Santorini by CRUISE! Avoid the Crowds & Experience BEST Day!

Santorini by CRUISE! Avoid the Crowds & Experience BEST Day!

Have you ever dreamt of visiting pictures Santorini? The trouble is everybody else has got the same idea. And with multiple cruise ships visiting daily, that means delays catching tenders to the port and long lines once ashore for the cable car. Well, we’ll show you how to get off the ship early and catch a boat directly to so can explore before it gets too crowded and then head to some quieter parts of the island to get blue dome churches all to ourselves and end with a sunset location you won’t have considered. So, let’s show you how to do Santorini smarter. Now, Santorini is one port day you want to be up extra early to make the most of your day ashore and beat the crowds in the old port of the as they build steadily throughout the morning. But take our advice and get up just a little bit extra early and you’ll be rewarded with a magnificent sunrise sailing into the caldera. Though these two missed a trick by not taking one of the hot tubs on the deck. And another great trick is to order Ship Eats room service for breakfast. Although there is a $10 delivery charge, it is credited back against any paid items such as specialty coffees. So you can avoid the breakfast rush in the restaurants and instead eat whilst you’re getting ready whilst watching the tenders ferry the guests backwards and forwards to the old port. Plus, you’ll also get to check out the competition as there were five cruise ships in port that morning, all going to be jostling for position. And I’ll put links in the description to a website we used to track how many ships would be in port and their arrival and departure times. But we were fortunate in having a very late sailing time, allowing us to experience the Santorini sunsets on the actual island. Crucially though, you need to book your tender slot time via the excursions tab on the mobile app once on board. This cannot be done pre- cruise and many guests did not realize meaning they got much much later tender times. Also, any of the official excursions via the cruise line have priority on the first slots to leave. They also usually go to another port location where coaches can meet you directly at the waterfront. So something to consider if you want to avoid the cues for the cable car in the old port. Now we made sure we secured one of the first available slots after these. But the port and the queue for the cable car was still extremely busy. So instead of joining the queue, head to the small booking office directly opposite where for €20 a regular boat service will take you directly to IA. where at a moody bay a coach will meet you and take you up the hill to Ia to save you the walk and then also then includes a bus transfer back to the later in the day. So unless you happen to be in port on an exceptionally quiet day, this is definitely the best option. Now although Virgin Voyages do cover the cost of the cable car, which is €6, even at 9:30 in the morning, the queue was currently at €2. Passengers then had to head to FA coach station to catch their transfers to IA. We however had timed it perfectly and were some of the last to board. So we’re very quickly on our way. As a bonus, we also got to experience a boat tour of the Calera passing by the Emo Roigi and also Scaros Rock which we will come back to later in this video. Now, even if you had managed to get an early tender and beat the queue to the cable car or braved the 600st step climb to the top of the boat trip was still quicker than taking the coach transfer to IA and as a result would beat the worst of the crowds. And soon we arrived into a Moody Bay, the old port at the foot of the cliffs of Ia and a great option for lunch if looking to dine on the waterfront. the handful of traditional restaurants which you will have seen in the famous photos with octopus hanging out to dry in the sun. Now there is a path from IA down to the bay with thankfully half the number of steps of the one in the we thankfully had a coach transfer to take us up to the bus station in IA from which it was only a short walk following one of the alleyways into the square with a famous church that marks the beginning of the old town. So, made it up to IA. Um, you saw the cues for the cable car. Feeling very smug with ourselves. Great tip was to get the €30 to get the uh sort of boat that takes you straight from the port there. And the cable cars all the way straight to IA. We made it here by about 10:30, 11:00. We only got off the boat at 9:30. So, that’s brilliant. It’s already busy here. Um, and obviously it’s where most people will be hanging out, but we’re going to stay here in the morning and head back through back towards the but we’re actually going to stop there. That big pointy rock at the end there, Scaros Rock is where you’ve got in. And that’s where we’re going for dinner cuz it’s going to be a lot quieter and the views up there are going to be way way better with nobody in them. [Music] Hey babe, thoughts. Live up to expectations. So far so good. Now, bearing in mind it was only still midm morning and we visited in low season at the end of October, I can’t begin to imagine how crazy busy this place must be in peak summertime. your tour guide pointing the way to the secret. No, wrong way. That way. And our first stop is the famous blue dome churches of here. And bear in mind, you can cut through either before or after this location if wanting to get the domes all aligned with a backdrop of whitewashed houses behind. But in ear you will soon discover you’ll be jostling for position with everybody else to get that perfect shot. And below a photo shoot with the famous floating dresses of Santorini, it’s worth noting that even the professionals are not immune to passing traffic. And although IA is synonymous with these backdrops, if you keep watching this video, we’ll take you to some quieter parts of the island where you can get equally impressive shots. but without the crowds. And here in the highest point of the old town, the path splits. So, choosing to visit the castle on the way back, we took the higher path that leads you to the famous windmills. The backdrop to many iconic sunset photos in here. And here, thankfully, further into the old town, the crowds thinned. however, would definitely not be the case later in the afternoon as people descend on this part of town in readiness for sunset. Camping out way in advance to secure the perfect location, the most popular place being the old castle. However, there are no shortage of videos out there showing how crowded it becomes. So, keep watching until the end of this video where we’ll show you a unique location with a far superior panoramic view and most importantly, we had all to ourselves. So after a much needed drink with a fantastic view, even before midday and the worst of the crowds arriving, we left to head to Emo Riggley, which we chose to do by taxi for speed, but also as the return buses to the circle back on the far side of the island. But first, on the outskirts, we took a little detour to Cavo Tagu. This boutique hotel and restaurant would be