Mediterranean cruise....Santorini..

[soon2bcruisin]

DH and I are planning on doing a cruise in a couple of years...gives me plenty of time for obsessive planning! :p

He mentioned he wants to do a Mediterranean cruise...I see there is one that goes to Santorini. I have always wanted to go there...it's so beautiful!!

Has anyone been there?? DO you have a trip report that you can point me in the direction of? Any suggestions?

 

Thanks for any help!!

 

Brenda

[hylasgirl]

DH and I are planning on doing a cruise in a couple of years...gives me plenty of time for obsessive planning! :p

He mentioned he wants to do a Mediterranean cruise...I see there is one that goes to Santorini. I have always wanted to go there...it's so beautiful!!

Has anyone been there?? DO you have a trip report that you can point me in the direction of? Any suggestions?

 

Thanks for any help!!

 

Brenda

 

 

I have done the Med. cruise twice now, and again next year. Santorini is gorgeous! We loved it there. We went on the Brilliance of the Seas twice and it was incredible. We loved Mykonos also. Have fun planning. The Med definitely ranks as my favorite cruise!

[cruisinalong001]

If you decide to take the donkeys up, you should know that on our trip this summer, the donkeys did NOT go all the way to the top! There was a very, very, steep climb left up many , many, many steep steps decorated with donkey doo. I don't know why this was, and why we were not told. :mad: :mad: :mad: .The climb was very strenuous for anyone with health or mobility issues or who just doesn't want to do that in the boiling heat or who didn't want to get their shoes in donkey doo. Also, small groups of riderless donkeys were going down with uninterested guides behind them as you were trying to go up and not get knocked over. :mad: :mad: :mad: Given that, the donkey ride itself was a hoot and Santorini was our favorite port. Best to ask if the donkeys go all the way to the top.

[soon2bcruisin]

Thank you both for your input. Donkey rides would be so cool!! I guess I should lose some of this weight first or the donkey may want to ride ME up!! :p

[truffles2]

Sorry that I do not have a trip report. Only one word: GO!

[browneyes7]

Thank you both for your input. Donkey rides would be so cool!! I guess I should lose some of this weight first or the donkey may want to ride ME up!! :p

 

Riding the donkey up looked dangerous to me! I only saw a few young crew members doing it. I also felt sorry for the donkeys. There are many, many steps up to the town. I took the cable car to the top. You will love Santorini. It is a beautiful island!!:)

[DJSteve552003]

It has been several years since I was there, but I know there was also an option to take a cable car up. I do remember having drinks at a resturant on the top and overlooking Santorini below. They had fresh fish hanging at an outdoor market. Several small shops to buy things also. If I were to go again, I would make sure to include Rhodes. There is a beautiful beach there in a town called Lindos. I hope this helps.

 

Steve

[ILoveScotland]

I have been blessed to go to Santorini twice in the past year, and I am ready to go again and stay several days or a whole week.

 

No trip report, but the first time I rode the cable car. Not the second time. Now I can say: definitely ride the donkey. It is such fun, and I'm a 67 year old woman who needs to lose weight. I'm also afraid of heights. I decided my donkey was named Jeff Gordon as he wanted to pass all the others, but thankfully with all the zigs and zags the path is never steep. It is made up of very, very wide steps and there are stone walls on each side.

 

Also take a little time in Fira at the top, but get somebody to direct you to the bus station and take the bus up to Oia which is where all the pictures you usually see are. Picturesque doesn't begin to describe its beauty. You can also take a taxi to Oia or even rent a car or scooter.

 

There is much more to do, but time hasn't allowed me to do anything but the above.

 

And, of course, the island with its views is as beautiful as everyone says it is.

[cruisenfever]

I have been blessed to go to Santorini twice in the past year, and I am ready to go again and stay several days or a whole week.

 

No trip report, but the first time I rode the cable car. Not the second time. Now I can say: definitely ride the donkey. It is such fun, and I'm a 67 year old woman who needs to lose weight. I'm also afraid of heights. I decided my donkey was named Jeff Gordon as he wanted to pass all the others, but thankfully with all the zigs and zags the path is never steep. It is made up of very, very wide steps and there are stone walls on each side.

 

Also take a little time in Fira at the top, but get somebody to direct you to the bus station and take the bus up to Oia which is where all the pictures you usually see are. Picturesque doesn't begin to describe its beauty. You can also take a taxi to Oia or even rent a car or scooter.

 

There is much more to do, but time hasn't allowed me to do anything but the above.

 

And, of course, the island with its views is as beautiful as everyone says it is.

I think Jeff Gordon could use some lessons from that donkey.........and then maybe he'll start to drive better and start to win some races.;)

 

Santorini is definitely on our to-do list. Thanks for the tips.

[ILoveScotland]

I think Jeff Gordon could use some lessons from that donkey.........and then maybe he'll start to drive better and start to win some races.;)

 

Santorini is definitely on our to-do list. Thanks for the tips.

