Santorini Shore Excursion

[lorimay]

We will be in Santorini on Vista in July. The day we are in port, there will be a total of eight cruise ships (if you add up the passengers, it could be about 14,000 people). We were going to explore on our own, but from what I read we could be looking at a several hour wait in the hot sun to get the cable car. I'm thinking of booking the Santorini Panorama excursion through Oceania just so we don't have wait for the cable car or walk up. The description for the tour leaves a little to be desired. If I understand correctly, the ship's tender will take us to a different dock (away from the cable car), then we will tour around the island on a bus and have a walking tour at Oia. However, it doesn't say how we get back to the ship. One line in the description says "There may be lines for the cable car during the busy summer season."  Does this mean they will drop us off at the top of the cable car and we have to wait for it to get back down to the tenders? Thanks - I'm not sure if I'm ready for that many people on that small island.

[EJL2023]

3 minutes ago, lorimay said:

We will be in Santorini on Vista in July. The day we are in port, there will be a total of eight cruise ships (if you add up the passengers, it could be about 14,000 people). We were going to explore on our own, but from what I read we could be looking at a several hour wait in the hot sun to get the cable car. I'm thinking of booking the Santorini Panorama excursion through Oceania just so we don't have wait for the cable car or walk up. The description for the tour leaves a little to be desired. If I understand correctly, the ship's tender will take us to a different dock (away from the cable car), then we will tour around the island on a bus and have a walking tour at Oia. However, it doesn't say how we get back to the ship. One line in the description says "There may be lines for the cable car during the busy summer season."  Does this mean they will drop us off at the top of the cable car and we have to wait for it to get back down to the tenders? Thanks - I'm not sure if I'm ready for that many people on that small island.

The tour will most likely end up there and you are on your own to get down. That was our experience.  We were there with 6 ships in port and it was not a fun experience taking the cable cars down. The line winded through the village and people were continuously jumping the line. It took approximately an hour and 15 minutes standing in the sun for most part. 

Edited April 23 by EJL2023

[clo]

We were in Santorini in the spring a few years ago. It's beautiful but I wouldn't go back again if they paid me. Incredibly crowded. One business owner told me that Chinese people will come there to have their wedding photos done. Not to stay there, just for the photos.

[Mareblu]

6 hours ago, lorimay said:

We will be in Santorini on Vista in July. The day we are in port, there will be a total of eight cruise ships (if you add up the passengers, it could be about 14,000 people). We were going to explore on our own, but from what I read we could be looking at a several hour wait in the hot sun to get the cable car. I'm thinking of booking the Santorini Panorama excursion through Oceania just so we don't have wait for the cable car or walk up. The description for the tour leaves a little to be desired. If I understand correctly, the ship's tender will take us to a different dock (away from the cable car), then we will tour around the island on a bus and have a walking tour at Oia. However, it doesn't say how we get back to the ship. One line in the description says "There may be lines for the cable car during the busy summer season."  Does this mean they will drop us off at the top of the cable car and we have to wait for it to get back down to the tenders? Thanks - I'm not sure if I'm ready for that many people on that small island.

We’re just over an hour from anchoring in Santorini.  Our friends with us aboard Vista are doing Santorini Panorama today, as they haven’t been to the island before.  We’re staying aboard this time, as we believe there’ll be at least another four cruise ships ahead of us.  The tour (as I remember) finishes at the top, with free time to spend in the village.  Then the cable car queue is to be faced.  The facility can only move a max of 600 pax per hour.  No thanks!  Before Istanbul was dropped from our itinerary, we were scheduled to visit on a day when we were apparently the only vessel in Santorini.  Such is life.

!

[Techno123]

You can walk down (if able) in about 20/30mins from Fira can't you? Obviously, need decent shoes on and to avoid the donkey droppings but beats standing in a queue in the sun.

Edited April 24 by Techno123

[jwindham]

Did an Oceania tour in Santorini that was snorkeling and said it left from the old pier and returned from there. NOT!!!! The guide took us to the top and abandoned us. There were 7 ships in port and it took me over an hour just to get to the entrance for the cable car. I would never get off there again. It is really just a tourist trap and you can see on other islands the same things they offer.

 

I did go to the excursion desk and said the tour was misrepresented but they just did not care. Julia

[godfreyb]

It's just a horrible experience fighting your way through the narrow and crowded alleyways to get to the cable car entrance and then having to stand in single file along the walkway in the sun for an hour to get near the cable car entrance. Never again!

[PelicanLvr]

Check the other ships' departure times.  Are you staying late?  Departure times may well define when the lines are longest.

