Photo review | MSC Fantasia June 1st 2014 Venice

[spinnaker2]

Amazing we can write in real time, I envy you your trip, and am enjoying it thru the commentary and photos. Again thanks

 

 

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[AmoMondo]

What a fantastic review. Fabulous photos and brilliant commentary. I'm really enjoying reading this and look forward to future instalments.

[Elmartellama]

Thank you :-)

 

After collecting our luggage, we walked to the Piazzale Roma for the people mover to the port. We did not like this option at all. You pay 1€ and then you have to walk like 800 meters to the terminal, it can be made but it's not pleasant. Why not just offering a public shuttle bus from Piazzale Roma that leaves you at the terminal? We think the 2€ shuttle bus service offered in Barcelona is a much better service, since you get off right by the terminal.

 

The Costa Magica, that had the same itinerary of the MSC Fantasia during the first two days, was docked much closer to the people mover, although in a much older terminal.

 

 

We finally got to the terminal, it was nice and and new. Just take into account that the next week we used another terminal to disembark, so maybe they use more than one terminal if it's a very busy day.

 

The whole embarkation process was quite fast and organized, maybe we were on board in little more than 30 minutes. In the first queue they put the tags to your luggage and check your ID. Then you go upstairs and queue for the Check-in. There were many people and it was quite loud, but we just waited a few minutes. The check in was fast, they give you the pre-purchased drink vouchers at that stage, so you have one less thing to do onboard. Then they give you a number, and you have to wait for it to proceed to security, where they check IDs too.

 

There were like 50 waiters and crew after you checked-in to sell you drink packages (maybe excursions?) and so. It was the only active selling moment of the cruise, but it is actually a good thing because you can buy the packages while you wait and don't have to do it afterwards.

 

We had pre-purchased 14 1L water bottles, and a 14 soda package online. At the terminal we purchased an additional Doremi package for 10 milkshakes and non alcohol cocktails, and a 12 cocktails voucher. It was 170€ total. We did not buy the Allegrissimo package since we are light drinkers and it would have been 150€ more for nothing. We even had to drink more than usual on the last day to finish our vouchers!

 

The main advantage of the Allegrissimo for us is that at the end of the dinner in the main restaurant you do not have to wait to sign the bill. If you have vouchers or buy individual drinks you have to "check-out" every night in the restaurant. If your waiter is busy or is disappeared for a while at the time you finish, you just have to wait for him before leaving. Also with the vouchers you can lose them, or not always have them with you.

 

Coming back to the chek-in process, after purchasing the package we had number 20, while the number on the display showed number 19. So we sit and waited for maybe 5 minutes. Some people did not sit even if they advice you too. Then after the security in the terminal we headed towards the ship. She was beautiful! and we just had to wait the final queue as the security personnel onboard the ship let every passenger in after reading their cards.

 

I have read many bad reviews about chek-in in Venice, but to us it was efficient and easy. Everything was well organized and you could make a good use of your time by purchasing things that you needed to do afterwards anyway.

Edited June 22, 2014 by Elmartellama

[Elmartellama]

Upon embarking, we went up to the deck 14 to have lunch. This was one of the first things we saw of the ship. The charming covered pool area, one of my favourite spots to have a drink and relax.

 

 

That day I was quite tired, since it was rather hot. In the buffet area I needed energy so I ate the first fast food I saw without thinking too much, when I started picking nice things it improved a lot. So maybe some people don't like the buffet because they just eat pizzas or hamburgers. That day the buffet was not fully packed, more on that to come.

 

After eating, and a little bit of ship touring, our luggage was already by the cabin door.

 

The room was nice enough for an interior cabin, did not have a sofa but a single chair. To us it was better this way since we had more room to move around. We liked more the MSC decor than the RCI one. They were equal regarding the wardrobe space.

 

 

After unpacking, we attended the security drill, and went up for the Venice sail-away. The ship was supposed to leave at 17:00, but they changed it for 18:30 instead. Why? We'll never know.

 

Sailing out of Venice was special since they're probably banning it for big ships since 2015. We had a few cocktails while we picked up good viewing positions on deck 15.

