Another question.....Santorini

[aloha123]

I am looking to book a shore excursion for this port as advised by members here. As a newbie, my question is where would the ship would tender us to. Fira?

 

We arrive in Santorini at 8am. So is it safe to book a tour that leaves 9am leaving from the Fira port? This tour is very simular to one we can book onboard but I worry it will be full so would like to book this private tour instead. Thank you again everyone. I am researching like crazy but really feel l need the confirmation from those who have done this before.

[mrbluesea]

Hi, we also visited santorini with Azamara and docked at fira. The problem is getting from the port to fira. It's either cable car, donkey or 600 steps on the same track used by the donkeys. I would think planning a tour one hour after planned docking time is a little tight. The Azamara trip we took was fine other than the visit to the wine tasting.

[NeilWM]

Another key variable is how many other ships (of what size) are visiting Santorini that day. You are possibly ok competing against only other Azamara passengers many of which will tender to another location but there are often a few other ships there

[excitedofharpenden]

16 hours ago, aloha123 said:

I am looking to book a shore excursion for this port as advised by members here. As a newbie, my question is where would the ship would tender us to. Fira?

 

We arrive in Santorini at 8am. So is it safe to book a tour that leaves 9am leaving from the Fira port? This tour is very simular to one we can book onboard but I worry it will be full so would like to book this private tour instead. Thank you again everyone. I am researching like crazy but really feel l need the confirmation from those who have done this before.

Lily, I'd say that was ambitious.  Santorini can be a challenge.  The ship anchors and will use local tenders that will take you to the foot of Fira and from there as mrbluesea says, it's either a cable car, donkey ride or on foot up the steps avoiding the donkey poo to get up to Fira itself.  The big issue the day we are there is the number of ships.  Official port load says six ships arrive in the morning with 8,500 guests and another arriving late afternoon, 1,200 guests.  That is really horrible.  I'd be taking some advice from the tour operator to see what they think, but getting off the ship for a 9am start will just be stressful for you.  Just my thoughts.

 

Phil

[janerlve]

17 hours ago, aloha123 said:

We arrive in Santorini at 8am. So is it safe to book a tour that leaves 9am leaving from the Fira port? 

 

The tender boats normally take 5 mins from the ship to Fira port, so if you are leaving from Fira port at 9 am that should be fine especially if you have access to the priority line.

[berkshireboy]

4 hours ago, mrbluesea said:

Hi, we also visited santorini with Azamara and docked at fira. The problem is getting from the port to fira. It's either cable car, donkey or 600 steps on the same track used by the donkeys. I would think planning a tour one hour after planned docking time is a little tight. The Azamara trip we took was fine other than the visit to the wine tasting.

 

We've just booked that tour [a lot of on board credit to use].  Can I ask what the problem was with the wine tasting?

[mrbluesea]

*Its was just the sheer number of people at the wine tasting location.  If you are there when other ships are in they will also visit the same location and getting to taste the wine was a bit chaotic. Having said that, the view from the location was excellent, it was just the number of people that was the problem. 

If you Google *toms port guide* you will get a good idea of the docking issue at fira.  There is a good picture on the first webpage.

 

[aloha123]

Thank you for all your responses. Looks like 9am might be a bit tight for a shore excursion. That was my worry so thank you for the confirmation. The Azamara one would be less stressful but it says you can't book online (check onboard) so I worry it will fill up before we get a chance to sign up. Santorini is going to be a challenge with all those people that day yet I want to see whatever we can fit in. 

 

In general with ports, how soon after the arrival time would you tend to book shore excursions, especially if it's not through the ship?

[audobon_tx]

13 hours ago, aloha123 said:

Thank you for all your responses. Looks like 9am might be a bit tight for a shore excursion. That was my worry so thank you for the confirmation. The Azamara one would be less stressful but it says you can't book online (check onboard) so I worry it will fill up before we get a chance to sign up. Santorini is going to be a challenge with all those people that day yet I want to see whatever we can fit in. 

 

In general with ports, how soon after the arrival time would you tend to book shore excursions, especially if it's not through the ship?

 

Depends.  Tender ports, other than special cases like Santorini, an hour minimum.  Docking  ports less.  Tour operators that meet you at the pier will often be flexible and monitor arrival times in real time.  If you book a private or small group tour they will always wait for you, within reason of course.  The ones you have to join in town or wherever may leave without you if you are very late.

 

Tip for Santorini: skip the tours, tender to the base landing, take a boat (several operators available in kiosks before you get to the cable car) to Oia that includes transfer to Oia town and return bus to Fira.  Easy, cheap, reliable, and you see the picture postcard spots.

Edited April 16, 2019 by flyingshoes

[aloha123]

14 hours ago, flyingshoes said:

 

Depends.  Tender ports, other than special cases like Santorini, an hour minimum.  Docking  ports less.  Tour operators that meet you at the pier will often be flexible and monitor arrival times in real time.  If you book a private or small group tour they will always wait for you, within reason of course.  The ones you have to join in town or wherever may leave without you if you are very late.

