VirtualRain

Thanks for your tips on Santorini! I absolutely "HATE" organized bus tours, following a bunch of fat, sunburned Yanks who are, in turn, in lock-step with a guide waving a flag is certainly not my idea of an enjoyable trip!

 

I like to plan my own tours and to travel like I want to. In fact, if it was not for the fact that a Greek Islands Cruise has always been my wife's dream, I would have opted to skip around the islands on a Greek Ferry.

 

IMO, the problems with cruise ships are:

 

1. No very early or golden hour photo opportunities

2. Too short time in any one port

3. The hoards of tourists that are disgorged from the ship or ships.

 

Anyway, I am reserving an ATV with Markos for our time in Santorini. This seems like the best way to travel around for photographic purposes...

 

Your images are just great and I am lloking forward to capturing some of my own...

 

Thank you for posting!

Haha... Great post. Thanks and I totally agree with cruise itineraries not being ideal for photographers. But I look at cruising as a great way to skim a lot of interesting places very comfortably. And the photo opps are still pretty fantastic. We also like to spend additional time in places we love (eg Rome) pre or post cruise or even on land trips. Santorini ranks as one of those places I will be going back to. It's worthy. ;)

Thanks for your very helpful and detailed report. We are very interested in renting an ATV - do you need an international drivers license?

No you don't really need an international drivers license/permit (IDP) in any Euro jurisdiction I'm aware of... I've never been asked for it in any country where I've rented cars (Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, UK). However, it is a good thing to have with you when travelling, if for no other reason than to show local Police you're prepared in the event you get stopped. It's essentially a standardized and translated version of your govt issued drivers license, making it easy for foreign police to figure out what type of vehicle you're licensed to operate. So, even if you don't really need one, it doesn't hurt to get one and carry it with you.

Dear VirutalRain....you are our VirtualHero! Last year we had a great day in Pompeii, Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi from Naples port. We just booked for a May sailing from Barcelona, which will also stop in Naples. We really want to see Capri this time. Being squeezed for time and trying to make arrangements at so many ports, your report has been such an incredible help for Capri. As everyone else has commented here, thank you very much! PS..if Leela14 is still on this thread..which day will you guys be in Capri in May??

 

Ok, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a couple of questions?

 

First, I read that great report re Livorno as well. We have 7a-7p there. Thinking about renting a car (oh, hope you finally got your overcharges removed). We are trying to decide between doing San G/Siena (or San G/Volterre) vs. doing Cinque Terre. If we don't want to be overly rushed or concerned about missing ship, which one of those areas would you choose. Also, which would be your first choice regardless of time?

 

Second, we have 7a-7p in Civitavecchia and planning on renting a car there. Do you think a drive to Orvieto, Civita, and Tuscania is too much with respect to the amount of time we have there. I've read others have done it, but certainly don't want to create too much of a time crunch. We already ruled out Tarquinia since we're there on a Monday :(

 

Again, you've helped so many of us with your reports. CruiseMom, you have been a tremendous help as well. Can't thank you guys enough!

Haha... you're too kind! :) Glad you've found this helpful though.

With regards to Livorno, we should probably take this conversation up there and leave this thread for Capri related discussion. But, my short answer is... Both your options are totally doable on a port day.

I have no insights for you on driving from Civi around that area... I would search or start another thread on that topic. Sorry.

Hi VirtualRain,

 

Your DIY report is amazing! I read in one of your responses about checking out the site, cruisett.com, to see how many other ships will be at the port on the same day. We're about 5 months away from when we will be arriving in Santorini so I was just wondering how accurate this website is. Right now, there's only one other ship arriving into Santorini when we will be there. I'm curious to know if it's common that as our sailing dates draws nearer, the website will be adding more ships that dock in each port as to keep it up to date.

 

This will be our first cruise outside of the Caribbean so forgive me if I sound very lost! Santorini has been on my travel wish list for years now so I'm really looking forward to visiting there.

 

Also, I'd like to get your thoughts about doing a DIY trip if we're scheduled to dock from noon - 8PM. I'd love to explore the city on our own without the cruise excursion but am concerned that the wait lines to get up to Oia will be long by the time we arrive.

 

I greatly appreciate any advice you have to offer! :)

Thanks.

I'm not sure how accurate CruiseTT is... It has been accurate for me in the past (several months out), but that's no guarantee. As far as I know, it scrapes cruise schedules from all the major lines websites, so it should be accurate many months in advance and shouldn't change much, if any, as the date draws nearer. The only issue may be an error in collecting data from one or more cruise lines sites, or the complete absence of some major lines, but again, it has been accurate for at least my past 4 cruises (two Medi, and two Caribbean).