 

That's when I was attacked by the MSC lido chairs for the very first time. The chair lottery it's a very peculiar MSC thing, sometimes they work, sometimes they don't! I hereby ask the MSC lido chair provider to find a better fixation system fot their umbrella thingy. For the sake of the many innocent MSC chair victims, there must be a way!

 

 

Sorry, the picture should be vertical, but Cruise Critic transform it into horizontal even if you access the file directly it's vertical. How curious o_O

 

The Costa Magica, still in port. On the opposite side, the terminal we used a week after.

 

 

We finally sailed away through the Giudecca channel. I would say it was a one in a lifetime experience except for the fact that we would be enjoying it again in 7 days!

 

 

The sail-away was amazing, the only problem was that some people make the mistake to be on the right side (starboard), when the good one is the left side (port). That's just because the ship faces Venice with the starboard side when docked, but then it rotates.

 

As a result of this lack of knowledge, many people invades the other side of the ship. I don't like being pushed when I'm 50 meters above the water, so we had to keep our positions against rude people to have a safe sail-away party. That was one of the only 2 times during the cruise we did not like the other passengers behaviour.

 

I must admit we enjoyed much more the sail-in a week after, when we were more comfortable. The views however, were always amazing!

 

Edited June 22, 2014 by Elmartellama

[Elmartellama]

Nice Yatch, but ours is bigger! ^_^

 

 

The quiet Bienale Gardens area, one of my favourite places in Venice

 

 

 

 

We stayed until we reached the Lido, and then headed back to the room. Sailing away this late we did not have time to attend the first show, which was a pity since we loved all the other ones. The Cerchio d'Oro dining room was waiting for us, and with it the funny situation we experienced that night

 

Edited June 22, 2014 by Elmartellama

[Norwegian Cruiser 73]

What a great review and stunning photos. Thanks a lot for taking time to share with us, very appreciated. Venice sailaway is fantastic, did it myself on the Divina two years ago. Nice to see photos from the Fantasia, this ship has a special place in my heart :)

[Katgoesonholiday]

I'm loving this and can feel my excitement start to build again after being dormant for the last month

[maryann2]

Thank you for taking the time to do this wonderful review.

You really had crowds in Venice.:eek: I was there at the end of May on a Monday and nothing like that. We also had a free shuttle from the People mover to the ship (Armonia)

Edited June 23, 2014 by maryann2

[suuluu]

Thanks so much for taking the time to post. We are first time cruisers doing this one in October so I appreciate all the info you are giving.

[Elmartellama]

Thank you for taking the time to do this wonderful review.

You really had crowds in Venice.:eek: I was there at the end of May on a Monday and nothing like that. We also had a free shuttle from the People mover to the ship (Armonia)

 

When we had walked maybe 300 meters from the people mover there was a MSC little stand where a person told you where to go. We thought the bus would depart from there (that's why we started walking at first), but the man told us that it departed from the people mover, so we just continued walking.

 

We did not see any indication at the people mover, but maybe there was and it was our mistake. :confused:

 

Anyway, we never saw a shuttle bus while we were walking. Neither on embarkation day nor on disembarkation day. If it does exist I would put clear indications, since everyone we saw just walked.

 

On disembarkation day there was a written "shuttle" sign on the pavement by the terminal, but no other information, so it could have been any shuttle to anywhere. We we were closer to the people mover, and did not want to wait, so we just walked again.

[Elmartellama]

The dining situation

 

After the moving Venice sailaway we were already thinking about which tablemates we would find at the main restaurant. We knew it would be a table for 6, since we had requested a table for 2 with the Maitre d'Or previously and he had told us we would be sharing. The first day they tell you they will accommodate your request if possible, and in that case you should be receiving in you cabin a ticket communicating the change.

 

By 20:30 we had not received anything in our cabin, so we knew we would have to share a table for 6. We always request a table for two because both of us deal with large numbers of people in our jobs. We don't have the need to interact with other people while we are on holidays.

 

That being said, we are communicative and open people, so if we had to be in a table for 6 we were willing to have a minimal interaction with our table mates. We also knew they would be Spanish, so we were able to communicate with them. Our restaurant was the Cerchio d'Oro, the smaller one.

 

We were the first ones at the table, so we sit together next to each other. The next couple who came sit in front of us. They were a maybe 40 years old Spanish couple, cold as ice, they even had to make an effort to say hello. The other couple never came.

