TxTeach79's Pearl European Adventure LIVE - 6/24

[TxTeach79]

In line at 7:35. It’s epic. Not a pun. People walking the other way shocked it’s still going, imploring us to walk down, but that’s just not in the cards for B’s knees. Get it? THAT was a pun. But also true. 
 

 

[TxTeach79]

If I ever come here again, I’ll just come up to Fira and hang out at one of these places. And walk down or hit the cable car early. 
 

 

 

[dallasdan]

B looks a little sunburned.  Could she understand any of the Spanish.  I can speak a little spanglish.  But mostly I can order food and ask where the bathroom is.  I probably understand about 2%.  Your pictures are amazing.  Thanks for taking us along.

[blarko]

2 hours ago, TxTeach79 said:

We just made the climb. That was tough. A good chunk stayed back. We finally made it to this top landing but she yelled at people for sitting down because the chairs are for cafe customers only 

I’m guessing she definitely doesn’t work for tips 

Edited June 20 by blarko
Just saw Jeff’s post that says the same thing…oops

[Muckyduckway]

I'm so sorry that your Santorini experience was like this. Almost all of the tours that go to Oia are blighted by crowds, especially when the ship arrives later. You were especially unlucky to get such a bad guide - you should get at least a partial refund. Greek tour guides tend to be somewhat more aggressive in their delivery than other Europeans, but she seems to have been worse than average.

 

For anyone put off by your experience I would suggest avoiding Oia, either taking a tour or local bus to one of the many wineries, or to the archaeological site of Akrotiri, or simply have a wander around Fira sampling their wonderful ice-cream or other goodies and some (expensive) but good cocktails or local craft beer with a dreamy view from one of the plentiful bars strung out along the clifftop. Maybe we've just been lucky but heading to the cable car about an hour an a half before last tender has provided us with no line at all (having checked the sailaway times of any remaining ships) When you're on a tour you don't get the luxury of choosing your time unfortunately.

 

Don't be put off for any other Greek ports though - Santorini is in a league of its own for crowding.

[TxTeach79]

The astonished people coming by 

 

[TxTeach79]

2 minutes ago, Muckyduckway said:

I'm so sorry that your Santorini experience was like this. Almost all of the tours that go to Oia are blighted by crowds, especially when the ship arrives later. You were especially unlucky to get such a bad guide - you should get at least a partial refund. Greek tour guides tend to be somewhat more aggressive in their delivery than other Europeans, but she seems to have been worse than average.

 

For anyone put off by your experience I would suggest avoiding Oia, either taking a tour or local bus to one of the many wineries, or to the archaeological site of Akrotiri, or simply have a wander around Fira sampling their wonderful ice-cream or other goodies and some (expensive) but good cocktails or local craft beer with a dreamy view from one of the plentiful bars strung out along the clifftop. Maybe we've just been lucky but heading to the cable car about an hour an a half before last tender has provided us with no line at all (having checked the sailaway times of any remaining ships) When you're on a tour you don't get the luxury of choosing your time unfortunately.

 

Don't be put off for any other Greek ports though - Santorini is in a league of its own for crowding.

Oh yeah. We loved Corfu. And hanging around Fira on your own schedule is the way to go if I ever come back

[BohJang]

We did a cruise of Turkey and the Greek Islands in 2014.  I enjoyed Rhodes and especially Crete much more than over crowded touristy Mykonos and Santorini.

[TxTeach79]

[Hogladyrider]

@TxTeach79..OMG those crowds...how long before someone comes down with the "crud".

For your sake I pray no either of you.

@HelloItsMeBlooks a bit sunburn!

Great pics!

[TxTeach79]

My phone battery, and the tender deadline….

 

 

”Doug, I ain’t gonna make it”

[TxTeach79]

Just now, Hogladyrider said:

@TxTeach79..OMG those crowds...how long before someone comes down with the "crud".

For your sake I pray no either of you.

@HelloItsMeBlooks a bit sunburn!

