JimandStan Posted July 20, 2011 #1 Share Posted July 20, 2011 From what I've read on Seatrade Insider, the flash Taxi strikes in Athens continue this week: Cruise passengers hoping to see the sights of Greece have been disappointed this week as striking taxi drivers blocked access to the port of Piraeus, Athens International Airport and the City Center. On Monday some 16,000 cruise passengers were trapped in Piraeus when 2,500 cabbies assembled at the gates of the port in protest of the liberalisation of their profession as demanded by the country's international creditors. Similar protest action took place in the key ports of Iraklion, Patras, Kyllini and Katakolon, all popular cruise ship calls. Effected were MSC Cruises' MSC Armonia, with 2,300 passengers,Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas, with 1,997 passengers, and Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Solstice, with 3,136 passengers. Local Cruise Line Louis group had two ships, the Louis Majesty and the Louis Crystal, manage to call in Piraeus, but they suffered very long delays. Princess Cruises' Ruby Princess and RCL's Voyager of the Seas, with a combined 7,000 passengers, dropped Piraeus altogether. I hope that they get this resolved, soon, I'm going to Athens next April. :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrammieK Posted July 20, 2011 #2 Share Posted July 20, 2011 YIKES!!!! I am going in September and read on the Europe board that the taxi strike will go on indefinitely!!!! One of the posters also said it may calm down for August, when many Greeks go on vacationand resume sometime after September 5th!! Is it a long walk from The Grand Bretagne to the Pier??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CintiPam Posted July 20, 2011 #3 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Is it a long walk from The Grand Bretagne to the Pier??? Only seven miles!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrammieK Posted July 20, 2011 #4 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Pam, I may have to take packing lessons from you!! Okay, note to self - leave kitchen sink home.. K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CintiPam Posted July 20, 2011 #5 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Fortunately, due to the Olympics, Athens has a good metro system. You can catch a train right across the street from the GB to Monastiraki (just a couple of minutes), where you will switch to the line that gets you to Pireaus in 20 minutes. Of course, that line is the most pickpocket infested; in fact, I watched a well-dressed young lady stick her hand in my husband's rear pocket, which fortunately held a folded up map only, on our last visit to Athens when I lagged behind him a bit as we were switching lines at Monastiraki!:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrammieK Posted July 20, 2011 #6 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Good info. Thanx Pam! Now for my next question - can you wear white after Labor Day in Greece?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulchili Posted July 20, 2011 #7 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Good info. Thanx Pam! Now for my next question - can you wear white after Labor Day in Greece?? As long as it is mixed with blue (the Greek flag) :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrammieK Posted July 20, 2011 #8 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Too funny!! Note to self - remove blue and white clothes, replace with black and white... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted July 20, 2011 #9 Share Posted July 20, 2011 can you wear white after Labor Day in Greece?? i would think so Labour day is May 1st in Greece;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CintiPam Posted July 20, 2011 #10 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Good info. Thanx Pam! Now for my next question - can you wear white after Labor Day in Greece?? Yes. My first trip to Athens was in mid-September and much white still was worn. This was in stark contrast to my first trip to Spain in early October when the Madrilenos already were wearing their winter coats, browns and blacks only, while I was doing 3/4 sleeves during the day and a light jacket in the evening! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrammieK Posted July 20, 2011 #11 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Thanks for the "color" information! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrainBonds Posted July 20, 2011 #12 Share Posted July 20, 2011 To go back to the original topic, I was in Athens on July 6 when there was a 24 hour taxi strike. Pretty interesting, with the taxis parading in front of Parliment, blowing their horns. But that was the day my ship was leaving from Priaeus. The GB was arranging limos to take people to the pier, but I am both too cheap and too adventurous for that. Took the Metro. Very crowded, and had to wait for a couple of trains until I was at the front of the crowd and able to get on, but no real problems. Long, hot walk from the Metro station to the pier, however, but not a problem if you take it slow (and take a shower as soon as your luggage is deilvered). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CintiPam Posted July 21, 2011 #13 Share Posted July 21, 2011 For no extra cost (your metro ticket is good for an hour and covers the buses as well), just get on the #843 bus across from the metro and it will drop you right at the cruise port. No need to walk it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted July 21, 2011 #14 Share Posted July 21, 2011 I'm beginning to wonder if we'll stay on board when we are there in late October... it's a Saturday anyway and I can't book the foodie walking tour I want to do unless I find two more couples! I am prepared to wing it ... It's good to know there are transport options, however ... assuming you can get OUT of the port! Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spindrift Posted July 21, 2011 #15 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Boy, this is scary and has been on our minds for the Maiden Voyage of the Riveria. It is hard to make plans following the cruise because of the problems in Greece. Wish they would choose another port to end the Maiden Voyage in and then we could relax and look forward to the trip rather than thinking about cancelling the trip. I really want to do the Maiden Voyage as we enjoyed the Maiden on the fabulous Marina so much, but Athens is definitely not a plus. Where do you think they could end the cruise? It is still early enough that they could change the itinerary. They changed the itinerary on our recent cruise to Spitzbergen, and it was fabulous. Come on Oceania--take us somewhere other than Athens--pleeeeeeze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CintiPam Posted July 22, 2011 #16 Share Posted July 22, 2011 IMO, Istanbul would be a great place to end the Maiden Voyage; beautiful, fascinating city with loads of diverse things to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spindrift Posted July 22, 2011 #17 Share Posted July 22, 2011 CintiPam, I think you are right. We have been there 3 times and loved it every time. Maybe they will consider that, plus it is much, much easier to fly out of. Hope, Hope, Hope. They were able to make the last minutes changes on the last cruise, and it was excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Citizen Posted July 22, 2011 #18 Share Posted July 22, 2011 We vote for the maiden voyage of the Riviera to end in Istanbul too. When the cruise ends in Athens, we plan to fly to Istanbul. If the cruise would end in Istanbul, that would be perfect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caribbeansun Posted July 22, 2011 #19 Share Posted July 22, 2011 And now Norway - how sad.:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comcox Posted July 23, 2011 #20 Share Posted July 23, 2011 We are scheduled to arrive by plane in Athens 23 August and to board our ship 26 August so we are crossing our fingers as well. Both our transfers--airport/hotel and hotel/pier--as well as our one day private tour are with a taxi driver (Spiros). We are hoping everything goes through but in the meantime I'm collecting information on bus and metro alternatives just in case. Last time we were sailing out of Athens it was an airport strike that delayed us but that was only a half day strike; things seem far more serious now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted July 23, 2011 #21 Share Posted July 23, 2011 This week's NY Times Travel Section has an article on the situation (the print version isn't available until tomorrow -- Sunday -- but subscribers received it today). http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/22/world/europe/22iht-athens22.html?nl=travel&emc=tda4 Doesn't sound very promising! Mura (I was thinking this article is in tomorrow's Travel Section but apparently it has already been printed. Either on the 21st or 22nd.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrammieK Posted July 23, 2011 #22 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Say it isn't so!!!!! Mura, Maybe I should have taken what was behind "Door #3" (the cruise you chose). Only time will tell. Hopefully, it will all be settled by September 19th! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spindrift Posted July 24, 2011 #23 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Mura, thank you for the article. I feel strongly that this is not going to change in the next few months, thus the Riviera Maiden being affected. Has anyone talked to Oceania? I know they don't want a "knee jerk" reaction, but this is quite serious. O has plenty of wonderful ports they could change to and avoid cancellations and allow their passengers to make proper plans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted July 24, 2011 #24 Share Posted July 24, 2011 I haven't talked to O, or even my TA, but it doesn't sound (from the article) like the taxi cab guys are going to be backing down any time soon. I'm due to be in Athens in late October (on Marina) and I'm thinking that the odds are good that if the itinerary isn't changed (if so, very likely at the last minute) that we will just opt to stay on board. In our case, it could be worse ... they upgraded us to a VS on Marina. There are worse places to be! But I've been looking into private tours in Athens and I'm very hesitant to book anything. People on earlier cruises than ours have a more serious problem. Maybe Riviera won't have this problem, assuming things settle down by next April. I do think that if I were the chief honcho at Oceania, I'd be avoiding Greek ports for the next 6-9 months. But that's me. Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted July 24, 2011 #25 Share Posted July 24, 2011 I haven't talked to O, or even my TA, but it doesn't sound (from the article) like the taxi cab guys are going to be backing down any time soon. I'm due to be in Athens in late October (on Marina) and I'm thinking that the odds are good that if the itinerary isn't changed (if so, very likely at the last minute) that we will just opt to stay on board. In our case, it could be worse ... they upgraded us to a VS on Marina. There are worse places to be! But I've been looking into private tours in Athens and I'm very hesitant to book anything. People on earlier cruises than ours have a more serious problem. Maybe Riviera won't have this problem, assuming things settle down by next April. I do think that if I were the chief honcho at Oceania, I'd be avoiding Greek ports for the next 6-9 months. But that's me. Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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