kdowneymd Posted January 30, 2008 #1 Share Posted January 30, 2008 The day we are in Santorini, there will be FIVE ships in port that day. Is this the maximum or is it upper part of average? It is really disappointing because almost every other cruise day we are the only ship in port or one of two (in large ports!) and Santorini is the port none if us has visited yet. Knowing it will be packed, I am wondering how many ships makes the island close to impossible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pollux Posted January 30, 2008 #2 Share Posted January 30, 2008 What date? Which ship? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abelthi Posted January 30, 2008 #3 Share Posted January 30, 2008 The day we are in Santorini, there will be FIVE ships in port that day. Is this the maximum or is it upper part of average? It is really disappointing because almost every other cruise day we are the only ship in port or one of two (in large ports!) and Santorini is the port none if us has visited yet. Knowing it will be packed, I am wondering how many ships makes the island close to impossible :confused: How do you know ? Where did you find out ? :confused: Thierry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdowneymd Posted January 30, 2008 Author #4 Share Posted January 30, 2008 We are on the Zuiderdam leaving Venice July 7. I think we are in Santorini on Wednesday JUly 16. I found out by checking the web cruise ship calendar site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinaLee Posted January 30, 2008 #5 Share Posted January 30, 2008 :confused: How do you know ? Where did you find out ? :confused: Thierry cruisecal.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whale-watcher Posted January 30, 2008 #6 Share Posted January 30, 2008 I tried checking cruise cal for Santorini in July, but nothing shows up on the calendar...we will be there July 6 with the pacific princess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camella Posted January 30, 2008 #7 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Whale watcher - it looks like you are the only ship in port on July 6th. go to the web site, click on main calendar and put in the date (july 6th - July 6th) and then put in the name of your ship..not the line and click on yes to see other ships in port that day. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_uk Posted January 30, 2008 #8 Share Posted January 30, 2008 The day we are in Santorini, there will be FIVE ships in port that day. Is this the maximum or is it upper part of average? It is really disappointing because almost every other cruise day we are the only ship in port or one of two (in large ports!) and Santorini is the port none if us has visited yet. Knowing it will be packed, I am wondering how many ships makes the island close to impossible It won't be good, I'm afraid - that's a lot, and the capacity of the cablecar is strictly limited. In my blog here: http://tomtotley.wordpress.com/2007/06/29/day-8-santorini/ I estimated that it was just 600 or so people *in one direction* per hour. There is a ray of hope, however. My Galaxy cruise was originally scheduled for a 5-ship day at Santorini. In the event the whole of the Aegean portion was re-ordered just a few weeks before the actual cruise and one result was that we were alone at Santorini. So something like that might happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andym Posted January 30, 2008 #9 Share Posted January 30, 2008 We were in with 5 ships in total and not only was the tenderring very slow, the cablecar has a limited capacity just like Tom says. It is never bad going up as the tender boats limit the flow, but we had to stand in line to come down for almost 2 hours. One alternative idea may be to take a boat trip to Oia. yo can get these where the tender boats drop you off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whale-watcher Posted January 30, 2008 #10 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Whale watcher - it looks like you are the only ship in port on July 6th. go to the web site, click on main calendar and put in the date (july 6th - July 6th) and then put in the name of your ship..not the line and click on yes to see other ships in port that day. Linda thanks! My kids are looking forward to the cable car ride...are there alternatives to the cable car on the way back down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prophotogirl Posted January 31, 2008 #11 Share Posted January 31, 2008 thanks! My kids are looking forward to the cable car ride...are there alternatives to the cable car on the way back down? walking or donkeys and from what I've heard wait for the cable car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eileen G Posted January 31, 2008 #12 Share Posted January 31, 2008 We walked down last year. It took about 20 min. and that was stopping alot to take pictures. You will have to watch out for the donkeys and their droppings but that was part of the adventure. It is a very wide path with short steps. There is a smell from the donkeys but nothing worse than a farm. We plan on doing it again this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whale-watcher Posted January 31, 2008 #13 Share Posted January 31, 2008 Walking does sound like an adventure...this is towards the end of our cruise, so perhaps we should walk UP to burn off all those extra pounds! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WELSH WIZARDS Posted January 31, 2008 #14 Share Posted January 31, 2008 We went to Santorini last August, and it was one of the highlights of our trip. Just being there with the edges of the volcano all around you is really great. We were the only ship there, and the tiny landing area, tiny cable Car area , and little streets and shops seem crowded with just one ship. It was also very hot , so standing and queuing and waiting with passengers from FIVE ships sounds like the recipe for a very frazzled day to me. On the other hand ...it is a place that should not be missed ...whatever the discomfort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan-M Posted January 31, 2008 #15 Share Posted January 31, 2008 Walking does sound like an adventure...this is towards the end of our cruise, so perhaps we should walk UP to burn off all those extra pounds! I think that when you arrive and see the steps, you'll save them for walking down. ;) It's not a bad walk down...I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WELSH WIZARDS Posted January 31, 2008 #16 Share Posted January 31, 2008 I think that when you arrive and see the steps, you'll save them for walking down. ;) It's not a bad walk down...I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. I bet there was only one or two ships in then, not five or six.