Boat To and Bus From Oia

dani negreanu · June 3, 2014

Pls. keep us posted, thanks

Ha-pealady · June 5, 2014

Well, the charges for our reservations we made on their Facebook page posted to my account last night. Hmmm. I emailed Luca again this morning indicating I needed verification from him soon as we depart for our trip this Friday. I asked that he either refund my money before Friday or honor the reservations I made on his Facebook page. Hopefully he responds today.

Would be very grateful if you could post back after your cruise regarding the SantoriniPlanet booking saga. I have not had a reply to my email and have no idea whether my booking which I have paid for is going to be honoured. Have a great hol!

cynbar · June 5, 2014

We are just back from Santorini on Celebrity's Reflection. We booked our transfers in advance via the Santorini Planet website and had no problem with them being honored, we just turned in our voucher at the office right near where the tenders come in. FYI, it doesn't appear that they adhere closely to the booked times, they just seemed to fill the boat and then go. We arrived early because we weren't sure how long the tendering would take, and were sent to the boat which was waiting. Bus service to Fira was comfortable and efficient, right on time. Going down in the cable cars was another matter, however --- make sure you allow plenty of time.

Ha-pealady · June 6, 2014

We are just back from Santorini on Celebrity's Reflection. We booked our transfers in advance via the Santorini Planet website and had no problem with them being honored, we just turned in our voucher at the office right near where the tenders come in. FYI, it doesn't appear that they adhere closely to the booked times, they just seemed to fill the boat and then go. We arrived early because we weren't sure how long the tendering would take, and were sent to the boat which was waiting. Bus service to Fira was comfortable and efficient, right on time. Going down in the cable cars was another matter, however --- make sure you allow plenty of time.

Thanks, that has reassured me as I figured that was probably what would happen. They don't seem at all organised and hopefully, as long as we get there in good time our voucher will get us a seat. What time did you go for as we were undecided whether to get the 08:45 or 09:45 as were worried that we would not be able to get off the ship so in the end we went for the 09:45. If we get there early do you think it may be possible to just get on the first boat that has spaces, irrespective of what time our voucher says? We are aiming to walk down the steps on the way back despite the warnings!

mtlycrew1 · June 6, 2014

Thanks Cynbar. That's very reassuring. We depart today for our trip and still no word back from Luca. We don't get to Santorini till June 15th so we still have some time. At this point I agree with your comments. They seem to be so disorganized that the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing. I fully anticipate…hope, that like you, we'll just able to walk up, give them the vouchers we purchased on their Facebook page and get on the boat. I'm going to act normal, not say anything about all this and act as if none of this happened. They are official vouchers and the guy on the dock likely doesn't know or care about the on line booking problems. I've printed every email from Luca and my PayPal receipts in the event there's a problem. I don't think there will be but I'll be prepared. I wish everyone best of luck and a great trip. If I can get internet service on the 15th I'll let everyone know how it went.

Edited June 6, 2014 by mtlycrew1

dani negreanu · June 6, 2014

and, if I may, also ask whether allowing one hour to stand in line going down is enough :confused:

I wish you happy travels and enjoy your holiday !! Dani[ela]

susanw814 · June 7, 2014

The line was quite long for the cable cars, we were a little turned off by it but decided to wait in line...it was probably 45 minutes tops. We were glad we chose to wait it out as a storm came through shortly after we arrived back to our boat and heard horror stories of people falling on the path due to rain and mass panic to get back to the ship in time. A few passengers on our ship ending up with broken bones and stitches it was that slippery. The ship was delayed in leaving port as it waited for all passengers to board due to the freak storm.

Sent from my KFSOWI using Forums mobile app

dani negreanu · June 7, 2014

The line was quite long for the cable cars, we were a little turned off by it but decided to wait in line...it was probably 45 minutes tops. We were glad we chose to wait it out as a storm came through shortly after we arrived back to our boat and heard horror stories of people falling on the path due to rain and mass panic to get back to the ship in time. A few passengers on our ship ending up with broken bones and stitches it was that slippery. The ship was delayed in leaving port as it waited for all passengers to board due to the freak storm.

Sent from my KFSOWI using Forums mobile app

for updating.

While for me Santorini is the highlight of this cruise, it is also the most problematic one, what with tendering, the long wait for cable car, lots of ships in port, and, worse of all, the possibility of strong wind, rendering this port "prone to cancelling"...:mad:

cynbar · June 7, 2014

Let me reassure everyone that we didn't find them at all disorganized once we got to Santorini. Just look for the office on the pier,hand them your vouchers and they will give you your tickets and direct you to a waiting boat. We scheduled a late time of 10:45 but were there much earlier, they did not require us to wait for a later boat. Return to Fira via bus was efficient and easy too. Our day was extremely busy with 9000 cruise passengers in port, lines for the cable car to go up were absurd but we just walked by them to the boat. Only disappointment is that we would have liked to linger longer in Fira but were afraid of the possible waits for the cable car going down --- after looking at the path down the cliff, no way was I walking it. In the end we waited about 1/2 hour, not too bad.

