78 NIGHT full board no-fly Maiden South America Circumnavigation on board Queen Victoria, including: COMPLIMENTARY on board spend of up to $2,400 for ALL bookings. Is this even possible? Will the boat tour to the volcano and hot spring be suitable for those who get sea sick? We have 5 hours in Santorini and want to do the the hike between Oia and Fira. Assuming you can get to Oia within an hour (including tender to shore, waiting, and boat ride to Oia) and allowing for an hours wait to get back down to the port on the cable car then youll have 3 hours to do the walk. Azamara Cruises' excursions are billed as experiences that take passengers to hidden gems and reveal local secrets and traditions. But you dont need a cruise, tour, or travel agent to visit Santorini. With its fleet of six small luxury ships, Windstar can visit hidden Greek ports in the Aegean Sea -- such as Nafplio, Monemvasia and Patmos -- along with well-known islands, including Santorini and Mykonos. Ios for beaches, Naxos for inland sightseeing. Sleeping in a cave and waking up with views of the caldera out your window is a very special experience. Code: MC-27852. $4000 Bonus Value. On the motor yachts it feels a little more like youre on an adventure (though theres still plenty of swimming, snorkeling, eating, and drinking). From the catamaran, enjoy the view of the white towns on the rim of the caldera and watch as the sun sets. Or do only those on cruise excursions able to afford to risk watching the Oia sunset? You cant go more than 5 minutes without someone asking if you want another beer or glass of wine. Cruise Line: Norwegian Cruise Line May 21, 2023 Jun 11, 2023 Jul 2, 2023 Jul 23, 2023 Aug 13, 2023 Sep 3, 2023 Sep 24, 2023 Oct 15, 2023 No prices currently available for this sailing. For these beaches best to do it yourself with this boat from Akrotiri. Sunset Cruise Another great experience in Santorini is to take a sunset cruise. In general, I do not recommend day trips to other islands. Breakfast at a Santorini hotel with caldera view. It's hard to take that iconic Santorini Sunset picture if you aren't there at sunset. Search Search Sign up Request Callback. (From Nov 17, 2015. On a catamaran, you feel like youre on vacation. Please, no. Thanks for all the information on this site. The first itinerary departs from Savona, Italy, and explores the Greek and Balearic Islands. The single biggest difference is whether the tour goes through the day or in the late afternoon (and gets the sunset). 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. 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). Awesome cruise around the volcano, staring up at the cliffs of the caldera. Exclusive Itinerary. Wonderful scenery, friendly staff, and a glorious Santorini sunset!! 23.27 checkout is done in euro. Adult From: $ 219 00. Breakfast with a view at a Santorini hotel. Fewer drinks are served as well. Salon Sleep under the stars on our Balinese Dream Beds Experience intimate yachting harbours and ports Stay overnight in port to explore . More cruise-ship fun. Imbibe unlimited amounts of white wine, soft drinks, and water and indulge in a delicious barbecue prepared onboard the catamaran as you sail in the gorgeous blue waters of the sea off the shore of Santorini. Sail from Santorini and stop on all of Cyclades' unique and famous destinations. Also, all tours enter the caldera, sail to or near the volcano, and have plenty of swimming and snorkeling. What are the key differences between these three tours: Semi-Private Luxury Catamaran Day Cruise Is it worth it to do both? Euro. Originally built as a private yacht in 1931, Sea Cloud is a classic four-masted windjammer that carries 64 passengers; Sea Cloud II, accommodating up to 94 guests, was launched in 2001 as a modern take on a tall ship. And if it is, is it still worth doing? Ships have to anchor off Santorini and tender passengers into Skala Fira, the small port below the capital, Fira (also known as Thira). And if you arrived on this page after watching the absolutely awful Santorini show by Rick Steves just ignore everything that guy recommends about seeing the Greek islands. One question about the boat tours please, wed like to do one, will they take 5 year olds? All cruises are sold out until Nov 2015.) Just found this fantastic website thanks Santorini Dave, have been finding it really useful! Hi, Dave Tenders shuttle passengers right to the base of Fira; you must ride the funicular (or a donkey) up to the town itself. Your Facebook information, including your name, photo & any other personal data you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment, and may be used on TravelPulse.com. Cruises taking in the Cyclades -- one of the six major Greek island groups that's located southeast of mainland Greece -- include a transit of the Mycale Strait, which separates Samos from Anatolia in Turkey and is less than a mile wide at its narrowest point. (Thats my son in the photo, 14 years old at the time.) View of the caldera from a Santorini hotel. Also, is there a boat that will take you to Mykonos for a day and back to Santorini? Some sailings include a port of call in Mykonos until 2 a.m. so passengers can enjoy its nightlife to the fullest. Our Santorini Smart Packages feature FREE stays in one of many handpicked hotels which are all centrally located in Santorini providing you with the ideal base from which to explore all that this exciting destination has to offer. 