Santorini/Mykonos/Voyager of the Seas

[deltahog]

(Perhaps because of selection bias) I have been inundated this summer with stories/pictures of how overcrowded these islands are and how difficult they are to "do on your own".  On VOS I stop in Mykonos Aug 27 and Santorini Aug 28.  I'm particularly worried about Santorini due to the steepness/cable car situation I have read a lot about on here (long waits both coming and going for the cable car).  Neither W nor I are in a condition to do many steps or long walking.  So many questions......

 

1) The relevant tours I see on the official Royal Caribbean site and my online TA site mostly say "we will meet you at top after you ride the cable car."  Well avoiding the cable car is 90% of the reason I would take an excursion.  I have read trip reports on here that on Santorini, excursions now tender/ferry somewhere else and avoid the cable car completely.

1a) Is this true?

1b) Do you think the tender-ferries, being a recent enough development, are the actual mode of meeting the bus on most tours, and "we will meet you at the cable car" is a vestige of tour descriptions that have not been property updated?

 

2) Someone else mentioned, regarding another ship, that onboard one can buy a $20 "tour" of using the tender that takes you over to the place to avoid the cable cars.  Does anyone know if this is available on Voyager of the Seas?

 

3) Is there a place to see how many ships (from other lines, all lines) will be in Mykonos Aug 27 and Santorini Aug 28?

 

4) Does anyone have any recent experiences on Voyager of the Seas, especially as it relates to these stops (or, about these stops on other ships) that would be helpful or helps unravel any of the above?

 

 

Worried that I will get to Santorini and mostly just want to look at the island from the ship, rather than deal with the cable car and crowds.

[firefly333]

I picked Oia on your own after reading a nice review. On the round trip it stops at Kira where the reviewer stopped to eat dinner and went back on his own. I plan to do the round trip in the motor car. It goes to both and provides transportation. 

 

"roundtrip coach drive lands you in Fira, Santorini’s capital city, where you can explore further before returning back to port."

 

last week was on sale for 57.99 which doesnt sound bad to me, I'm not going to wait and hope for a $20 ticket onboard but I'm solo so just buying for one. If there are some deals onboard I'll book them for other ports. I booked excursions on this leg for 3 ports. 

 

[Izzywiz]

 

We have been to both Santorini and Mykonos earlier this year but not on an RCI ship. Both islands are beautiful and both get very busy. 
I have mobility issues which means that I walk with a stick and can’t stand for long.

Fortunately, there is a separate entrance to the bottom cable car station that is designated for people with disabilities. As I was already aware of this my DH and I walked past the long queue and found the entrance to the left of the main door.

I was greeted there by a cable car staff member who showed us to a lift  (elevator) which took us to the cabin boarding deck. The assistant then took us to a bench to sit while she organised our tickets (we gave her the Euros). Once we had the tickets she took us to board the car straight away so we didn’t have to queue.

She told us to go straight to the front of the line when we returned and there would be someone to help us. 
 

There is a special stair lift for wheelchair/mobility scooter users so they can also get on and off the cabins. It is a very good and helpful system.

 

The pavements in both Santorini and Mykonos are mostly cobbled (as they are in many parts of Greece) and, therefore, very uneven so walking can be difficulty and using a wheelchair/scooter is extremely difficult. 

 

Once in Fira town, I walked a little bit and then found a cafe with a view where I sat while my DH had a look around the town.

 

 Mykonos is a little easier to access as there is either a shuttle bus or the water taxi which takes you into the town. Once again, I did a little walking but also used my mobility scooter to do a little sightseeing and then found a lovely cafe on the seafront to people watch.

[deltahog]

26 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I picked Oia on your own after reading a nice review. On the round trip it stops at Kira where the reviewer stopped to eat dinner and went back on his own. I plan to do the round trip in the motor car. It goes to both and provides transportation. 

 

"roundtrip coach drive lands you in Fira, Santorini’s capital city, where you can explore further before returning back to port."

 

last week was on sale for 57.99 which doesnt sound bad to me, I'm not going to wait and hope for a $20 ticket onboard but I'm solo so just buying for one. If there are some deals onboard I'll book them for other ports. I booked excursions on this leg for 3 ports. 

 

 

Thank you.  The top denotes May 16-May 26.  I can assume that is 2025, and not something you have already done?

[Peewee14]

we did both on voyager this year . 

 

for Mykonos it depends if you dock or tender, I have done Mykonos twice one time we docked and one time we tendered I think the first ship in gets to dock but not sure.

 

Santorini can be busy

 

I suggest for both ports you use the cruisemapper app and look up the ports on the day you are due in, this will give you an idea how busy its going to be, we got lucky with santorini and there was only 2 ships in , some days there could be 6!

