Santorini

Rosy,

One of the benefits of taking a day tour organized by the ship, is that it will cover all the significant sights and you won't have to worry about transportation. However, in my brief experience with cruises, ship tours tend to be a bit on the "pricey" side.

I suppose the answer will depend on what you want to see in Santorini? The ship will likely dock in the "old harbour" area and transfer passengers to shore via launches. If that's the case, you'll easily be able to wander around Fira and have a look in the ritzy shops. However, getting to Oia or the other towns may be a bit challenging. If the ship drops you at the "new harbour" where the Ferries dock, there will likely be large Coaches waiting.

One tip though - if the Donkey rides are still operating up from the old harbour, you might want to consider the Cable Car (or even hiking up the 480+ steps). Several people that I spoke with said they had to launder their clothes after the Donkey rides.

November is not the best time to travel the Greek Islands, as they tend to be "quiet" in the winter months, with some businesses closed. I don't know what Santorini will be like at that time? The ancient site of Akrotiri was closed for renovations when I was there a few months ago, and I believe it will be closed until next year.

Happy travels!

Hi Rosy.......I can't speak to the tour/cost that your ship is offering but you should try to get ashore in Santorini. If you just hire a taxi(perhaps share the cost) to take you up to the rim of the caldra and one or two other spots it would be worth it. Santorini is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Don't miss it. Don't forget your camera.

Thank you for your recommendations. Very much appreciated.

Hi, Rosy
You have probably already left on your cruise but I thought I would send this anyway. I was in Santorini last month. The day I was there (a Wednesday) there were five cruise ships anchored in the Caldera. Santorini was absolutely overrun with tourists and the infrastructure is not there to handle that many. They wait for the cable cars was 90 minutes each way so if you may have to resign yourself to waiting three hours in lineups. The stairs or the donkeys are an option but the donkeys who use the stairs do not wear diapers with obvious consequences. Also the donkeys know where they are going and you don't so they tend to get a little physical with laggards. It is a beautiful island but....