Santorini with 4 other cruise ships

[We-R-Off]

Good to hear. When I checked. I saw we arrive first & Celebrity just after. Norwegian arrive 13:00. So it’s not as bad as I first thought. As we were in Oia early post Covid when there were no cruise ships it was unique to see empty streets. It was a bit challenging for my husband who has a problem with stairs. 

[ninjacat123]

2 minutes ago, We-R-Off said:

Good to hear. When I checked. I saw we arrive first & Celebrity just after. Norwegian arrive 13:00. So it’s not as bad as I first thought. As we were in Oia early post Covid when there were no cruise ships it was unique to see empty streets. It was a bit challenging for my husband who has a problem with stairs. 

I overheard someone climbing stairs and counting them off quietly.  Sometimes I feel a bit "off center" with stairs and I've tried quietly counting them as I ascend or descend.  It's helped me.

Has your husband tried walking sticks?  I'm thinking of getting some collapsible ones for this Europe trip with all of the stairs (Acropolis, Rome, Santorini) that will be there and if they are slippery then I could be more stable.

[Vineyard View]

6 hours ago, We-R-Off said:

I don't think that the authority is greedy but being a volanic island there's really not a lot of scope to get the thousands of people up to see Oia.

I'm not convinced that the afternoon will be much better as many people will want to go up in the late afternoon to watch the sunset.  

We arrive early morning but have opted for a different half day island tour. 

If the cable car is so busy, what is the donkey trail like going down?

I don't suppose there are rails are there? We will be done by midday so, we were hoping that crowds could be less. I'll check the schedules for ETA's over the other ships.

I am not sure who allows that number of ships on the regular. I do not know if it is local government or port authority. So that could have been a misstatement. I still feel though that greed, or some other similar attribute, is involved to continue to allow so many ships in such a small geographic area at one time. On our port day there are 10,000 ship passengers - that is not counting any crew members or land travel visitors. It’s just my opinion, but 10k or more cruise passengers just isn’t in anyone’s best interest. 
You are probably right about Oia being busy in the afternoon as well. 

[kleibo]

2 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

We are booked on a ship excursion, tendering to Athinios at 8:15am and taking a bus from there to Oia.  There is a bus back to Fira then we are on our own to get down to the Old Port.

Ninja - did you book the one with the Winery or just Oia and Fira.  If you chose with the winery - do you know which one they go to.  I was reading on another site that the Santos Winery has fantastic views.  Be nice to get there on the excursion.

[mapleleaves]

13 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

 Santorini sounds like a fairly greedy port authority that allows the experience of a beautiful place to be completely ruined. That is sad. 
 

If it was greed, they'd charge more than 6E for the cable cars. They've got a captive audience! 

 

But yes, the experience certainly takes the shine off a visit to Santorini.  I got my photos of the blue domes, and experienced the awesome views, so Santorini is a one and done destination for me,  No desire to return. 

[We-R-Off]

43 minutes ago, kleibo said:

Ninja - did you book the one with the Winery or just Oia and Fira.  If you chose with the winery - do you know which one they go to.  I was reading on another site that the Santos Winery has fantastic views.  Be nice to get there on the excursion.

We are doing Santorini Villages & Canava Distillery

[We-R-Off]

Just now, We-R-Off said:

We are doing Santorini Villages & Canava Distillery

Above are shots of Oia

Our tour is described as following:

Travel along craggy caldera cliffsides to the picturesque village of Megalochori. Stroll narrow streets past historical mansions carved into volcanic rock, where a wealth of merchants and land barons lived centuries ago. Atop the highest point on the island, the village of Pyrgos sits, exuding traditional Cycladic character with neoclassical touches — see it all on a guided walking tour of what was once the island’s capital. Moving on to the Canava estate, you’ll discover a family-owned distillery and museum all in one. Enter the barrel maker’s workshop and learn about how they’ve produced fine spirits since the 1970s. Everyday island life is depicted throughout recreated family rooms filling the onsite museum. Then sip on a selection of anise-flavored ouzo, unsweetened raki, and pine-infused mastika in the tasting room. Your final stop for the day will be the capital of Fira town, where after a short walk, you will reach the cable car station and tender to the ship.