 

To break the ice, my partner made an effort to communicate with them on several occasions but they just replied evasively. At that point we felt very awkward, we were not expecting nor willing to become friends to anyone, but not talking to us once was really weird.

 

To make things worse, they made public displays of affection. It's not that they were explicit, but we felt it was unnecessary. We don't usually make public displays of affection in public, so we didn't have the feeling they were against gay people or something, to them we could have just been friends.

 

Even if we are well mannered and discreet people, you can tell we are in love after a little observation. We know our lifestyle might not be accepted by everyone, that's why we always want to avoid the risk of sharing a table, you can meet fantastic people but you can meet really rude people like that couple as well.

 

By the end of the dinner, I told my partner to wait until the other couple had left. He looked at me like :confused: but he complied. As soon as they had left, we also left, this way we made sure they had not talked to the Metre d'Or requesting a table change.

 

Then, again, I talked to the Metre d'Or in italian, explaining to him that we had a problem with the other couple since they refused to talk to us. Luckily the chief Maitre d'Or was with him (we learned he was the chief in the "crew parade" in the Theatre several days after). Again, they told us they would see what they could do and if possible we would receive a card communicating the change.

 

The following day we did receive a card and we finally got a table for two, we were very happy about it. Life was still good :)

 

Now a tip to other passengers. On our first cruise with Royal Caribbean, we did "my time dining", and always had a table for 2, we did not request it on this occasion because we thought MSC did not offer it.

 

MSC Fantasia has 2 independent main dining rooms, Red Velvet and Cerchio d'Oro. Both of them published the menu outside the restaurant, so one night we passed by the Red Velvet (the other restaurant) and we saw a sign explaining you could actually book a "my choice dining" there.

 

We never asked for the service since in the end we had a table for 2 and it worked just fine. So if you are interested look for this sign and ask. It's by the Red Velvet lobby, I believe it's on deck 5.

 

Edited June 23, 2014 by Elmartellama

[papcx]

Great review, loving it.

 

I believe the my choice dining is only available on one of the new experiences.

[Elmartellama]

Thank you!

 

Day 2 - Bari

 

Bari was supposed to be the least interesting port of our itinerary. According to a friend of mine, some years ago there were policemen escorting the cruise excursions ??? my parents had also been there and defined it as "ugly".

 

I don't think Bari is the most beautiful Italian city, but it's not that bad, and we always felt quite safe. The port is close to the city centre, a 10 minute walk tops, so no need for transportation. You can spend 2-3 hours wandering around the historic centre streets and do some shopping at Via Sparano.

 

We were arriving at 12:00, and since 09:00h or so we could see the Italian coast in the distance. One thing we liked a lot on this cruise was that there was a good mix of navigation and port time.

 

Our last Western Mediterranean cruise was in late September, and most days we were in port from 07:00 to 19:00. That allows you to make long excursions, but it also means we enjoyed almost no daylight navigation at all, except for the navigation day when we were always in open waters.

 

As is the usual case for MSC, there was quite a mix of passenger nationalities. The most present nationalities on board were French, German and Italian. There were a lot of Japanese as well. There were not many children since it was not school holiday yet. Most children we encountered were little and mostly well behaved, so they didn't bother too much.

 

Compared to what we experienced on the Liberty of the Seas the decks were always very packed. We believe that except for Japanese and Arabic passengers, everyone else in the ship enjoyed sunbathing, regardless of their age. Maybe other lines offer more indoor entertainment, so that people are more spread throughout the ship.

 

You could find a chair more easily moving towards the back of the ship. But that area was noisier (because of the ship fans) and when it was windy it smelled very bad, since the ship fumes go down instead of going up. This was what we liked the least of the cruise. Maybe we were unlucky as many days were very windy. if you want to avoid this, stay towards the front and middle of the ship.

 

We finally arrived in Bari and went down to the buffet.

 

 

After a short walk we visited the St. Nicholas (aka "Santa Claus") Basilica, that it's very important to the Orthodox Christians. There were many Russians there praying.

 

The building was very well restored and it's a curious place to visit, we liked it a lot.

 

 

The picture is very bad, but the columns and chapters were all different and nice. If I got that right, according to the legend St. Nicholas brought a sacred column from Rome by sea, and at one point a couple of angels moved the column from the port to its current position.

