Santorini tenders

[Adventures ahead]

Do ships anchor just once and tender people in either direction, ie to the 'tour bus' port or to Fira for DIY people who want to take the cable car? Or, does the ship sail to Fira after the people taking ship's tours have disembarked?

[Susan-M]

Do ships anchor just once and tender people in either direction, ie to the 'tour bus' port or to Fira for DIY people who want to take the cable car?

 

Yes. Tour bus passengers go to Athinios. Our ship was anchored close to Fira: http://www.frommers.com/images/destinations/maps/jpg-2006/1647_santorini.jpg

[tamarackcabin]

Yes. Tour bus passengers go to Athinios. Our ship was anchored close to Fira: http://www.frommers.com/images/destinations/maps/jpg-2006/1647_santorini.jpg

 

Hi: From the map you posted, it looks as though you can take a ferry from the DYI port (that's Skala, right?) to Oia (or I guess that would be Amoudi Bay, just below Oia), Do you or anyone else know if that's correct? Is it possible to purchase tickets ahead of time?

Thanks, Ken

[CintiPam]

Do ships anchor just once and tender people in either direction, ie to the 'tour bus' port or to Fira for DIY people who want to take the cable car? Or, does the ship sail to Fira after the people taking ship's tours have disembarked?

 

Our ship, Oceania Nautica, anchored once by Athinos and tendered the ship's tour people there, then travelled for perhaps 15? minutes up to base of Fira, anchored again, and remained there for the rest of the day. (The ship's excursions all ended at Fira.)

[CintiPam]

Hi: From the map you posted, it looks as though you can take a ferry from the DYI port (that's Skala, right?) to Oia (or I guess that would be Amoudi Bay, just below Oia), Do you or anyone else know if that's correct? Is it possible to purchase tickets ahead of time?

Thanks, Ken

 

My detailed map of Santorini provided to me by Europcar with my car rental there last September shows ferry routes from Fira to the two small islands west of Santorini and then from there to Ammoudi Bay, but no ferry direct from Fira to Ammoudi Bay. It also is a very daunting climb from Ammoudi Bay to Oia.

[agabbymama]

In Oct '08, the Grand Princess anchored off Skala (Fira) and tendered folks to the cable car/donkey rides up to Fira. But then a special tender came and took those of us that signed up for a tour to Athinos where the buses were waiting for us. I booked the tour because I didn't want to do the cable car. We had the choice of being dropped in Fira, or riding the bus back to Athinos for tender back to the ship. The only problem with that was there was no shopping. There were a few shops by the pier, but our tour guide wouldn't let us leave the group to go shop.

 

It sounds like the different cruiselines do different things, you won't know for sure until you get there.

[Susan-M]

Hi: From the map you posted, it looks as though you can take a ferry from the DYI port (that's Skala, right?) to Oia ...

 

Hi Ken,

I haven't heard of a ferry between Ammoudi Bay and the dock below Fira, and didn't see any when we were there. We ate at a taverna in Ammoudi Bay and there was no boat activity at all during the time that we were down there.

 

I would recommend asking on the Tripadvisor forum for Santorini: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g189433-Santorini_Cyclades.html

 

I rely on tripadvisor a lot for our cruise planning since we do most ports on our own...it's great for filling in the blanks with info that I can't find here on CC.

[Adventures ahead]

I'm asking about the tender because we plan to DIY and take the bus to Oia. As Plan B, I decided to book a ship's tour in case my back conks out on me by the time we get to Santorini (9th consecutive port). The morning tour is booked and the website has the same description for the afternoon tour, beginning at 12:40pm where the first tenders let people off. So, if the ship moves over to Fira, I'm wondering if it's simply a longer tender ride back to the starting point?

 

We will probably cancel the ship's tour and DIY, but need a back-up plan :( and are wondering about the logistics.

[agabbymama]

I'm asking about the tender because we plan to DIY and take the bus to Oia. As Plan B, I decided to book a ship's tour in case my back conks out on me by the time we get to Santorini (9th consecutive port). The morning tour is booked and the website has the same description for the afternoon tour, beginning at 12:40pm where the first tenders let people off. So, if the ship moves over to Fira, I'm wondering if it's simply a longer tender ride back to the starting point?

 

We will probably cancel the ship's tour and DIY, but need a back-up plan :( and are wondering about the logistics.

 

I'm sure your ship will anchor closer to Fira, as the Grand Princess did. It's a little longer tender ride, but still only 10-15 minutes. The ship doesn't drop folks at Athinios, then continue on to Fira, then go back to Athinios. It really isn't that far on the water. May be quite a distance on land, but they look closer from the water.