We-R-Off

I have been to Phuket often. There are quite a lot of very nice beaches there. They also have the Giant Budha. You will have to check the tour times but Phi Phi island or James Bond Island (I think one of the most photographed beaches) isn't too far from Phuket so you'd be able to do that one the day you arrive.

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.

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.

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?

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.

We are doing Santorini Villages & Canava Distillery

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.

Did you check how many ships are in port.

Thanks. I looked at some photos & it looked quite slippery especially with the donkey excrement. Hopefully the queue won’t be too bad to descend with the cable car.

I just checked & we're first at arrive but earliest to leave. I only see 3 ships listed now & one gets in at midday, when we will be descending. Its looking better.

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.

Which cruise company are you sailing with? What time are you departing? Our cruise departs at 21:00. I noticed that RCCL offered archaelogical tours & there were other trips I notice that Viator offer this one, but you'd obviously have to check where the pickup is. This tour provides a stress-free overview of Santorini’s natural and historic beauty, making it ideal for first-time visitors and travelers with limited time. Board your traditional Greek Caique boat and venture out to the volcano of Santorini. Climb to the top and take in the views before sailing to the warm, sulfuric waters where you can have a dip. Visit Thirassia and enjoy free time to explore before heading back to Santorini, Stress-free overview of Santorini highlights A convenient choice for first-time visitors or travelers with limited time Travel between dispersed Santorini attractions by boat Enjoy free time to explore the island of ThirassiaRead more about Santorini Volcanic Islands Cruise: Volcano, Hot Springs and Thirassia - https://www.viator.com/tours/Santorini/Santorini-Volcanic-Islands-Cruise-Volcano-Hot-Springs-and-Thirassia/d959-21977P13?mcid=56757 I think that it is important though to take a ships tour here because you'd get a priority tender.

We booked the half day ships tour & we’re happy with this decision.

We too are going to opt for a ships cruise. As we were there not so very long ago, we'll take the short ships tour but will take the cablecar back around midday. This is the description: 3.5-hour trip that includes the villages of Megalochori and Pyrgos — plus take a distillery tour and savor spirits tastings at Canava estate.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. This sounds, ideal for us. I saw a video of going up on the cablecar & the stairs would be very difficult for my husband.

Going down isn't my husband's problem. Are there elevators? Our friend has problems with her knees.

Thank you for this information. I'm thinking of taking a ships 3.5-hour trip that includes the villages of Megalochori and Pyrgos including a distillery tour at Canava estate.I haven't been there & although I've visited many distilleries in the past, I really feel that Oia will be overwhelming for us. We will have to use the cablecar to return. I saw a video clip of someone using the cablecar to go up & I know that the amount of stairs, would not be suitable for us.

We were in Santorini when Greece reopened post Corona. We were on the only Ferry from Crete that docked for the day. NO CRUISE SHIPS !!!! it was amazing. We are in our 70s & I would consider myself fit, however, I found the pathways & steps not so easy. My husband found it quite challenging & there were passageways that I did myself whilst he waited for me. Our trip included return by bus to our Ferry but I think this is a different port than our tender will depart. We are visiting September 1st with 4 cruise ships in port. Can we get back to the ship tender without cable car if we do Oia on our own? I'm looking for an alternative idea for the day, ideally independent travel without Oia & possibly less crowded. We are departing at 21:00

I've just checked that there will be 4 ships in port on the day we visit. We visited Santorini just after Greece re-opened post Corona & our Ferry was the only one there that day !!!! It was amazing. We had a bus to take us to Fira & Oia. What can we plan to do with so many people visiting this time? Can we do something independently or should we do a ships trip? I have heard horrendous stories of queues for the cable car?

I've just checked that there will be 4 ships in port on the day we visit. We visited Santorini just after Greece re-opened post Corona & our Ferry was the only one there that day !!!! It was amazing. We had a bus to take us to Fira & Oia. What can we plan to do with so many people visiting this time? Can we do something independently or should we do a ships trip? I have heard horrendous stories of queues for the cable car?

We enjoyed it immensley.

I was wondering if it is difficult to walk about Lisbon on our own or whether we will need to take a tour. Is the cruise port close to Historical Lisbon.