Santorini-Is boat to Oia running this year?

[Travel To Be Free]

I can't find Santorini Planet info online. This was in my plans and I wanted to book my ticket for July. Website not coming up. Is there any vendor anyone is aware of?

 

If not, when you get to the top, what are the directions to the public bus?

[surfcitygirl]

Was in Santorini last week. The Boatmen's boat was running, but it was only once a day leaving at 9 AM. There is a shop right when you get off that sells the tickets. For now they are only 8 euro, but all I have read in the past is $25, but maybe that's in the summer. We saw the boat sitting there at 8:30 when we got off the tender, bought our tickets, and hopped on. There was only one bus back to Fira/Thira, at 11 AM, so we had about an hour and a half in Oia. I assume the schedule will change soon as visitors increase to the two boats and more bus return opportunities that I have seen in previous posts.

[Travel To Be Free]

So glad because I really wanted to go this route. Was the ride there scenic?

[surfcitygirl]

It was nice to see everyhing on the water level on the ride over and also to see a different view of the island on the bus ride back.

[Ha-pealady]

Was in Santorini last week. The Boatmen's boat was running, but it was only once a day leaving at 9 AM. There is a shop right when you get off that sells the tickets. For now they are only 8 euro, but all I have read in the past is $25, but maybe that's in the summer. We saw the boat sitting there at 8:30 when we got off the tender, bought our tickets, and hopped on. There was only one bus back to Fira/Thira, at 11 AM, so we had about an hour and a half in Oia. I assume the schedule will change soon as visitors increase to the two boats and more bus return opportunities that I have seen in previous posts.

 

That is really confusing news as I have been told by several tour companies that the boat service was illegal and has been stopped and there is a court action going on! Now, I am unsure what to do as we were hoping to get this boat service again this year and have been looking at other alternatives but it looks like it is still running, albeit a small schedule at the moment.

[roothy123]

That is really confusing news as I have been told by several tour companies that the boat service was illegal and has been stopped and there is a court action going on! Now, I am unsure what to do as we were hoping to get this boat service again this year and have been looking at other alternatives but it looks like it is still running, albeit a small schedule at the moment.

 

I guess only time will tell. Strange.

[Travel To Be Free]

What date are you in?

[roothy123]

What date are you in?

 

I won't be there until first week of October, so I can't be of much help in reporting back. Maybe someone else is going sooner...anyone?

 

I don't think I would be able to get on a 9:00 boat as my cruise line, at least last month, made the independent people wait until 9:30 to get on a tender! Ugh.

[JollyFish]

That is really confusing news as I have been told by several tour companies that the boat service was illegal and has been stopped and there is a court action going on! Now, I am unsure what to do as we were hoping to get this boat service again this year and have been looking at other alternatives but it looks like it is still running, albeit a small schedule at the moment.

 

My guess is that those "several tour companies" know that once you decide to go with the boat to Oia, it's a business opportunity they lost. ;)

 

The ship I will be on will tender at Santorini on June 17th at 7 am along with two other cruise ships at the same time, and one more at 9 am. Taking a speedboat to Oia is my plan. I will give an update afterward. I plan to pay the boat fare when I get there instead of making an advanced reservation.

 

Disclaimer: This is my first visit to Santorini, so the above opinion is the result of my homework and judgement call.

 

P.S. If you will be touring a place where the holy month of Ramadan is observed, such as Istanbul, between June 18 and July 19, 2015, you may want to read a thread I started recently - Holy month of Ramadan: June 18 - July 16 (up to 19), 2015

[Ha-pealady]

My guess is that those "several tour companies" know that once you decide to go with the boat to Oia, it's a business opportunity they lost. ;)

 

The ship I will be on will tender at Santorini on June 17th at 7 am along with two other cruise ships at the same time, and one more at 9 am. Taking a speedboat to Oia is my plan. I will give an update afterward. I plan to pay the boat fare when I get there instead of making an advanced reservation.