[Hoopster95]

1 hour ago, deltahog said:

I have read trip reports on here that on Santorini, excursions now tender/ferry somewhere else and avoid the cable car completely.

1a) Is this true?

 

 

Once off the ship tender, there are two kiosks at the old port that offer 3rd party boat trip to Oia with an included bus return to Fira. It's something like 30 euro return.... a whopping 300%-400%  less than anything Royal offers, and it is super super easy. You don't the cable car up at all.... you do take it down to get back to the tenders if you need it, else you can take the 1/2 walk down the winding pathway

 

1 hour ago, deltahog said:

4) Does anyone have any recent experiences on Voyager of the Seas, especially as it relates to these stops (or, about these stops on other ships) that would be helpful or helps unravel any of the above?

 

I was on the May 16 11-day sailing Barcelona - Athens. Don't think too hard. Things are very easy to figure out. You mentioned Mykonos... right beside the cruise pier are water shuttle boats for cruisers for a minimal charge that deliver you directly into the Mykonos old town, or you can walk there in about 1/2 hour.

 

 

[livetravelcruise07]

We did both on Voyager of the Seas in the beginning of May. When we went to Santorini, there were only three ships in port. We actually decided to wait till 1 pm to get off ship (we were in dock till 10 pm) and we only waited in a 20-minute line for the cable car. It wasn't bad at all, because I had heard so many horror stories as well! Coming back down though we actually ended up doing the stairs, because the line was incredibly long to get onto a cable car. That was around 5 pm. I think if we would have waited a little later, the line wouldn't have been bad to get on a cable car since all the other ships were gone. I highly recommend not doing the stairs, it was incredibly slippery, multiple people were falling around us, it stinks SO BAD because of all the donkey droppings and it really is steep.

 

With Mykonos we were docked and walked over to Mykonos, you can do a taxi, but they will charge a ton to get you into the town (one way was $35) so we ended up walking. Or there are the water taxis. The walk wasn't bad, about 30 minutes, BUT there isn't many sidewalks, so just watch out for that! 

 

Enjoy!!! 🙂 

Edited August 4 by livetravelcruise07

[firefly333]

40 minutes ago, deltahog said:

 

Thank you.  The top denotes May 16-May 26.  I can assume that is 2025, and not something you have already done?

I posted I booked this because of a review I read. Similar thread a week ago I posted the review, named the same, on celebrity. Yes I booked it for voyager for next may. Excursions are already selling out so I'm planning ahead. All the athens excursions sold out before I even saw them and I was watching. 

 

Here it is again. Seems like a good excursion to me for the $$$. 

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g482942-i10358-k6865556-Santorini_Oia_Greece_Cruise_ship_excursion_or_on_your_own-Fira_Santorini_Cyclades_South_Ae.html

 

 

[deltahog]

46 minutes ago, Peewee14 said:

I suggest for both ports you use the cruisemapper app and look up the ports on the day you are due in, this will give you an idea how busy its going to be, we got lucky with santorini and there was only 2 ships in , some days there could be 6!

Um wow.....5 big ships our day in Mykonos, 6 ships the next day in Santorini!!!

[Cherful59]

@Izzywiz, this is great information for those that need assistance.  
 

@firefly333, thank you for the information.

 

We are looking at an Italy, Greece, Turkey cruise, so this is very helpful for Santorini. 
 

Thanks,

[pcur]

I feel bad for tourists this summer over in Santorini. It's not a place to be when it's overcrowded. The streets are narrow, and the whole experience is, well, I've always joked if you're part mountain goat, it's easy.

 

To avoid this in 2019, we opted for an island tour by bus. It was a ship's tour, and the tender boat dropped us off down from the cable car. So far, so good. However, the bus was a very, very steep walk up the hillside. That's where my "Santorini knee" started. The bus tour was wonderful; the walking afterward, because we were dropped off above the cable car entrance at the top, was a nightmare. 

 

I still feel twinges in that knee to this day.

 

So, if you have ANY knee problems, I recommend a tour with the tender followed by a private vehicle, which CAN get down to the tender docking area.

[Thisguylikestocruise]

I’m cruising Greek Isles on Odyssey this fall. The “Island of Santorini and Oia village” excursion through RC I’m doing sounds like it uses bus transport round trip, and completely skips the cable car. This is what the description implies. I expect a lot of walking and bought comfortable shoes(Hoka Bondi). Also, I’m working out at the gym trying to build my strength up, because I know this trip will be challenging physically. 

[firefly333]

58 minutes ago, Thisguylikestocruise said:

I’m cruising Greek Isles on Odyssey this fall. The “Island of Santorini and Oia village” excursion through RC I’m doing sounds like it uses bus transport round trip, and completely skips the cable car. This is what the description implies. I expect a lot of walking and bought comfortable shoes(Hoka Bondi). Also, I’m working out at the gym trying to build my strength up, because I know this trip will be challenging physically. 

