Chania, Crete - Only 5 hours. What to do?

Hello,

I will be on the Norwegian Spirit in early November with a short stop in Crete. We arrived at 7 a.m. and depart at 12 noon. I am not really sure what to do with such a short stop at that port.

Is this a norm? I hear that Crete is beautiful. What do you suggest? How do people usually spend their time in Crete?

Thanks :D

Crete is one of the largest and most interesting Greek Islands, but with such a short stop I wouldn't venture elsewhere unless you opt for a shorex.

Having said that, Chania is a lovely compact town to walk around. If you have a busy itinerary you will enjoy a more relaxed time in port.

When you bring up GREEK PORTS, look to the right and you will see a SEARCH THIS FORUM box. Enter the word Chania into it and all previous threads with that word in them will appear and you can browse for info like this:

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2608980&highlight=chania

And Tripadvisor. And whatsinport has suggestions too, and you can see if any others ships will be in that day.

blueslily, we are also on this cruise. Did you find anything to do besides walk around the town?

We were in Chania 2 weeks ago on a cruise stop.

Walking around the old town will be a good way to spend your time.

Make sure you visit the Municipal market. We took the shuttle bus into town. It was provided by the local bus company and was 1.70 euros pp each way. We were dropped off very close to the market.

The harbour is beautiful and worth walking around as well.

We were in Chania 2 weeks ago on a cruise stop.

 

Walking around the old town will be a good way to spend your time.

Make sure you visit the Municipal market. We took the shuttle bus into town. It was provided by the local bus company and was 1.70 euros pp each way. We were dropped off very close to the market.

The harbour is beautiful and worth walking around as well.

Thanks~ perfect.

Chania is a lovely town to wander in and have a nice Greek meal. To really see Crete you need to stay there for at least two weeks. It is a huge island, and after three two week trips we have only done a once over. Enjoy one of our favourite towns.

That really is a short time in port. Wow. But as others have said, you primary option will be to take a shuttle bus into town and walk around. The boat will dock in Souda, and the shuttle ride is about 10-15 drive each way. Once the bus drops you off near the market, you can explore there a little and then walk downhill to the old port area. By the time you wander around a little, it will be time to start heading back to the shuttle bus. It's a nice little town to explore. I had a longer day there, but I think I still felt ready to head back to ship around noon. So you'll just have to explore a little less than I did.

Thanks for the ideas. We too are there from 7 to 12 and will probably just do the shuttle and walk around town and the port area. Am I right that the ship docks in Chania and we don't have to tender? That will save a little time at least. But I'm sure all 2000 passengers will be taking the same shuttle bus so there will probably be lines both ways.

Tony

Thanks for the ideas. We too are there from 7 to 12 and will probably just do the shuttle and walk around town and the port area. Am I right that the ship docks in Chania and we don't have to tender? That will save a little time at least. But I'm sure all 2000 passengers will be taking the same shuttle bus so there will probably be lines both ways.

Tony

For us, the boat docked (it did not tender). The dock is actually in the nearby town of Souda. I'm always one of the first off the ship when I travel, and I just bought my ticket and got on the bus. No lines that early. Not sure how crowded it got later in the morning. When I returned around Noon, there was probably 1/2 bus of people waiting with me to return to ship, but we were there until 5pm I think. I think with the short day you have, the crowds might be an issue.

Thanks for the ideas. We too are there from 7 to 12 and will probably just do the shuttle and walk around town and the port area. Am I right that the ship docks in Chania and we don't have to tender? That will save a little time at least. But I'm sure all 2000 passengers will be taking the same shuttle bus so there will probably be lines both ways.

Tony

Nope. Docks in Souda. Only smaller ships will tender directly in Chania.

I’m in Chania on a land trip right now. Such a shame you have such a short amount of time in Port. I’d go into town anyway and have a coffee in the Harbour.