 

Tip for Santorini: skip the tours, tender to the base landing, take a boat (several operators available in kiosks before you get to the cable car) to Oia that includes transfer to Oia town and return bus to Fira.  Easy, cheap, reliable, and you see the picture postcard spots.

Thank you Flyingshoes. Yes, I do have a backup plan in my notes about the kiosks where you can get a transfer to Oia. I might just go with this regardless. Thank you for your information!

[Host Jazzbeau]

I second the suggestion to take a boat from the Fira tender dock to Oia.  That way you beat the crowds into Oia, and when you go back to Fira the crowds will be disbursed from there [at least somewhat].  There are two caveats with this plan:  (1) you must get off the ship as early as possible or risk missing the last boat to Oia [this happened to us]; and (2) at the end of the day, you will be in the midst of the hordes trying to get back down to Fira port for the tenders [and there is no way around that].

 

Another option – best for those who have already visited  Santorini and have seen Oia and Fira, is to charter a boat that will pick you up at either the Fira tender port or the Oia port and take you around the caldera.  It is a very relaxing trip, and you can swim in the hot springs at Nea Kameni in the middle of the caldera [and/or climb to the top of the volcano] if you like.  Most importantly: they can drop you back at the Fira tender port – so you avoid the lines for the trip down the cliff!

[audobon_tx]

49 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Another option – best for those who have already visited  Santorini and have seen Oia and Fira, is to charter a boat that will pick you up at either the Fira tender port or the Oia port and take you around the caldera.  It is a very relaxing trip, and you can swim in the hot springs at Nea Kameni in the middle of the caldera [and/or climb to the top of the volcano] if you like.  Most importantly: they can drop you back at the Fira tender port – so you avoid the lines for the trip down the cliff!

 

I like this idea!  

[Host Jazzbeau]

7 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Another option – best for those who have already visited  Santorini and have seen Oia and Fira, is to charter a boat that will pick you up at either the Fira tender port or the Oia port and take you around the caldera.  It is a very relaxing trip, and you can swim in the hot springs at Nea Kameni in the middle of the caldera [and/or climb to the top of the volcano] if you like.  Most importantly: they can drop you back at the Fira tender port – so you avoid the lines for the trip down the cliff!

 

6 hours ago, flyingshoes said:

I like this idea!  

 

We did this in 2016.  The way we did it was to take the cable car up the cliff, then hire a taxi to take us on a scenic route part of the way to Oia and hike the rest of the way, then another taxi down the cliff at Oia to our waiting boat.  In retrospect we should have taken the scenic taxi ride all the way to Oia, which would have given us some time to enjoy that lovely area.  The big problem with my recommendation is that the ship we chartered – S/Y Anemos with Captain Stathis – no longer shows up at the Url where I found it.  There are regular boat tours, but they aren't private and didn't seem as relaxed as ours [which was fairly priced for 2 couples].

 

More details in my blog:

https://jazzbeauxitalyandgreecetrip2016.wordpress.com

[berkshireboy]

On 4/15/2019 at 3:45 PM, mrbluesea said:

*Its was just the sheer number of people at the wine tasting location.  If you are there when other ships are in they will also visit the same location and getting to taste the wine was a bit chaotic. Having said that, the view from the location was excellent, it was just the number of people that was the problem. 

If you Google *toms port guide* you will get a good idea of the docking issue at fira.  There is a good picture on the first webpage.

 

Thanks for your reply.  I was worried it might be because of problems with the wine itself. 

 

We are on the Journey which is arriving in Santorini on the 10 September 2020.  By Santorini standards it should be one of the quieter days with only MSC Opera, Celestyal Olympia and Wind Star scheduled.  Next day is much busier with Celebrity Edge, AIDAMira, Celestyal Chrystal  and the Veendam.  Still, a lot can change between now and then, especially as this seems to be the first cruise out of dry dock for the Journey and we all know what happened to the Quest!.

Edited April 17, 2019 by berkshireboy
spelling

[aloha123]

17 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I second the suggestion to take a boat from the Fira tender dock to Oia.  That way you beat the crowds into Oia, and when you go back to Fira the crowds will be disbursed from there [at least somewhat].  There are two caveats with this plan:  (1) you must get off the ship as early as possible or risk missing the last boat to Oia [this happened to us]; and (2) at the end of the day, you will be in the midst of the hordes trying to get back down to Fira port for the tenders [and there is no way around that].

 

Another option – best for those who have already visited  Santorini and have seen Oia and Fira, is to charter a boat that will pick you up at either the Fira tender port or the Oia port and take you around the caldera.  It is a very relaxing trip, and you can swim in the hot springs at Nea Kameni in the middle of the caldera [and/or climb to the top of the volcano] if you like.  Most importantly: they can drop you back at the Fira tender port – so you avoid the lines for the trip down the cliff!

Thank you!