Mine specifically says must be able to walk 1 mile. So for sure I'm walking around at both places. Mine is also some kind of motor coach. 

[mapleleaves]

13 hours ago, Thisguylikestocruise said:

I’m cruising Greek Isles on Odyssey this fall. The “Island of Santorini and Oia village” excursion through RC I’m doing sounds like it uses bus transport round trip, and completely skips the cable car. 

 

 

This is an old description of the tour, but if it matches the current one, you are correct in assuming that you avoid the cable cars coming AND going. Lucky you!  The key is in the last sentence " journey back to Athinios port ".  

 

Overview

Embrace the glorious island charms of Santorini on an adventure that brings you from the idyllic village of Oia to a local winery for tastings, plus time to explore Fira’s hilltop cityscape with your guide. Admire breathtaking views of the ancient volcanic caldera while driving around postcard-perfect Santorini Bay to the quaint hamlet of Oia. Perched high above the sea, this white-washed Cyclades enclave is full of narrow pathways that wind around a maze of art galleries, cafes, and artisan shops. Next, you’ll travel to a local bodega where Santorini wine is aged, learning about how the island’s climate and volcanic soil contribute to its fine varietals. Wine has been produced here since the ancient times, and it became world-renowned during the Middle Ages. You’ll taste the pure essence of Greek wine with a selection of three unique wines paired with locally produced cheese, olives, and tomatoes. Your final stop in the bustling capital city of Fira lets you snap some memorable photos before the journey back to Athinios port

[firefly333]

6 minutes ago, mapleleaves said:

 

 

This is an old description of the tour, but if it matches the current one, you are correct in assuming that you avoid the cable cars coming AND going. Lucky you!  The key is in the last sentence " journey back to Athinios port ".  

 

Overview

Embrace the glorious island charms of Santorini on an adventure that brings you from the idyllic village of Oia to a local winery for tastings, plus time to explore Fira’s hilltop cityscape with your guide. Admire breathtaking views of the ancient volcanic caldera while driving around postcard-perfect Santorini Bay to the quaint hamlet of Oia. Perched high above the sea, this white-washed Cyclades enclave is full of narrow pathways that wind around a maze of art galleries, cafes, and artisan shops. Next, you’ll travel to a local bodega where Santorini wine is aged, learning about how the island’s climate and volcanic soil contribute to its fine varietals. Wine has been produced here since the ancient times, and it became world-renowned during the Middle Ages. You’ll taste the pure essence of Greek wine with a selection of three unique wines paired with locally produced cheese, olives, and tomatoes. Your final stop in the bustling capital city of Fira lets you snap some memorable photos before the journey back to Athinios port

I was a little disappointed I would miss the cable cars, but dont want to wait 2 hours. But I'd love cable cars. But I booked the motor coach. 

[mapleleaves]

25 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I was a little disappointed I would miss the cable cars, but dont want to wait 2 hours. But I'd love cable cars. But I booked the motor coach. 

 

Does the description specifically say you will be returned to Athinios ?

Most cruiseline excursions start at Athinios but end in Fira where they give you a voucher to ride the cable car down to Skala, the tender dock.  

 

[firefly333]

10 hours ago, mapleleaves said:

 

Does the description specifically say you will be returned to Athinios ?

Most cruiseline excursions start at Athinios but end in Fira where they give you a voucher to ride the cable car down to Skala, the tender dock.  

 

It specifically says round trip back to the port.

 

"Travel by tender boat to Santorini’s shore then enjoy a scenic 45-minute motor coach drive to the small town of Oia, where you’ll be dropped off to sightsee and stroll on your own. A roundtrip coach drive lands you in Fira, Santorini’s capital city, where you can explore further before returning back to port."

 

"

• Roundtrip transfers: Your tour includes motor coach transportation."

[crauen]

You can view the port visit schedule for Santorini (and other ports) here. https://www.cruisetimetables.com/santorinigreeceschedule-28aug2024.html. It includes the ships and passenger counts. I found this as I am looking at a cruise on Royal to Greece next June and was happy to see that the day in June only had two ships scheduled to visit. Looks like August 28 has four but that might not be too bad (I think they max out at 6 during the peak of summer)

[Thisguylikestocruise]

September 27th there’s only 2 ships in Santorini, I’m happy about that. It’ll be our first time there. 

[The Sunset Glow]

We stopped in Santorini while on Explorer last fall. We also wanted to avoid the cable car fiasco so we booked the "Island of Santorini and Oia Village" excursion through the ship. This one tenders you from the ship to Athinios ferry port and you take the tour bus from there. The tour bus returns to Athinios and you get a tender directly back to the ship thus avoiding the Old Port at Fira and the cables car/steps completely.

