Sunset Cruise in Santorini - in time to make 10pm departure of Celebrity Infinity in June?

[radman2020]

We are sailing the Greek Islands in June 2023.  We want to do one of the many Catamaran Sunset dinner cruises.  Celebrity doesn't offer one as an excursion.  We are looking online for our party of 17. 

 

They are giving us finishing times around sunset at 8:30 pm.  We can't figure out if that gives us time to get back to the boat (which uses a tender).  There are different ports (not sure which one Celebrity uses). 

 

Who knows about traffic.  Maybe they take us by boat.  I have asked the different vendors and they say it is ok, but it seems like it is cutting it close.  We thought this was something they do all the time and could tell us confidently.  

 

Can anyone help us here with advice?  This shouldn't be so hard.  

 

Thanks.

 

 

[photabitha]

Hi.  
Your ship will be tendered off Firá (Thira) and this is where you take the tender to and from the ship.  If your dinner cruise ends here around sunset, you should be okay to take the tender back in time.  There will be a queue however.  If your trip ends elsewhere, you may be very short on time.  You will need to get back to Firá and then either take either the cable car (massive queue after sunset) or walk down, the winding steps to the sea level.  These steps are used by the donkeys (please don’t ride the donkeys!) and the lighting is poor and the surface uneven and slippery with donkey deposits!   

Where your trip ends I would say will give you a better idea as to whether or not the risk is worth taking. 

[emmas gran]

A group of 17 will be like “ herding cats “ as my husband says, one person dawdles and you have problems 

[newtocruiseinblue]

13 hours ago, radman2020 said:

We are sailing the Greek Islands in June 2023.  We want to do one of the many Catamaran Sunset dinner cruises.  Celebrity doesn't offer one as an excursion.  We are looking online for our party of 17. 

 

They are giving us finishing times around sunset at 8:30 pm.  We can't figure out if that gives us time to get back to the boat (which uses a tender).  There are different ports (not sure which one Celebrity uses). 

 

Who knows about traffic.  Maybe they take us by boat.  I have asked the different vendors and they say it is ok, but it seems like it is cutting it close.  We thought this was something they do all the time and could tell us confidently.  

 

Can anyone help us here with advice?  This shouldn't be so hard.  

 

Thanks.

 

 

What time does your ship depart? All aboard is usually at least an hour to an hour and a half prior to that if I am correct. We are doing the Greek isles in July and I think we depart at 10 pm. I would think that would be all aboard would be at around 8:30 pm? 

[-Lew-]

The sun sets in Santorini at 8:37pm on June 15, 2023.  How long after sunset are you returned to port?

 

If your excursion does not drop you at the sea level tender port, you'll need to wait in line at the upper cable car end for up to an hour as we did in October on an Edge cruise.

 

With departure at 10:00pm, all aboard will be 9:30pm.  IMHO it can't be done.

[Susanb10567]

We were on the Edge in early September and we did not have a wait for the cable car but it will all depend on the day and how many ships are still in port. If sunset is at 8:37 to me it seems tight…you also need to know what time the last tender is. It took awhile for the ride back to the ship since we had some rocky seas..will this be a private excursion? 

[radman2020]

Some of the vendors say the catamaran cruise ends at the old port.  If that is the case, I assume we can get right on the tender?  No cable car? If they get us back at 8.30, we will miss the sunset....   But maybe we can watch the sunset from the tender?  Is that doable? 

 

Would 8.30 end time directly at the port give us time to get on the ship for 10pm departure?

 

 

[emmas gran]

21 minutes ago, Susanb10567 said:

We were on the Edge in early September and we did not have a wait for the cable car but it will all depend on the day and how many ships are still in port. If sunset is at 8:37 to me it seems tight…you also need to know what time the last tender is. It took awhile for the ride back to the ship since we had some rocky seas..will this be a private excursion? 

The OP says in original post Celebrity doesn’t offer the excursion, therefore assume it’s privately arranged.

[radman2020]

5 minutes ago, emmas gran said:

The OP says in original post Celebrity doesn’t offer the excursion, therefore assume it’s privately arranged.

Yes.  Celebrity doesn't offer an excursion in the afternoon... Do we are doing private.

 

 

[Susanb10567]

2 minutes ago, radman2020 said:

Yes.  Celebrity doesn't offer an excursion in the afternoon... Do we are doing private.