For an afternoon and evening in Santorini see posts 43 & 55 where I was discussing his with another person. It's an envious itinerary. You should have a good time... Especially if you're the only ship in port at that time. You won't have any trouble getting down if you don't try to head back at the very last minute (never a good idea at any port that involves tendering).

Enjoy!

Thanks Virtual Rain!

I did check and from my review it looks like we are the only ship, so just the passengers of the Jade. I explored tours for the island, but too expensive, so will be doing the DIY, which you and everyone else seems to think isn't difficult at all. I hope so! :)

We will definitely follow your suggestions and make sure we have time to make it back for the ship. Your help has been invaluable and thanks again!

If you're the only ship, that's golden! Have a blast.

I'm gonna disagree with everyone else (not for the first time :D).

Fast-ferry from adjacent Naples cruise terminal (there's one about 9am) across to Sorrento takes a little under an hour, little shuttlebus costing 1 euro from harbour to town (close but steep), train to Pompeii (every half-hour, seven days a week), same train on to Naples, walk or bus or white-knuckle taxi ride from the station (Piazza Garibaldi) back to the ship.

No, IMHO Sorrento doesn't have anything special to offer, but it's an attractive & laid-back little town & a much more enjoyable round-trip day than train to Pompeii & back.

Now Cruisemom I'm sure would want to spend a whole lot longer at Pompeii, but for us basic tourists three hours would be the maximum we'd want to spend in hot & dusty Pompeii.

Mebbe check your sailing time from Naples - they do vary a lot.

 

JB :)

 

ps. Worst pizza I ever had .................. was in Naples!!

I'm with you... So not "everyone" ;). Also, LOL at your postscript. :D

What about renting a car? This itinerary is no problem in a car. Hertz has an agent right near the port. Driving to Pompeii and Sorrento and back really couldn't be easier. Here's some added info on renting, driving, and parking from one of our Naples visits... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1515397

Thanks you for this amazing post! We spent 3 days on the island a few years ago but this summer will be on a cruise and only visiting for a day. I was struggling with how to do it - now I know. Thanks for taking the time to post!

 

Alissa

You're welcome, it's really a credit to the wealth of information available in this forum as it all came from fellow posters here in one form or another.

Thanks again for your trip report and pics - I have read near enough your whole series!

I am going to look up Panzirone when we are in Rome v. soon!

 

I have already made a reservation at Ad Hoc and I am really looking forward to eating there! :)

Great... Please share your experience.

Great info! Love the pictures, too! Thanks for sharing. :)

Thanks for viewing. :)

Can you give me some info on where you caught what, and anything else that might be helpful for an enjoyable day seeing part of Rome?

In addition to the info I posted at the start of this thread, I also have additional info in another thread that reviews how we spent our second trip to Rome visiting additional sights. It's here... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1733772

Thanks Virtual Rain,

Did you experience any delays getting off the ship? If we go to Oia later in the day, would you suggest renting an ATV, going to the beaches, then to Oia and leaving at what time? How much time should be allot to get back to Fira, return a vehicle and make the cable car?

Thanks

While every ship probably handles tendering priority slightly differently, generally, it's a first come, first serve basis. Just be alert for what the process is on the Jade and be prepared to queue up early so you're among the first off. Also check cruiseTT.com for the port load (ships/passengers) for Santorini on the day you're there. That will give you an idea of how busy things will be. For example, on the day we were there, we were the only ship that arrived in the morning, and only one other came in the afternoon, meaning lineups for donkeys or the Gondola were never long. It would be a very different situation if 5 ships all arrived at the same time.

You already have my recommendations both in a post above and from my original post... But one other bit of advice from me... I would skip the beaches. Unless you are super passionate about beaches, there is much more to take in on the cliff side of the island. A trek to the beach side is a waste. You can see beaches any where, but you can't see some of the unique aspects of Fira and Oia anywhere else. As I said above in post #43, I would spend the first part of the afternoon exploring Fira, then rent a car or ATV and head to Oia, enjoy the late afternoon and sunset there, have a romantic dinner overlooking the amazing scenery in the dying light, and then head back.