a great option for those looking for a pool day in Santorini if unfortunately wasn’t closed as coming to the end of the tourist season. So if you are feeling brave enough or energetic enough to do the hike from Ia to the or the other way around, please make sure you do it from the toa because we’re probably at the high point now in Mibi and you can see heading back down to Ia. It’s pretty much downhill from here. Unfortunately, we’ve just stopped off to see place I like the look of Cavat Tagu, which is actually close to the winter, but they let us in have a nice little look around. But now we’ve got to climb that big hill. It’s end of October and it’s still sweltering hot. So, now coming into Emo Regibly, we were now only a short distance for FRA for returning to the boat after dinner. And here there are many boutique hotels such as Astro Suites and this restaurant which we had also looked at as an option for dinner. So you can see the path out to Scaros Rock. You just take this fork just before the Grace Hotel. But the walk, I’ll be honest in this heat has done us both in. So I’m going to leave her lady ship at a bar with a drink and a well earned rest. Now, although I would not class this as a hike, I appreciate this next bit might not be for everyone. So, for anybody less energetically inclined, you can skip forward to the 11 minute 15 mark where we’ll show you our fabulous location for dinner. You will, however, miss a unique blue dome church, which we pointed out on the boat trip earlier and sits on the far side of Scaros Rock out of sight. So this big fat rock seems to be the evident fork which is down to the church or up to uh the rock itself. Uh I’ve seen the videos and uh frankly yeah the last bit I am not risking. So let’s try for the church. You come to this point and it really actually doesn’t feel like there’s anywhere left to go. Just take a little sneak through there. This is definitely not for the faint-hearted. If you’ve got a fear of heights, might not be best to leave this. And finally, all of the effort was rewarded as the church finally came into view. As you can see, I am absolutely sweating like a good, but we have actually made it. So, let’s take a little peek inside. The church sadly was closed, but was still well worth it for the breathtaking views and in contrast to IA to have this fantastic setting all to myself. So, uh, conquered Scaras Rock. However, I need about 3 L of water and then a very, very large bucket of wine. So, I’m off to join the wife while she’s been uh sunning herself and uh looking for a welldeserved rest. and ironically found another Blue Dome church right by our venue for sunset, which was Honeymoon Petra Villas, boutique hotel with the cave room set into the hillside and a fabulous option for anyone looking to stay in Santorini. And I’d found this hidden gem whilst researching hotels on the island and really stood out to me given its fantastic location and its incredible pool. So although their restaurant was not open to the public and catering for their hotel guests and cheekily contacted the resort directly by email to assist with the sunset dinner location which they were happy to oblige. So you had a choice of a view of IA Scaros or Thera or even McGibly. And I gave you all of them. Did the boy do good? You did indeed. What do you think of the size of that octopus? Massive. It’s a beast. I’ve never seen one that big. The menu was more traditional and authentically Greek than perhaps the commercial restaurants of the Anda. However, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal and was taken great care of by our fantastic server, Denitra. The setting, however, of this hotel was unbeatable, and with so many levels and terraces to explore, its unique location meant it had a vantage point of every major landmark and view of the island in one setting. And this characterful pool really added to the ambiencece of the resort, which I cannot recommend highly enough. So, if you’re enjoying this video, please make sure you follow our Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady series where in our previous episodes we explored the highlights of Athens and our upcoming episodes where we visit roads, Cairo, Luxaw, and end in Dubai. And as Virgin Cruisers literally, we’ll give a comprehensive review of Resilient Lady and our first cruise experience. But most importantly, we please ask that you hit that like and subscribe buttons. It really goes a long way in supporting this channel and for us to bring you even more videos like this in the future. Many thanks. Santorini sunset. Cheers, babe. Cheers, babe. Happy birthday. Happy birthday. And sunsets don’t get much better than that. Mhm. Huge thanks to us from the hotel reception team who made the reservation arrangements for us as this setting was a perfect end to our time in Santorini and a complete contrast to the popular idea that the place to watch the sunset is shoulderto-shoulder with crowds in ear. Plus can only imagine the stress of trying to get back from one of the furthest points of the island in time to make your last tender boat back to the cruise ship. We were however as contingency only a 30inut stroll or in our case a short taxi ride arranged by the hotel back to the cable car station in the now again being so late at night and that we had checked the schedule all the ships in port that day we knew the cable car would be quiet but don’t get caught out cuz if ships all leave at the same time you may be forced to take the 600 donkey trail steps back down to the port. I’m glad I’m not doing those steps right now. Oh, did you go up there? Yeah. So, we we did cuz we had to meet the guy at 1:00 and we didn’t get off the boat until 11. If only they had been subscribed to a helpful YouTube channel who could have given them great advice on how not to get caught in the cues. And arriving back into the old port, I’m pleased to say we made it comfortably with over an hour to spare before the last tender boat back to the ship, which was lit up with a nice touch for our evening in Santorini. And it’s worth noting that not many of the cruise ships stay this late into the evening in Santorini. So do compare cruise line itineraries and schedules to see which ones stay on into the evening. as experiencing our first Santorini sunset on the island was a fitting finale to a great visit. So, join us in our next episode where we explore the old town of Roads, site of the fabled Colossus of Roads, this historic walled city oozes medieval charm. From the street of the Knights of Roads to the Grandm’s Palace, the old town looks straight out of an episode of Game of Thrones. And being fantastically compact and walkable, it’s the perfect port day excursion. So come with us as we explore around this characterful, charming, and one of the best examples of a preserved medieval ward city in Europe. But for now, we hope that we’ve shown you how you can see Santorini smarter. And please subscribe to not miss our next episode. Or alternatively, check out one of our many other varied destination videos. So, please drop us a like and a comment. And we look forward to seeing again soon. Thanks for watching.

