How to do Santorini

Our Celebrity Constellation cruise for May of 2015 includes Santorini as a port. We will have a full day here (7 A.M. - 6 P.M.) From what I have been reading the cable car line sounds horrific! Can anyone give me details as to where your arrive after you tender in from the cruise ship, if it is feasible to do both Fira and Oia, and what is the best way (if any) to avoid lines and crowds. The lines make me think of the possibility of missing the last tender. Is private tour better than Celebrity tour. I don't think we care about visiting a winery, or the archeological ruins that are located on this island. We would mostly like to take in scenery and atmosphere. Thanks up front! LOVE, LOVE this site!

Our Celebrity Constellation cruise for May of 2015 includes Santorini as a port. We will have a full day here (7 A.M. - 6 P.M.) From what I have been reading the cable car line sounds horrific! Can anyone give me details as to where your arrive after you tender in from the cruise ship, if it is feasible to do both Fira and Oia, and what is the best way (if any) to avoid lines and crowds. The lines make me think of the possibility of missing the last tender. Is private tour better than Celebrity tour. I don't think we care about visiting a winery, or the archeological ruins that are located on this island. We would mostly like to take in scenery and atmosphere. Thanks up front! LOVE, LOVE this site!

Unless you use a cruise line excursion, you will be tendered to the base of the cliffs below Fira, near the cable car, which you can ride to the top (the town of Fira). If you take a cruise line excursion, you will be tendered to a different location where buses have parked. This is actually the first drop off spot. But you can only use this first stop if you are on a ship excursion.

Yes, of course, you can do both Fira and Oia given your length of time in port. But you will need to research and decide how you want to accomplish this. You can do it via a ship excursion. You can ride the cable cars up to Fira and catch a bus or taxi to take you to Oia when you want to go. You can rent a car in Fira and drive yourself. Heck, if you're in good shape, there have been reports on here of people who have hiked from Fira to Oia on a day visit. You could also arrange a private tour in advance. It will likely start/end in Fira. Ship excursions will also end in Fira, leaving you with a free ticket to ride the cable car back down. If the lines are too long and you wait to the last minute, you can always walk down the winding donkey path (it's stone/rock/paved) in about 20 minutes.

It's really all up to whatever works for you. Read all the Santorini postings on this board and you'll find enough info to help you decide what is best for you.

Very useful info! thanks so much! How did you like the Constellation?

Another option (if it is running) is the boat transfer to Oia---the Union Boatmen of Santorini partner with a land travel agency and offer a transfer by boat from Fira tender pier to Oia--with a mini bus ride up from Oia harbor to the city and then a bus transfer back to Fira from Oia----I have done this and it worked out great---however the service has had different "partners" and can not be booked in advance---the cost was 25E per person for the boat and two busses---we walked back down to the tender dock as the late afternoon cable car lines were crazy

Paul

Very useful info! thanks so much! How did you like the Constellation?

Great ship. Thoroughly loved my time on board.

Have been to Santorini 8 times, used the cable car each time, and never found it horrific :). As to "how to do" Santorini, we do it quite well :). We have always gone on our own, have used the buses, rental cars, taxis, and our feet (varies on each trip). Doing both Oia and Fira on a long port day is quite easy, and with a rental car we could cover most of the island in that amount of time.

Hank

Does anyone remember when the earliest tender leaves from Celebrity Constellation, if you are not doing their shore excursion? How often to return tenders run? Also how much does a taxi cost from Fira to Oia? Thanks again!

Does anyone remember when the earliest tender leaves from Celebrity Constellation, if you are not doing their shore excursion? How often to return tenders run? Also how much does a taxi cost from Fira to Oia? Thanks again!

I can't offer you the timing, but it probably does vary based on the exact arrival time and how long it takes to drop off the excursion passengers at the 1st stop. But I will add that the island of Santorini provides the tender boats. And they are large and hold a lot of people. They are a lot larger than the lifeboats the ship would use for tendering if the island didn't provide them. So tendering ashore moves quite quickly.

Does anyone remember when the earliest tender leaves from Celebrity Constellation, if you are not doing their shore excursion? How often to return tenders run? Also how much does a taxi cost from Fira to Oia? Thanks again!

Once the ship is positioned in the basin off of Fira, the tender operations commence with little delay. But when you have over 1,500 passengers wanting to get ashore about the same time, there can be significant delays for those without tender priority (such as Elites) or that fail to go get an early tender ticket.

Return tenders run constantly during the day and the timing does vary based on demand. You will seldom wait more then 15 min to get a tender back to the ship, although as you near departure time the queue to get on the cable car (which takes you down to the tender area) can become quite long.

As to taxis, the last time we asked it was about 25 Euros (one-way) for a taxi from Fira to Oia. Most of the taxis hold 4 persons. There is also a bus line that runs between the cities, although it does not run as often as one would expect.

Hank

There is also a bus line that runs between the cities, although it does not run as often as one would expect.

 

Hank

Every 20 minutes in Summer is as best as I would expect.

http://ktel-santorini.gr/ktel/images/pdfs/ktel.pdf

Have been to Santorini 8 times, used the cable car each time, and never found it horrific :). As to "how to do" Santorini, we do it quite well :). We have always gone on our own, have used the buses, rental cars, taxis, and our feet (varies on each trip). Doing both Oia and Fira on a long port day is quite easy, and with a rental car we could cover most of the island in that amount of time.