I would allow 1hrs to drive back, return the car, and catch the Gondola down if you're the only ship leaving at 10PM... Add an additional 30min if there's more ships. So if the last tender is at 9:30, I would leave Oia no later than 8:30, but I would probably add an extra 30 min to be safe, and leave Oia by 8PM. Alternatively, if there's a lot of ships all departing around 10PM, you could go to Oia first (early in the afternoon) and finish your evening with dinner in Fira instead so you have a bit more flexibility in terms of catching the Gondola down.

Greetings: My wife turned me on to your posts because she loved your photos and knows that I'm a photo buff and thought I might learn a few things from you. They are fantastic photos and I suspect my wife was right in that I have much to learn from your experience.

 

On that subject, I was wondering if you hand held for these photos or did you bring a tripod? I am taking my 7D and recently purchased the 24-105 lens that you used (I've rented it several times and find it to be an outstanding lens). I will also have the 16-35 2.8 which I am renting.

 

Which cpl do you use? I was thinking of buying a B+W one because the brand has a great reputation.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Steve

 

Again: beautiful work!

Thanks Steve.

I handheld all these photos. I only use a tripod in fading light when longer exposures are necessary.

Those lenses will serve you well but are both designed for full frame and thus you may find yourself swapping lenses more than you might like. If you're sticking with your 7D for the long haul you should look at the 17-55 f2.8 EFS it has L-quality optics in an ideal zoom range for APS-C sensors. However if you plan to upgrade to full frame at some point you have ideal lenses already.

I use B+W filters. I got mine from a HK dealer...maxsaver.net. They use to be much cheaper, not sure if that's still the case.

Besides good gear, I believe spending time in post with Aperture or Lightroom is critical to getting the most out of your photos. See my earlier in the thread for more insights on this.

Good luck, and be sure to share some of your photos when you get back. :)

How far away is Oia to Firostefani (and Mama Thira restaurant). Can one walk or does one have to take the bus or car?Thanks.

Oia is about 12km from Fira (Fitostefani) or at least a 2hr walk. See the map in the original post. Firastefani is just a short walk north of Fira however.

Hi Virtual Rain,

 

Thank you so much for your reply! I wasn't sure if you were still monitoring this forum. We're going on the Jade in October, so not too happy with the time as sunset is around 6:45pm. Doesn't leave a lot of daytime hours. My husband plans to rent a lens to take with us. Do you have any suggestions for a versatile lens? His basic lens is a 28-200 f3.5-4.6. We're going to pick up a circular filter today. He's an amateur wrt photography but still learning. (Means nothing to me, but I take the pictures for photo books on our mac.) What kind of device did you load the maps onto to in order to operate offline? We're thinking of an ipad but not sure. I have the iphone, but afraid of "roaming charges."

This is our 1st European cruise and to save costs we're trying to DIY as much as possible (kids in university can "suck" you dry!). There's lots of info out there, but the more I read, the more confused I get. I appreciate your DIY's of Athens and plan to look very carefully at it to see if we can mimic it somewhat. We're stopping in Katakalon, Corfu, Ephesus (private tour), Mykonos,Split, Dubrovnik, Venice (know it well) and a land day trip to Verona. So much research!

If you have any suggestions, I certainly welcome and value your guidance!

Thanks

No problem, I use an app called Tapatalk to monitor the CC threads I'm active in... it's a great tool.

Im afraid I can't make a lens recommendation unless I know what camera he has. And bags are very specific to your needs, so I can't really recommend anything there either. I like to travel light in port so I use a Sun Sniper Pro strap on my camera and usually just use that with my camera and 24-105 lens on most shore days. If I know I'm going to need a second lens, I have a compact bag that will do the trick. So in my case, I have a backpack camera bag for all my gear that stays in my room, a small bag for occasional use (holds the camera, one attached lens, and one extra lens), and then my Sunsniper for the ultimate in travelling light on port days.

For offline maps... I use an App on my iPhone called Cartographer, but I understand, it's no longer available. Another app I often use for offline maps on my iPad is CityMaps2Go. If you take your iPhone just turn off "data roaming" in the cellular network settings to avoid nasty charges. The location awareness (GPS) will continue to work and won't cost you anything. But you do need to have the maps downloaded somehow ahead of time.

As you may have seen, I have similar DIY reports on Katakolon, Mykonos, and Corfu (if you haven't seen them, try a search) and Athens (as you already know). I haven't been to Ephesus, but Split, Dubrovnik, and Venice are all just walking towns so I didn't have much in the way of useful info on those ports and thus never bothered with a report on them.

