Help Selecting Excursion in Mykonos

[karli_ratte]

We did the ancient Delos tour in 2013.We are from Europe, we've seen our share of ruins and we've also been to Greece before. I would say the tour was really worth it. Just seeing and hearing about the level of development people on the island had in their time... Amazing!! We did have a guide, but also got some free time on the island. 

After returning to Mykonos, we wandered through the city, visited the wind mills and went for a very nice lunch in a restaurant somewhere near the port. I remember lots of ship crew eating there. The food was excellent.

 

We stopped doing full day tours after our 2nd cruise, unless it's a really interesting tour. We try to have a set program for a few hours and then explore a bit on our own. 

 

I don't quite understand the comment about Mykonos being expensive. It's been a few years but I'd be surprised if Mykonos was more expensive than any other European cruise port.

[PatEv]

I've got to agree with some of the folk above.  Delos is stunning.  We docked and caught the boat bus into the town.  Form there, we just caught the local ferry over to Delos - about 20 Euros if I remeber correctly.  Spent the morning there and the afternoon just wandering around Mykonos town drinking coffee and eating local pastries......

Edited April 29, 2019 by PatEv

[hcat]

On 4/28/2019 at 4:25 AM, Suite Susie said:

I wouldn't do either - the town is lovely and you walk around it yourself, see the Windmills, have a nice lunch and hopefully meet the Pelican!  Loved our day there.

Agree...great sites, shops and eateries  We loved Mykonos...Unless you really really want to see the ruins...I'd skip  those  Delos excursions.  None needed on Mykonos..

 

I would rec one for Santorni to get a head start and avoid the cable car going up early in the day.(Down was fine,..less crowded)

 

For Santorini if you could get to the excavation at Akotiri..that'd  be great..not sure if tours go there yet?  Ours  did not, but we enjoyed it.... We tendered off, got our tour bus to go  up the hill and arrived at Oia before most other tour busses..so beautiful without the crowds....Had an extensive tour around the countryside,  nice wine and cheese stop  at a beautiful winery... and back for a short tour of Fira town...with time left to eat, visit the musem or tour on our own.  Back to the ship before long lines at the cable car station and the tenders, ...

 

ENJOY!

Edited April 29, 2019 by hcat

[ghstudio]

AFAIK, all the tours of Santorini leave you in town and getting down to your ship is on your own.  Late in the day, be prepared for long lines at the top returning to your ship.....not really a problem other than lots of standing...just leave enough time.  The alternative...walking down the path with the donkey's is certainly physically doable for most,  just watch your step....that is, watch what you might be walking in.

[4774Papa]

On 4/27/2019 at 9:32 PM, taylortime05 said:

I put this question on the Europe port section but haven't gotten any replies.  So I'm hoping I get more response here. 

I am comparing 2 excursion thru Celebrity on Mykonos listed below. Usually our excursions are private excursions with others from our roll call. And I know many say that some of these ports such as Mykonos and Santorini can be done without an excursion. Since it's our first time to Europe I prefer to have planned excursions. On a 2nd visit I'd be more likely to do my own touring. For the 2 tender ports of Mykonos and Santorini I'm choosing the ship's excursions to get us started earlier and in Santorini to avoid the cable cars.

So I'm comparing 2 excursions thru Celebrity. Please let me know if you have done either of these excursions and if you enjoyed them. The 1st excursion is lot longer for 35 more PP and includes lunch and a show. But it will use up all of our time in the port so we will not have any time left to tour on our own.

 

Celebrity Discovery Collection: Best of Mykonos - 8 hours 15 min - 135 PP  (Has anyone been on this excursion?)

• At the pier in Mykonos, board a local ferry for the trip to the breathtaking island of Delos. Located at the center of the Cyclades Islands, Delos was perfectly positioned to become an important trade center in the Mediterranean. Once a hub of activity and considered one of Greece's most sacred places, today the island is uninhabited. According to Greek mythology, Apollo, son of Zeus and Leto, was born here. In the early 19th century, artifacts, mosaics, statues, and buildings were uncovered during a historic excavation. Visit Ano Mera at the center of the island, home to the venerable Panagia Tourliani Monastery, circa 1542. Admire its whitewashed exterior and impressive dome. After a full morning of touring, relax over lunch, a variety of salads (cheese and hot peppers, fava beans, eggplant and Greek) and of meats (pork and chicken souvlaki, lamb intestines-kokoretsi, meatballs), served with baby potatoes, bread, and seasonal fruits. Sip wine as you watch a folkloric show. Return to Mykonos, a picturesque town of winding lanes, alabaster houses built in Cycladic style, and red-roofed churches. Taste an iconic almond cookie accompanied by mastic liqueur, then continue sightseeing on your own or return to the ship by shuttle.