 

 

To protect me from the sun I bought a cap with an Italian flag on it. We live in an island that receives millions of tourist every year, so it was funny to finally dress like one of them. I also used that cap for the Italian themed night later.

 

After visiting the Cathedral, that we found to be not as interesting, we went shopping a bit at Via Sparano, where the main shops and brands are. There are also some interesting buildings. You can also visit the Normand Castle, which we did not.

 

 

We then headed back to the ship, relaxed for a while and enjoyed the sail away. Like I said we were able to see all the sail-in and sail-aways of the itinerary, which is always an entertaining thing to see. Costa Magica was still with us, but we parted ways after Bari, ciao Bella ciao.

 

 

Today was Italian night, and there was a happy festive feeling floating around. Accordingly, the show that night was "Sogno italiano" (Italian dream). We liked all shows, this was not the best of them in our opinion, but they sang quite well and it set us in a very Italian mood!

 

[Elmartellama]

The dining situation continued

 

The second night was Italian themed, so all the food was quite good and all dishes were very Italian. We had been moved somewhere in between the French and Spanish section of the dining room. MSC dining rooms are somehow like the post World War II Berlin, and we were in the Check-point-Charlie of it all.

 

Our waiter was in the french-speaking zone, so I guess we were considered french after all. Mon amour, I speak Catalan, Spanish, English, Italian and German, but no French! That's certainly bad luck.

 

There were actually no major issues, it's just that my partner liked the first waiter more as he was friendlier, offered cheese for the pasta!, and understood Spanish. That's the price we had to pay for changing tables, maybe french people don't like cheese with the pasta and you're lost in translation!

 

Our assitant waiter was not very good, nor friendly. I feel sorry to say this because I know how much they work, but I can't lie. We thought we were supposed to ask the drinks to the assistant waiter, as in Royal Caribbean, but it turns out you don't, or maybe you do, or maybe it was all our fault. We never knew...

 

On the other hand, we asked for unconventional things and the waiter always said no problem. We asked for the cheese platter as an entree to share, or even some main courses to share as well. All in all, I was happy enough with the service. My partner didn't like it so much, since he talks more than me and prefers more social interaction.

 

By the way, service was fast and efficient! We were always served in 75 to 90 minutes. And not just us, many other tables as well. Timing was just perfect, we both agreed on that. We do not need to linger for hours on a daily basis, and we are as Mediterranean as it gets. Culturally we do that on special occasions and weekends, and only with other people, not just us.

 

Regarding our former table, the "cold" couple did not appear in the main dining room that night. There was a new couple that had embarked in Bari, they seemed very nice and had the table to themselves that night. Whenever we encountered them around we knew who they were, and the story of their table, but they did not who we were, so it was quite funny.

 

On the third night the cold couple came back, and they met the new couple. They acted the same way, and the poor new friendly couple was in shock as well. When the cold couple left the waiter even told them not to worry, again we were flipping out.

 

On the fourth night, that table was empty. It was rather sad. Eventually the new couple came back and they only shared the table with the cold couple once more.

 

So, in the end, the unfriendly couple just dined 3 times at the main dining room. What they did the other days, still a mistery!

[travelberlin]

After having been in Bari, would you recommend to just walk around or would you rather consider a ship excursion?

 

In relation to choice dining, I think it is just for people who have booked the aurea category. Maybe I am wrong...

Edited June 24, 2014 by travelberlin

[Elmartellama]

Day 3 - Katakolon

 

We were supposed to be docking in Katakolon at 13:00h and set sail at 19:00. The previous weeks MSC Fantasia was reported (by service providers in the port) to arrive at 11:00h.

 

In the end, since Katakolon is an open port, and due to high winds in the afternoon, we arrived in Katakolon at 09:00h and we left at 14:00h. So we would be having an hour less, in an already short port call.

 

Sailing in Katakolon was also nice, we watched it from the still quiet Zanzibar buffet.

 

 

We had rented a car with Avis, hoping to arrive sooner and leaving at 19:00h. Our plan was going to Olimpia and then go to Agios Andreas, which is a small beach 4km from Katakolon with several beach clubs. With only 5 hours time, which were actually little more than 4 hours, we could only go to Olympia, it was cloudy and windy so we would have skipped the beach anyway.