 

This tour included a tour of the island with soopts in Oia to explore on your own, wine tasting at Santos Winery, and Fira on your own. The only negative was we felt we didn't have enough time in Fira but we avoided the cable car so it was worth it. Fira was our last stop on the tour and a couple of people decided they were going to leave and take the cable car on their own instead of taking the bus back to Athinios so they could explore longer in Fira. They went to check out the cable car line and it was about a 2.5 to 3 hour wait so theyquickly ran back and rejoined the tour to go back to Anthios☺️

 

If your main goal is to avoid the cable car but still tour the island then I would recommend doing this tour.

[Thisguylikestocruise]

33 minutes ago, The Sunset Glow said:

We stopped in Santorini while on Explorer last fall. We also wanted to avoid the cable car fiasco so we booked the "Island of Santorini and Oia Village" excursion through the ship. This one tenders you from the ship to Athinios ferry port and you take the tour bus from there. The tour bus returns to Athinios and you get a tender directly back to the ship thus avoiding the Old Port at Fira and the cables car/steps completely.

 

This tour included a tour of the island with soopts in Oia to explore on your own, wine tasting at Santos Winery, and Fira on your own. The only negative was we felt we didn't have enough time in Fira but we avoided the cable car so it was worth it. Fira was our last stop on the tour and a couple of people decided they were going to leave and take the cable car on their own instead of taking the bus back to Athinios so they could explore longer in Fira. They went to check out the cable car line and it was about a 2.5 to 3 hour wait so theyquickly ran back and rejoined the tour to go back to Anthios☺️

 

If your main goal is to avoid the cable car but still tour the island then I would recommend doing this tour.

I’m doing this excursion soon. What snacks were served at Santos Winery? I’m hoping to grab a gyro with our free time in Santorini. Do you think there’s enough free time given to at least do that? Thanks for the report, it was hard to find reviews on this excursion. 

[The Sunset Glow]

40 minutes ago, Thisguylikestocruise said:

I’m doing this excursion soon. What snacks were served at Santos Winery? I’m hoping to grab a gyro with our free time in Santorini. Do you think there’s enough free time given to at least do that? Thanks for the report, it was hard to find reviews on this excursion. 

 

At Santos Winery I remember having cheese, olives, tomatos and seeded breadsticks. There may have been more things but that's what I remember. It was set up buffet style. They also have a nice gift shop there with souvinirs. A friend wanted a fridge magnet brought back and I bought a very nice one there that was cheaper than in Fira.

 

We had free time in Oia and Fira with more in Oia. I'm not sure if that is the norm for this tour or if we just ran out of time in Fira becasue people doddled in Oia (we had to wait for 4 people there even though they told us to be on time or they would leave without us). We spent our free time in Oia wandering around and taking pics but if you wanted to grab a quick bite to eat there is definitely time for that. I wouldn't say there was enough time to have a sit down lunch with table service and also walk around though. We grabbed some gyros in Fira, our last stop, and they were really good. We found there were a lot more of these types of quick-service food choices in Fira than in Oia.

 

One thing I'd note is we did the afternoon tour which left the ship around noon, I think. 

 

We also didn't find many reviews on this tour prior to booking so if you have any more questions please ask - I'll help if I can☺️

Edited August 6 by The Sunset Glow

[rdt10]

1 hour ago, The Sunset Glow said:

 

One thing I'd note is we did the afternoon tour which left the ship around noon, I think. 

 

We have a morning tour booked for next May thinking it would avoid the crowds and heat of the day. How was the afternoon tour? Was OIA still crowded or had they thinned out by then. I'm concerned the morning tour will leave us with a full afternoon back on the ship unless we use the cable car for the return.

 

Also, how much time did you have in OIA? Did you feel rushed there?

 

Thanks. Rick

[Thisguylikestocruise]

16 minutes ago, rdt10 said:

We have a morning tour booked for next May thinking it would avoid the crowds and heat of the day. How was the afternoon tour? Was OIA still crowded or had they thinned out by then. I'm concerned the morning tour will leave us with a full afternoon back on the ship unless we use the cable car for the return.

 

Also, how much time did you have in OIA? Did you feel rushed there?

 

Thanks. Rick

I’m doing the morning tour too, one thing I noticed is a lot of businesses serving food I want to try don’t open until 11:30am-noon. So it might be limited food options with free time at many places until later in the tour. Personally I view getting back on the ship early as a benefit, it’ll be less crowded everywhere. I’ll try to report back in a few weeks. 

Edited August 6 by Thisguylikestocruise

[ticketsunlimited]

4 hours ago, Thisguylikestocruise said:

September 27th there’s only 2 ships in Santorini, I’m happy about that. It’ll be our first time there. 

9/7 We will have Santorini to ourselves.  Only Odyssey of the Seas.  Cant wait!!