 

Disclaimer: This is my first visit to Santorini, so the above opinion is the result of my homework and judgement call.

 

P.S. If you will be touring a place where the holy month of Ramadan is observed, such as Istanbul, between June 18 and July 19, 2015, you may want to read a thread I started recently - Holy month of Ramadan: June 18 - July 16 (up to 19), 2015

 

I suspect your guess is probably accurate; there is certainly something amiss here with the conflicting story. I would appreciate your feedback when you return from your trip. We are there early October so we have plenty of time to get feedback from this thread. Santorini, in my opinion, is Oia and there is nowhere else on the island that appeals so we just want to get there as quickly as possible and spend most of the day there before returning to Fira by bus so this service is perfect for us. Most tour companies want to take you all over the island which only gives limited time in Oia and want exhorbitant prices to do that. Island round trips in my opinion are better spent on other Greek Islands but that is only my opinion of course. Oia is spectacular and not to be missed. We are also starting and finishing our cruise in Istanbul so Ramadan is not a problem for us this time. Enjoy your trip!

[Travel To Be Free]

If anyone is there 7/15/15 on Equinox, we booked a boat classified as a tour, but really just transport. There is room for three more. If we have 10, the price will be €15 each and then the bus up to Oia is around €3.5. Have to get your own transport back.

[White Cloud]

If anyone is there 7/15/15 on Equinox, we booked a boat classified as a tour, but really just transport. There is room for three more. If we have 10, the price will be €15 each and then the bus up to Oia is around €3.5. Have to get your own transport back.

 

Would you please let me know the name of the company providing this service? Thank you.

[Travel To Be Free]

Santorini Sea Trips Anemos

[JollyFish]

...

The ship I will be on will tender at Santorini on June 17th at 7 am along with two other cruise ships at the same time, and one more at 9 am. Taking a speedboat to Oia is my plan. I will give an update afterward. I plan to pay the boat fare when I get there instead of making an advanced reservation.

...

[/url]

 

Sorry about the delay in getting this update posted. Everything below is based on our experience at Santorini on July 17, 2015.

 

There were 5 cruise ships anchored off Santorini that day, with over 10,000 passenger load. Our ship Celebrity Equinox was one of the early arrivals, and we were on the first tender boat at 7 am and it took about 10 minutes to reach the pier. When the tender docked, it was right in front of a store for "Speedboat to Oia" for 15 euro pp. It is toward the left end of the pier. A couple stores to its right, I saw another sign for similar service at 8 euro, but the guy there told me that due to safety concern with the heavy traffic, their boat was not running (go figure). So I bought the ticket for 15 euro and found out that the first boat wouldn't depart until 8 AM. Around this time, the gondola line was running with little waiting, so there weren't a lot of people for the speedboat.

 

 

Around 8:10, the speedboat departed. It wasn't crowded so we sat on the upper deck. Nice scenery and ride.

 

 

It took about 20 minutes to get close to the pier below Oia. Then we saw a sail/motor boat there re-fueling and took the pier space. Our boat waited for until that sail boat pulled out and we docked. That's around 8:40. After walking up a short distance, a bus was waiting there taking us up to Oia. At this time, I counted 36 tourists who got on this bus. Before the bus reached its stop to let us off, it passed the main parking lot and I saw about 6 or 7 tour buses already there. We got off the bus and someone from the bus/tour company pointed us in the right direction for touring the town. The problem is, those narrow streets already had a lot of people, I guess from the tour buses and those who took taxi or local bus from Fira while we were waiting for the speedboat.

 

After touring the town, including a photo stop at the Oia Castle and a break at a coffee/ice cream shop on the edge of the cliff, we went back to where we got off the bus (see photo below) for the first bus to Fira at 11 AM. Natually, the crowd had gotten even bigger.

 

 

Overall, no compliant for the "Speedboat to Oia service". However, my main goal of reaching Oia before the crowd was hardly met. I used to think the shore excursion from the ship might stop at a winery before going for Oia. That's why I wanted to take the speedboat. It seemed to me that one of the excursion from Celebrity started at 7 AM and went to Oia as the first stop. With the on board credit we had, taking the excursion from the ship wouldn't have cost us much anyway.

