Summer 2024 Santorini port cancellation - port capacity enforced?

[John Bull]

On 5/29/2024 at 10:28 AM, VMax1700 said:

They made it public quite a few years ago.  Why do they need to make a public statement about enforcing their own rules?  It is our responsibility, as travellers, to find out the local rules and regulations before we plan to visit.

 

I can't agree, Max.

Passports & visas & inoculations such, yes.

But finding out rules about max number of cruise visitors to ports, esp when they've not been well-publicised or enforced, is expecting too much - that's the province of the cruise lines although it's difficult enough for them, let alone individual passengers. 

 

 

On 5/29/2024 at 2:05 PM, edinburgher said:

Lesson #1 when booking a cruise.

 

Never ever book a cruise for one specific port of call as there are too many reasons why a call could be cancelled right up until the last minute.

Agreed 100%

 

On 5/29/2024 at 3:29 PM, mapleleaves said:

But the boat is only a one-way transfer to Amoudi Bay (below Oia).  You still have to get to Fira and ride the cable car down to the pier. The queues going down can be as bad as the queue going up.

Last summer someone posted about a separate boat company at Amoudi Bay (at the bottom of the staircase) that was taking people back to the tender dock. 

It would be great if someone could report back on whether it's currently operating.  That would be a game changer.

 Except for those with mobility issues there is the option of walking down the zig-zag path - that's a whole lot different to walking up it. 

 

Yes, I could never understand why the operator of the boat to Amoundi (Oia) or some other entrepreneur doesn't provide a service back to the tender pier at the bottom of the cablecar / zig-zag path. It would surely earn a lot of euros.

I'll echo the question - is there now that service ??? 

 

JB 🙂

[chinita415]

I think there may be a return boat service from Amoudi Bay to Old Port  from reading some of the MSC Davina groups. I will report back when I come back.

 

My current plan is to go to get tender tickets at 7a for first tenders around 9am and straight to cable car. We are first ship there. People have reported no lines if first tenders obviously. I have decided to splurge on the flying dress photo shoot and will meet driver in Fira to Imerovigli. Then lunch back at Fira and then cable car down mid afternoon with some wait.

Edited June 22 by chinita415

[mapleleaves]

7 hours ago, chinita415 said:

I think there may be a return boat service from Amoudi Bay to Old Port  from reading some of the MSC Davina groups. I will report back when I come back.

 

 

 

Yes, please report back about the return boat service!

Last summer I read ONE report where RCI pax used a boat service to return to old port.  They were small boats, about 12-15 pax and even took reservations. 

NOTE, their location is at the opposite side of the Bay from where the other water taxi service drops off pax.  If you use the water taxi TO Amoudi, you're dropped off at the dock below the road.  The return service uses a dock below the stairs.

Good luck!

 

[zqvol]

On 6/22/2024 at 2:48 AM, chinita415 said:

I think there may be a return boat service from Amoudi Bay to Old Port  from reading some of the MSC Davina groups. I will report back when I come back.

 

My current plan is to go to get tender tickets at 7a for first tenders around 9am and straight to cable car. We are first ship there. People have reported no lines if first tenders obviously. I have decided to splurge on the flying dress photo shoot and will meet driver in Fira to Imerovigli. Then lunch back at Fira and then cable car down mid afternoon with some wait.

Good luck. People with ship’s tours are let off first. The tenders are all run by the Greek Seaman’s Association. They control how soon you get ashore. Don’t forget there are also locals using the cable car daily. Santorini is a circus on the best of days and your number of ships don’t include the people that come by ferry. Make sure you take lots of water and wear hats. Expect triple digit temps and high humidity. Cable car down lines can easily exceed two hours at mid day. 

[John Bull]

On 6/24/2024 at 12:37 AM, zqvol said:

Good luck. People with ship’s tours are let off first. The tenders are all run by the Greek Seaman’s Association. They control how soon you get ashore. Don’t forget there are also locals using the cable car daily. Santorini is a circus on the best of days and your number of ships don’t include the people that come by ferry. Make sure you take lots of water and wear hats. Expect triple digit temps and high humidity. Cable car down lines can easily exceed two hours at mid day. 

 

 

Hmmmm, IMHO that's perhaps over-egging it a little.

 

Cruise passengers on ships' tours are tendered to Athinios (it has a road leading down to it), whereas independents are tendered to Fira Old Port (that's the one with the cable-car, donkey path and ferries without timetables to Oia). In our experience the tenders to the two different places operate at the same time, so hold-ups caused by ships' tours are minimal - much better than at most other ports.  

Yes, locals (or more-accurately those vacationing on the island) use the cablecar - but they're going down for boat trips & back up at the end of the day. So they have little impact on the cable-car lines except around noon - early pm.

And those arriving (or leaving) by ferry land (or depart) at Athinios - the same place as ships' tour tenders.  So they have no affect whatsoever on the cable-car etc at Fira Old Port.

 

Not saying Santorini doesn't have a big problem with too many cruisers and inadequate transportation from & back to Fira Old Port tenders.

But the factors that you've mentioned have little or no impact

 

Yes, hats and plenty to drink

 

JB 🙂