Edited June 7, 2014 by cynbar

susanw814 · June 7, 2014

Agreed with the organization of the boat and bus - we too had a 9:45 departure but was able to board the 8:45 with no problem and was the highlight of our trip. We were very satisfied with booking this excursion and highly recommend. The weather and issues returning back to tenders had nothing at all to do with this organization. Just bring your pay pal receipt and you'll experience no problems.

Sent from my KFSOWI using Forums mobile app

Ha-pealady · June 7, 2014

Agreed with the organization of the boat and bus - we too had a 9:45 departure but was able to board the 8:45 with no problem and was the highlight of our trip. We were very satisfied with booking this excursion and highly recommend. The weather and issues returning back to tenders had nothing at all to do with this organization. Just bring your pay pal receipt and you'll experience no problems.

Sent from my KFSOWI using Forums mobile app

Thanks so much everyone for your positive feedback. Still seems a long way off until our stop off in Santorini but looking forward to the whole cruise with excited anticipation!

mtlycrew1 · June 15, 2014

Hi everyone,

We are in Santorini and I wanted to give you an update on the boat. We printed the original voucher we were able to get off the Santorini Planet website (the ones they said were not valid). We just walked up to the ticket desk on the dock and presented our printed voucher and they didn't blink an eye. They just gave us our tickets and we got on the boat. There is no sign reading "Santorini Planet". There are just two offices with big signs that say "speedboat to Oia". It's not a true speedboat but they are the ones you want to use. I'm really convinced they just aren't organized. They didn't even ask for identification. We were scheduled for 9:45 am and we were there by 9:15 and there was a boat waiting so we got on. We were in Oia in about 20 min. They directed us to a bus and up the hill we went. It was very smooth and easy. When we were done we took the local city bus back to Fira. You get on the bus and once they start an attendant walks down the aisle and collects the money for the trip. There was only one other ship in port that we could see (Celebrity). They were there before us yet as we were leaving Oia there were about 20 bus loads of people coming in so perhaps they docked where we couldn't see their ship. We walked through Fira for a while then headed to the Cable cars. It was about 2:30 and we waited less than 10 min. Go figure. I think later in the day the wait will be longer. Anyway, if you have a voucher of any type from Santorini Planet you're good to go.

Edited June 15, 2014 by mtlycrew1

Ewoodspark · June 15, 2014

So the boat is being run by some company or other. Was there any advantage in booking on line for the voucher to get the ticket from the "ticket office", or did other passengers simply pay when they got off the ship? Was the price still €25 to book on the day? I also understood that the deal included the bus back into Fira, but you caught the local bus back. Do these run often in the Summer months i.e. now?

dani negreanu · June 15, 2014

Hi everyone,
We are in Santorini and I wanted to give you an update on the boat. .

I was eagerly waiting your feedback. Appreciate your taking time from your holiday to update the forum. Since it is still not possible to purchase on line, I'll just take my chances and by a ticket on arrival....:confused:

E N J O Y !!!!

mtlycrew1 · June 15, 2014

People were walking up to the desk while we were standing there and just buying a ticket. The bus back is included but there were only three times, 11, 12 and 1:00. We just decided to take the local bus back and it ran till the evening and it only cost 1.6 Euros per person.

Cammy8 · June 15, 2014

I received a reply from my email to SantoriniPlanet@gmail.com. It was from Gianiuca Chimenti:

No way to do from my website anymore, please visit http://www.aegeantraveller.gr

I went to the website and the the boat transfer link is right there with other sightseeing options. The boat trip to Oia is for 25 euros. I copied the following from the site.

Transfer to oia by speedboat Daily

25 euros per adult

12.50 euros per child (6-12)

Special rates for groups

Transfer to Oia by Speedboat & return to Fira by bus Departure from the old port of Fira by speedboat to reach in only 12 minutes Ammoudi bay at the bottom of the picturesque and traditional village of Oia. There the partner agency will do the transfer by bus from the small harbor until the tourist parking of the village. The pickup point of the bus to reach the capital of Santorini, Fira, will be at same place. In Oia you will have 1 – 2 – 3 or maximum 4 hours of free time, every hour after the arrival it is available a transfer by bus as well included in the ticket, from Oia to Fira. In Fira the free time depends from the departure time of the last tender to return back on your cruise ship.

I completed an online request form and was told I would receive reservation instructions by email soon. Pay using Paypal and the site indicates you don't have to have a Pay pal account.

I haven't used my pay pal in years and that was only one time in the US. Just spent forever changing my password and called them to ask about fees and how to use it to book this boat/bus trip to Oia. After pressing 1 for this and 2 for that I finally got a real person. Asked my question and was cut off.