[aloha123]

On 4/15/2019 at 8:45 AM, mrbluesea said:

*Its was just the sheer number of people at the wine tasting location.  If you are there when other ships are in they will also visit the same location and getting to taste the wine was a bit chaotic. Having said that, the view from the location was excellent, it was just the number of people that was the problem. 

If you Google *toms port guide* you will get a good idea of the docking issue at fira.  There is a good picture on the first webpage.

 

I assume downloading from this webpage is legit? It looks like a great website. Thank you.

[mrbluesea]

1 hour ago, aloha123 said:

I assume downloading from this webpage is legit? It looks like a great website. Thank you.

Absolutely fine. I have used the pages on specific ports for many years and they have always proved accurate. Glad they helped.

Edited April 17, 2019 by mrbluesea
Spelling error

[Ithikan]

19 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Another option – best for those who have already visited  Santorini and have seen Oia and Fira, is to charter a boat that will pick you up at either the Fira tender port or the Oia port and take you around the caldera.  It is a very relaxing trip, and you can swim in the hot springs at Nea Kameni in the middle of the caldera [and/or climb to the top of the volcano] if you like.  Most importantly: they can drop you back at the Fira tender port – so you avoid the lines for the trip down the cliff!

Your suggestion sent me on a trip down Memory Lane, Jazzbeau.  We did something quite similar 30 years ago when we stayed on Santorini for a week.  The trek across the lava rock at Nea Kameni was a unique experience, and the dunk in the hot springs after was not to be missed.  It was a public tour but easy, uncrowded, and unforgettable!

[Bobal]

On 4/16/2019 at 10:27 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

Another option – best for those who have already visited  Santorini and have seen Oia and Fira, is to charter a boat that will pick you up at either the Fira tender port or the Oia port and take you around the caldera.  It is a very relaxing trip, and you can swim in the hot springs at Nea Kameni in the middle of the caldera [and/or climb to the top of the volcano] if you like.  Most importantly: they can drop you back at the Fira tender port – so you avoid the lines for the trip down the cliff!

 

You don't need to go to the expense of chartering a boat for this. It's operated as an excursion by the people who run the boats to Oia. We did this a couple of years ago - a very enjoyable alternative for those who don't want to run the cable car gauntlet. https://www.santorini-excursions.com/excursions/volcano-and-hot-springs

Edited April 20, 2019 by Bobal

[excitedofharpenden]

This is the port schedule on the 16th May when we are due there that I've posted on the roll call. I think whatever you do on Santorini that day is going to be very busy. I've never been there with so many ships and whilst it might inconvenience private tours I wish they would swap the ports around like has happened before if it's feasible distance wise. 

 

Phil 

[uktog]

11 minutes ago, excitedofharpenden said:

This is the port schedule on the 16th May when we are due there that I've posted on the roll call. I think whatever you do on Santorini that day is going to be very busy. I've never been there with so many ships and whilst it might inconvenience private tours I wish they would swap the ports around like has happened before if it's feasible distance wise. 

 

Phil 

Yikes I know on Journey they did a switch- that’s an awful loading, how will the local tenders cope?  IF I was going ashore, I might just use a ship’s tour and transfer the hassle to them. Hope though you get a swap. 

[Lottie A]

That really is far too many passengers and I do hope Azamara could swap their day on Santorini for a quieter one. I am just trying to visualise the queue for the cable car! 

If it was me, I would be staying onboard and enjoying a quiet ship that day, but then I have been to Santorini before. The last time was quite memorable though! 😱

[uktog]

Imagine being a poor donkey that day......

[Bobal]

11 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said:

This is the port schedule on the 16th May when we are due there that I've posted on the roll call. I think whatever you do on Santorini that day is going to be very busy. I've never been there with so many ships and whilst it might inconvenience private tours I wish they would swap the ports around like has happened before if it's feasible distance wise. 

 

Phil 

 Oh No 😱That's ridiculous. I thought they were restricting the numbers from this year - clearly not

 

We have two cruises calling into Santorini this year and have already decided we won't even get off the ship for one of them, we'll see how it goes for the other. We've been to the port many times so if we stay onboard it's no great loss - but I really feel for people who are calling here for the first - and maybe only - time and they have the battle with crowds.

 

The decision to use ship's tours sounds good in theory - and it is for the first part. But the fact is that everyone, whether using ship's tours or private tours, or just exploring on your own, has to descend via the cable car or by foot or by donkey. If you don't want to do the latter two the cable car can be horrendous. There is no queuing system and it's every man for himself. Having experienced it several times it's not something I would want to do again with 7 or 8 ships in port

Edited April 20, 2019 by Bobal

[aloha123]

On 4/20/2019 at 2:10 AM, excitedofharpenden said:

This is the port schedule on the 16th May when we are due there that I've posted on the roll call. I think whatever you do on Santorini that day is going to be very busy. I've never been there with so many ships and whilst it might inconvenience private tours I wish they would swap the ports around like has happened before if it's feasible distance wise. 

 

Phil 

So at what point will they decide to swap ports?