embark ship - venice, (ravenna) - kotor, montenegro - corfu, greece - athens As with a lot of these Santorini boat trips, you can take one which will also include a sunset. Part of the Cyclades island group, Santorini (officially known as Thira, a name that encompasses the volcanic islets within Santorini's orbit) sits in the Aegean Sea, roughly halfway between Athens and Crete. Luxury Lake Como, Greek Islands and Beyond. If by winter, you mean December, January, and February then there will be few (if any) boat tours running and I dont think Id recommend them. Theres no way you should visit Santorini and not do a boat tour. Can also take a different boat back to Kamari (if you were taking the bus, if youve got your own car then youll need to return to Akrotiri). Santorini Vacation Packages 2023 from $610 Expedia Santorini South Aegean Greece Europe Packages Expedia.com Plan your trip Packages Stays Flights Cars Things to do Choose one or more items to build your trip: Stay added Flight added Add a car 1 room, 2 travelers Leaving from Going to Departing Returning If you can stay a few nights on the Santorini, youll see a completely different side of the towns, restaurants, and attractions. In Athens, visit the famous ruins of the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena that dates back to 438 BC. (I did this boat tour last summer and it was awesome.). Its a little slower (takes 8 hours instead of 5 from Athens to Santorini) but has large open-air decks that you can walk about on. Santorini is beautiful but not so great as part of a cruise. Cruise ships are just as ugly and awful when they visit Mykonos. Holland America Line, In recent years Santorini has been limiting cruise ship access to the island. Highly recommend!! All Rights Reserved. You stop at a few beaches for swimming and snorkeling, then swim in the hot springs near the volcano, eat a huge lunch or dinner, and finally see the sunset from the cliffs below Oia (for the sunset cruise). You can not access the volcano unless youre part of an organized (private or group) tour. A truly picturesque cruise visiting the most fascinating Canada cities including an overnight stay in Boston. Spectacular Santorini -- scene of one of the world's most violent volcanic eruptions around 1450 B.C. The island is shaped like a wonky croissant, and the neighboring islets hint at the fact that Santorini was once circular. Some of these islands are only accessible by boat, making small ship Greek island cruises on cruise lines like Silversea and Windstar the best way to discover these idyllic destinations. If yes, which would it be. It's best to book a cruise and request the organizer to arrange either the meeting point or the drop off location at the Old Port. This is a region of beautiful scenery, majestic fjords, fine wine, friendly people, and exotic wildlife. The day tour departs at 10:30am, the sunset-tour departs at 3:30pm. Its a more surreal feeling being in a kayak at water-level looking up at the huge cliffs (depending where your tour goes). Eric Bowman, Best Destinations for Travelers Who Hate People Book tours, excursions and dining cruises SEE ALL TOURS. Do you think its worth doing a boat tour on each island? Between all the Santorini cruises on Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, MSC, Holland, Viking, and Disney Cruises do you recommend any cruise line? A fun and easy-going way to explore the Santorini coastline. Book tours, excursions and dining cruises SEE ALL TOURS. Great job by deck hand on lunch served. Tipping in the 10% to 20% is appreciated. What private boat tour would you recommend to take for the volcano tour? $4999. I spend an amazing catamaran cruise with my daughter with the agency Santorini View last month. The best Santorini hotels are some of the most awesome and incredible places to stay anywhere. Last boat is about 6:30pm (but double check) so you wont have a lot of time. Overnight cruise stays in Santorini are possible. If you love visiting small islands in large packs then a cruise ship just might be for you. Its truly awful. It's hard to take that iconic Santorini Sunset picture if you aren't there at sunset. After lunch. Code: MC-27532. Seabourn is known to be one of the best luxury small ship lines in the Greek Islands and beyond. Theres another Spiridakos boat tour that is excellent and very similar to the private tour Ive listed above. Together, we create unique holiday programs based on your spending plan and travel preferences! Shorter sailings include