Santorini, getting around without using cable car?

[CruiseNewbie2025]

Our cruise next May includes a stop at Santorini, and we would love to see it, and preferably visit Oia, but we're not sure if we will need to use a ship excursion (obviously no details of what they are yet), or if we can manage it ourselves. The problem is we are both overweight and unfit - there's no way we can walk up the steps from the old port to the town, and even if we were allowed on the donkeys we wouldn't because it would be animal abuse (my husband is 6'5" and weighs 23 stone). So the cable car seems like the only option, which is fine with me, but my husband has a big problem with heights, had a severe panic attack on the London Eye a few years ago, and has given a flat 'No way' to that idea. 

 

I have seen that you can get a boat trip from the old port to Ammoudi, including a bus to Oia, but it appears that it then returns to Fira by bus rather than boat, leaving us with the issue of getting back down to the port. I know it's possible to walk down the steps, but it would be great to hear from anyone who's actually done it, as I've heard different reports about it being either fine, or slippery, smelly and dangerous! 

 

Otherwise we'll have to rely on whatever coach tours are offered from the ship, so if anyone has experience of those and can recommend or otherwise we'd be grateful 😊

 

[Peterson78]

This has quite a lot of information…

https://diycruiseports.com/diy-port-guides/santorini-cruise-port-diy-shore-excursion-guide

also, have a look at whatsinport…

 

from that I would urge you to FORGET using the steps, in either direction, both of you will struggle and it sounds like a very unpleasant experience at best.

 

Must admit I was surprised to hear of no boat return….surely the boat has to go back so why not carry some fare paying passengers.

 

I’ve also found lots of tips on other (cruise line) boards … Celebrity have some really articulate and knowledgeable posters.  Try a search on their board.

Edited October 9 by Peterson78

[AlanCruise]

All the TUI marella trips I saw took you up by the coach but returned to Fira and assumed you came down on the cable car.
And all the boats to oia advertise as return by bus and then cable car.

There are some boats trips around the volcano that you can take from the harbour without going up the cliff, but don't go to oia.

[Pensioncruiser]

Must agree with previous replies. We did the excursion by tender then coach but it did drop you off at the chair lift for return,with a two hour wait, not proud about it but we did hobble to the front of the queue and no one shouted at us. Bottom line it's a fantastic excursion and they may have improved the return now ask onboard. Enjoy but don't do the steps.

[CruiseNewbie2025]

12 hours ago, Peterson78 said:

This has quite a lot of information…

https://diycruiseports.com/diy-port-guides/santorini-cruise-port-diy-shore-excursion-guide

also, have a look at whatsinport…

 

from that I would urge you to FORGET using the steps, in either direction, both of you will struggle and it sounds like a very unpleasant experience at best.

 

Must admit I was surprised to hear of no boat return….surely the boat has to go back so why not carry some fare paying passengers.

 

I’ve also found lots of tips on other (cruise line) boards … Celebrity have some really articulate and knowledgeable posters.  Try a search on their board.

Thanks for the link, lots of good info - definitely saying the same thing about the boat being one-way, which as you say makes no sense 🤷

[CruiseNewbie2025]

12 hours ago, AlanCruise said:

All the TUI marella trips I saw took you up by the coach but returned to Fira and assumed you came down on the cable car.
And all the boats to oia advertise as return by bus and then cable car.

There are some boats trips around the volcano that you can take from the harbour without going up the cliff, but don't go to oia.

Thanks, I seem to be finding the same answer from each source - good to know about the other boat trips, but I'd definitely like to see Oia.

[CruiseNewbie2025]

3 hours ago, Pensioncruiser said:

Must agree with previous replies. We did the excursion by tender then coach but it did drop you off at the chair lift for return,with a two hour wait, not proud about it but we did hobble to the front of the queue and no one shouted at us. Bottom line it's a fantastic excursion and they may have improved the return now ask onboard. Enjoy but don't do the steps.

Thanks, we need to consider our options I think!

[brian1]

When we were there years ago there was only 2 or 3 ships but it was worse than London at the peak of rush hour all squeezed into 3ft wide paths.Not worth it IMO.

[solohol]

Hi! I wanted to go to Oia too, but like others have said the Marella excursion drops you off at the cable car, and I didn't want to queue for it in the heat- went in October and it was actually quite hot) I did the "Fira on your own" excursion instead and you get a tender to the port, then a coach with a guide drops you off and takes you to where they will pick you up from, and take you back to the port. We got a nice amount of time in Fira early in the morning before it got too busy, but it would not be enough time to go to Oia on the bus. I did speak to others who got the bus to Oia and then walked back! You may be able to get a taxi back to the other port (someone nearly missed the ship because they did this by accident and they had to go and get him) and ask to hop on a tender but that is a bit of a gamble!

[CruiseNewbie2025]

1 hour ago, solohol said:

Hi! I wanted to go to Oia too, but like others have said the Marella excursion drops you off at the cable car, and I didn't want to queue for it in the heat- went in October and it was actually quite hot) I did the "Fira on your own" excursion instead and you get a tender to the port, then a coach with a guide drops you off and takes you to where they will pick you up from, and take you back to the port. We got a nice amount of time in Fira early in the morning before it got too busy, but it would not be enough time to go to Oia on the bus. I did speak to others who got the bus to Oia and then walked back! You may be able to get a taxi back to the other port (someone nearly missed the ship because they did this by accident and they had to go and get him) and ask to hop on a tender but that is a bit of a gamble!

I was wondering if that was a possibility, but I couldn't see anything about being able to get back to the ship from the other port, and I wouldn't want to risk it if they don't pick up from there! 

 

[CruiseNewbie2025]

Update: I showed my husband photos of the cable car, to see if he thought he might be able to manage just a few minutes going downwards, maybe with his eyes shut - but he not only said no to that, he looked at some other photos of the island and decided he might not want to go at all. So it looks like I might be doing that trip solo, in which case the cable car will be fine. Thanks to everyone for the replies.

[paularmstrong]

Done this port many times and never got to the top  , Always been  horrific que for cable car plus aint the best with heights , Once tried to walk it up the track but was stopped on heels by a donkey stampede . There are a few shops and couple of bars at the bottom which is how far we ever got