Infinity Greek Cruise stops

[budmeister]

Our first stop was in Thessaloniki. We booked an independent customized walking tour and walked around for a couple of hours. Easiest on and off ship possible. The most interesting thing to me was that multiplre ruins were intermixed with cafes and shops, like right next to or across the street.  The city was built around surviving ruins. The ruins were much more I interesting with  a guide to provide  history than just seeing  them alone would be. There are no subways  because digging kept finding ruins.And marble was their form on concrete.  Curbs were marble, as were construction blockades and small square distributes seats througout  town area. There  was a nice walk along the harbor and good fruit juice mixes in a Cafe we went to. We did not notice interesting shopping, except a chocolate shop displaying chocolate high heels next to a huge shoe store. We weren't looking in shops though

,and could have missed plenty. 

 

[budmeister]

Next was supposed to be Mykonos, at which I had booked a sail to a few beaches and a stop at Delos. Unfortunately winds were 55 mph and above, and waves 6 feet high. The port closed and we enjoyed a sea day. I was sad, but found our next 2 stops unexpectedly satisfying and got over it. I do love sea days and we were still pretty tired out after our Athens exclusions the day b4 boarding and Thessaloniki walk the day b4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We are doing this cruise (I suspect it's the same itinerary) in May so looking forward to your posts!

[budmeister]

Next stop was Ephesus Turkey. We did a  private tour from trip advisor sold by Ephesus Port tours with a guide named Hanry. I would say that this was the highlight of our cruise, but two others days were great too. For anyone nervous about Turkey, it is just like any other stop. People and vibes are the same as everywhere else we have been. In fact, this is the educational highlight of our tour. Both in Turkey and Greece, people were just the same and just as different as in any US state. Although many languages are spoken, we never felt as if we were foreigners ( tourists or visitors, definitely) or among foreigners.  

 

We were in  an air-conditioned mini van with a driver and our guide. We toured the ruins of Ephesus and it was the most interesting and awe inspiring of all the trips ruins. We also visited what is thought to be the house of Virgin Mary and enjoyed it.

 

We went to the government school of carpet making and loved it. We had the best lunch of our vacation and saw silk being rolled from real silk worms,  that look like a cocoon, onto a roll and watched students tie strands into carpet one by one. It was amazing. We art of the carpets produced is also truly amazing. You can see finished pieces in art gallery form in rooms  and we were given a personal viewing. I really cannot over state how amazing the art and beauty of finished products  were to see. We said we were not buying anything, and there was no pressure.

 

 

Edited September 16, 2023 by budmeister

[budmeister]

Next was Rhodes.  We booked an individual driving tour, trip advisor, Easy lazy Rhodes tour. The driver had a planned itinerary but when we said we had seen enough ruins at this point on our trip, he accommodated our desire to do  beach tour.

 

We toured the coast line, stopping at several  beach  and coastline views and several Beach  breaks, each for 30 min - 2 hours ,  our choice. We walked along a unique to us beach, Faraki,  at a spot away from the crowds, and walked the water/ beach shore line. It was a smooth stone , or pebble beach,  where the shore line and first few feet into the water was smooth colored rocks. The sand appeared  brown and if you looked closely you could see it was made of of sand of all the colored rocks.

 

We also went to Kalifer Beach, trails, garden, and restaurant, and spent about 2 hours there.

 

We finished with an hour stop at the Old City.

Edited September 16, 2023 by budmeister

[budmeister]

Next was Santorini.  I booked the Oia on your own to get off the ship and avoid the cable  car line up. The tour stated a start time of 7:30, but the tickets requested we meet in the theatre  6:45 am. We got there at 6:45. We were left about 7:15 and were on the first tender to Athinios port. We got off the tender at about 7:50. 

 

At this point we informed the tour guide that we would not be getting on the bus to Oia and asked for our cable car tickets for the ride down. 

 

We sat down at a Cafe at the port, enjoyed coffee and pastries, and called our pre- arranged taxi to let them know we were more than a  hour early.  I had booked for 9:15, not knowing how long it would take to get there. They were able to come sooner and took us to our catamaran boating excursion at the port that starts with a V with Vista Yachting, on the opposite end of the island than Oia. It was a 30 min drive.

 

We enjoyed our sail and were greeted by our pre arranged driver to take us to Oia. It was a scenic and enjoyable hour long drive. Our driver was friends with the Vista Yachting people and a lot of fun to chat with. He waited an hour, with our backpacks and towels in his taxi. while we spent from 4-5 walking the main street in oia for views and art galleries and interesting shops. I wish we had time to eat at a restaurant with an awesome view,  but we did not.

 

Then he drove us to the spot near the cable cars. 30  ride. We had some Gelato and went to the cable cars. 5: 50 and no line. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 16, 2023 by budmeister

[Nebr.cruiser]

We are taking the Oia on Your Own tour in May.  Sounds like it should work out just fine for us, although the meet time seems really early!  We too plan to meet a tour guide in Oia as we have a specific place we want to visit that isn't on most tour routes.  

