Anyone disembarked in Santorini?

I know I have to call but just wondered if anyone has done it. It's our last stop. I've seen entertainers board so I'm thinking luggage might not be an issue even though it's a tender port

Thanks

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Hello , we took the cruise earlier this year and had to get approval to get off at Santorini so make sure you do it well before the start if your cruise and it took a long time for us to get approval . We also ensured upon arrival that they had the information and verified a last time the night before .

It wasn't a problem , we just left a little later once everyone had tendered so that it wasn't a problem with our luggage !

Enjoy

Excellent! thanks so much.

The only problem I see is that Oceania does not permit anyone to get off at Athinos port, the one with a road right there, unless you are booked on one of Oceania's tours (or I guess an Oceania entertainer).

So that means you must take all your luggage on either a donkey or the cable car, which would no be easy.

The only problem I see is that Oceania does not permit anyone to get off at Athinos port, the one with a road right there, unless you are booked on one of Oceania's tours (or I guess an Oceania entertainer).

 

So that means you must take all your luggage on either a donkey or the cable car, which would no be easy.

There are speed boats available at the dock below the cable car/donkey route, and they can take you around to the other small port where there is a road up to the other side of Santorini.

These can be reserved privately in advance, although that would cost more.

We'll be doing this as part of a private day tour.

And yes, for those who also want to avoid the donkey/cable car back down, arrangements can be made for a speed boat to take you back to that dock to catch the regular tender back to the ship.

[i added that because somewhere else I had read that you could 'leave' that dock by speed boat, but would still need to get back down by cable/donkey.]

There is more information on the Greek sub-forum about Santorini.

Just make sure that the speed boat arrangements you make understand you'll have luggage with you (especially if you have a 'lot' of luggage with you).

We'd love to spend more time on Santorini, but we chose our cruise next year precisely because it ends at Athens, where we especially want to spend several days.

GeezerCouple

There are speed boats available at the dock below the cable car/donkey route, and they can take you around to the other small port where there is a road up to the other side of Santorini.

 

These can be reserved privately in advance, although that would cost more.

We'll be doing this as part of a private day tour.

 

And yes, for those who also want to avoid the donkey/cable car back down, arrangements can be made for a speed boat to take you back to that dock to catch the regular tender back to the ship.

[i added that because somewhere else I had read that you could 'leave' that dock by speed boat, but would still need to get back down by cable/donkey.]

 

There is more information on the Greek sub-forum about Santorini.

 

Just make sure that the speed boat arrangements you make understand you'll have luggage with you (especially if you have a 'lot' of luggage with you).

 

We'd love to spend more time on Santorini, but we chose our cruise next year precisely because it ends at Athens, where we especially want to spend several days.

 

GeezerCouple

Do you mean the speedboats to Oia, which is north of Fira? Or are you saying you can reserve a speedboat to Athinos, which is south of Fira?:confused:

Whichever, both are on the same side of Santorini as Fira.

Do you mean the speedboats to Oia, which is north of Fira? Or are you saying you can reserve a speedboat to Athinos, which is south of Fira?:confused:

 

Whichever, both are on the same side of Santorini as Fira.

Sorry if I wasn't clear about "other side".

I meant the "other side of the donkey/cable docking area", yes, toward Oia, rather than toward Fira.

(However, I'm not quite clear why one couldn't arrange a private speedboat to Athinios, but I've never looked into that. I suppose the cruise lines could force restrictions on that? But we want to head toward Oia anyway, so the issue was moot for us.)

We are doing this as part of an excursion that will include some time in Oia, and also some time sailing.

We won't be taking the donkey/cable route either at the start or at the end.

GeezerCouple

Thanks for the tip on the boat. That's a great idea.

Some cruise line disembark excursions on the flat side of the island not sure if Oceania does this or not

If you do manage to get permission & they do you could probably get off with baggage then

Thanks for the tip on the boat. That's a great idea.

How many of you would there be, staying at Santorini? How much luggage?

No matter how you make the arrangements to get off with luggage, especially if there are a few of you and/or more than a suitcase or two, I'd suggest making plans/reservations in advance, including for a car (or van, depending upon #persons/luggage) to meet you at the speedboat dock near Oia.

Especially if you'd need a van, it wouldn't be fun to be waiting who-knows-how-long for a vehicle of the right size to come along (and one without some other reservation).

I'd suggest reviewing the Greece sub-forum elsewhere on CruiseCritic for suggestions/contacts.

That's how we found some great leads for what we hope will turn out to be a wonderful day of mixed activities.

Note: It wasn't all that easy to find this information. Most of the information is about the donkey/cable or the cruise-excursion options, neither of which seem they would work well (if at all) in your case.

What a treat to stay longer in Santorini :)

GeezerCouple

There would be two of us. Probably a suitcase each and maybe a shared carry on. When closer I'd be contacting the hotel as they arrange a driver from the airport. I'll see if they can do that spot too. Exciting :)

There would be two of us. Probably a suitcase each and maybe a shared carry on. When closer I'd be contacting the hotel as they arrange a driver from the airport. I'll see if they can do that spot too. Exciting :)

This makes sense.

At that time, you might also see if the hotel/concierge can coordinate a speedboat pickup for you. We aren't sure how many there are, and we are planning to arrange this, too, as part of the day's outing for all of us - plus the ride back at the end of the day.

GeezerCouple

There would be two of us. Probably a suitcase each and maybe a shared carry on. When closer I'd be contacting the hotel as they arrange a driver from the airport. I'll see if they can do that spot too. Exciting :)

Sounds like the Santorini hotel would be a great source of information as to how to arrange for your arrival to their doorstep off a cruise ship.

Taking a speedboat to Oia still requires transportation up the major hill there to Oia itself.

Sounds like the Santorini hotel would be a great source of information as to how to arrange for your arrival to their doorstep off a cruise ship.

 

Taking a speedboat to Oia still requires transportation up the major hill there to Oia itself.

Yup, that's exactly why we have been discussing their having the hotel help with those precise arrangements to get from the speedboat dock up to Oia and the hotel, just as the hotel helps with transportation from the airport :)

GeezerCouple

There would be two of us. Probably a suitcase each and maybe a shared carry on. When closer I'd be contacting the hotel as they arrange a driver from the airport. I'll see if they can do that spot too. Exciting :)

Just noticed you won't be there for a while.

If all goes as planned, we'll be there before you, and I'll report back about whether there seemed to be taxi service "waiting" at the speedboat dock to take people to Oia (or elsewhere, obviously), or if they were only there by pre-arrangement.

We'll have more people (but no luggage other than a small day pack), so we'll be arranging a small van.

Obviously whatever we "find" at that dock could change, no matter what our experience is, so having the hotel help with transportation meeting you there makes a lot of sense anyway.

(I'm not expecting a "taxi queue" there, since this doesn't seem to be such a well known option about getting to Oia. Maybe once there, we'll find out why? :confused:)

Meanwhile, I just noticed that you've got quite a November and December planned this year!

ENJOY!

We'll be spending both holidays in the Caribbean.

[Would LOVE to get some "helpful hints" about Hawaii from you sometime. We had to cancel (last minute, sudden illness) our first trip there just about a year ago, and now we have the nice "problem" of trying to find a time to reschedule.]

GeezerCouple

Yes, I like to plan ahead :). Any Hawaii questions, ask away.