Santorini - if you book an excursion, do you have to wait in cable car line from Fira to tender dock, going down?

[geopuzzle]

On July 8, 2023, we'll be in Santorini from 2pm-10pm.  On the day we are there, there will be 7100 cruise ship passengers, ALL departing within an hour of my ship:

NCL Getaway, 2pm-10pm, 4000 passengers

NCL Jade, 8am-9:30pm, 2400 passengers

Seven Seas Mariner, 10am-11pm, 700 passengers

 

My question is:  If I book an NCL excursion, just to avoid waiting in cable car lines (not because I actually want the excursion), will I at least skip the line going down in the cable car?  My concern is that I will end up with excursion cable car tickets from Fira down the hill, but that we won't be able to use the tickets, because the cable car line is bound to literally be several hours long that day.   Is there a special line at the cable car for people who paid for excursions, or do the excursion people join the same cable car line as everyone else?

 

We are basically planning on walking down the donkey path because 7100 people leaving within an hour of us with a 600 person per hour cable car just doesn't have math that works out.  An excursion might not even solve the problem??  

 

I imagine even going up the cable car, competing only with my shipmates, may be a huge problem.  I would prefer not to walk up the donkey path in the heat, hence our consideration of an excursion.  

Thx
 
 

[cruisemom42]

Almost all offered excursions drop you off in Fira and yes, you would have to queue in the cable car line with everyone wanting to go down to the tender point.

 

There are a VERY FEW excursions offered by some cruise lines that return you to the excursion pick-up point (a different location that buses can reach) to return to your ship, but not sure if all ships offer them. I only remember seeing maybe 1 out of 20 Santorini excursions with this option on Celebrity.

[CruiserBruce]

The first thing is not all 7100 pax (assuming all ships are sold out) will be trying to return at the same time. People will come and go across a wide spectrum of time.

[mapleleaves]

Yep, only one line to board the cable cars.

Most people want to photograph the sunset, which will be around 8:45pm on your date.  Your last tender will probably leave around 9 and Jade pax will already be in line since they leave 30 minutes earlier than you, so I would expect long lines.  

We had problems with long lines going UP to Fira, so we decided to play it safe and take sunset photos from the ship instead.  Same sunset and no one in the way of our view!  Plus the view of Fira from the ship is lovely; buildings all along the cliff were lit up, as was the zig zag path going up the hill.

[John Bull]

As per cruisemom's post, most ships' tours end at Fira (at the top of the cliff). I've not heard of a cablecar ticket being included.

 

I'm sure that I'd have heard of any cable-car beat-the-line preference for ships' excursions - there would have been news reports something like .............

"News just in from Santorini - cruise excursion staff thrown over cliff by angry passengers held in cable-car line" 😏🤣🤣

 

Ships' excursionists are tendered to a different port - the little ferry harbour at Athinios, where the road goes down to the harbour. That avoids any grief of lines to go up the cliff.

Celebrity, and I think now another cruise line, tender some of their excursions back to the ship from Athinios. If it's not clear from their literature that NCL drop in Fira, it might be worthwhile asking whether there's an option from Athinios

 

JB 🙂

[geopuzzle]

3 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

The first thing is not all 7100 pax (assuming all ships are sold out) will be trying to return at the same time. People will come and go across a wide spectrum of time.

Even if it is only 1/3 of them, the line would still be hours long.  

 

I appreciate that Santorini has capped the number of daily visitors-- I just wish they would enforce widely varied departure and arrival times.  Santorini just seems like a headache, albeit a beautiful one.  

 

We'll plan on walking down.  I think my 72 yr old mother will manage.

[Hlitner]

There is no way getting around the math that the cable car can only move 600 an hour (one direction).  But, keep in mind that all the cruise ships are well aware of the congestion that happens at the top cable car station. Most (if not all) ships will quietly station a staffer (with a radio) at the top station to quietly monitor the situation.  It is not unusual for ships to delay their departure from Santorini because they wait to get everyone down to the tenders.  That being said, cruisers need to be smart and get themselves to that upper station in plenty of time (in my world that would be a 1 1/2 hours early).  Keep in mind that if you are healthy and mobile you can always walk down (do not slip in donkey poo) in less than a half hour.

 

Hank

[LGinPA]

I'll be on the NCL Breakaway on July 7, 2023 and NCL just last week posted all their offered excursions. SOME of the excursions include the following "Need to Know" after the description and some don't.  I plan on calling the excursion department to ask about specific ones I may be interested in and ask the same question the OP is asking. 

 

Need To Know:

Tour involves walking for approximately 1/2 mile on level, some steps and cobblestone streets. Amount of walking and exertion during free time is up to you. Not recommended for guests in wheelchairs. Temperatures can reach extreme highs during summer months, we recommend that you drink a lot of water and use sun protection. Most tours end in Fira where you’ll board a cable car to return to the pier (cable car ticket will be provided). Lines for the cable car are very long, especially during summer or when there are several ships in port; please allow sufficient time to return to the tender landing pier.

 

[LGinPA]

I just spoke with someone in the NCL Shore Excursions department. She said that all excursions end in Fira and you are given a ticket for the cable car ride back down.  She agreed that the web site and apps don't properly state that clearly. 

 

So if you're cruising with NCL be prepared to be going back via the Fira dock. 

 

In case you are wondering, for the NCL excursions that include a winery, the cost of the wine tastings is included.