There’s no way to do an excursion in Santorini without using the cable car, is there?

[abcmanzer]

Just found this tour and description for our Celebrity cruise to Greece in 2024. 
 

Destination Highlight: Island Drive and Village Oia

 

Finally, journey to the village of Fira, where you'll have about an hour to explore the cliff-top village's intriguing narrow streets before the journey to Athinios port, where tenders will transfer you to the ship. 

[marazul]

11 hours ago, abcmanzer said:

Just found this tour and description for our Celebrity cruise to Greece in 2024. 
 

Destination Highlight: Island Drive and Village Oia

 

Finally, journey to the village of Fira, where you'll have about an hour to explore the cliff-top village's intriguing narrow streets before the journey to Athinios port, where tenders will transfer you to the ship. 

Grab it!

[cruisestitch]

If one rides the tender over to the old port, at the base of the cable car, is there anything to do there? Souvenir stand? Cafe? 
 

 

[Labanos]

4 hours ago, cruisestitch said:

If one rides the tender over to the old port, at the base of the cable car, is there anything to do there? Souvenir stand? Cafe? 
 

 

There isn't much to do, but indeed there are some souvenir shops and restaurants/bars. From the restaurant you can watch the quai and the people on- and off boarding and waiting inline for the cable car.

[MrsHFQ]

On 6/29/2023 at 10:14 AM, TKATeacher said:

We were in Santorini last week on a Royal cruise. We did a ship excursion - Oia on Your Own. It had us off the ship early (7:30), which we thought an advantage with heat and crowds.  We tendered to  Athinos and boarded a bus to Oia.  Wow, do those bus drivers earn their pay - crazy roads in a manual bus!!! Yes, views from Oia were gorgeous, but the crowds pouring in behind us were insane. We had like an hour in the town, and as we made our way out the entire hill down was packed with arrivals. We were transported by bus to Fira, where we explored for a short while (again, crowds were fierce) before we took the cable car down. It was 11 am and there was no line to go down. 

 

There were 3 ships when we were in Santorini. The impact of crowds in these beautiful little towns should not be underestimated, and not just for the cable car waits.  The towns have narrow walkways that quickly become jammed by the numbers pouring in.  

Thanks, TKATeacher, that's really useful! We have this excursion booked for our cruise next week. We booked it as a way of making the tender process easier getting off the ship. 7.30 is a really early start but hopefully worth it to avoid the worst of the crowds! There are 3 ships in but one doesn't arrive until about 1pm so we will probably be back (or going back) on the ship by then!

[Vineyard View]

Santorini was a place I was looking forward to. Next year, on the day we are scheduled,  4 ships totaling 10,000+ passengers are in port that day. I cannot in any way see how that will be a fun experience. No thank you. 
We booked an excursion, and we are not excursions people, that is a boat - possibly catamaran, possibly yacht  (have heard both), that will take us to see the sights from the water, provide swim time and lunch. I am disappointed that we likely won’t wander on up on land later that afternoon as the ship is docked until late, but we may not. I looked at all the schedules of the other ships, and two others have late stays, so I think in the end it will be a game day decision. That walk down in the dark, I have read, can be an unwise idea with poor lighting. 

[kwokpot]

9 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

Santorini was a place I was looking forward to. Next year, on the day we are scheduled,  4 ships totaling 10,000+ passengers are in port that day. I cannot in any way see how that will be a fun experience. No thank you. 
We booked an excursion, and we are not excursions people, that is a boat - possibly catamaran, possibly yacht  (have heard both), that will take us to see the sights from the water, provide swim time and lunch. I am disappointed that we likely won’t wander on up on land later that afternoon as the ship is docked until late, but we may not. I looked at all the schedules of the other ships, and two others have late stays, so I think in the end it will be a game day decision. That walk down in the dark, I have read, can be an unwise idea with poor lighting. 

I just got back from a Greek Islands cruise last month. It's unfortunate but Santorini has been overrun by tourists. Luckily I've been there before but some of our travel group hadn't and they weren't too impressed mainly due to the unrelenting crowds in Oia. Fira was packed too but since the main town is bigger the crowds were more dispersed, but to was craziness nonetheless. We did enjoy the sunset at Fira, and although we didn't plan to we did all walk the path down and take the tenders back to the ship. What we did is use our cellphone flashlight the whole way down. It will take 20-30 minutes depending on how fast you walk and amazingly none in our group got any donkey poop on our shoes! 

 

I assume you're going to Mykonos and what I would advise is to get off the ship early, but not too early, say around 9:00. Go to the windmills FIRST, then walk the streets and shops, then if you're a beach goer go to the beach of your choice, in that order.  

[Vineyard View]

We are not going to Mykonos this time. We have been before. It was an October trip and delightful due to time of year and few crowds. Thanks for the flashlight tip, but I just get no enjoyment being in the crush of humanity like that. Even if it is the only time I visit there, because that will be a huge piece of the memory. Terribly sad that the local government or port authority - or someone, doesn’t get this under control. Other ports in Europe are limiting numbers of ships for this reason. 

[Azulann]

So glad I booked  Viking Greek Odyssey cruise for Feb 2025, the "quiet season." yea no tourists but all the sites will be open on this 11 day cruise. 

I have been to Santorini twice,

First time  on a  a Celebrity ship ,We explored Fira for the whole morning. By the time we were ready to take cable car down, there were five ship in Caldera. We instead walked down donkey trail. It was Sept  2008 and temp was 100 degrees. Next time  we ported there, I stayed on the ship and had sea day.

This future cruise I will do a Viking excursion to Oia and wine tasting and see more of the island, but again will need to take cable car down but probably we will be the only cruise ship in caldera. 

[kwokpot]

35 minutes ago, Azulann said:

So glad I booked  Viking Greek Odyssey cruise for Feb 2025, the "quiet season." yea no tourists but all the sites will be open on this 11 day cruise. 

I have been to Santorini twice,

First time  on a  a Celebrity ship ,We explored Fira for the whole morning. By the time we were ready to take cable car down, there were five ship in Caldera. We instead walked down donkey trail. It was Sept  2008 and temp was 100 degrees. Next time  we ported there, I stayed on the ship and had sea day.

This future cruise I will do a Viking excursion to Oia and wine tasting and see more of the island, but again will need to take cable car down but probably we will be the only cruise ship in caldera. 

That's good if all the restaurants and shops will be open in February, and I hope the weather is OK. In 2019 we were in Santorini in December as a stop on a Suez canal crossing cruise and the weather was very windy and cool,probably in the high 50's-low 60's. Everything in Fira was shut down save a handful, and I mean handful of restaurants and shops. The streets were deserted with nothing open.and given the weather we didn't even bother going to Oia. 

Edited August 26, 2023 by kwokpot

[Azulann]

36 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

That's good if all the restaurants and shops will be open in February, and I hope the weather is OK. In 2019 we were in Santorini in December as a stop on a Suez canal crossing cruise and the weather was very windy and cool,probably in the high 50's-low 60's. Everything in Fira was shut down save a handful, and I mean handful of restaurants and shops. The streets were deserted with nothing open.and given the weather we didn't even bother going to Oia. 

HA , weather in  the 50”s will be balmy coming from MN where it will be below zero Feb. we will be doing a guided excursion on Santorini. Other Gr ports will be to visit ruins and museums . It will be 11 day cruise from Athens. My sister had never been to Greece . I have been to  half the the ports twice and the other half will be new to me. 
I do have the luxury to sail in off season and not in the height of tourist season and the heat of summer. Love being retired 

Edited August 26, 2023 by Azulann