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 In Athens, visit the famous ruins of the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena that dates back to 438 BC. A boat travels with the tour and is there for any emergencies or if the water gets too rough for beginner riders. PLAN YOUR VOYAGE HEALTH & SAFETY YACHT CLUB MY WINDSTAR Call Your Travel Advisor or 800.258.7245. . My issue mainly time and not price. Be prepared to be insanely pampered. 1/10 Santorini's 5 Best Neighbourhoods to Stay in #1 Oia - Where to Stay in Santorini for Your First Time #2 Perissa - Where to Stay in Santorini on a Budget #3 Fira - Where to Stay in Santorini for Nightlife #4 Megalochori - Coolest Place to Stay in Santorini #5 Kamari - Where to Stay in Santorini for Families Board the sightseeing boat at the port and admire Santorini's cliffs as you cruise to Nea Kameni. Step inside Diocletian's Palace in Split, a sprawling fort built for a Roman emperor in the fourth century. Theres usually a long line to get on the cable car up to Fira. A highlight of our tour will be our 4-night Greek Island cruise aboard one of the ships in the Celestyal Cruises fleet. Theres plenty of history on the itinerary, including stops to see the ancient ruins of Rhodes plus castles, markets, beaches and Turkish history during a day in Bodrum. The daytime tour is best for families and serious fishermen. I assume everyone on board is likely vacationing so Im not sure if this would be significant, but if it may make a different in terms of the number of people on board, Id love to know. Greece Santorini-Mykonos Greek Cruises On the Eclipse and Equinox, passengers will have added time in ports like Phillipsburg, St. Maarten; Cartagena, Colombia; Bridgetown, Barbados, Oranjestad, Aruba; and Williamstad, Curacao. Santorini It's hard to take that iconic Santorini Sunset picture if you aren't there at sunset. 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). Use our Santorini Travel Guide to plan your own visit. I am about to book the semi-private boat tour and we are going the last week of June into July (which, from what I understand, is a very crowded time of year). Are the cable car lines always long? All boat tours have great views of the caldera cliffs. Eric Bowman, Best Destinations for Travelers Who Hate People This is a region of beautiful scenery, majestic fjords, fine wine, friendly people, and exotic wildlife. Weve done a couple of these tours (its always a small group of 2 to 4) to the volcano and they rank as some of the most exhilarating activities weve ever done. The highlight of our trip to Greece! Hi there, I love to read and follow all of your posts so thank you for always having the most up to date information! Exclusive Itinerary. Not worth it. Hot Deals. Private Boat Tours & Cruises in Santorini, Private Boats for Parties and Events in Santorini. You only get to spend a few hours on Santorini and those hours are when your entire ship is also touring the island you dont get to see the magic of what makes Santorini so special. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. tour starts at 4PM or 5PM. No, sorry. Photo Caption: Coastline along Fira-Santorini Yannis Lefakis Paris - 3 days. Book Tours & Cruises . Ubiquitous -- and noisy -- Greek motorcycles. The Italian company launches a brand-new offer, from April to October, with 14-day cruises to have more time to explore the Mediterranean, even going beyond the Pillars of Hercules to the Canary Islands. Would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Santorini. Most have wonderful sunset views. Take, for example, the multi-night Greece Intensive cruises that Azamara offers. That includes the chance to swim in the same lagoon the goddess Athena was said to have bathed. The view of the volcano with Fira in the background. The information is requested by the port authority but its never used. 6th Day: Santorini. Book tours, excursions and dining cruises, Explore Santorini with 360 aerial photos. The white rock towers of southern Santorini. There are no ferries to the volcano. (If you want a private yacht charter of the Greek islands then just book all 8 spots on the boat.). See Room photos, Instagram photos. How do they make it back in time? The tenders taking passengers ashore in Santorini. Share: Convenience of one-stop shopping for all of the ports you'll be visiting. 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). A sunset tour/cruise runs from about 3 pm to 8 or 9 pm, serves dinner, has a little less swimming than the day tour, and typically finishes by sailing beneath the Oia cliffs to watch the sunset. Trying to select the right boat tour for my husband and I (going in a few weeks!). If you do want to see another island then stay a night or two to see it best.). We set sail back to 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. Top 17 Sailing Cruises in Santorini - Online Booking - Santorini View Sailing Cruises Join us on a memorable private or semi-private sailing cruise along the breathtaking island of Santorini that will exceed your expectations. Yes, you can always walk down but its a long walk if youre not used to doing stairs. You start or finish your trip in