the seven-night Adriatic & Greece cruise with time to explore the beaches, cobbled Old Town and countryside of Crete (one of the most popular Greek Islands). I have 3 full days in Santorini in the beginning of July. You can reach it by funicular, bus or go up the steep, winding steps the fun way -- by donkey! For tours that visit the volcano, the boat will dock and youll be able to walk off without getting wet. A tender is a smaller boat that takes passengers ashore. AmaWaterways, Take Your Sweetie to Tahiti Be sure to take a change of clothes for the sunset tour (it can get chilly at night). The seven-night Eclectic Aegean cruise visits several unique destinations, just one of which being the instantly recognizable island of Santorini. Pristine Greek waters provide a stunning backdrop for romantic voyages while aboard one of Sea Cloud Cruises' two sailing ships.. Get expert advice, insider tips and more. Go to Oia first, mainly because boat taxis between the cruise port and Oia are inconsistent so you wouldnt want to rely on them to get you back to your cruise ship. Required fields are marked *. Yes, you can always walk down but its a long walk if youre not used to doing stairs. Tours & Cruises. We help travellers have the best experience in Santorini by finding local advice and recommendations. One question about the boat tours please, wed like to do one, will they take 5 year olds? The food was delicious! We are going to Santorini for one day in July via fast ferry from Crete. Required fields are marked *. Itinerary: fly from london to verona. Lavrio: 06.00 Location Also, would you recommend any day trips to another island? In early March there will not be any direct flights flying from the UK to Mykonos or Santorini. The ship will homeport in Piraeus (Athens) and be used on itineraries that will include Croatia in addition to Greece. My advice is to first decide whether you want the sunset or more sun/swimming. There is only one access point from the cruise ships to the island the old port of Santorini. The dreadfully ugly Norwegian Gem cruise ship ruins the caldera view. You only see the island when its densely crowded with other cruise ship passengers (your shipmates). Greece Santorini Best Boat Tours That wont allow for much stopping and sightseeing but it is doable if you walk a good clip. We offer you only the best tours and activities you can do on the island of Santorini by leading local tour operators! Rivari Santorini Hotel: A week's stay - Read 341 reviews, view 360 traveller photos, and find great deals for Rivari Santorini Hotel at Tripadvisor. Overnight in Santorini. This is the cheapest boat tour of the caldera. It's worth remembering that the bay surrounding Santorini is actually the world's largest volcanic crater, created 3,500 years ago by a massive eruption of the Thera volcano (which is still active). Azamara is a four-ship line that prides itself on shore excursions that are much more than average tours. -$1 - -$1 Popular Pool 701 5 stars 74 & up 1227 Luxury 309 Amenities Free Wifi 1010 Breakfast included506 Pool 701 Free parking 602 Show all Distance from 25 km Amoudi Bay Museum of Prehistoric Thira Sunset in Oia The Castle of St Nicholas Show all Property types B&Bs & Inns 629 Hotels 460 Villas 237 Condos 196 Show all View Holiday Rentals The Santorini cruise port has a tiny footprint at the base of the caldera. Occasionally cruise passengers will be left behind on the island because they cant get back to the ship in time. Any recommendations on where to stay that wouldn't be too far from the port? The line-up for the cable car can stretch far around the corner. The best cruises to Santorini are the SeaDream II (112 passengers), Star Flyer (170 passengers), Star Clipper (170 passengers), and the Wind Star (178 passengers). And you dont get to stay overnight and see the island in the morning when it can feel almost deserted even in high season. Would you recommend a boat tour? Virgin cruises seven-night Greek Island Glow hits both island hotspots -- Santorini and Mykonos. Swimming from the boat to the warm waters of the hot springs. Both tours last 5 hours. There's no way you should visit Santorini and not do a boat tour. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Cruise Classes: 21 Things You Can Learn on Your Next Cruise, 8 Things You'll Love About Celebrity Edge, Sail Here, Not There: Avoiding Overtourism in Cruise Ports, The World's Best Beaches to Visit on a Cruise, The Pros and Cons of a Port-Intensive Cruise, Best New Itineraries on Small Ships in 2021-2022, Santorini, Greece (Photo: gorillaimages/Shutterstock), Greek Isles Cruise on Celestyal Crystal (Photo: Gina Kramer), A Windstar cruise in Mykonos (Photo: Windstar Cruises), Seabourn Encore (Photo: Seabourn Cruises). 