[ninjacat123]

1 hour ago, kleibo said:

Ninja - did you book the one with the Winery or just Oia and Fira.  If you chose with the winery - do you know which one they go to.  I was reading on another site that the Santos Winery has fantastic views.  Be nice to get there on the excursion.

Just Oia and Fira.  The winery sounds very nice.  I was hoping DH and I could grab a bite in Fira after taking the bus back from Oia.  Something with a caldron view!  We will see.  It may be souvlaki from a stall depending on the cable car line.  With a glass of wine if that's permitted in public. 😉

[ninjacat123]

25 minutes ago, We-R-Off said:

Above are shots of Oia

Our tour is described as following:

Travel along craggy caldera cliffsides to the picturesque village of Megalochori. Stroll narrow streets past historical mansions carved into volcanic rock, where a wealth of merchants and land barons lived centuries ago. Atop the highest point on the island, the village of Pyrgos sits, exuding traditional Cycladic character with neoclassical touches — see it all on a guided walking tour of what was once the island’s capital. Moving on to the Canava estate, you’ll discover a family-owned distillery and museum all in one. Enter the barrel maker’s workshop and learn about how they’ve produced fine spirits since the 1970s. Everyday island life is depicted throughout recreated family rooms filling the onsite museum. Then sip on a selection of anise-flavored ouzo, unsweetened raki, and pine-infused mastika in the tasting room. Your final stop for the day will be the capital of Fira town, where after a short walk, you will reach the cable car station and tender to the ship.

Very nice!!

[kleibo]

25 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

Just Oia and Fira.  The winery sounds very nice.  I was hoping DH and I could grab a bite in Fira after taking the bus back from Oia.  Something with a caldron view!  We will see.  It may be souvlaki from a stall depending on the cable car line.  With a glass of wine if that's permitted in public. 😉

 

I think the wine is fine while waiting - this is a text from a friend who was there in May  "I’m thinking it took about 2 to 2-1/2 hours to do the cable car down and then the tender.  Definitely a downside to Santorini,  I mean the line wine helped lol"

 

Luckily we only have the Pride and Enchanted (Princess) in the AM so I'm hoping the afternoon back down is not 2+ hours to get back to the ship

[ninjacat123]

2 minutes ago, kleibo said:

 

I think the wine is fine while waiting - this is a text from a friend who was there in May  "I’m thinking it took about 2 to 2-1/2 hours to do the cable car down and then the tender.  Definitely a downside to Santorini,  I mean the line wine helped lol"

 

Luckily we only have the Pride and Enchanted (Princess) in the AM so I'm hoping the afternoon back down is not 2+ hours to get back to the ship

Good to know!  I wouldn't want my DH and I tossed in a Greek jail cell for unknowingly breaking the law. 😉 Two plus hours sounds like a lot of wine drinking!  I better get some baklava as well😊

[ninjacat123]

21 minutes ago, kleibo said:

 

I think the wine is fine while waiting - this is a text from a friend who was there in May  "I’m thinking it took about 2 to 2-1/2 hours to do the cable car down and then the tender.  Definitely a downside to Santorini,  I mean the line wine helped lol"

 

Luckily we only have the Pride and Enchanted (Princess) in the AM so I'm hoping the afternoon back down is not 2+ hours to get back to the ship

When are you in Santorini?

[kleibo]

14 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

When are you in Santorini?

We are on the 9/19 cruise so in Santorini on 9/24

[Nebr.cruiser]

Just looked up our itinerary.  Our ship, Celebrity Infinity, is the only one listed in port, and we are there from 8-10pm.

 

This sounds great!  Is it possible or likely that more ships will port that day, (May 18, 2024) or not?

[We-R-Off]

6 hours ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

Just looked up our itinerary.  Our ship, Celebrity Infinity, is the only one listed in port, and we are there from 8-10pm.

