NCL cruise Charming Oia Village excursion

[BethesdaSC]

Hello. Looking for best/fastest way off the ship.  This one is for 3 hours but does anyone know if you can forego returning with the group and make your own way back? Thank you!

[mapleleaves]

That was exactly my plan! 

I read about this in several trip reports last summer ......after the tour of Oia people told the group leader that they would find their own way back to Fira by bus or taxi.   The leader made note of their names and apparently it wasn't an issue.  I  planned to do the same ( last Sept), but sadly, the tour was sold out !   So I never made it to Oia.  Spent 2 hrs waiting for the cable car to Fira. 

 

If you go to Oia just be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to get back.  Depending on which ships are in port with you, taxis may be scarce or you may have to wait a bus or 2 to get a ride.  (The bus only runs every 30 minutes and even with standing room, it doesn't hold THAT many people, given the crowds). 

 

If I was to go back, that would still be my plan. Good luck!

[Vineyard View]

Santorini sure seems out of control with tourists and ships. Our ship has a tour that includes Oia, but no tours that are strictly Oia, which is what I had hoped for. Then we could have had more flexibility with busses on return. The only one offered includes a winery and with the total time allotted, tells me there is very little Oia time. No thank you. I hope it works for you. Please do let us know. 

[BethesdaSC]

11 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

Santorini sure seems out of control with tourists and ships. Our ship has a tour that includes Oia, but no tours that are strictly Oia, which is what I had hoped for. Then we could have had more flexibility with busses on return. The only one offered includes a winery and with the total time allotted, tells me there is very little Oia time. No thank you. I hope it works for you. Please do let us know. 

I will! I don’t cruise till April.  There are 2 other ships that day, one arrives at 10am, the other 4pm.  Mine is at 1pm

[Vineyard View]

At,least the ship arrivals are spread out. That should help - I hope! 

[mapleleaves]

We arrived at 1:30pm. Sept 28 on NCL Gem.  Tender #3

Also in port, Costa 7am - 4pm with 2700 pax  and Crystal 4pm-2am with 1200 pax. 

 

I thought our arrival time was ideal since the Costa pax would already be off the ship, and Crystal wouldn't have arrived yet. So I was shocked to see the long cable car line and more shocked to wait 2 hrs, We returned to the ship around 7ish to watch the sunset. No line at all.