Santorini shore excursion wondering

[kabookie7]

I’ve learned so much already reading these boards 🙂. Now, I am trying to figure out our time in Santorini. I’m on the NCL Breakaway in June. We are their 2:00-10:00 (as scheduled) with 3 other smaller ships in port that day. As I mentioned before, I’m concerned about number of people trying to tender to the old port. Since I booked our cruise so late the only shore excursion left is the beach transfer. Can I just use the shore excursion to get us to the new port of Athinos and have a private tour pick us up there? I see a number of tours with the option to pickup up at that port when I search. I know I would need to be sure the NCL tour leader knows we are leaving, but will it be frowned upon? TIA

[John Bull]

I guess you can - just remember to tell the rep at Athinios that you won't be taking their bus, or they might spend hours looking for you or call out the coastguard 😄

There are a few taxis at Athnios, so it's fingers-crossed - you could pre-book but because it's preceded by a tender it's impossible to accurately predict a time.

 

But that's an awfully expensive and time-consuming way of avoiding what might or might not be a problem getting up the cliff from the old port, and it doesn't solve the same (and usually worse) problem returning to the ship. 

 

Number of ships on the same day in Santorini is irrelevant unless you know their arrival & departure times. "What's in port" type websites aren't always accurate and I'm not aware of any official port website.

 

Good thinking - but IMHO no cigar 😏 

 

JB 🙂

[MeHeartCruising]

I'm with JB, it probably would work in the morning.  If you run away from tour guide and bus upon arrival at Athinios, I doubt they would chase you down and force you on a bus.  They may not be too happy with you, but you'd get your way if you insisted on it, I'm sure. 

 

I don't think it is something I would bother doing, but if you want to bad enough...

Edited March 3, 2023 by MeHeartCruising

[kabookie7]

Thank you for the thoughts. I’m in the weighing all the options part of my planning. The only thing my daughter requested on this cruise is a trip to Oia. Of course nothing is available in English from the ship. The beach transfer is free with our excursion credits. 🤫

[MeHeartCruising]

24 minutes ago, kabookie7 said:

Thank you for the thoughts. I’m in the weighing all the options part of my planning. The only thing my daughter requested on this cruise is a trip to Oia. Of course nothing is available in English from the ship. The beach transfer is free with our excursion credits. 🤫

 

I would also consider taking the non-English tour, assuming it goes to Oia.  It's the sites you're there to see, not so much the narration of a guide.  If there is an Oia tour, I'd take that one and then perhaps leave that tour early in Oia and spend the rest of the day on your own.  Assuming you're comfortable figuring out how to get back to Fira.  You might also be able to "trade" for an English tour once you get on the ship.

[mapleleaves]

Visiting Oia all I wanted as well. 

In hindsight I wish I had taken the Spanish Speaking version of "Charming Oia Village".  (Even with the English version I would have told the tour leader we were leaving the tour in Oia. )

 

As we stood in line for the cable cars, we also considered taking one of the "speed" boats. They are docked right next to the cable car line and sit there until they're full (which was almost an hr while we were there). Again, in hindsight, we should have done so. But I just never expected to be in the cable car line for 2 hrs.

 

It's tough. I feel for you.

 

(walking the donkey path wasn't an option due to my friends physical limitations, plus lack of shade)

 

 

[Wishing on a star]

I think this would work.   You might have to pay for a private tour to meet you at Althinios.   If there are small group  tours available, then they probably meet at Fira.  There are a lot of tour options that you can research.  There are a couple of recommended locals, There are guides at tours by locals or get your guide websites.  I am considering booking with Golden Ibex.

 

Yes, these are expensive options.  But, There are advantages. That ships transfer excursion might get you off the ship and on to Santorini before general tender to the docks below Fira.  Departure time for any excursion is something you should be sure of.   It might be early, or it might not!

 

And, remember, taking the ship excursion to get to Althinios will get you there,  but at the end of the day, it probably won't offer tender service back to the ship.   Cable cars might be the only option to get back.   And, remember to get to the Cable Car line early, as it can be quite long

Edited March 3, 2023 by Wishing on a star

[Wishing on a star]

Where did you look up the info on other ships in Port that day?

They should have the arrivals spaced out.

If you do not get there until 2:00  you might be the last one to arrive?

Edited March 3, 2023 by Wishing on a star

[kabookie7]

I was thinking about just booking the Spanish option. My daughter’s high school Spanish may come in handy. We really are just about the sites. I

 

I looked on cruisemapper for the port schedule and we are the last ones into port and the last one out. Maybe this is advantage? 

[mapleleaves]

we were there 2pm-10pm on the NCL GEM (actually disembarking began at 1:30pm)

A Costa ship with 2700 pax, 7am-4pm, plus a small Windstar with 150pax, 8am-9pm.

Made no sense at all that we had a 2 hr wait for the cable cars. Still don't understand it, esp when you remember the ship was at 75%.