 

I couldn't think of the young NASCAR guys when I wrote that so I just wrote one of the drivers who used to dominate. I could have said Richard Petty or Junior Johnson and show my age! :eek:

[soon2bcruisin]

Thank you so much for your suggestions!! I am so excited to go...don't have anything planned yet though....wont be for at least 2 years. :rolleyes:

[Priusprof]

We did the 12 day Brilliance cruise in 2006 and Santorini was the most beautiful stop. We did the Winery tour that allowed us to see the whole island. We started by tendering to a commercial dock that handled the inter island ferries. Then we took a tour bus to the top of the cliff and then off to Oia. Tons of Kodak moments!! Then off to the winery and gift shop where we sipped our wine overlooking the caldera. We ended in Fira where we strolled the streets, shopped the shops, and checked out the restaurants. Tons of Kodak moments there too. We took the cable car back down. The best thing is to take a picture of people on the donkeys at the top. Everyone that we spoke to that rode the donkeys were not thrilled with the experience. As has been stated, the steps are very steep, smelly, and there are hundreds of them. We went in June and the temperatures were great. In mid summer it can be very hot so take this into account when planning.

[betsyl]

Santorini is the most beautiful island we've been to -- but we took the cable car to the top, not the donkeys. We also went to an antiquity site which was very interesting -- showed how they go about un-earthing the ruins, etc. But my favorite part of Santorini was having a glass of wine with my husband in an outdoor cafe surrounded by the blue-roofed buildings, overlooking the sea -- beautiful!

[cruisenfever]

I couldn't think of the young NASCAR guys when I wrote that so I just wrote one of the drivers who used to dominate. I could have said Richard Petty or Junior Johnson and show my age! :eek:

I know those two also..............see, you and I are very close in age!:D

[Piepkorn]

DH and I are planning on doing a cruise in a couple of years...gives me plenty of time for obsessive planning! :p

He mentioned he wants to do a Mediterranean cruise...I see there is one that goes to Santorini. I have always wanted to go there...it's so beautiful!!

Has anyone been there?? DO you have a trip report that you can point me in the direction of? Any suggestions?

 

Thanks for any help!!

 

Brenda

 

 

We did this in 2006, rented a car for $50 euro and drove all over the island. Cost about $10 euro for gas. We ate at a little beach called Parissa Beach, and shopped at Kamari Beach, then on to Ona for sunset. Did some sunning and relaxing at both beaches.

 

We were on Celebrity, and did not have a time limitation due to a midnight departure. It was our favorite stop of all the Europe ports.

 

Dave

[SliderNc]

I've been to Santorini but it was quite awhile ago on The Azur and before Chandris Lines was Celebrity. :)

 

It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been in my life and I'd love to go back for longer or at least try to make it back for another day on a cruise. I did do the donkey ride up the island but at that time, I was also in shape, playing football in high school. I wouldn't dare do it today with the shape I am now because it would be inhumane.

 

If you are going to cruise the Med, I would highly recommend doing something centered around Greece and those beautiful islands.

[jaxon41]

Santorini IS the most beautiful place in the world, imo, at least the parts of the world I've seen. My husband votes for the Cliffs of Mohr, which is a close second in my book. I cruised there on Olympic Cruises so we actually went by bus to Oia, before going to Fiera. This summer, my husband sailed a 7 person sailboat around the Greek Islands, and stayed a couple of days in Oia -- he still votes for the Cliffs of Mohr, but then, he's of Irish descent!

[MattInFLL]

Santorini competes with Cape Town, South Africa, as the most stunning place I have ever visited. Personally I would forget the donkeys to make sure I had the maximum time up in Thira and Oia. As someone else said Oia is where all the "famous" photographs of Santorini come from. One of my fondest memories will always be sitting with my parents in a taverna overlooking the amazing sunset from Oia during our 2004 trip.

 

I would also try to find a cruise where you are in Santorini into the evening hours so you can enjoy the famous sunset from the island.

 

When we were there we did this archaeological dig area on the far side of the island. It was somewhat interesting, but not memorable - but perhaps it has become more interesting in the intervening years. It is also quite easy to rent a car and drive the entire island in a day and enjoy its many breathtaking spots.

 

Mykonos is quite beautiful, too, but is really about days at the beach and the nightlife that does not begin until after midnight. Santorini is just an immense cultural experience.

[English_in_Spain]

Agree with everyone. It is lovely. It is also a good place to get some really good photos of your ship in the bay.

 

The only problem I would say is that if you go there on a large cruise ship or when a large cruise ship is there and a couple of thousand cruise passengers arrive in the town it does lose some of its magic.

[soon2bcruisin]

wow...so many wonderful posts! Reading some of them makes me think maybe I will do the cable car instead of the donkey. I would think it would take longer by donkey and smelly like they say.

I know I have said this...but you all have made me very excited!!

Thank you so much!!!

Brenda