 

The road to Olympia was easy, but it is not in very good condition. We found little gipsy children who were begging at a traffic sign crossing before Pyrgos, they hit the card to get our attention. It was not a pleasing thing to see and we even had to lock the car.

 

Looking back, we think that renting a car in Katakolon, even if wasn't too expensive, was not a good idea. MSC offered onboard transfers to Olympia for 21€ that they don't publish on their web page. The car cost 30€ per person since it was 45€ and they told us to put 15€ in fuel, which is way too much for a 80km ride.

 

Renting a car is a good idea if you have more time in port, because then you can go to Agios Andreas or visit the winery near Katakolon. Still, we can say we drove in Greece, even if the drive to Olimpia was not very interesting.

 

Olympia itself has a beautiful location. The archeological site is not very big, and most buildings were completely destroyed over the centuries. It has great symbolism and I liked mostly because of its historic significance. Nevertheless, the weather was not very nice and in the end it was certainly not our favourite port of call.

 

I was surprised at how the mosaics are still in good condition being in the open air.

 

 

One interesting thing I learned was that the Stadium had no chairs, only the jury was seated.

 

 

Now this might seem silly to you, but to my partner the most shocking thing of the most important stadium of all times were the giants ants! They are like 10 times bigger than the ants of Mallorca, which up to that day we thought that were the standard size. He was like o_O ?

 

 

The temple of Zeus was also interesting, we learned that only the Olympic winners and the priest were allowed inside, while the pilgrims prayed outside. Nowadays the gigantic chapters and pieces of columns are all over the place (they were destroyed after several earthquakes).

 

We decided not to rush it in the archeological site and see it properly, so to play it safe we did not visit the museum. I recommend visiting it if you have time because I guess this way you can see more quality and fine pieces. We have this pending for some future visit to Katakolon.

 

After a while we were back in Katakolon, where we toured around a bit.

 

There are many bars, cafes, souvenir shops etc. If you have several hours to spare and the weather is good, a good cafe with Wifi by the shore can be a good idea.

 

The sea was rough at the beach by the pier. Now I realize I made a mistake about the Bari day review, the Costa Magica was still with us in Katakolon, but only for an hour. They arrived at the normal scheduled time since her berth was better protected against the winds.

 

[Elmartellama]

After having been in Bari, would you recommend to just walk around or would you rather consider a ship excursion?

 

In relation to choice dining, I think it is just for people who have booked the aurea category. Maybe I am wrong...

 

We chose to walk around in Bari because our 12 day trip was already very intense, and so was the 7 day Fantasia itinerary itself. So we used Bari a relaxing port where we had nothing planned.

 

We actually liked Bari, and given our low expectations we had a great time spending about 3 hours there. We could have visited the Castle but we didn't feel like it at that point.

 

In retrospective I think we made the right call.

 

That being said, if we can continue travelling and cruising we're likely to visit Bari again in the future (since it's present in so many different lines itineraries) so we never thought about doing an excursion elsewhere.

 

If you mean we would consider doing a ship tour of Bari city, my answer is no. It's the easiest port of the itinerary, you don't need transportation and I don't think you will see more than what we did at our own relaxed pace. That unless you have severe mobility issues.

 

If you mean we would consider a ship excursion to Alberobello, Matera or Polignano, my answer is yes. If we're back in Bari that's what we'll probably do.

 

According to the MSC excursion brochure they give you on board, the excursions offered in Bari are:

 

Bari city: 40€ / 4 hours: just the same that we did, it does not include entering the Castle which was 4€ I think.

 

Alberobello: 51€ / 4 hours

Matera: 51€ / 4 hours.

Polignano a Mare and caves: 46€ / 4 hours

Trani: 40€ / 4 hours

 

---

 

I guess you are right abut the Aurea category privileges. Good thing we got a table for 2 then!

[Elmartellama]

We were back to the ship well in time, we usually leave an hour margin before the official closing time.

 

 

That's when we hit disaster.

 

Since the scheduled had been changed and the time in port reduced, almost everyone came back to the ship at the very same time. Since it was somewhere between 13:00 and 14:00 the first thing everyone did after coming aboard was go to have lunch.