 

Maybe the other ships will be gone before you have to be back.

 

Santorini is so worth it.  But we have not been there on a cruise with so many other ships.

[dock]

Is Vista not the last ship departing port? 
 

We’ve booked an O excursion to the beach as we’ve been many times including a land stay to Santorini).We have considered staying on board but it’s soo gorgeous and I’d like to do some shopping. O

 

We thought we’d wait till the other ships had departed before even attempting to join the line. 

 

Edited April 24 by dock

[Vallesan]

@lorimay take a look at the ‘Live from Vista’ thread. Hank is in Santorini today. This might be the most useful answer for you!

[clo]

3 hours ago, PelicanLvr said:

Santorini is so worth it.  But we have not been there on a cruise with so many other ships.

We weren't there on a cruise. DIY and a rental car. But you can't do it all in a car. You want to get out and see what's what. And what was a mess.. I'm not being judgmental at all but what made you think it was worth it. BTW that was our first stop before we took the ferry to Naxos and Paros which really were wonderful.

[mozfoz]

What ever you chose to do, do not, I repeat, do not take the donkey path down to the dock. The path is full of donkey dung, slippery uneven steps and having to share the steps with donkeys coming and going. Very risky and stinky.

[Needzavacation]

We were in Santorini early last June when 5 ships were in port. It's the definition of over-tourism to the point where it was actually uncomfortable. There are so many people that you almost have no control over where you're going - you're just swept along with the crowd. We would duck into a shop to take a breather. 

 

As mozfoz said, you need to be VERY cafreful and agile if you take the steps. Some from our ship didn't want to wait the 2 hours in line for the cable car. One person broke his leg, one sprained an ankle, and several slipped going down.

 

It's a beautiful island, and a shame to miss it, but if you go, take an umbrella - not for the rain, but to shield yourself from the sun while you're waiting in line for the cable car.

[pinotlover]

15 hours ago, PelicanLvr said:

Check the other ships' departure times.  Are you staying late?  Departure times may well define when the lines are longest.

 

Maybe the other ships will be gone before you have to be back.

 

Santorini is so worth it.  But we have not been there on a cruise with so many other ships.

Finally the truth of the situation !

 

All the mega ships seemed to depart relatively early. We have been there on both the Marina and Vista, that didn’t depart until 8-9 Pm. In both cases, we waited until after 6 pm to take the gondola down. No crowd, easy peasy, back on board by 7. Both days we had wonderful tours, great wine tastings, and memorable days. Driving during rush hour can be a personal decision. Standing in line for a gondola at three, when the ship doesn’t leave until 8 is a personal decision. Great food in Santorini, cry me no tears if i go you choose to stand in line so to make a 6:30 dinner reservation. Like any other line that was a personal decision. We had drinks and enjoyed the moment.

 

[davencl]

We got lucky on the GEM last august.  No line to get down.  Also visited akrotiri-of-thira dates to 20th century BC, extremely fascinating.  Glad we took the shore excursion.  

[the more ports the better]

There is no way to get to the ship other than cable car or the donkey trail unless on a boat tour.  We took an O catermaran tour in Santorini.  It was fabulous.  Back at the dock at 2:00.  Decided to go up to shop.  Big mistake.  Cable car had a 2.5 hour line at 5:30.  Large Celebrity ship in port until 8:00.  We walked down the donkey trail.  Several injuries.  My husband is having a knee replacement in July, partly because of that donkey trail!

[WildWanderers]

Hi All,

 

We arrived in a Santorini town square after our bus tour and were told that the cable car quite a distance away, "way over there", was the way to get to the ship.  Oh, and by the way, the line-up extending into the square and further...that is the line up for the cable car as there are so many ships in port today.

 

We went straight to the end of the line in the naïve hope of getting back to the ship in time for lunch.

 

We spent from just before noon until after 3 p.m. in the line, in the heat, unprotected from the sun, rather than walking around the town...a bit late for a Terrace Café lunch. 

 

Had anyone told us that the Oceania ship was the only one leaving after 3 p.m. we would have had lunch in town, wandered around afterwards and taken the cable car after 3 p.m.  We lamented that there was no such notification in Currents.

 

Next time in Santorini we will look up what other ships are going to be there and at what time they are leaving.

 

Cheers,

Greg from the WildWanderers

 

 

[Mary_]

I am in Santorini at the end of Aug on Oceania.  I called my travel agent to ask about a way to avoid the cable car and my agent said all Oceania excursions that day will require you to get back on the bus after each stop and we will end at port.  (Great news to me).  Can anyone confirm?   The port has 13,000 passengers that day.  