 

This sounds great!  Is it possible or likely that more ships will port that day, (May 18, 2024) or not?

That sounds wonderful.  Maybe there will be some local ferrys, but I think  they dock in a different side than the cruise ships.  The ferrys can dock close to the shore, where they bus the passengers to Fira & Oia.

Check nearer to the time, but I think schedules are booked well in advance.

Where do you sail from on your cruise?

[Nebr.cruiser]

8 hours ago, We-R-Off said:

That sounds wonderful.  Maybe there will be some local ferrys, but I think  they dock in a different side than the cruise ships.  The ferrys can dock close to the shore, where they bus the passengers to Fira & Oia.

Check nearer to the time, but I think schedules are booked well in advance.

Where do you sail from on your cruise?

Hoping we will continue to be the only ship in port!  We start in Athens, day at sea, then Santorini, Ephesus, Mykonos and several stops in Greece before returning to Athens. 

[We-R-Off]

2 hours ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

Hoping we will continue to be the only ship in port!  We start in Athens, day at sea, then Santorini, Ephesus, Mykonos and several stops in Greece before returning to Athens. 

Nice. I have been to Athens & it's amazing.  Every hour there's changing of the guards ceremony at Plaka, which is interesting.  We actually spent 4 days there & island hopped independently.  On our cruise we're stopping at Mykanos, which I haven't visited.  Are you going to Rhodes? 

We stayed there many years ago & it's a lovely port. Lindos is a lovely place to visit although the old town is very characterful.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We were in Athens one day on a previous cruise and loved it.  We're planning on spending an extra day or two there pre-cruise.  No, sadly, we don't go to Rhodes.  We enjoyed Mykonos--just walked around the charming town, didn't do an excursion there.

[klflote]

FWIW, here's our experience from last Thursday with 4 ships in port: RCCL Explorer OTS from 7 - 8, Celebrity Infinity from 7 to 10, Costa Pacifica from 8 - 7, Celestyal Olympia from 4 - 9; total passenger load over 11,000).

 

We got in line for the cable car in the morning about 10:15 am and it took 75 minutes. We got in line for the return about 4:45 pm and it took 70 minutes. The line to come back looked particularly discouraging in length, but because it is a narrower line, it moves much faster.

 

So it wasn't as bad as I'd heard (YMMV of course), though not nearly as nice as our trips in earlier years when we were the only ship in port. If Santorini wants to support this many ships, they really do need to upgrade their facilities.

[We-R-Off]

26 minutes ago, klflote said:

FWIW, here's our experience from last Thursday with 4 ships in port: RCCL Explorer OTS from 7 - 8, Celebrity Infinity from 7 to 10, Costa Pacifica from 8 - 7, Celestyal Olympia from 4 - 9; total passenger load over 11,000).

 

We got in line for the cable car in the morning about 10:15 am and it took 75 minutes. We got in line for the return about 4:45 pm and it took 70 minutes. The line to come back looked particularly discouraging in length, but because it is a narrower line, it moves much faster.

 

So it wasn't as bad as I'd heard (YMMV of course), though not nearly as nice as our trips in earlier years when we were the only ship in port. If Santorini wants to support this many ships, they really do need to upgrade their facilities.

Thanks for that information. I totally agree with your sentiments regarding the Santorini authorities.
I’m hoping that when we return at midday, the queue won’t be as long as there’s only one other ship in port at that hour.
I’m presuming people will want to stay longer than me. I’ll see what the donkey trail looks like & whether I’d tackle it or not. 

[erby2283]

Just booked a cruise that stops here and am already anxious about how busy it will be with 5 ships in port (Sept 2024).  I did go to Wiki and look up the max passengers for each ship and it will be around 8k.  As first time visitors, would you all recommend a ship tour then? Chances are we'd still have to take the cable car back down (or walk the steps) correct?

[ninjacat123]

14 minutes ago, erby2283 said:

Just booked a cruise that stops here and am already anxious about how busy it will be with 5 ships in port (Sept 2024).  I did go to Wiki and look up the max passengers for each ship and it will be around 8k.  As first time visitors, would you all recommend a ship tour then? Chances are we'd still have to take the cable car back down (or walk the steps) correct?