Can anyone tell me what Paypal charges to make foreign purchases?

richfromhaw · June 16, 2014

CAVEAT EMPTOR---SANTORINI PLANET---BOAT FIRA TO OIA THEN BUS RETURN

A warning to anyone thinking about booking the Santorini Planet transfer, boat to Oia then a return bus back to Fira.

Having a reservation & having paid your money in advance means absolutely nothing.

Over two months ago I made a reservation for two people for the 9:45AM transfer on June 12 and had pre-paid for the excursion.

My wife and I arrived via Windstar on 6/12/14, tendered to shore then walked over the Boatmen’s desk ( who actually operate the transfer). They told us that no Santorini Planet tours were being run on that day.

The Boatmen’s got Chimenta Gianluca Manfredi (from Santorini Planet) on the phone and we spoke.

He told me that the transfer runs only when a minimum of 15 people are booked.

I asked him, if he knew that the tour was not going to be run, why he didn’t send me an e-mail so that I could make alternate plans.

Mr. Manfredi gave me a lot of nonsense on the phone about why he couldn’t do.

However, thank goodness Josuf (the person at the Boatmen’s desk) couldn’t have been more helpful.

He called for us and arranged for a taxi friend to get us to Oia (for 15 Euro total) then this person arranged a return transfer back from Oia in the afternoon ( again at 15 Euro). Thank you Josuf!

As far as Mr. Manfredi, you should NOT promote yourself the way you do, accept people’s money in advance and then not deliver on your commitment. Shame on you.

To readers of this posting , again Caveat Emptor!

dani negreanu · June 16, 2014

CAVEAT EMPTOR---SANTORINI PLANET---BOAT FIRA TO OIA THEN BUS RETURN
He called for us and arranged for a taxi friend to get us to Oia (for 15 Euro total) then this person arranged a return transfer back from Oia in the afternoon ( again at 15 Euro). Thank you Josuf!

Thank you for updating and warning.

Am I correct to assume that there was not transfer by boat whatsoever to Oia?

I understood from other posts that "Boatmen" are also running a tranfer by speedboat to Oia, but you cannot book it online....:confused:

As a matter of fact, even if you go to the new site (aegeantraveller.gr), you have to send a "request to book", but they never reply....:mad:

richfromhaw · June 16, 2014

I have no experience with the other site you mention, only with Santorini Planet and it was a very bad experience.

Again it turned out OK with the help of Josuf from the Boatmen's union at the port dock.

He arranged a round trip taxi for 30 Euro total which it turned out was less expensive than the boat/bus transfer.

What still aggravates me is that all Santorini Planet had to do was send an e-mail beforehand advising that the tour will not run.

I would have made alternative travel plans prior to arriving and so would have skipped the aggravation and stress at the port that morning.

bvocruise · June 18, 2014

Do the boats only leave every hour or do they constantly go? I would hate to get there at 0850 and have to wait until 0945. We do plan on getting our tickets in advance.

richfromhaw · June 18, 2014

BVO Cruise,

Last Thursday no boats at any time were run from Fira to Oia.

Understand that because Santorini Planet reneged on their commitment, we had to scramble and taxi to then from Oia.

Caveat Emptor when it comes to Santorini Planet

bvocruise · June 18, 2014

BVO Cruise,
Last Thursday no boats at any time were run from Fira to Oia.

Understand that because Santorini Planet reneged on their commitment, we had to scramble and taxi to then from Oia.

Caveat Emptor when it comes to Santorini Planet

Wow, sorry to hear that. It is difficut to find accurate information in booking the transfer. I found another company that offers the transfer for 25 Euros. I forget the name though. Something like Arigant, but I'll have to check. We have been to Greece before but not Santorini.

Edited June 18, 2014 by bvocruise

TERRIER1 · June 18, 2014

BVO Cruise,
Last Thursday no boats at any time were run from Fira to Oia.

Understand that because Santorini Planet reneged on their commitment, we had to scramble and taxi to then from Oia.

Caveat Emptor when it comes to Santorini Planet

I have a ticket for next week so I am concerned. I just confirmed our ticket and everything was okay.

Holly2 · June 18, 2014

The advantage of not booking in advance is that you can see how long it will take for a boat to fill. I had been planning to use NST ( boatman's union) but ended up taking cable car and taxi because there was only a short line for cable car and we would have had to wait for boat to fill.

Santorini is wonderful however you get there!

richfromhaw · June 18, 2014

TERRIER1,

We also had pre-paid in advance, had printed tickets in hand but in reality that meant nothing.

We stepped off the tender, want to the Boatmen's office and was told "no boats at all are running today".

Fortunately Josuf in that office was able to arrange round trip taxi transfers, he couldn't have been more helpful.

However it doesn't fully offset the behavior of Santorini Planet.

We were left "high & dry" by them.

If you're dealing with Chimenta Gianluca Manfredi , Caveat Emptor.

Below is my post from a few days ago on this subject: