Please help me figure out timing on my Santorini day!

[scouseronline]

Planning for this port stop has been one of the most challenging of our B2B Cruise on Celebrity. We arrive Sept 5 and there are 4 large ships in port that day 😞. I expect taking the cable cars will be a long wait !

 

After many many hours of research this is our plan;

 

Taking the "Oia on your own" excursion through Celebrity, so we get off first and are closer to Oia than embarking at Fira (Normally do not take ship tours as we like to plan our own and not be herded like sheep but booking this one makes sense). 

 

Spend the morning in Oia, and meet up with a private tour guide at 1pm in the town square. Booked a minibus for 8 people and have advertised on our roll call. Stop for lunch at a recommended venue and then explore the island with the guide. ( We decided on a 1pm tour as it gives everyone a 4.5 hour window to make it to Oia from the port, so lots of time)  

 

Finish our tour at 5pm at Santo Winery, approx 3.5 km from the cable cars at Fira. Booked a wine tasting tour at the winery and may stay to watch the sunset as this winery has amazing views. 

 

Walk back to the ship in time for 10pm departure 🙂

 

[John Bull]

3 hours ago, southern reader said:

Hi John, our NCL cruise excursions for Santorini are all full so we have to tour it on own.  We would like to go up to Oia.  Any suggestions?  We are in port 1pm-9:30pm on Monday July.  I understand we will not be able to disembark until all of the excursion passengers are gone, though how we will know when we can go I do not know.  Assuming we can get off the ship by 2 or 2:30pm (I hope), where would we find tickets to the cable car or that boat to Amoundi, and how do we find both the cable car and that little boat?  Also once we dock on that boat is there a public bus or something we can take up to Ois?  And last but not least we plan to find an atm for euros when we land at the Rome airport, but if that fails do the cable car and or boat take credit cards?  Thanks

 

 

Are you sure you won't be able to dis-embark until after ship's excursions??

We sailed with RCI, and ship's excursions went on local tenders to Athinios while the rest of us used ship's tenders to the cliff base under Fira. I believe that's the same with all cruise ships except perhaps very small ones. So that should have little impact on your dis-embarkation.

But be sure to be at the appointed location for the distribution of tender tickets 30 to 45 minutes before the advertised time to get an early tender.

 

The cablecar and the Oia (Amoundi) boat are easy to see & tickerts are sold alongside them. A bus shuttles folk the few hundred yards up to Oia, and its probably still included in the boat fare.

Sorry, I don't know whether either accept cards, hopefully others will respond.

 

Likewise we've not been there into the evening, but our experience anywhere is that if there's business to be done tourist shops as well as bars & eateries stay open.

 

There are beaches on the opposite coast, and wineries & such in between, but we were happy with a lazy day in Fira and Oia

 

JB 🙂

PS I've heard of a boat trip to a small island in the caldera. Might be worth googling

Edited May 4, 2023 by John Bull

[fishiecrackers]

9 hours ago, scouseronline said:

Planning for this port stop has been one of the most challenging of our B2B Cruise on Celebrity. We arrive Sept 5 and there are 4 large ships in port that day 😞. I expect taking the cable cars will be a long wait !

 

After many many hours of research this is our plan;

 

Taking the "Oia on your own" excursion through Celebrity, so we get off first and are closer to Oia than embarking at Fira (Normally do not take ship tours as we like to plan our own and not be herded like sheep but booking this one makes sense). 

 

Spend the morning in Oia, and meet up with a private tour guide at 1pm in the town square. Booked a minibus for 8 people and have advertised on our roll call. Stop for lunch at a recommended venue and then explore the island with the guide. ( We decided on a 1pm tour as it gives everyone a 4.5 hour window to make it to Oia from the port, so lots of time)  

 

Finish our tour at 5pm at Santo Winery, approx 3.5 km from the cable cars at Fira. Booked a wine tasting tour at the winery and may stay to watch the sunset as this winery has amazing views. 

 

Walk back to the ship in time for 10pm departure 🙂

 

That's almost our exact plan (except no winery with my kids, haha) - I'll let you know how it goes when we return in June!

[John Bull]

15 hours ago, scouseronline said:

Planning for this port stop has been one of the most challenging of our B2B Cruise on Celebrity. We arrive Sept 5 and there are 4 large ships in port that day 😞. I expect taking the cable cars will be a long wait !

 

After many many hours of research this is our plan;

 

Taking the "Oia on your own" excursion through Celebrity, so we get off first and are closer to Oia than embarking at Fira (Normally do not take ship tours as we like to plan our own and not be herded like sheep but booking this one makes sense). 

