Confused about excursion timings - Santorini

Hi, we will be on the Jewel in June and have booked an excursion through Royal Caribbean. Our ship docks (or tenders I think) at 1pm, bearing in mind I have never booked any excursions before and this is only my second cruise, I am slightly confused.

I thought I had read that cruise passengers with booked excursions get priority in being taken to shore, is that right? So we get there at 1pm but my excursion says the trip is for 1.46pm.....

Can someone please explain the procedure for people who have made bookings in advance, I haven't got a clue what to do! Do we meet somewhere else on the boat and all go together, or do we meet where we get off the ship? And does this mean we will actually be one of the last passengers to get off?

Many thanks, sorry for sounding stupid!

It may help to understand that just because a ship docks (or drops anchor) at a specific time does not mean that is the time passengers are allowed to go ashore. Typically it takes a few minutes to get the paperwork done and get the clearance to allow passengers off the ship. This can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes (most common) or longer in some cases.

You will likely be one of the FIRST groups of passengers off the ship. Tendering can be a rather slow process with 2500 passengers (Jewel's capacity).

If you have booked a tour through the ship, you will probably find a packet in your room when you embark with your tour tickets and instructions on where to meet. I haven't sailed with RC, but am guessing that since it is a tender port, you will be instructed to meet somewhere on the ship (usually a lounge), and then you will be led off the ship to the tendering point.

Usually there are two tender types. The tender with the ship excursions go not to the old port with the cable car to Fira but another location that is assessable by the buses to meet you in a parking lot. If you book a ships excursion you are assigned to a specific tour number and it is very controlled. No need to worry as long as you show up on time at the meeting point. The Excursion dept will accompany each group to the correct place sometimes using crew staircases.

The DIY tenders usually need tickets and each ship has a different procedure to obtain. Many times suite pax get priority tenders while the rest need to line up to obtain

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All ships tender at Santorini, there's no suitable port.

Those not on ships' excursions are tendered to the jetty at the bottom of the cliff below Fira, and go up to Fira by cablecar or up the zig-zag cliff path by donkey (actually they're mules) or take the little local ferry from the jetty north to Oia.. Few would want to walk up the zig-zag path.

In my experience (which may not apply to all ships) those on ships' excursions are tendered further south by different tender boats to Athinios, where the ferries berth & where the road comes down to the harbour. From there they board their excursion buses.

Those on ships' excursions will typically be told to meet at a designated venue on the ship (bar, restaurant, whatever) at the designated time. The time you've been quoted might be down to formalities or the tenders for ship's excursions coming back for a second load.

Whatever the arrangements, you'll be told in good time.

One thing to bear in mind for getting back to the ship.

Everyone coming back to the ship has to go down to the jetty below Fira - this includes those on ships' excursions as they will be dropped in Fira & have to return to the ship from that same jetty.

Depending how many ships are there (might be up to four) and the sailing time of those ships (some might be morning-only, some around 6pm & some around sunset) that can put a lot of pressure on the cablecar & lines are sometimes extremely long & slow.

Ship's excursion will of course get you back to Fira in good time but, depending how early your excursion ends & how long the line for the cablecar, you may or may not have time at the end of your excursion to wander the shops & delights of Fira.

The walk down the zig-zag path isn't arduous, it takes about 25 minutes. If you're tolerably mobile you can head to the top cablecar station about 45 minutes before last-tender time, and if the line's too long you can walk down.

If you have walking difficulties do be aware of the potential for a long line for the cablecar & don't push your luck

BTW you'll be informed of the "last tender time".

This is usually 60 minutes before the scheduled sailing time, but it's the time you have to be back at the tender jetty. You don't have to be back on the ship at that time, & you don't even have to allow for a line for the tenders - they will continue to operate until any line is mopped-up.

JB :).

Thanks for the replies... I feel more relaxed about it now. I should just learn to go with the flow instead of over thinking everything!