Travel

Visiting Santorini by cruise ship

Visiting Santorini by cruise ship was one of the highlights of our trip around Greece on P&O Oceana in September 2018. This was our second port day and you can read about our sea days here and stop at Pireaus in Greece here.

It’s fair to say it was the destination I was most looking forward to visiting.  I am a traveller who tends to research and plan for hours before travelling but this was the one time that I could have enjoyed a better stop if I’d paid more attention.

I hope by reading this I can help you enjoy a day when visiting Santorini by cruise ship.

Santorini

Holidays in Santorini is the dream of a lifetime for many people. As this is the top tourist destination in Greece, the island is famous for the impressive caldera, the volcano and the romantic sunset. In fact, it is frequently included among the best destinations in the world. Over the last years, tourist season has extended in Santorini, from early April until early November due to the many cruise ships that dock there. Source: www.greeka.com

When you arrive by sea, there is no confusing the island of Santorini. Dazzling white houses cling to the edge of vertical, rocky cliffs against azure blue waters. The most southern of the Cyclades islands, it is surrounded by Thirasia and Aspronisi, which were once part of a large volcanic island. Considered by many to be the site of the “Lost City of Atlantis”, this magical little island glimmers from the fading sun as many watch its decent from the numerous bars and cafés at the water’s edge.

Arriving on Santorini from a cruise ship

Our cruise ship P&O Oceana docked in the sea offshore from the old port of Fira and we were transferred to the Island by tender. As we had a balcony cabin we could see the tenders being loaded and passengers being ferried across. We found this beneficial as we could see when the initial hustle and bustle had ended and we could enjoy a less crowded boat and a relaxed trip across. This short boat trip itself was a real treat.

When you arrive at the Old Port of Fira there are 3 ways to get up to the cliff tops so that you can explore the town and travel further afield on the Island.

Landing at Port of Fira

The 3 choices to get into Fira town are Cable car, walk up the 600 steps into the town or ride a donkey to take you up the steps.

Pin this for later!

At this point I would state that I do not in anyway endorse anyone riding the donkeys.  There is mounting objections, quite rightly too to these poor creatures being used for tourists. Heavy overweight tourists are being carried and causing injury. There are even gathering campaigns for cruise ships to boycott Santorini until the donkey transfer is discontinued. Therefore I will not discuss this option

If you choose to walk I would suggest that you would have to be super fit to manage this climb! I only climbed a few whilst at the top and they nearly killed me. Also by walking you will have to look at the poor donkeys of Santorini and walk through piles of donkey droppings!

Santorini Cable Car

Having said what I have done so far you can guess that we used the cable car. During my pre cruise research I had read of there being long queues to actually get on the car. It was a blisteringly hot day in the high 30 degrees and thankfully we didn’t have to wait too long. I also have to give a big shout out to P&O who provide shade and cold water, either plain or infused with fruits to provide refreshments in the heat. The cable car looks modern and in great working order. The fee was around 6 Euro’s each if I remember correctly. Now at this stage I have to confess that one of my fears and phobias is heights. We shared our carriage with 2 older ladies who teased me all the way up after I sat there with my eyes closed gripping my husbands knee! I have been on other cable cars that I have tolerated better. It’s quite jerky as it passes over the upright towers. If you wish to see what it is like there are several videos on Youtube showing the journey.

Fira

As you may have read in my other posts about this cruise, we chose not to participate in any of the bookable excursions. Mr Fitz and I like to just stroll and explore ourselves, we viewed each Port as a taster of the destination. We had no desire to be off the ship for long periods, especially as it was so hot. Once we arrived at Fira we initially found ourselves on the main street. It was a typical small town with cafe’s, restaurants and gift shops, added to this the roadway was busy with cars and kamikaze scooters! We just ambled about and initially found ourselves ambling around and found ourselves following more dusty roads dodging psycho scooter riders! We don’t tend to use maps we like to just drift and see what we see. After a change of direction we found ourselves heading back towards the cliffs. I have to confess here that my research and homework fell short and I had missed something vital which I will expand on later in this post!

Again I cannot reiterate for a fair skinned celtic skinned woman like myself the heat was becoming unbearable! Even my sun loving husband was finding it hard going. Once we were back near the cliffs we found a network of small pathways between houses and hotels. I’ve taken a little bit of video footage to provide a taste of how lovely it is.

We found a little hotel with a cafe which seemed to provide art classes to tourists. There were several people sat around the edge of the terrace drawing and painting.  This lovely quaint hotel was painted in the colours of blue and white, that are synonymous with the Island. It provided much needed refreshment and shade. I tried a traditional Greek coffee which was very strong and enjoyable.

Cooling off on Santorini

We then decided to make our way back to the cable car and return to the beautiful Oceana. We continued in the warren of small alleyways and found ourselves on the steps that climb up to the top. Boy they are challenging in the heat! It wasn’t just me that was struggling, even though it was September the temperatures were higher than the seasonal norm. We saw a few people struggling and overcome. We had carried water in our rucksack and I think that is an absolute must when on a Port Day. I packed 2 budget lightweight plastic water bottles and filled them up each day. You cannot always rely on having water to hand if you feel a little light headed in the heat.