 

Spend the morning in Oia, and meet up with a private tour guide at 1pm in the town square. Booked a minibus for 8 people and have advertised on our roll call. Stop for lunch at a recommended venue and then explore the island with the guide. ( We decided on a 1pm tour as it gives everyone a 4.5 hour window to make it to Oia from the port, so lots of time)  

 

Finish our tour at 5pm at Santo Winery, approx 3.5 km from the cable cars at Fira. Booked a wine tasting tour at the winery and may stay to watch the sunset as this winery has amazing views. 

 

Walk back to the ship in time for 10pm departure 🙂

 

 

Being pedantic, but ship's excursion tenders disembark further from Oia. 

Oia is north of the moorings under Fira.

Athinios (used by ship's excursions) is a 20-minute drive south of Fira because coaches can use the road down to Athios ferry harbour.

 

But that extra 20 minutes pales compared to the potential grief & delays that those not on excursions might encounter 🙂

 

JB 🙂

[southern reader]

On 5/4/2023 at 4:55 PM, John Bull said:

 

 

Are you sure you won't be able to dis-embark until after ship's excursions??

We sailed with RCI, and ship's excursions went on local tenders to Athinios while the rest of us used ship's tenders to the cliff base under Fira. I believe that's the same with all cruise ships except perhaps very small ones. So that should have little impact on your dis-embarkation.

But be sure to be at the appointed location for the distribution of tender tickets 30 to 45 minutes before the advertised time to get an early tender.

 

The cablecar and the Oia (Amoundi) boat are easy to see & tickerts are sold alongside them. A bus shuttles folk the few hundred yards up to Oia, and its probably still included in the boat fare.

Sorry, I don't know whether either accept cards, hopefully others will respond.

 

Likewise we've not been there into the evening, but our experience anywhere is that if there's business to be done tourist shops as well as bars & eateries stay open.

 

There are beaches on the opposite coast, and wineries & such in between, but we were happy with a lazy day in Fira and Oia

 

JB 🙂

PS I've heard of a boat trip to a small island in the caldera. Might be worth googling

Hi John, yes, that's what NCL told me.  I hope the agent was wrong.  I have another question for you on the Monte Carlo train from Cannes.  Will we need to show our passports to board and ride the train since it crosses a country line?  Also, I'm sorry if I've asked this already, but do you remember if there taxis at the train station?  We are thinking if we get delayed arriving we will want fast transportation up to the upper areas of town.  Thanks again

[John Bull]

8 hours ago, southern reader said:

Hi John, yes, that's what NCL told me.  I hope the agent was wrong.  I have another question for you on the Monte Carlo train from Cannes.  Will we need to show our passports to board and ride the train since it crosses a country line?  Also, I'm sorry if I've asked this already, but do you remember if there taxis at the train station?  We are thinking if we get delayed arriving we will want fast transportation up to the upper areas of town.  Thanks again

 

Unless you dig really hard and ask to speak to someone knowledgeable further up the chain at NCL you're probably not going to get a reliable answer about tenders until you're on-board. Same with other cruise lines and it's understandable - head office staff aren't going to know about tender details, ship-organised visas, passports etc in every port in the world. Some will admit they don't know, some will take the trouble to check, unfortunately some will hazard a guess & call it a fact - "the answer's no, now what's the question"🙄

 

No , there's no border formalities between France and Monaco - for as long as I can remember I've never shown my passport or even stopped between them by road or rail. The two have a "special relationship" and in many respects Monaco is effectively a part of France.

Altho surprisingly Monaco is not in the EU, they also follow (most?)  EU regulations, same as Andorra and the Vatican City & San Marino.

There are differences but I can't think of any which would affect the average traveller other than tax rates & allowances on purchases

 

JB 🙂

 

[southern reader]

4 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

Unless you dig really hard and ask to speak to someone knowledgeable further up the chain at NCL you're probably not going to get a reliable answer about tenders until you're on-board. Same with other cruise lines and it's understandable - head office staff aren't going to know about tender details, ship-organised visas, passports etc in every port in the world. Some will admit they don't know, some will take the trouble to check, unfortunately some will hazard a guess & call it a fact - "the answer's no, now what's the question"🙄

 

No , there's no border formalities between France and Monaco - for as long as I can remember I've never shown my passport or even stopped between them by road or rail. The two have a "special relationship" and in many respects Monaco is effectively a part of France.

Altho surprisingly Monaco is not in the EU, they also follow (most?)  EU regulations, same as Andorra and the Vatican City & San Marino.

