matter how you choose to visit the island, I recommend STRONGLY that you secure a table at either the Sunset Bar or Oceanview Bar for sailaway. And stay for sunset. Ours was magnificent! We have photos in which the sun appears to set into the crater of the volcano. That may have been a night we chose to eat dinner outside Oceanview Cafe rather than changing for dinner - we did that twice on our b2b, definitely Dubrovnik and, I believe, Santorini.

[Jerzy Traveler]

That certainly wasn't the case when we tendered on Reflection. The tours/excursions (the privileged :rolleyes:) tendered at the forward accommodation ladder as they met in the theater, and the rest of the folks back aft. Suites & AQ get tender passes and exit first, but no way in heck would it take 2 hours to disembark since the tenders hold a couple hundred people. The only hold up you will have is when you get ashore standing in the queue to catch the cable car.

 

 

Our experience was the same. The ship tries to scare you into booking their excursions by telling you that you have to wait or you may not get back in time. We went to the tender loading and got on the tender that was waiting. The only lines were the cable car lines. The one going down was the longer of the two.

[lisalovlee33]

Be the first ones to get off the ship. Walk quickly and catch the cable car. Get to Oia and go straight in (you walk through a smallish lane very easy) and take your photos, enjoy the sites because very soon, you'll be crowded by people. If you rent a car, get there early. There's a parking there where all the buses comes in. I can't stress how important to get there early. Be sure to walk down and about, less people. Fira is a similar to Oia but less in terms of wow factor.

Driving is easy, can drive around the island, but really, not great. If this is your first time, I would just hire a cab to get there so you get to Oia first. Sharing a cab may lessen the cost so feel free to ask another couple. Not expensive. Enjoy.

[Cruise Junky]

As the OP noted, passengers do have to wait for the "privileged", meaning those that have booked a Celebrity excursion. After visiting Santorini twice, our experience has been that the non-excursion passengers have to wait a couple of hours for all tours to tender in. BTW- They tender to a different dock than the "ordinary" passengers tender to. :D Then the tender is available for everyone else.

 

!

 

This wasn't the case last week. We were able to get the first tender with no tour booked. We just had to be ready early.

[Iamthesea]

That certainly wasn't the case when we tendered on Reflection. The tours/excursions (the privileged :rolleyes:) tendered at the forward accommodation ladder as they met in the theater, and the rest of the folks back aft. Suites & AQ get tender passes and exit first, but no way in heck would it take 2 hours to disembark since the tenders hold a couple hundred people. The only hold up you will have is when you get ashore standing in the queue to catch the cable car.

 

We didn't have a significant wait; however, that could vary greatly based on the number of ships in port, their passenger loads, and the arrival times of each. Since by local rule, local boatsmen are used to tender in Santorini if their numbers are split between many different ships it could slow the process.

 

Once ashore, we purchased a ticket for a boat trip to Oia. They were loading the boat as we arrived so we were headed around the island very quickly. The ticket includes a bus ride up to Oia from the dock below as well as a bus ride to Fira when you are ready. I believe those buses leave at least hourly until early to mid afternoon.

 

Perhaps things have changed in the years gone by and tendering is more efficient, or not as many ships were in port for the rest of you that did not have the same experience as our ships. ;)

 

The last time we were there was about 5 years ago, and there were many ships in port. Most were smaller, but we all had to tender. We were on the Eclipse or the Equinox, and came in after the other ships. When we returned to the ship that night, we heard stories from several passengers about the amount of time they had to wait both for tenders, and for the cable car to get up to the villages.

 

The cruise before that was on a HAL ship. We took a ships excursion and I rememeber an announcement that all excrusion passengers would be taken off first before the others because there were limited tenders. That's the main reason that we booked another excursion there.

[Got2Cruise]

The tenders go to two different places. Make sure you get on the tender to the cable car I agree it depends on how many megaships are in port on that day. Look at the schedule.

[2ashevillesailors]

Hello, we are sailing on Celebrity Reflection May 27 - Jun 7, and we are interested in touring Santorini on our own after visiting Fira. I am scheduling with a rental car agency and am trying to estimate the time that we would want to rendezvous with them.

 

Because we are not taking a cruise-blessed excursion, we will have to tender after the privileged class :-). Can anyone provide me with an estimate on when we can reasonably expect to be able to disembark and then cable our way up to Fira?

 

Many thanks.

 

 

Rick A.

Pleasanton CA

 

When in Santorini before the people with ship excursions got off of the other side of ship and were tendered at the other end of the island to the buses. They never in the past, that I have seen, departed to the cable car.

[Gracie115]

Perhaps things have changed in the years gone by and tendering is more efficient, or not as many ships were in port for the rest of you that did not have the same experience as our ships. ;)

 

The last time we were there was about 5 years ago, and there were many ships in port. Most were smaller, but we all had to tender. We were on the Eclipse or the Equinox, and came in after the other ships. When we returned to the ship that night, we heard stories from several passengers about the amount of time they had to wait both for tenders, and for the cable car to get up to the villages.

 

The cruise before that was on a HAL ship. We took a ships excursion and I rememeber an announcement that all excrusion passengers would be taken off first before the others because there were limited tenders. That's the main reason that we booked another excursion there.

 

It seems, from what people are posting here, that things have changed. We last visited Santorini about 4 years ago and we did book a ships excursion so we were off the ship immediately...but other friends of ours waited for a long time....a few up to 2 hours....so it's nice to hear this has been corrected....we will visit again in fall 2017 and would rather NOT take another ships excursion....

[Cruise Junky]

It seems, from what people are posting here, that things have changed. We last visited Santorini about 4 years ago and we did book a ships excursion so we were off the ship immediately...but other friends of ours waited for a long time....a few up to 2 hours....so it's nice to hear this has been corrected....we will visit again in fall 2017 and would rather NOT take another ships excursion....

 

I was on the first tender in 2005 and 2016. So not sure if things have changed. Neither time I booked a ships excursion, I was just ready to go early.

[Gracie115]

I was on the first tender in 2005 and 2016. So not sure if things have changed. Neither time I booked a ships excursion, I was just ready to go early.

 

As were many on our Equinox sailing in 2012....I don't know maybe it was just a "blip" on that sailing...but it happened....and there were some unhappy people.... glad it is NOT normal...

[PleasantonCruiser]

As the OP, I figured I would close the loop here and share our experiences of last week. Our day in Santorini was the highlight of our cruise, in part because I disregarded the advice of many:

 

1. We were one of two ships in the bay off of Fira, and there was no waiting at all for the tenders. We were ready to leave early, at 7:30a, and did not have to wait for guests with cruise-blessed excursions.

 

2. Despite advice against it by the Shore Excursion reps onboard, I chose to walk up the donkey trail. By now it was 8:00a, and all of the donkeys were at the bottom of the trail, awaiting passengers. That meant that I had to navigate around them initially, but I did not have to deal with them on the way up. I had the trail to myself, it took 20 minutes, and it was exhilarating. I hiked Masada two summers ago, and this was cake by comparison.

 

3. Despite all recommendations against, we rented a car and drove around the island. So much fun! It was simple to navigate, took less than an hour to go from the opposite side of the island to Oia, parked our van easily, and enjoyed a wonderful lunch.

 

Santorini proved the ideal venue to drive in the Greek Isles.