 

It was pure chaos. No ship in the world could have successfully managed this invasion properly, I must say. But the situation was bad, and loud. All tables, and even bars, were taken.

 

Everyone was sharing tables with unknown passengers at that point. I helped out a mother with some small children to find a seat, since another hopeless hungry man was arguing with her about the seats she had reserved for her husband, to finally sit there ??? Another Italian woman asked me out of the blue how did I pay to connect to the Internet, I guess to desperately whatsapp other lost passengers in the middle of the buffet?

 

The good thing is that on a normal schedule MSC Fantasia departs Katakolon at 19:00h, so that does just not happen. The most incredible thing was that there was virtually no lack of food, crew was working super fast given the circumstances.

 

My advice if you find yourself in a situation like that is either wait or go to the dining rooms below. My partner loves buffets so we stayed, but I did not enjoy the craziness of the situation.

 

There were several other times when other people sit next to us in the buffet, both at lunch or breakfast. Everyone was very well mannered and we didn't mind, but we were surprised since we would never do that in our culture.

 

We recommend siting at the tables at the back of the buffet. They were usually more quiet, even though on some occasions all of them were full as well.

 

The Katakolon sail-away was something we'll remember! It was super windy by the time. The ship had to make a 180º rotation outside the port, so everything started to vibrate intensely, even the water by the pool O:

 

 

I didn't dare to stand on deck 15 anymore, it was scary! I was shielded behind the ship steel structure when I took the picture proving he's braver than me:

 

 

We obviously made use of the covered "I tropici" pool that day. The roof was covered for the whole cruise by the way, which created a subtle warm micro-climate. It was good not only for swimming, but also as a relaxation area or lounge. MSC has nice and comfy furniture.

 

 

Soon it was time to get ready for Gala Night. This cruise had actually 5 themed nights, the 2 gala nights, the Italian night, and the 60s night. People dressed accordingly, and the atmosphere was happy.

 

I got a bit drunk with the free Cocktail hour, I'm not used to drinking and it shows. We preferred the cocktails by the pools, but they were not bad. About the bars on the lower decks, my favourite was the Manhattan Bar. Very friendly bartenders and waiters there, just like in all other bars.

 

 

Like I explained we had a large number of Japanese passengers, on gala night some Japanese women dressed in their regional gala costumes. There was a woman, to whom I did not took a picture out of respect, that was wearing an incredibly beautiful and elegant white Kimono, we told her it was spectacular!

 

We loved the atrium area at dinner time, so festive and with so much to observe. This other Japanese couple was elegant as well.

 

Edited June 24, 2014 by Elmartellama

[PathfinderEss]

Great photo's.

[travelberlin]

We chose to walk around in Bari because our 12 day trip was already very intense, and so was the 7 day Fantasia itinerary itself. So we used Bari a relaxing port where we had nothing planned.

 

We actually liked Bari, and given our low expectations we had a great time spending about 3 hours there. We could have visited the Castle but we didn't feel like it at that point.

 

In retrospective I think we made the right call.

 

That being said, if we can continue travelling and cruising we're likely to visit Bari again in the future (since it's present in so many different lines itineraries) so we never thought about doing an excursion elsewhere.

 

If you mean we would consider doing a ship tour of Bari city, my answer is no. It's the easiest port of the itinerary, you don't need transportation and I don't think you will see more than what we did at our own relaxed pace. That unless you have severe mobility issues.

 

If you mean we would consider a ship excursion to Alberobello, Matera or Polignano, my answer is yes. If we're back in Bari that's what we'll probably do.

 

According to the MSC excursion brochure they give you on board, the excursions offered in Bari are:

 

Bari city: 40€ / 4 hours: just the same that we did, it does not include entering the Castle which was 4€ I think.

 

Alberobello: 51€ / 4 hours

Matera: 51€ / 4 hours.

Polignano a Mare and caves: 46€ / 4 hours

Trani: 40€ / 4 hours

 

---

 

I guess you are right abut the Aurea category privileges. Good thing we got a table for 2 then!

 

Thanks for your answer. It helps a lot.

[Elmartellama]

Day 6 - Santorini (cruise day 4)

 

The weather was improving when we arrived in Santorini, yet it was not completely sunny and warm.