 

Hank

Thank you for your information...

Do you mind explaining exactly how you do it quite well:D

So you used the cable car, buses, rental cars, taxis and feet.

Can you please post your itinerary for that day so we know how to structure it for ourselves. :)

Looking forward to your expertise being there 8 times.

A lot of the congestion issues will be determined by how many ships are in port. Search the boards for tools on how to find out how many other ships will be there when you are (& also their times, as this will matter for your cable car trip, especially on the way down).

This summer, we were the only ship in port and there was absolutely NO wait going up or down the cable car! We were some of the first off the ship. Had a great day!

Happy Travels!

The Jade is supposed to dock at Santorini at 1:30pm. No other ships are in port that day. Does anyone know how long before the tender ticket numbers are called?

I think you are worrying too much. Most people don't get going very early, so if you do, you can avoid many of the bulges of congestion. Get up early and get up the hill on the cable car before most people do. Head to Oia at the front of the pack and you won't have a problem finding transport. Get yourself back from Oia to Thira and get the cable car back down before the hordes start thinking about doing the same thing. You'll be fine.

Get a ticket for the earliest tender you can, and take your tender when it is called. The cable car on the way up is not a problem if you're early. You may have to wait a bit, but really not that long. Find your transport to Oia. Take the public bus and plan on taking it back, or if you're a worrier like me, hire a taxi and ask him to wait till you are ready to come back from Oia so you are sure of your ride back.

The real challenge with crowds on the cable car is getting back down the hill. Lines start to form after lunch to go down. The later you get in line, the longer it will be. As others have said, you can decide to walk down if you are really concerned about time. I haven't done it but other reports suggest you can do it in half an hour. But remember that with a 6 pm departure, you will have more leeway than other people might. Many ships depart at 5 p.m.

Thanks so much for the info Wasup!

I have picked up some great information from Cruise Critic members over the past 10 years or so and perhaps given some too, but I am always reluctant to answer an open ended question like the OP's.

There are so many factors that can affect your day in a port like Santorini.

How many ship's in port? The weather? Individual interests? The mood you are in?

We were in Santorini in June 2012. A beautiful hot day as you can see from these pictures. Our ship, the Celebrity Equinox, was the only one in port when we arrived in the morning so the cable car line up wasn't too bad. Some passengers chose to walk up the stairs or ride the donkeys.

I knew that the best photo ops were in Oia so I walked a few blocks to the bus station and boarded the public bus for the short ride from Fira.

Oia is an amazing place to take pictures, look at shops, look at people and mostly look at the amazing blue water. I knew there could be a bit of a rush to get on the public buses so I left earlier than I wanted to to but had time to stroll around Fira before taking the cable car back to the tender loading area.

A calm relaxing day in a place I hope to visit again.

One of the last stops on our 10 day cruise was Mykonos. I knew there was lots to see but as the ship approached the dock we saw a beach on the port side that looked very inviting. As we had already toured Athens, Crete, Ephesus and Rhodes and a tour of Pompeii was a few days away, we decided to just relax on the beach.

I wouldn't have known 2 or 3 months earlier that would be how we would spend our time in Mykonos. We try not to over plan so that when a new option opens up we can take advantage of it.

Line up for the cable car from the port to Fira

Stairs between the port and Fira shared by people and donkeys

Oia

Relaxing in Mykonos

I'll be in Santorini from 1:30 until 10pm. We are supposed to be the only ship. My plan is to get to Oia somehow. I just haven't decided how.

@eetonaee thanks so much for the photos and suggestions. The stairs down look doable and the beach a possibility

@eetonaee thanks so much for the photos and suggestions. The stairs down look doable and the beach a possibility

Thank you.

So there is no confusion - the beach in the picture is in Mykonos.

"eetonaee" - sounds exactly like "journalist" in Hebrew :)

Another option (if it is running) is the boat transfer to Oia---the Union Boatmen of Santorini partner with a land travel agency and offer a transfer by boat from Fira tender pier to Oia--with a mini bus ride up from Oia harbor to the city and then a bus transfer back to Fira from Oia----I have done this and it worked out great---however the service has had different "partners" and can not be booked in advance---the cost was 25E per person for the boat and two busses---we walked back down to the tender dock as the late afternoon cable car lines were crazy

 

Paul

Paul,

Do you have a website or contact for this Union Boatmen? Having been to Fira in the morning, it is very busy with dawdling cruisers. It would be great to do Oia first, then back to town, and even then the cable cars shouldn't be too bad.

Mary

"eetonaee" - sounds exactly like "journalist" in Hebrew :)

Not a coincidence.

When I joined CC many years ago I was publishing a small community paper.

Paul,

Do you have a website or contact for this Union Boatmen? Mary

The company offering the transfer by "speedboat" to Oia, then up by bus and then by bus from Oia to Fira is waiting for you at the dock. Plenty of "transfers to Oia by boat" signs everywhere.

IMHO, it was the best way to see Oia.

Not a coincidence.

 

When I joined CC many years ago I was publishing a small community paper.

Thanks, I just won my bet with DH.... I owe u an hamburger whenever u come to Israel, fries 2 :D Dani[ela]

My family name in Hebrew is "vinemaker", spelled with K.