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikki_DC Posted February 1, 2008 #17 Share Posted February 1, 2008 I've been to Santorini once when it was packed and once when it was quiet. I would recommend taking the bus to Perissa (spelling may be off). Beautiful beach with great resturant on the edge of the beach with water views. It might be a way to escape some of the crowds. I would also recommend taking a cruise ship tour to Oia. They will take you off the ship at a different port, you take a bus to Oia, and end up in Santorini. Our tour included the cable car ticket down (so you get a one-way trip). We were there when there was only one cruise ship in town, and the public buses were absolutely packed and taxis wouldn't negotiate. So, if you want to Oia, the tour is worth it to avoid the hassle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeccalouise Posted February 1, 2008 #18 Share Posted February 1, 2008 Wow I am on the same cruise and that is terrible! Oh, well I have already been to Santorini. I guess I'll stay onboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdowneymd Posted February 1, 2008 Author #19 Share Posted February 1, 2008 Thank-you for the replies. If anyone has any other ideas of how to beat the crowds, I would appreciate them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_uk Posted February 1, 2008 #20 Share Posted February 1, 2008 I think the queues for the cable cars tend to be worse in the afternoon for the descent. People arrive at the bottom station throughout the morning from early until late so the demand is (relatively) spread out. But in the afternoon everybody decides to head back to the ship at about the same time so the queues can quickly build up. I have heard of one alternative, and that is that there may be boats - small local boats, that is - that go from the small harbour below Oia to the almost-as-small harbour below Fira (which is where the tenders call for the trip back to the ship). I can't promise that this information is true, and I don't have any information at all about prices, but I've come across a mention of it somewhere. Of course you still have to get down to the water's edge at Oia to do this, and if there are no boats then you've got climb all the way back up, but there are two advantages to doing the climb (up or down) at Oia: a) there are no donkeys, and b) Oia isn't quite as high as Fira so the distance/number of steps is less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jms2362 Posted February 6, 2008 #21 Share Posted February 6, 2008 There was one other when we were there last summer. Santorini is our favorite and Mykonos. Dont take cruise tour. You can go up cable car and get off turn left out of terminal go to 2nd street and go right watch for signs for bus terminal you will turn left near a large Orthodox Church and it is approx one more block. They will tell you where to wait for the buses lots of fun doing that and very cheap a couple of dollars. We did so much on foot. Most meals if in a nice place are expensive, lunch is their dinner. We spent $55.oo US. They didn't take credit cards at almost every restaurant we went to in Greece, cash only. Santorini is GREAT! Want to go back, we are doint Independence of Seas this June, UK, Gibraltar, Spain, France, Portugal and Italy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda74 Posted February 7, 2008 #22 Share Posted February 7, 2008 I see that there will be three ships in port at Santorini when we arrive on april 30th....contemplating doing the shiip's tour (RCCL, Splendour of the Seas)....our only time in Santorini....tried to get there last Oct. and could not.....and Santorini was the impetus for this cruise... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan-M Posted February 7, 2008 #23 Share Posted February 7, 2008 I have heard of one alternative, and that is that there may be boats - small local boats, that is - that go from the small harbour below Oia to the almost-as-small harbour below Fira (which is where the tenders call for the trip back to the ship). We drove down to Amoudi Bay (below Oia) and spent a couple of hours there having dinner and exploring along a path at the water's edge. I didn't see any boats that looked like they were shuttles to Fira...but it was late afternoon and things were pretty quiet. It's quite a steep hike on foot, and I think I would rather take my chances of having to walk down the steps at Fira if the cable car line is too long than to hike down and back up at Oia. Here's a photo I found on the web: http://www.pbase.com/xerius/image/90299402 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
where_to_next Posted February 7, 2008 #24 Share Posted February 7, 2008 We were at Santorini last year in May. We rode the donkeys up and back down. It was great fun. We are young 60 year olds. The cost is the same as the cable car. After arriving at the top, we rented an ATV and roamed from one end of the island to the other (Oia to Red Beach). It was the best day of our 12 day cruise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdowneymd Posted February 7, 2008 Author #25 Share Posted February 7, 2008 I still am not sure where this leaves me with five ships in port. The recommendations seem to be basedmupon visits when ther were fewer ships in port Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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