 

Now, the most important tip that I can give you (that I read in a recent review on this forum) is to get your tender tickets soon. It makes a great difference to your day, and all you have to do is wake up a bit earlier.

 

According to the MSC Daily you can collect tender tickets at Insolito Lounge (deck 7, rear) starting 07:45. Usually they begin issuing tickets earlier. I went there at 07:30 or so, and I got tickets for tender number 2. Tender tickets number 1 and 2 were the first ones to be called afterwards, so it wasn't necessary to have tender number 1 ticket.

 

Then we had breakfast at the buffet, which was still calm, then we went to the tender exit area (don't remember the deck, but there are signs). I believe we were on land at 08:40 or so, and took the cable car with no wait at all. In Katakolon, Santorini, Athens and Dubrovnik we were the first ones to get off the ship!

 

We had previously decided not to go with the donkeys because my partner felt it was not good for them. To be honest, we always saw they were well treated and they were quite strong. It didn't look as if they were suffering.

 

We took this picture at 08:53, so everything was going well. We were not in a hurry in Santorini, but we didn't want to queue a lot for the cable car.

 

 

Then we took the public bus to Oia. When you exit the cable car, turn right, follow the street along the cliff for a while and then turn left. We asked for directions to the bus station and every local we found was helpful.

 

The public bus it's quite cheap and it runs every 20 minutes or so, they have an electronic display showing Oia. You take a seat in the bus (if you can) without paying, and another man comes after the bus has departed to collect your money. The ride was not long.

 

Santorini's landscape is much more interesting from the sea. When you're on the island it's not that appealing, I must say. We wouldn't spend a whole week there (for that we would have chosen Corfu). Oia on the other hand was lovely, ideal for a day visit or a weekend break.

 

 

We walked a bit and then went to a Cafe with nice views for a while. The infinity pools and jacuzzis are the best!

 

 

Oia is not very big, but you can spend a good 2 / 3 hours wandering around at a slow pace. It was still a bit hazy, in radiant sunshine it must be even better!

 

 

There is a curious art gallery at the main shopping street

 

 

Stay off "thoyr hoyse", for the Greek gods sake!

 

[Elmartellama]

In Santorini, and in Greece in general, you find a lot of cats and dogs on the streets. They always seem to be sleeping!

 

 

No matter where you looked, it was beautifully iconic all around

 

 

Notice the swimming pool that has part of it in a cave, genius!

 

 

This is a group of Donkeys descending into one of the two "ports" of Oia. We followed this path for a while, it's a bit tirening and there's not much to see in the port. The Donkeys are so cute.

 

 

One shocking fact about Santorini is that it seems to be a popular destination for newly wed Japanese couples. You walk the little streets of the town and all of the sudden you stumble upon a Japanese bride with her dress flowing in the wind!

 

 

There were several couples taking pictures, but she was our favourite. We greeted her and she greeted back, glowing like a princess who had just found it's lost prince on a deserted Cyclades island in the middle of the Aegean sea *_*

 

Edited June 25, 2014 by Elmartellama

[spinnaker2]

Santorini is beautiful and crisp, the blue and white just accentuates it's glory.

When we were there it was so chock full of tourists and beastly hot.

We imagined the earth moving and the caldera bubbling under a new volcanic event. We have been told it's going to happen some time, hopefully not soon.

Thanks for rekindling the memories.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Elmartellama]

Hopefully not!

 

You're welcome. We were very lucky in Santorini, as for the most part of the morning the MSC Fantasia was the only ship there. The stylish Celebrity Reflection arrived past midday I believe. It was actually one of the days we found less crowds.

[Elmartellama]

We continued towards the furthest part of Oia, still nice.

 

 

Then we headed back, the "new" part of the town is built with the same style, you know that because the further you go, the more infinity pools you find. We would have enjoyed a day-pass in some of that hotels so much.

 

 

Back in Fira, we descended the donkey path on foot. We had had a wonderful a time, had enough time, and did not want to queue for the cable car.

 

 

The tender process was very efficient, those Santorini sailors know what they are doing.

 

 

The Zanzibar buffet was back to normal that day. At 17:00 we set sail heading for Athens. Sail away was amazing as usual in this itinerary, this was Oia from the sea

 

 

We left the Celebrity Reflection behind. If only we could sail on her in the future!