Ditching "Oia on Your Own" or truly DIY in Santorini?

[fishiecrackers]

We are coming in on a Royal Caribbean cruise in June 2023, in port from 7am to 8pm. I searched a little on this topic but many of the responses I saw were for the off-season, not summer, so I was hoping for more input. Our previous day will be a day at sea, so I am hoping we can be rested and up early for this particular port. I'll be traveling with my husband and 3 teenagers.

 

We are planning to go immediately into Oia to walk around early, probably go down to Amoudi Bay, then take the bus back, wander around Fira, and get back on the boat. Perhaps pick up some of the hiking trail on the way back or when we get to Fira, depending on how hot it is that day (I will want to do this, my kids won't - haha). I know all of Santorini will be super crowded in June, so I am hoping going as early as possible is our best bet.

We don't have excursions available yet, but from some Googling it looks like RC offers "Oia on Your Own" for $55pp. It only stays 90 minutes in Oia, so we would not plan to return with the excursion, but let the guide know we would be coming back on our own. Since we are a family of 5, I am trying to figure out if it would be worth the $250 to hopefully get off the ship and over to Oia more quickly versus tendering in and then taking the bus on our own. 

 

Does anyone have experience with how long of a time difference there might be between these options if we get up early either way? I'd love to avoid paying for the excursion but if it saves a few hours I might consider it.

 

Thanks in advance for your input!

[Northern wanderlust]

Maybe consider renting a car for the day?

 

DH and I are doing that next month.  He got his international drivers permit through AAA and we are going to rent a car and explore the island on our own.  

 

If that's an option for you it may be much easier and cheaper than the cruise line excursion.

[Host Jazzbeau]

If you're planning to get off the ship as early as possible, you may be able to take the speedboat from the Fira port (where the tenders drop you at the base of the cable cars) to Oia.  The package includes the water transfer to Amoudi Port, bus up the hill, and later bus back to Fira [where every single person has to take the cable car down the hill (or walk amid the muck), no matter how you got there].  We had planned to do this, but the speedboat leaves when it's full and we were too late.

[dani negreanu]

Take the ship's excursion. It's the only port I can say: "splurge"...

 

We've done it independently one time, i.e. booked the speed boat to Oia (which included the bus up to Oia, 2-3 hours free time in Oia, and then bus to Fira, cable car on our own). We sat and sat in the boat until it was full, almost an hour, wasting valuable time.

 

The 2nd time we were wiser, booked the ship's tour for 55$ pp, we were on the first tenders, and got to Oia very early, when it was reasonably pleasant, weather wise. We had 2 hours free time there, then a bus to Fira, where we were supplied with vouchers for the cable car (value == 6 Euro pp).

 

It was the best "splurge" we've done, since mainly we are DIY in every port.

 

[fishiecrackers]

10 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

Take the ship's excursion. It's the only port I can say: "splurge"...

 

We've done it independently one time, i.e. booked the speed boat to Oia (which included the bus up to Oia, 2-3 hours free time in Oia, and then bus to Fira, cable car on our own). We sat and sat in the boat until it was full, almost an hour, wasting valuable time.

 

The 2nd time we were wiser, booked the ship's tour for 55$ pp, we were on the first tenders, and got to Oia very early, when it was reasonably pleasant, weather wise. We had 2 hours free time there, then a bus to Fira, where we were supplied with vouchers for the cable car (value == 6 Euro pp).

 

It was the best "splurge" we've done, since mainly we are DIY in every port.

 

Thank you, Dani. That's really helpful info to know that it felt worth it for you. I've been going back and forth but maybe we'll just go for it.

[Host Jazzbeau]

The only way to avoid the dreaded cablecar lines is to take a ship's excursion and stay with it.  The line for the cablecar down (to get back to the ship from Fira) is always long, and with multiple megaships in port it will be unmanageable.  So make sure that your excursion not only takes you to the Athinios port but also brings you back that same way – or else leave lots of time to get back to the ship.

 

[We were very lucky in 2016 to find a boatman who would pick us up at the Ammoudi port below Oia after our hike, sail us around the caldera, and then drop us off at the main port to get a tender back to the ship – but when I try to give out his information, it appears that he has been banned for violating the 'union boatmen' rules...]

[mapleleaves]

We were in Santorini last Wed with NCL. Only one other large ship in port with us. Tried to get Charming Oia Village, $89 in order to avoid the cable cars and get to Oia early. It was sold out. Tried again onboard but only the Spanish speaking version was available. In hindsight I wish we had booked it anyway.  We waited 2 hrs in the cablecar  line! Off the ship at 1:45pm, arrived at the top 4pm.  Keep in mind that we got in line for tender tickets 1 hr early and got tender #4.   I had previously read complaints about the boats waiting at the pier until they filled up, but even waiting 45 minutes for the $30 boat ride was quicker than the cable car!

If I was to return, I'd either take the boat or the least expensive excursion to Oia.  Otherwise you're just wasting valuable time. 

We had no problem getting back down on the cablecars ... no line at all around 6:30pm.

p.s.  to avoid a similar situation in Dubrovnik where we heard there was a long line for shuttle buses into Old Town, we booked Dubrovnik on our Own in order to get an early ride into town. Perfect!