[babysteps]

 

On 4/23/2024 at 5:17 PM, lorimay said:

One line in the description says "There may be lines for the cable car during the busy summer season."  

I assume "There may be lines for the cable car during the busy summer
season." implies cable car both ways?

Many tours that end in Fira don't include this language, even though it seems highly likely that's the main way to get back to the ship.

My hopeful **guess** is that the disclaimer applies to tours that take the cable car up and down (so could delay tour) vs those that tender to the dock that buses can access near Oia.

Equally likely explanation is that the descriptions are not super-comprehensive or accurate.

 

We should be on Santorini this June on Vista. I double checked and there are at least 5 ship's tours including winery visits - we're doing one the "Santorini Wines at Venetsanos Winery" & I'll report back here. This particular tour doesn't have the disclaimer, but I'm guessing that the tour ends at Fira. I'm hoping it starts at the dock served by buses

[Techno123]

Sorry if you are reading this again I posted it on the Vista thread.
Has anyone done Volcanic Santorini? It involves a couple of boat trips but unlike most of the other excursions does not mention having to queue for the cable car but neither does it mention how you get back to the ship. I've also seen some private excursions doing the same thing which leave and arrive back to Fira harbour so 🤞🏻

 

Gaze into the crater of a still-active volcano and experience the green sulfuric waters of a thermal spring on this fascinating tour. Board a caique, a traditional fishing boat, and sail to the lava rock islet of Nea Kameni, where you’ll take an approximately 20-minute walk up an unpaved path among lava fragments and volcanic rock formations toward the crater of a still-active volcano. Learn that the island was named Nea Kameni, meaning “new burnt,” because it is only 400 years old. Perhaps you’ll observe steam rising from the crater’s walls and capture photos of the fascinating phenomenon. Re-board the caique for an approximately 20-minute cruise to the thermal springs at the nearby island of Palea Kameni. Understand that Palea Kameni means “old burnt,” since this area is over 2,000 years old, which unlike Nea Kameni has allowed it to develop soil to support a few goats, wild rabbits and some vegetation. Time permitting, you may take a dip in the relaxing, mineral-rich waters, whose temperatures can sometimes reach 98 degrees Fahrenheit. Marvel at na

Edited April 25 by Techno123

[clo]

17 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Great food in Santorini

 

[the more ports the better]

On 4/25/2024 at 10:28 AM, Mary_ said:

I am in Santorini at the end of Aug on Oceania.  I called my travel agent to ask about a way to avoid the cable car and my agent said all Oceania excursions that day will require you to get back on the bus after each stop and we will end at port.  (Great news to me).  Can anyone confirm?   The port has 13,000 passengers that day.  

 

Your TA is wrong wrong wrong.  The Santorini govt runs the tenders.  They bring you to the ferry dock where the busses are in the morning.  This is the dock where people come in from other islands.

 

They do NOT run tenders and pick up passengers from the ferry dock back to the ships.  They only run tenders from the tender dock back to the ships.  O has zero control over this.  The only way to get to the tender dock is via the cable car or the donkey trail.

[Hlitner]

We were back in Santorini a few days ago (Vista) and our excursion dropped us in Fira around 3.  The queue for the cable cars was about an hour, so DW and I decided to walk down (donkey poo and all).  We took our time and managed to avoid the poo.  Not a difficult walk for folks in decent shape and with OK knees.  And we are seniors.   Keep in mind the walk involves over 600 steps.

 

Hank

[fille_canadienne]

We just took an Oceania excursion in Santorini few days ago - yes, you're taken to Athinios port and are bused to your destination from there. That was the easy part, though the bus ride up the mountain was a bit extreme lol The tour finished in Fira and were provided with vouchers for the cable car. There were 4 cruise ships in town that day, and it took us exactly 50 min to board the cable car. Honestly, it wasn't so bad, and the line moved quickly, as they board 36 people at a time. However, Oia and Fira were so crowded, it took all the enjoyment out of it - personally I wouldn't even bother leaving the ship with 8 others in town that day. 

[PelicanLvr]

On 4/25/2024 at 11:28 AM, Mary_ said:

I am in Santorini at the end of Aug on Oceania.  I called my travel agent to ask about a way to avoid the cable car and my agent said all Oceania excursions that day will require you to get back on the bus after each stop and we will end at port.  (Great news to me).  Can anyone confirm?   The port has 13,000 passengers that day.  

 

Has your travel agent ever been to Santorini?