Santorini so you get to spend 1 or more nights on the island to see how it really is. Much appreciated. If you want to visit Milos stay at least 2 nights and 1 full day. You only see the island when its densely crowded with other cruise ship passengers (your shipmates). Maybe take in the sunset too, but as you say, its a choice between more swimming/sunshine and sunset/evening so not sure what well decide. Thanks. If its within your budget this is the one you want. The all-inclusive sailings feature five-star dining and the only "raw food" menu at sea with dishes prepared using raw, organic and vegan ingredients. cruises visiting beaches and locations on Skopelos where outdoor scenes in the movie were filmed. As the time grows closer (February or early March) search Getyourguide for Santorini Boat Tours and choose the most appropriate. With its pitch-black beaches, rugged landscape and stunning caldera (volcanic crater), it's more akin to one of the Canary Islands than the Cyclades, though its whitewashed churches and clifftop houses score highly in the charm stakes. Do you think we have enough time? Food is top notch. The nine-night Venice to Athens sailing is one of the line's special Wine Voyages featuring wine tastings and winemaker's dinners reflecting the areas being visited. Jumping into the hot springs from the boat. Youll visit a few beaches and the hot springs and have plenty of time to explore the sights of the caldera. Destination & Tourism, The Top 20 Most Powerful Travel Agencies in 2022 HighSpeed 7 Two Days Tour to Santorini ( Thira ) from Heraklion ( Iraklion ) Crete island Book on-line ! If you want nice weather (for walking, exploring) but dont want or need hot beach weather then the months of May, June, September, and October are perfect. The best area to stay in Santorini is the west coast side which actually offers the best uninterrupted famous views of the volcano, the caldera, and the sunset.. Book tours, excursions and dining cruises SEE ALL TOURS. Dubai & Arabian Repositioning Cruises (114) . With overnight stays, you can explore the charm of the cafe . Quick View. A Private Catamaran Cruise to the hot springs and around the Santorini caldera is one of the highlights of a trip to Greece. Good luck. Overnight in Folegandros. Dave, your advice on this site is awesome and very detailed. Any info on flights/transport you can offer would be great. Yes, it likely will be too cold to swim for most (though not impossible for the bold). I am looking for a beach hopping trip in Santorini to visit the Black Beach, Red Beach, White beach etc. Do you think that the day of the week that we book the day tour matters much (Friday vs. Saturday vs. Monday)? Please fill in the details of your Airbnb on the checkout page. On a cruise, you only get a few hours to see Santorini and its busy, hectic, and packed with tourists whenever a cruise ship is in port. Not Included A fantastic day, very relaxing stopping at a few beautiful spots for a swim and lunch. Yes, its safe and secure. And walking the Fira-Oia path. See Room photos. Overnight cruise stays in Santorini are possible. Hotel & Resort, 21 Amazing Vacation Ideas for Big Families Do whatever works best. And while it's wonderful to explore the past, the beaches of Mykonos and the architecture of Santorini and Athens are just a few of the many pleasures that await you. The description says, all you can eat and drink, is that really true? 23 Day Fly, Stay River & Ocean Cruise Holiday with $4000 Bonus Value Including City Stays, Onboard Beverages, Exclusive Package Savings & More. Agree absolutely with your points! In recent years Santorini has been limiting cruise ship access to the island. Answer 1 of 7: We'll be in Santorini for 6 days this August. What's Included. But these are notoriously unreliable and I wouldnt count on there being one. Earn Exclusive DOUBLE CRUISE MILES worth up to 6,399*. The sunset tour is best for couples. These are just two of the many iconic sights in store on Queen Anne's 2025 No-Fly Maiden Grand World Voyage. These tours sell out quickly so book as early as possible. Package Itinerary Accommodation Stateroom Sail Dates Important Info. There's plenty here to set your imagination working, even though the modern-day city of Thira, officially Fira, was completely rebuilt after an earthquake in 1956. (I still dont recommend them, but much better than the monstrous cruise ships.). 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. Windstar Cruises 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. I have several posts on this site about where to stay on Santorini and best towns and beaches. Its much better to pack your bags and move to whatever island you want to see. Full & Half Day Charter, Sunset Cruises to Oia, 2 cabins & luxury salon, full kitchen, 2 showers cabins. Seabourn is known to be one of the best luxury small ship lines in the Greek Islands and beyond. Thank you, Youre fine staying on the boat and viewing the scenery (which is great) while others swim. 5. The motor yachts allow for much more freedom in getting around the volcanic islands and seeing the caldera from every different angle. Fresh seafood lunch or dinner served on board (eat what you catch and empty from the nets). Dont worry! Fewer than 350 guest per cruise. 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