Hello VirtualRain,

 

I just have a quick question that may be a bit off topic. My wife and I are thinking of going there and just staying at a hotel or resort for around 10-14 days. Do you think there is enough to do/see on Santorini? We like to see the sites, take pics but are also comfortable just beaching it as well.

 

Thanks!

It seems like a great place for a reclusive getaway. Personally, I couldn't see myself there that long as I get bored easily (which is part of the reason I like cruising so much). It really depends on how you want to spend your time. I could see at least three or four afternoons of excursions away from your hotel, but I'm no expert on all the island had to offer. Sorry I can't be more helpful. :(

Hi Virtual Rain,

 

I can't possibly begin to tell you how helpful your DIY plan was! I've been doing research for a couple of weeks now and a bit hesitant about DIY but it sounds doable. We are on the Jade and as luck would have it will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary in Santorini which is fantastic. The only problem is that we port at 1:30-10:00pm and won't have much sunlight as sun sets at 6:42pm. Do you have any suggestions or alterations to your itinerary or would it still work?

 

My husband is a major photo enthusiast as well but he only has a Canon 60D (:. Love your photos and tips.

 

I've just found this port forum and wondered if you posted DIY's for other ports as this one is extremely helpful!!!

 

Thanks for all your time....

Thanks. I'm glad you found this helpful.

I'm actually jealous of your itinerary... I would love to experience a Santorini sunset and evening. The hour just before and following the sunset should make for some spectacular photos, never mind the sunset itself.

If I had the chance to be there at the hours you mention I would spend the early afternoon in Fira and then head to Santorini with a desire to be there for those two hours around sunset taking photos. I would make a dinner reservation upon arrival at one of the restaurants there that strike your fancy in case it gets busy later.

If your husband has a portable tripod, I'd encourage him to take it as the photos of Oia in the dying light would probably be awesome.

After sunset, I'd grab dinner and then head back to Fira and the ship.

Good luck and if you remember, be sure to post back with your own experience and photos. I'd love to see Oia in the evening! :)

Thank you for posting this!! And the spectacular pics! We love exploring on our own, and after reading endless, "don't do it" posts, I came across yours. We will be following in your footsteps.:D

Thanks... it's a great way to see some of the Amalfi coast.

Did you get extra car insurance or buy something ahead of time to cover you?

Usually, I pay with my Amex Gold card which includes CDW insurance on rental cars, but in this case, they only wanted 20-Euro, asked for cash, and that's how I paid. Now that I think back on it, I'm not sure if that included any kind of insurance or not. The car was older and there was no "walk around" done... it was more of a handshake kinda thing. Perhaps risky but at the time it seemed unnecessary to be stressed about it.

Thank you for the wonderful report. I was wondering if there is a way to print out the exact directions of your tour around the island from your google map? Thank you!

Yes, in Google Maps there should be a list of places of interest in the left column... Including the routes which you can click on to get driving directions.

How many people can the ATVs sit? and do they provide helmets?

 

Thanks,

Eddie

They seat 2 comfortably and include helmets.

Virtual Rain:

You said that you did a DIY tour from Naples by car to Positano.

Is it posted anywhere?

Have been to Capri and maybe thinking of something different.

Was the driving difficult?

Thanks

Sharon

Yeah, there's a link to that report at the top of post #1. And no... The driving was not difficult at all.

[quote name=Riggy84;37070671

Lastly' date=' i hear they are a bit strict on what you wear. I will be ok in a long floaty dress with a t shirt covering my shoulder, but what do men wear that is comfortable in the peak of summer? Do they just have to keep knees covered or the whole of the leg?

Thanks in advance for everyones help.[/quote]

I agree with EuroCruiser and would add that a pair of convertible pants with zip off legs is a great investment for men. I wear a pair of these on any travel day I might expect to visit a cathedral and just attach the pant legs when needed. They usually fold into a pocket or my GFs handbag the rest of the time.

Virtual Rain - What an impressive DIY in Capri!11 Unfortunately our ship is in port from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. We have been to Capri and Anacapri before but we did not get a chance to walk down the Via Krupp, see the gardens of Augustus, or the Blue Grotto. Allowing 2 hours transport (assuming a short wait for the hydrofoil) We realistically only have three hours on Capri. Is it worth it? Is it enough time to take the funicular up to the center and find our way to the Via Krup walk & garden of Augustus? How long does the walk take? Or.. should we consider something else around Sorrento. We have done the Almalfi coast and Pompei in the past, but would have loved to do this walk. What do you think?