There are differences but I can't think of any which would affect the average traveller other than tax rates & allowances on purchases

 

JB 🙂

 

Thank you yet again.  Too bad you're not on our cruise, your wealth of knowledge is great, and you are very kind to share it. All the best, Patti aka Southern Reader 🙂

[Brewster]

For the OIA on your own tour from the ship excursion, where in Fira does the tour drop you off at the end (near the cable car)? TIA.  

[schmoopie17]

22 hours ago, Brewster said:

For the OIA on your own tour from the ship excursion, where in Fira does the tour drop you off at the end (near the cable car)? TIA.  

I'm wondering the same thing. Logic would say that if the bus can pick you up at the Athinios location, that it should take you back there. However, it would be nice to get a definitive answer. Otherwise, it kind of defeats the purpose of taking a ship's excursion if you still have to go through the cable car hassle on the way back. Although, posts seem to indicate that you get dropped at the cable car area. Which is unfortunate.

Edited May 21, 2023 by schmoopie17

[Hlitner]

Just a tip from a long time (over 50 years) very independent traveler (both on cruises and land).  Know your options, but do not overplan.  We think one of the best advantages of DIY is the ability to do what you want, when you want, with who you want.  We know some folks that develop detailed itineraries (some even have a minute by minute plan) and get so caught up in keeping to the plan that they forget they have a lot of flexibility.  Last year we had planned to spend about 2 hours in Oia, and that turned into nearly 4 when we stopped for a long, relaxing, and romantic lunch (with a view).  

 

As to cruise ship "Oia on your own" excursions, the norm is that you will be dropped off at Fira where you have free time and then must make your own way to the upper cable car station (or walk down the steps/trail.  While there has been a relatively new trend to return some tours to Athinios (where the bus can take you to the tender pier) that is still a relatively rare (be we think good) development.  Santorini really needs a plan to mitigate the long lines (which can easily take 2 hours) at the Upper Cable Car Station.   We like to point out that the cable car can only move about 600 persons an hour (in one direction) and you can do the math as to what happens when 2000 folks decide to head down the cliff at the same time.

 

Hank

[kleibo]

A friend of mine was just there this week with two ships in port and the other ship was leaving an hour before hers, it took her 2-1/2 hours to do the cable car and tender back to the ship.    

 

I'll be there in September - I currently have a 4 hour tour booked thru Viator, but now I'm not sure and may switch to the Ship tour.

[kleibo]

On 4/26/2023 at 7:30 PM, ninjacat123 said:

DH and I will be in Santorini Oct 23 and I decided to not chance it and booked a cruise excursion (leaves at 8:15) to guarantee we would get to Oia (my main goal) then back for lunch in Fira.  Stand in line for cable car at 2:30 then tender (hopefully not last tender) to ship by 4:00.  Ship leaves port at 5.  Sounds like this is doable?

Ninja - we are on the September cruise on the Pride.   The ship's shore excursion states  "As you come ashore to the port of Athinios"   Does that mean no cable car at the beginning of the excursion, only at the end when they bring you back to Fira?

[ninjacat123]

On 6/4/2023 at 9:32 AM, kleibo said:

Ninja - we are on the September cruise on the Pride.   The ship's shore excursion states  "As you come ashore to the port of Athinios"   Does that mean no cable car at the beginning of the excursion, only at the end when they bring you back to Fira?

I am assuming that since we are being dropped off at Athenios, and driven to Oia, there is no need for the cable cars going up.  You are motored back to Fira but getting down to the dock for the tender is on you.  Cable car, donkey or walk down.  Hope your September Pride cruise is great!!

[kleibo]

24 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

Hope your September Pride cruise is great!!

Thanks - you too!!   Lots of prep on this one.  I think the most research I've done on any previous cruise.   I just got my tickets to the Acropolis and the museum.  Not sure if you've done that already but luckily my tour guide emailed me a few days ago to get the 8-10 am entry.

[ninjacat123]

1 hour ago, kleibo said:

Thanks - you too!!   Lots of prep on this one.  I think the most research I've done on any previous cruise.   I just got my tickets to the Acropolis and the museum.  Not sure if you've done that already but luckily my tour guide emailed me a few days ago to get the 8-10 am entry.

We have Skip the Line with tickets through Athen Walks meeting at 8:45am. What tour company are you with? How are you getting to the Acropolis?  We have a car scheduled for 7:40 with Welcome Pickups.

[kleibo]

31 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

We have Skip the Line with tickets through Athen Walks meeting at 8:45am. What tour company are you with? How are you getting to the Acropolis?  We have a car scheduled for 7:40 with Welcome Pickups.

We have a full day private tour (we are two couples on the trip) scheduled with Tours by Locals which includes a driver and guide for the whole day.  They'll pick us up right at the port and bring us back.  We are also getting picked up early - 7:30.  I just wanted to have a driver and guide for the whole day in Athens.  I didn't want to try and piece meal it.  We are currently working out the itinerary for the day but of course had to get to the Acropolis early.