I booked a ship excursion to guarantee that DH and I make it to Oia and we are in Santorini October 23.  From what I have read here, it can be a long time waiting in line for the cable cars. We have to get our own way down to the tender so it's either cable car or donkey path.

[mapleleaves]

On 8/29/2023 at 10:25 AM, erby2283 said:

Just booked a cruise that stops here and am already anxious about how busy it will be with 5 ships in port (Sept 2024).  I did go to Wiki and look up the max passengers for each ship and it will be around 8k.  As first time visitors, would you all recommend a ship tour then? Chances are we'd still have to take the cable car back down (or walk the steps) correct?

Definitely take a ships tour !  Preferably one that doesn't require you to make your own way back from Fira via the cable car.  (I've only read of one such excursion and it was Celebrity).

I tried to take a simple tour that went to Oia then Fira, but it was sold out. (in hindsight I should have taken the Spanish speaking version when it was available; at least we would have seen Oia.)

 

 

This was my experience  Sept 28, 2022:

Our ship arrived at 1:30pm and the only other ship arrived at 7am.  We lined up early and got tender #4, expecting a quick trip on the cable car, then bus or taxi to Oia. Wrong!  We stood in line for 2 hrs. Got to Fira at 4pm and spent an hr there.  Didn't see any cabs and we just missed the bus to Oia. With that, we decided not to risk going to Oia in case we got stranded there, given the crowds.  Had a drink at one of the many bars along the edge, then headed back to the ship to watch the sunset. No line at all for the cable car.

 

My travel companion couldn't do stairs, up or down, so that wasn't an option. We could have taken the boat tho ... it sat there for an hr waiting for more pax. Again, in hindsight, wish I had. 

 

Best of luck to you ! 

 

 

[erby2283]

5 minutes ago, mapleleaves said:

Definitely take a ships tour !  Preferably one that doesn't require you to make your own way back from Fira via the cable car.  (I've only read of one such excursion and it was Celebrity).

I tried to take a simple tour that went to Oia then Fira, but it was sold out.

 

The two that I would like, Oia Village, Winery and Thera Town and Oia & Thira both say at the end, "The tour ends at Fira, the picturesque capital of Santorini perched on the volcano's caldera. Here you will have the option to either stay in town for further exploration or climb Fira’s narrow lanes to the cable car station and descend to the pier where water shuttles will take you back to the ship."  

 

I know we definitely want those picturesque views with the blue dome and white buildings. We are there from 8am-5pm and but two ships dock before us at 7.  Thank you for sharing your experience.  Hopefully I will research enough in the next year to feel comfortable and have a set plan in place.  But should probably book something now to be safe. 

[mapleleaves]

47 minutes ago, erby2283 said:

 

The two that I would like, Oia Village, Winery and Thera Town and Oia & Thira both say at the end, "The tour ends at Fira, the picturesque capital of Santorini perched on the volcano's caldera. Here you will have the option to either stay in town for further exploration or climb Fira’s narrow lanes to the cable car station and descend to the pier where water shuttles will take you back to the ship."  

 

I know we definitely want those picturesque views with the blue dome and white buildings. We are there from 8am-5pm and but two ships dock before us at 7.  Thank you for sharing your experience.  Hopefully I will research enough in the next year to feel comfortable and have a set plan in place.  But should probably book something now to be safe. 

 

Your "Oia and Thira" tour sounds like the basic NCL tour I tried to book, $75.  I think the tours sell out quickly because it's well known that Santorini is a mess and a tour guarantees a visit to Oia.  Sorry to say, but having 2 ships dock ahead of you by one hour is not a good sign. I'd book a tour.

 

If you want to try DIY, I think the boat that leaves from the tender dock is a good option,. Even it sits there for an hr waiting for additional pax, you know it will eventually get you to Oia, plus you will also have a bus seat back to Thira. It was only 25 or 30E.   Good luck !