This video is a travel vlog on Santorini by cruise ship as part of our luxury travel series on Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady. Subscribe to our channel if you love travel inspiration! Explore the breathtaking island of Santorini Greece in just one day or visiting via Santorini cruise port.

In this video, we’ll show you how to beat the crowds and experience the best of Virgin Voyages Santorini in a day trip, from its picturesque whitewashed houses to its stunning sunsets. From popular Oia village to quieter Imerovigli, we’ll uncover the hidden gems and must-see attractions of Santorini.

Learn how to prioritize your time, avoid the tourist traps, and experience the authentic charm of this picturesque Greek island. Whether you’re looking for stunning sunsets or delicious Greek cuisine, this video will help you maximize your day in Santorini and create unforgettable memories. So, let’s plan your dream day in Santorini including:

• Santorini cruise port guide and avoid the queues at Santorini Thira Cable Car
• Boat tour to Amoudi Bay and explore Santorini Oia sunset locations
• Hunt down Blue Dome churches in Imerovigli and on Skaros Rock Santorini
• Santorini sunset dinner at what could be Santorini best hotel Honeymoon Petra Villas
• How to get back in time to Fira Old Town before the last cruise ship tender boat!

00:00 Introduction
00:39 Arrival / Tender Boats
02:22 Fira Cruise Port & Boat Transfer to Oia
03:55 Arrival Amoudi Bay
04:40 Oia Old Town
07:57 Cavo Tagoo & Imerovigli
09:06 Skarros Rock
11:15 Honeymoon Petra Villas Sunset Dinner
14:16 Transfer Back to Cruise Ship & Thira Cable Car
15:43 Next Episode

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Useful Links:

Cruise Ship Schedules
https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/santorini-island-port-69

Thira to Oia boat transfer
https://transfer-to-oia.gr/

Cavo Tagoo Santorini
https://www.cavotagoo.com/santorini

Honeymoon Petra Villas

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https://www.virginvoyages.com/destinations/europe-cruises/santorini