Great pics

 

Thank you! She’s definitely a little burned 

[cruiseny4life]

2 minutes ago, TxTeach79 said:

The astonished people coming by 

 

I've heard about the lines. Holy smoke balls! I didn't expect it to be like that. Good luck surviving!! I'd be walking through the donkey dung (I get the knee thing, so understand). 

[balcony bound]

Paul’s luggage will be sending distress signals soon. 

[Stratford1950]

5 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

I've heard about the lines. Holy smoke balls! I didn't expect it to be like that. Good luck surviving!! I'd be walking through the donkey dung (I get the knee thing, so understand). 

I just read early this week that the number of cruise ships being allowed to dock at Santorini will be reduced…too late for you Paul🤦‍♂️

[JGmf]

1 hour ago, onlyano said:

The whole time I was reading this, I was wondering how much I would understand. I would probably be at 3%. I speak Spanglish. 

 

Same here.  Not sure where you live, but I'm guessing that Paul's greater fluency is Texas proximity (and maybe a love of Spanish speaking sitcoms on Telemundo).

[pcvtmom]

3 hours ago, redmomof4 said:

What did you do that made it your favorite? Trying to plan a day 

 

We basically toured the wall and took a guided taxi tour of the surrounding areas. I don't remember the specific name of the guide, but he gave us lots of historical context. The views of the Adriatic are stunning.

[pbxtech]

2 hours ago, TxTeach79 said:

Okay. That part was fun. Air conditioned non being yelled at fun. Good to end on a high. Now it’s 7:10. We are on the bus. Last tender leaves at 9. Good news is that entire building was full of passengers from Pearl and Epic 

We are doing the Epic in 2 weeks and have excursion tru NCL that sounds like what you just had, But we have English guide. Sounds like we would be better off cancelling it and just take tender over, walk around a little and take it back to ship.

[TravelE]

3 hours ago, TxTeach79 said:

Many, many times. Had to experience it once though. Checked that box. 

 

I agree with you. As crowded and hot as it was, I would have hated to have stayed on the ship or even the tour bus and miss out on seeing everything at least once. 

 

I hope you have made it back to the ship, air conditioning, adult beverages, and most importantly - silence!

[Kayak25]

17 minutes ago, pbxtech said:

We are doing the Epic in 2 weeks and have excursion tru NCL that sounds like what you just had, But we have English guide. Sounds like we would be better off cancelling it and just take tender over, walk around a little and take it back to ship.

That's what we did today, tender across at 15.30, very short walk, glass of iced coffee and back on the open top tender. The queues for the cable car going up were still very long. We did originally book the Greek party but having read about the difficulties we cancelled three days ago. The views from the ship are beautiful, we've had a lovely sunset, full moon and the lights of the town are spectacular.

[balcony bound]

Well it’s past all aboard time. Hoping they made it to AC and potent beverages 😬

[CTCruiser001]

7 minutes ago, balcony bound said:

Well it’s past all aboard time. Hoping they made it to AC and potent beverages 😬

 

She is still anchored off the shoreline...

 

 

[TxTeach79]

Cut me Mick

 

[TxTeach79]

3 minutes ago, CTCruiser001 said:

 

She is still anchored off the shoreline...

 

 

And I have a feeling she will be for a good long while. Mayhem doesn’t begin to describe it 

[TxTeach79]

Okay. Let me pick this mess up…. We’d been in line about 45-an hour. Every time someone walked by us they’d curse how long the line was in shock, etc,, letting us know we weren’t particularly close. Our guide had just abandoned us, but we knew that massive line behind us were also people on excursions. Felt okay about it. 
 

then, a girl in the group behind us decided to run up and around the corner to the front and assess the situation. She came back shaking her head and moving fast, and announced to our whole section of the line that the line was currently three hours long and and two hours from our point. But they estimated the stairs would take around twenty. At this point, B agreed to face her enemy and the stairs would have to do. I assumed they’d hold the ship, but by this point we were 30-40 from the final tender time at 9…

 

passing by on the left to get to the stairs there were a lot of nasty looks and words thrown our way, but we kept announcing “we’re going to the stairs!”…. Eventually we made it, and the adventure continued….