 

 

Is it just your party chartering the sailing or will there be other guests…if it is just your party than maybe you can arrange to be dropped off by the tender to the ship if that is not where they usually drop people off.

[PelicanLvr]

Sounds "odd" to me that the vendors are telling you they return before sunset time.  Isn't being on the water at sunset the whole point of a sunset cruise?  Has anyone ever been on a sunset cruise that returns before sunset?

 

I agree with -Lew- above that you will probably dock from the sunset cruise AFTER sunset.

 

You must find out the time of the last tender back to the ship.  That's key.  The "all aboard" is in reality the time that last tender leaves the island.  

 

Yes, if the sunset cruise docks at the same port as the X tenders, you can probably just walk along the port to the tender location.

 

We were actually proud to be the 2 last passengers back to a Windstar cruise in Santorini after dinner in Ioa.  We stepped on the tender and the port staff (with their tables umbrellas etc) got on with us.  

 

I suspect that Santorini sunset cruises are mostly used by folks staying on the island....not cruise passengers. 

 

Be careful.  Your plan is risky. 

 

I agree with Susan above:   With 17 people, did you think of chartering your own boat?  

[radman2020]

I wrote to all of the vendors I could find.  Most are offering us a "private" cruise. Basically a charter.

 

And yes, they usually do sunset cruises... But since the sunset is so late, I guess it would be a near sunset cruise.  Maybe that's still would be worth it?  A beautiful sale in the late afternoon, early evening?  Maybe the sunset is beautiful if we are boarding the tender in the old port?  

 

Or should we just give up the idea and take a catamaran cruise in the morning?

 

 

[emmas gran]

Contact Celebrity Private Journeys and see if they will do it, probably pricey but if it’s important to you worth asking the question . This route the person booking pays for all on the tour.

Edited January 29, 2023 by emmas gran

[jwlane]

Be sure your search is for a "shore excursions group" that will specialize in what you're looking for. With near 100% confidence your search result sailing will begin and end in the old harbor---within 200 feet of the Celebrity tenders.  Last tender will be at 9:30 for a 10:00 departure.

[jelayne]

1 hour ago, jwlane said:

Be sure your search is for a "shore excursions group" that will specialize in what you're looking for. With near 100% confidence your search result sailing will begin and end in the old harbor---within 200 feet of the Celebrity tenders.  Last tender will be at 9:30 for a 10:00 departure.

Our experience is a little different.  All aboard has been 30 minutes before departure but the last tender has been between 15-30 minutes before all aboard.  Longer the tender ride the earlier the last tender is. 

[jwlane]

30 minutes ago, jelayne said:

All aboard has been 30 minutes before departure

Like it matters.  If you're not on the last tender, you're hosed.

[radman2020]

I think it is clear that we need to be off the sailboat at the Old Port by 8:30 to get on the tender.  That means that we'll see the sunset from the old port.  Is that so bad?  A late afternoon early evening cruise sounds like it would be pretty good.  Does anybody have any experience with that? Any experience with enjoying the sunset from the tender?

[jwlane]

6 minutes ago, radman2020 said:

 off the sailboat at the Old Port by 8:30 to get on the tender. 

Why?  Last tender is 9:30.  

[radman2020]

Because there are 17 of us and if we get delayed in some way.. aiming for that last boat seems reckless.

 

 

[jwlane]

1 minute ago, radman2020 said:

 delayed in some way..

Your concern is noted, but all reputable shore excursions group will operate their tours (one I'm familiar with starts at 4:30, lasts about 4 hours) in conjunction with ships in port.  Plus, their tour begins/ends practically adjacent to the tender.  Also, there will be lots of passengers coming down after viewing the sunset from Fira.

[jwlane]

If it helps, this was sunset (taken from Apex) on 14 July 2021, 8:27pm.

[ak810]

My recommendation, being Greek and having watched the Santorini sunset many times: skip the sunset cruise, and watch it from the top deck of the ship, view is better, no stress for getting back onboard in time, save some $$$

[FeelingCruisy]

No matter where you see the sun sets in that area, it'll look the same, whether on a catamaran or on the ship so I agree with above poster.  Maybe a few mountain shifts a little from the catamaran.   But it's the same view isn't it?