Ancient Delos - 3 hours 30 min - 99 PP

• Board the boat of a local captain and skid across calm waters to the uninhabited island of Delos. On this stark and lonely landscape, discover the ruins of an ancient settlement that once bustled with the sounds of trade and commerce. Legend has it this was the birthplace of Apollo, son of Zeus. Hear the tale while standing before the remnants of the Great Temple of Apollo. Pass through the classical Theater, where over 5,000 citizens once cheered epic performances. Marvel at Hellenistic mansions adorned with elaborate mosaics crafted thousands of years ago. Look out upon the greens and blues of the archipelago from the Terrace of the Foreign Gods and visit the lost Sacred Lake, where it’s said the swans and geese of Apollo once frolicked. Time on Delos is forever frozen and this tour offers the rare opportunity to literally stroll in the footsteps of the ancients.

Thanks

We have been to Mykonos twice and the last time did a great Celebrity excursion to Delos.  It seemed longer than 3 1/2 hours, but we had no lunch, so perhaps it was the Ancient Delos.  Also, we didn't visit the monastery.  I don't think the first excursion was offered, but if it had been, we would have taken it.

 

However, if you want to have time to wander around the Mykonos port, you might want to take the shorter tour.  Also, if you want to  have lunch in Mykonos, check out Niko's.   Great food, a block from the harbor.

[pennys mum]

20 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

 

Does the ship tour for Delos have a guide as you walk around or do you go on your own?

 

Thanks

The coach took us from ship to harbour. The guide was on the boat and stayed with us until we got to the museum. They arranged a meeting place and time and took us back on boat. We then we're dropped off at harbour and told where the free shuttle buses were located. Be aware it is a long walk back to ship and can be very hot in summer.

[ghstudio]

1 hour ago, pennys mum said:

The coach took us from ship to harbour. The guide was on the boat and stayed with us until we got to the museum. They arranged a meeting place and time and took us back on boat. We then we're dropped off at harbour and told where the free shuttle buses were located. Be aware it is a long walk back to ship and can be very hot in summer.

You were "docked" in Mykonos.....we've been there, done that....1.5 km from town, shuttle bus then walk the entire length of the harbor to get to the boats to Delos.  However, if you "tender" in Mykonos, I believe you will be taken directly to that dock where the boats to Delos leave.  It is much better to tender in Mykonos.....

[taylortime05]

I asked Celebrity excursion department for the itinerary for Celebrity Discovery Collection: Best of Mykonos - 8 hours 15 min.  It's interesting to see how you spend the 8 hours and 15 min.  It's a lot of travel time.  I guess the sailing back and forth to Delos could be fun.  I wonder if 30 minutes to Mera Village to visit the Monastery is worth the drive.   What do you think?

Edited April 30, 2019 by taylortime05

[bengaltiger1]

9 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

I asked Celebrity excursion department for the itinerary for Celebrity Discovery Collection: Best of Mykonos - 8 hours 15 min.  It's interesting to see how you spend the 8 hours and 15 min.  It's a lot of travel time.  I guess the sailing back and forth to Delos could be fun.  I wonder if 30 minutes to Mera Village to visit the Monastery is worth the drive.   What do you think?

 

Do you have the contact details please?

 

Though I guess, unless it’s an email address it will be different for me as I am in the U.K. 

 

thank you.  

[taylortime05]

41 minutes ago, bengaltiger1 said:

 

Do you have the contact details please?

 

Though I guess, unless it’s an email address it will be different for me as I am in the U.K. 

 

thank you.  

Hi,

 

The email address for the excursion inquiry department is shorex@rccl.com.  They take 2-3 days to respond to questions.  

 

Thanks

[alpineapa]

On ‎04‎/‎28‎/‎2019 at 12:06 PM, Cobeck1234 said:

We walked a couple of blocks from the pier and rented a quad.  It was very inexpensive.  The quad trip was a suggestion of Rick Steves travel guide book.  We figured that as long as we kept the ocean on our left side we would eventually make it back to the pier. It was late May and it was hot there.  We came back to starting spot with plenty of time to wander the streets, have a drink and meet the Pelican.  In our opinion no excursion was needed.  Mykonos was one of our favorite stops (actually they were all our favorite stops!)

We are considering doing a bit of shopping and then lunch at little venice and then a few hours at Platys Gialos Beach...would the quad be a good option for this or would it be better to use taxis or bus? Taxis would seem to be the easiest but someone mentioned they are hard to find and not a big fan of being tied to a bus schedule...

[Cobeck1234]

On 5/1/2019 at 4:21 AM, alpineapa said:

We are considering doing a bit of shopping and then lunch at little venice and then a few hours at Platys Gialos Beach...would the quad be a good option for this or would it be better to use taxis or bus? Taxis would seem to be the easiest but someone mentioned they are hard to find and not a big fan of being tied to a bus schedule...

We just drove around the island, got lost a few times but as I mentioned if we kept the water on the left we would get back eventually.  We returned to the rental store and dropped off the quad and walked in to get a drink and some great treats at a waterfront cafe.  Maybe someone else could advise better about Platys Gialos Beach.