 

No line at all when we returned to the ship.

 

[Hlitner]

The OP's idea is intriguing.  Consider that if only half the folks on a ship, the size of the Breakaway, wanted to tender into the pier below Fira and use the cable car, it would take over 3 1/2 hours to simply get them all up the hill (the cable car can only move about 600 an hour in each direction).   When folks make the decision to book huge mega ships that have tender ports, they need to cognizant there will be "issues."  On Santorini, these "issues" are magnified because of the infrastructure limitations.  

 

Hank

[emckeeve]

I'm on the Norwegian Jade in May.  In Santorini from 1 to 9. I booked a short ship tour to the volcano in order to get off the ship first (It starts at 1:15 I think).  At the end of that, the cable car should be quiet and we'll take a public bus from Fira to Oia.  Fingers crossed it all works!!  

[Wishing on a star]

emckeeve, let us know how it all works out!

 

We are specifically looking at a cruise at the beginning of May, which shows that we should be the only ship in port.   But, considering priority tendering, which we might not have, and the large size of the ship, it does seem that it could easily take two hours!

I am leaning towards making sure we book early to get a ships excursion that might leave the ship early.   Excursions can sell out.

[Wishing on a star]

Of course the boat ferry/taxi that goes over to Oia is an option.  But, no guarantee how long one would have to wait for it to fill up and depart.  Couldn't know that in advance!

[scouseronline]

Our ship is docking with 3 other large ships on Sept 5 so I anticipate getting up to Fira will be a challenge to say the least ! I considered walking the steps and would have done this had the only other option been the cable cars.

 

After many hours of research this is our plan; 

 

Tender at 8:30am, Get the ferry boat to Oia (I'm anticipating they'll leave frequently as there are over 12000 passengers in port that day) spend the morning discovering Oia on our own

 

Scheduled an 8 passenger mini van with a driver to meet us in Oia early afternoon and take us on a 4 hr tour of the island including a stop at Santo winery, then drop us off at the cable cars after the tour.

 

The benefit of doing it this way is that we won't be panicking to meet the tour guide at Fira or waiting on other passengers potentially held up waiting for the cable car. People can make their own way at a leisurely pace to Oia and our 4 hour tour time is not used up by visiting Oia. In addition people can have input on where the tour goes etc. 

 

Cost for an 8 passenger van with driver (highly rated on Tripadvisor) worked out to be 57 Euro each, not sure of the cost for the ferry to Oia. We have 4 spots available on Sept 5 2023 if anyone is interested 🙂 

[mapleleaves]

30 minutes ago, scouseronline said:

not sure of the cost for the ferry to Oia. 

 

The boat to Oia was either 20 or 25E. 

[scouseronline]

2 hours ago, mapleleaves said:

 

The boat to Oia was either 20 or 25E. 

Thanks 🙂 

[Tracylawrance]

Hi. Can i have details of the hire company for the minivan please?

 

 Thanks

 Tracy

[ninjacat123]

On 3/8/2023 at 10:36 AM, scouseronline said:

Our ship is docking with 3 other large ships on Sept 5 so I anticipate getting up to Fira will be a challenge to say the least ! I considered walking the steps and would have done this had the only other option been the cable cars.

 

After many hours of research this is our plan; 

 

Tender at 8:30am, Get the ferry boat to Oia (I'm anticipating they'll leave frequently as there are over 12000 passengers in port that day) spend the morning discovering Oia on our own

 

Scheduled an 8 passenger mini van with a driver to meet us in Oia early afternoon and take us on a 4 hr tour of the island including a stop at Santo winery, then drop us off at the cable cars after the tour.

 

The benefit of doing it this way is that we won't be panicking to meet the tour guide at Fira or waiting on other passengers potentially held up waiting for the cable car. People can make their own way at a leisurely pace to Oia and our 4 hour tour time is not used up by visiting Oia. In addition people can have input on where the tour goes etc. 

 

Cost for an 8 passenger van with driver (highly rated on Tripadvisor) worked out to be 57 Euro each, not sure of the cost for the ferry to Oia. We have 4 spots available on Sept 5 2023 if anyone is interested 🙂 

I am porting at Santorini Oct 23 and would be interested in the wait time for the cable car going back to the tenders, which our ship, Pride with a possible 2,500 passengers departure time is 5pm.  There will be MSC with a possible 3,000 passengers leaving at 6pm.  I was thinking of being at the cable cars to queue up around 3pm?  Any input is appreciated!

[scouseronline]

On 3/17/2023 at 2:46 AM, Tracylawrance said:

Hi. Can i have details of the hire company for the minivan please?

 

 Thanks

 Tracy

We are using Santorini Road Trips, 

 

2 spots left on our tour if anyone is interested 🙂

[Mhcampbell1]

I too would be interested in hearing what company you hired for the "minivan" tour. 

Thanks!!