 

Well, maybe next time.

[Bobal]

Very useful information Jollyfish. Thank you.

 

We are the opposite to you in that we are planning to go to Oia later in the day since our ship doesn't leave until 10pm so wanted to get there after the morning crowds have dispersed.

 

Did you happen to notice whether the boat to Oia runs all day - or at least until around lunchtime?

 

Thanks

[Ha-pealady]

Very useful information Jollyfish. Thank you.

 

We are the opposite to you in that we are planning to go to Oia later in the day since our ship doesn't leave until 10pm so wanted to get there after the morning crowds have dispersed.

 

Did you happen to notice whether the boat to Oia runs all day - or at least until around lunchtime?

 

Thanks

 

Last year I seem to recall that the boat to Oia departed at either 7.45, 8.45 or 9.45am. That was the last boat that went to Oia - the later boat took you to the other port. They only run in the mornings, or did last year

[Ha-pealady]

Sorry about the delay in getting this update posted. Everything below is based on our experience at Santorini on July 17, 2015.

 

There were 5 cruise ships anchored off Santorini that day, with over 10,000 passenger load. Our ship Celebrity Equinox was one of the early arrivals, and we were on the first tender boat at 7 am and it took about 10 minutes to reach the pier. When the tender docked, it was right in front of a store for "Speedboat to Oia" for 15 euro pp. It is toward the left end of the pier. A couple stores to its right, I saw another sign for similar service at 8 euro, but the guy there told me that due to safety concern with the heavy traffic, their boat was not running (go figure). So I bought the ticket for 15 euro and found out that the first boat wouldn't depart until 8 AM. Around this time, the gondola line was running with little waiting, so there weren't a lot of people for the speedboat.

 

 

Around 8:10, the speedboat departed. It wasn't crowded so we sat on the upper deck. Nice scenery and ride.

 

 

It took about 20 minutes to get close to the pier below Oia. Then we saw a sail/motor boat there re-fueling and took the pier space. Our boat waited for until that sail boat pulled out and we docked. That's around 8:40. After walking up a short distance, a bus was waiting there taking us up to Oia. At this time, I counted 36 tourists who got on this bus. Before the bus reached its stop to let us off, it passed the main parking lot and I saw about 6 or 7 tour buses already there. We got off the bus and someone from the bus/tour company pointed us in the right direction for touring the town. The problem is, those narrow streets already had a lot of people, I guess from the tour buses and those who took taxi or local bus from Fira while we were waiting for the speedboat.

 

After touring the town, including a photo stop at the Oia Castle and a break at a coffee/ice cream shop on the edge of the cliff, we went back to where we got off the bus (see photo below) for the first bus to Fira at 11 AM. Natually, the crowd had gotten even bigger.

 

 

Overall, no compliant for the "Speedboat to Oia service". However, my main goal of reaching Oia before the crowd was hardly met. I used to think the shore excursion from the ship might stop at a winery before going for Oia. That's why I wanted to take the speedboat. It seemed to me that one of the excursion from Celebrity started at 7 AM and went to Oia as the first stop. With the on board credit we had, taking the excursion from the ship wouldn't have cost us much anyway.

 

Well, maybe next time.

Thanks so much for the update, confirms what I suspected, the boat DOES still run but the tour companies do not want you to know this!

[JollyFish]

Very useful information Jollyfish. Thank you.

 

We are the opposite to you in that we are planning to go to Oia later in the day since our ship doesn't leave until 10pm so wanted to get there after the morning crowds have dispersed.

 

Did you happen to notice whether the boat to Oia runs all day - or at least until around lunchtime?

 

Thanks

 

I don't know how late the boat would run, but I did hear that the bus from Oia to Fira ran 4 times at 11 am, noon, 1 pm and 2 pm.