[budmeister]

Hi, we did meet our tour guide at the Athinios port, b4 bussing to oia. If you are meeting yours in oia, you need to leave time for bussing over to oia. We did not get on the bus.

[Nebr.cruiser]

21 hours ago, budmeister said:

Hi, we did meet our tour guide at the Athinios port, b4 bussing to oia. If you are meeting yours in oia, you need to leave time for bussing over to oia. We did not get on the bus.

We are doing the Celebrity 'On Your Own' tour, which takes us by tender to Oia and then up the hill by bus.  It also includes transport to Fira and cable car ticket.  We're unsure if we will meet the other tour driver in Oia or Fira; either would work.

[budmeister]

2 hours ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

We are doing the Celebrity 'On Your Own' tour, which takes us by tender to Oia and then up the hill by bus.  It also includes transport to Fira and cable car ticket.  We're unsure if we will meet the other tour driver in Oia or Fira; either would work.

That is exactly what we did, but the tender was to Athinios port, not to Oia. The bus picks you up at Athinios port  and drives you to Oia. You do not hit Fira on the way in. The original tour goes to Fira after some time in Oia, gives you a ride to Fira, and you do get a ticket for the cable car ride down from Fira. 

 

While I cannot be sure of your tour, I am positive about the Oia on your own tour from the Celebrity Infinity last week, as I was on it- as far as the tender, b4 getting on the bus to Oia.

 

I originally had a tour scheduled for pickup at Oia , and cancelled it as I realized from these boards that the tendering to a different port  and then bus ride from there to Oia did not give me a time table I was comfortable with. Even with a perfect timing of getting on the first tender, we watched the busses wait to be filled from multiple tenders and then start the drive to Oia, which previous board conversation has at possible 40 min- no guarantees on that. I likely would have missed my tour if I had booked pickup from Oia at 8:45.

[Nebr.cruiser]

1 hour ago, budmeister said:

That is exactly what we did, but the tender was to Athinios port, not to Oia. The bus picks you up at Athinios port  and drives you to Oia. You do not hit Fira on the way in. The original tour goes to Fira after some time in Oia, gives you a ride to Fira, and you do get a ticket for the cable car ride down from Fira. 

 

While I cannot be sure of your tour, I am positive about the Oia on your own tour from the Celebrity Infinity last week, as I was on it- as far as the tender, b4 getting on the bus to Oia.

 

I originally had a tour scheduled for pickup at Oia , and cancelled it as I realized from these boards that the tendering to a different port  and then bus ride from there to Oia did not give me a time table I was comfortable with. Even with a perfect timing of getting on the first tender, we watched the busses wait to be filled from multiple tenders and then start the drive to Oia, which previous board conversation has at possible 40 min- no guarantees on that. I likely would have missed my tour if I had booked pickup from Oia at 8:45.

I know you are right about the port the tender takes us to:  had just forgotten the name of it.  We picked this tour because it skips the cable car lines and it was 40% off when we booked it!  After first waiting in line for an early tender, then in line for the cable car on our earlier stop there, just this seems simpler.

[mapleleaves]

5 hours ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

We are doing the Celebrity 'On Your Own' tour, which takes us by tender to Oia and then up the hill by bus.  It also includes transport to Fira and cable car ticket.  We're unsure if we will meet the other tour driver in Oia or Fira; either would work.

 

There is only ONE line for the cable cars so having a ticket doesn't save you any time. 

But check the departure times of the other ships ... this will enable you to gauge when the line might be less congested.  

 

[Nebr.cruiser]

1 hour ago, mapleleaves said:

 

There is only ONE line for the cable cars so having a ticket doesn't save you any time. 

But check the departure times of the other ships ... this will enable you to gauge when the line might be less congested.  

 

I do realize this.  However, at least as of now, we are the only ship in port and we don't leave until 10pm.  When I was there before, cable car at about 7 had no line.  I know having a ticket doesn't save time, but it was included in the price of the tour.

[mapleleaves]

Got it.  Just didn't want you to think the prepaid ticket was a skip the line kind of thing. 

Lucky you to be the only ship in port. Have a wonderful time !

[Nebr.cruiser]

Thanks!  Yep, hoping we will stay the only ship in port!  

[melusina]

On 9/19/2023 at 9:40 AM, Nebr.cruiser said:

We are doing the Celebrity 'On Your Own' tour, which takes us by tender to Oia and then up the hill by bus.  It also includes transport to Fira and cable car ticket.  We're unsure if we will meet the other tour driver in Oia or Fira; either would work.

Did the bus take you up the hill from the tender pirt, or did you have to walk? I am not a very strong walker, and uphill is challenging, so I'm trying to figure out how to handle Santorini. We're also not morning people, so maybe we'll tey the cable car around 11.

[Nebr.cruiser]

Our cruise isn't until May, so I don't know.  I *think* there will be a ride up the hill, but don't know for sure.