[AmateurCruiser01]

We will be in Santorini from the Disney Dream on June 17 (same day as OP!) Had a ship excursion booked already because of tendering/cable car concerns but am now having last-minute second thoughts about going private (which we're doing at other ports). Although because our port times were extended we now face the prospect of arriving with 3 other ships and departing with 2 other ships 🫠

[mapleleaves]

8 hours ago, AmateurCruiser01 said:

We will be in Santorini from the Disney Dream on June 17 (same day as OP!) Had a ship excursion booked already because of tendering/cable car concerns but am now having last-minute second thoughts about going private (which we're doing at other ports). Although because our port times were extended we now face the prospect of arriving with 3 other ships and departing with 2 other ships 🫠

3 ships arriving at the same time doesn't sound right.  But even if it's just one, that means a few thousand people waiting for a cable car that only moves 600 people per hr up the cliff.  I'd definitely go with the ships excursion in order to get off the ship quicker.  I waited in line for 2 hrs and the only other ship was scheduled to arrive hrs before us.   We had to skip Oia, and rather than face lines on the return trip, we decided to watch the sunset from the ship.  Great decision since we could also watch all the lights coming on along the cliffs. 

[kleibo]

On 6/6/2023 at 2:56 AM, AmateurCruiser01 said:

We will be in Santorini from the Disney Dream on June 17 (same day as OP!) Had a ship excursion booked already because of tendering/cable car concerns but am now having last-minute second thoughts about going private (which we're doing at other ports). Although because our port times were extended we now face the prospect of arriving with 3 other ships and departing with 2 other ships 🫠

Yes - three ships within an hour of one another.  Go with the Ship's excursion. 

[fishiecrackers]

22 hours ago, mapleleaves said:

3 ships arriving at the same time doesn't sound right.  But even if it's just one, that means a few thousand people waiting for a cable car that only moves 600 people per hr up the cliff.  I'd definitely go with the ships excursion in order to get off the ship quicker.  I waited in line for 2 hrs and the only other ship was scheduled to arrive hrs before us.   We had to skip Oia, and rather than face lines on the return trip, we decided to watch the sunset from the ship.  Great decision since we could also watch all the lights coming on along the cliffs. 

It’s 2 ships at 7am and 2 at 8am, I believe. On a Saturday. It’s gonna be a nightmare.

[AmateurCruiser01]

2 hours ago, fishiecrackers said:

It’s 2 ships at 7am and 2 at 8am, I believe. On a Saturday. It’s gonna be a nightmare.

Yep. Also 2 ships leaving at 8pm and one leaving at 9pm. I'm prepared to skip the cable car and walk down the donkey path, at least that's easier than walking up.

[fishiecrackers]

3 hours ago, AmateurCruiser01 said:

Yep. Also 2 ships leaving at 8pm and one leaving at 9pm. I'm prepared to skip the cable car and walk down the donkey path, at least that's easier than walking up.

I think we’ll try to head back around 4 or 5pm to the ship - we’ll be beat by then anyway if we got up super early. Everyone else can enjoy their amazing Greek dinner and I’ll have sad cruise ship food. 😆 But worth it to not be trying to get down at 8pm!

[fishiecrackers]

OP here! Off to a bad start with my excellent plan - seas are too choppy to go to Athenios, so we are going to Fira and dealing with the cable cars anyway. 🙄 Allegedly with priority, we shall see. Already running pretty late. We had to be in the theater at 6:45am and it’s 8am now. So sleepy.

[Hlitner]

8 hours ago, fishiecrackers said:

OP here! Off to a bad start with my excellent plan - seas are too choppy to go to Athenios, so we are going to Fira and dealing with the cable cars anyway. 🙄 Allegedly with priority, we shall see. Already running pretty late. We had to be in the theater at 6:45am and it’s 8am now. So sleepy.

Ouch.  Good luck.  If everyone on your ship needs to use the cable car, it will take about 4 hours just to move all those folks up to Fira.  Cruise mapper shows 4 ships today, with all of them arriving around the same time.  Sounds like a nightmare...if nobody can use Athinios.

 

Hank

[cruisemom42]

4 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Ouch.  Good luck.  If everyone on your ship needs to use the cable car, it will take about 4 hours just to move all those folks up to Fira.  Cruise mapper shows 4 ships today, with all of them arriving around the same time.  Sounds like a nightmare...if nobody can use Athinios.

 

Hank

 

What ever happened to Santorini limiting the number of ships and/or cruise passengers per day?  (she asks, rhetorically.....)