15 Night Fly, Stay & Cruise Holiday with $3000 Bonus Value Including City Stay, Exclusive Package Savings & More. Yes, its safe and secure. Some meals onboard, some on land. Hi there, I love to read and follow all of your posts so thank you for always having the most up to date information! Ideal for a luxury honeymoon cruise, small group, or family. Our servers run on Microsoft's Azure Cloud platform. Sail | October 2023. Rome - 3 days. My fiancee and I are going to be in Santorini in August for our honeymoon and are definitely booking one of the boat tours, but we just cant decide on whether to do a day or sunset voyage. Like arms joined in a . There's a number of different caldera cruises available, which you can see below. It's a massive new industry, and you can't miss the hire shops in Fira. Dedicated pre-cruise and onboard specialists are available to assist you. On the motor yachts it feels a little more like youre on an adventure (though theres still plenty of swimming, snorkeling, eating, and drinking). In Athens, visit the famous ruins of the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena that dates back to 438 BC. Youll visit a few beaches and the hot springs and have plenty of time to explore the sights of the caldera. A wine tour is a great year-round thing to do in Santorini. Passengers experience the thrill of sailing on an elegant four-masted vessel, stopping off at various beautiful destinations along the journey, such as Malaga, Sardinia, Athens, Skiathos and more. For Mykonos its more of a toss-up. Recreating the golden age of sailing, Star Clipper's 170-passenger tall clipper ship Star Flyer cruises through the Aegean Sea every summer. As I said above, visiting Santorini on a cruise is not ideal. Go where other cruise lines can't. COVID-19 Vaccine & Requirements. Another cruise line that provides a real taste of Greek island-hopping is Celestyal Cruises, which offers a choice of year-round itineraries in the Aegean Sea on its two ships. -- is inarguably the most scenically dramatic of all the Greek Islands. Breakfast with a view at a Santorini hotel. My issue mainly time and not price. Share: Convenience of one-stop shopping for all of the ports you'll be visiting. Boat Tour of the Volcano Get out on the water and sail to the volcano. Starting at $4,749 per person. Milled has emails from SixStarCruises, including new arrivals, sales, discounts, and coupon codes. 24th February, 2024. Thanks! SANTORINI, MALTA AND OVERNIGHT IN MYKONOS FROM JUST 1,259pp MSC Divina 7th July 2023 7 nights Interior Cabin Fantastica Experience . I have no idea what to recommend for lining up. Private boat tour or small group tour? There are numerous things to do onboard - take delight in the catamaran ride and the amazing views of Santorini from the sea, sunbathe, and enjoy the meal the staff will prepare for you, or just relax with your drink on board! Its sleek and intimate ocean ships, carrying between 450 to 600 passengers, offer all-inclusive cruising and in-depth Greek island excursions through its Ventures of Seabourn program all the while visiting ports not accessible to larger vessels. Jumping into the hot springs from the boat. You get more input on where to go, how long to spend at different spots, what music to listen to, and (sometimes) where you get dropped off at the end. A great experience. Stops in Gibraltar, Ibiza and Barcelona; Seville overnight. Child From: $ 129 00. If, instead, you might be visiting in March and get some good weather then theyll be fine (though still not many running). Expert service from IgluCruise From there its a long walk or cable car to Fira. A skipper/captain/tour-guide is on the boat the entire trip. On these boats you can not access the deck except when the boat is in port and windows are often caked in sea salt. The white rock towers of southern Santorini. Day 8 Disembarkation at 10:30 Dave, your advice on this site is awesome and very detailed. Scratch one off the bucket list and visit Santorini before the crowds arrive. Nor will there be direct ferries between Santorini and Mykonos. Best views are from the cliffs bordering the caldera, which was formed when the center of the island basically collapsed into itself. Theresa Norton, Airlines Face Wheelchair Dilemma