I think you would definitely have time for a nice visit. It would only take you 10 minutes to take the Funicular up to Capri town and another 10 minutes to walk to the top of Via Krup from there. That should give you plenty of time to walk down the path and explore the area even if you plan to be on a noon hydrofoil back to the mainland. The only problem as I see it, is the value in spending about 80-Euro for the round-trip for two just to spend a couple hours there. If you think you might come back to Naples another time on a more favourable itinerary for another day in Capri, maybe this is a good opportunity to just explore downtown Naples instead?

Virtual Rain,

Thanks for your post.

We will be going to Capri (on our own ) in May. I read that it's cash only for hydrofoil tickets from Naples to Capri. Do you know if this is still the case or can we use credit cards for our tickets?

Would appreciate an answer from anyone who has been there recently.

Thanks

Sorry, I don't recall. We used cash.

Some of you may have seen this in my recent Oasis review, but in case you haven't... here's my recent experience with it...

The "un-inclusive" package (as I like to refer to it) is not all that great. My key problem with it was the lack of wine selection. Being a wine enthusiast, especially with meals, the selection of house wines included was a total disappointment. They use a French brand called St. Martin which in my opinion was drinkable but not up to the standard of food I was pairing it with. (They dont even serve it in Vintages... the wine bar).

Other premium liquors are excluded like Patron, a couple of specialty martini liqueurs and all cognac except the lowest Courvosier VS. I didn't pay attention to what types of Scotch we're included or not but I believe anything aged over 12 years is NOT included (cognac is more my thing). So, while its nice to not have to worry about it, it left me feeling like it was not living up to it's "all inclusive" name.

I won't repeat getting it in the future unless it becomes more" inclusive" with more wines ($12-14/glass?). It would be to RCIs advantage as expanding it would likely draw more buyers. As is, wiser folks than I would opt to pay as you go in moderation, resulting in less net revenue per guest.

Since my GF has a slight reaction to alcohol (she goes flush red after half a glass of wine) I came prepared with a Dr. note to that effect. When I approached the sales desk for the package after embarkation on deck 5 (middle of the promenade) I told the guy there that I wanted to buy the package "solo" as my GF had an alergy to alcohol and I had a Dr note. He deferred me to the guy in charge who said... "No problem" without even looking at the Dr. note. And they signed me up... Solo. Nice

While I didn't have trouble getting value out of it, it will be challenging for moderate drinkers to get value out of it without being hung over every day. At $7-$8 per drink, you need to have 6-7 drinks a day to make it worth while. I would generally have a couple of glasses of sparkling or white wine with lunch, a few glasses of red with dinner, a few umbrella drinks or beers during the day, and another couple of cognac or martinis in the evening... Giving me a max of about 10 drinks per day on sea days and maybe 6 or so on port days. I consumed exactly 51 drinks over the week which would have cost me about $385 before tips or about $440. Which means I only saved about 15% with the package... And drank poorer wine than I'd like.

While we didn't really test this, none of the waiters or bar staff seemed concerned if I was going to buy a drink for someone else. In fact, on more than one occasion a bartender asked me if my GF wanted a drink as well (with my all inclusive card). I guess they assume she has the package as well, so it doesn't matter who's card is used to fund the purchase.

A couple of other things about the drink package: watch out for those guys walking around the pool areas selling drinks with a tray full of them. I waved one guy over and said I'd take one... He handed it to me as i handed him my seapasss card with my sticker on it... and he said "take a sip of that for me". I did, wondering why, and then it became obvious... He said, "oh, your package doesn't cover drinks in the souvenir glass". I was annoyed. I knew the package didn't include the special glasses but didn't realize this was one. He knew full well when he took my seapass card but asked me to take a sip anyway. Jerk. Had I not taken a sip, I could have just handed it back to him. Annoyed at his attempt to trick me into buying this glass, I asked him instead to pour it into a regular cup. Which he then strolled off to do... equally annoyed at that point. So beware of the extra cost souvenir glasses.

Also, I had a couple of bartenders pour me a drink I knew was included only to tell me it wasn't, but they would do me a favour and include it for me... Do these guys think they are the only bar on the ship?! Their bar computer will tell them if its $0 or not, there is no guess work or favours required. If you have any doubt you can ask them to check the computer if the drink would be included in the package or not.

Lastly, I'll add that I never felt treated like a second-class citizen by any bartender or server... the service was always great and they often didn't know I was on the package until they had already served my drink and I passed them my sea card anyway.