There are some fabulous gift shops selling jewellery and gifts. I treated myself to a small necklace as a souvenir, another confession here – another of my addictions is to jewellery and accessories! Besides the normal tourist souvenirs,  Santorini is full of one-of-a-kind boutiques and galleries and interesting shops that sell local arts and crafts and things that you wont find in Athens. There are over 40 jewelry stores, most of them on the main street in Fira which is how it got the name ‘Gold Street’ – Ypapantis Street is it’s real name. This street is considered to be one the biggest Gold markets in Greece.

Following the descent by cable car P&O staff were there again with shade and cool courtesy refreshments whilst we waited to board a tender back to the ship. Again I am going to say that the trip across by the tender is really relaxing and part of the whole experience of visiting Santorini by cruise ship.

Do your research

If you are planning to visit Santorini by cruise ship then do your research and don’t make the mistake that we did.  Whilst we were walking around Fira we were looking for the viewpoint that is symbolic with Santorini – the white buildings with blue domed roofs on the cliff edge. We found similar but not that one! It wasn’t helped that in Fira we couldn’t find many signs to help guide our way.

After returning back to our cruise ship I decided to read a little more about the destination – that was when I had my light bulb moment, (my menopausal brain fog provides many of these, when I remember what I’d read or learned previously!) The iconic view is not in Fira but Oia. On reflection if we had taken an alternate route we could have improved our experience. This is the information I am offering to you to hopefully help you.

A fun way is after arrival by tender is to book a 20 minute boat transfer from the old port to Ammoudi Port in Oia for around 8 Euro’s. This includes a bus trip to Oia Town where you can spend a few hours, then take a half hour bus trip back to Fira. There is no return boat transfer from Ammoudi to Fira by boat.

An example of a boat ferry from Fira port to other towns

By doing this you can maximise your visit to Santorini in the time you have available ashore.

Of course you can always participate in one of your Ferry companies planned excursions when visiting Santorini by cruise ship if you like to be looked after and are nervous doing your own thing. That’s the beauty of a cruise holiday – it caters for all tastes!

If you’ve visited Santorini or taken a cruise holiday I’d love to hear your highlights.

Thank you for reading today, if you like my blog please subscribe to see more of my ramblings

Piraeus for Athens was the first port day on our first ever cruise holiday in September 2018. We sailed aboard P&O Oceana – you can read about Day 1 – Embarkation at Malta here and my review of our sea days too.

Port of Piraeus

The Port of Piraeus has a big modern cruise terminal. We awoke on Day 3 to find we were docked right next to the Terminal building. Chatting to some of the crew we discovered that this is one of their favourite stops. The terminal includes telephones, a bar and cafeteria, an air-conditioned lounge and free WiFi. The crew all try and hop off and take advantage of these.

Also after a short walk through the terminal you can find regular Hop on Hop off buses that take you into Athens for the Parthenon and The Acropolis.

Mr Fitz and I did not book any of the organised shore excursions. We were happy just to find our own way around and experience a taster of the ports we were visiting.

I mentioned the daily cruise bulletin Horizon. In here it informed us that tickets for the buses could be bought in The Atrium of Oceana on the day of the visit. This is what we did and used this method of travel to take us around.

Tickets for Piraeus Hop on Hop Off buses could be bought in the Atrium

The bus ride into Athens is quite scenic. We were given new sealed headphones to listen to a guided tour of the route. The dialogue pointed out many interesting landmarks which we would not have spotted or recognised. For a football fan like myself it passed the home Stadium of Olympiakos, one of Greece’s largest teams. I love a good football stadium!

Drive from Piraeus passes Olympiakos Football Stadium

The Acropolis and Parthenon

When the bus arrived at the Acropolis is was around 11 AM, however it was already busy and extremely hot. The Parthenon stands proudly atop the Acropolis with a steady stream of visitors snaking their way up. As it was very high and extremely hot – well over 30 degrees even at that time of the day we decided not to climb up. Mr Fitz could manage it easily but I’m not sure I could anyway! We enjoyed a nice stroll round the perimeter of the base and admired the views down in to the City of Athens. One highlight was enjoying a pleasant sit in the shade listening to a gentleman in Greek attire singing and playing an accordion.

The view from the base of the Acropolis down into Athens

After a short stay of around an hour we hopped back on the bus and returned to the port of Piraeus and our wonderful cruise ship. The image of her as you approach never failed to impress us.

There were quite a few other passengers doing the same.

On our return we enjoyed more time on deck with a lunchtime snack from the Horizon Grill. It really is wall to wall food and all great quality.

Then I was able to watch my football team Manchester City play their game screened live on the TV in the sports bar – Winners Bar. This was an unexpected surprise for us.

Select Dining

In the evening we discovered that there was a Tropical themed evening. All other passengers seemed to know this before boarding. We didn’t however, really unsure why. Luckily though we did have suitable clothing. Mr Fitz had a linen shirt with a subtle flamingo print that I had purchased for him and I had a dress with a large floral tropical print.

Tropical themed evening

For our evening meal we had made a booking at The Beach House which has a slight cover charge. The food again was lovely. From the menu Ichose Coconut Crumb Tiger Prawns followed by a Tex Mex Ribs platter. Mr Fitz had a crispy bacon caesar salad and a hanging kebab. It was all delicious.

Our choices for dinner at The Beach House P&O Oceana

After dinner we enjoyed a balmy evening on deck with entertainment and music. The Entertainment team had a dance off, making the passengers sat on Port and Starboard compete against each other. All quite cheesy but surprisingly entertaining. The sight of passengers who work in Executive roles by day marching around to Tony Christie’s Amarillo, would bring a smile to anyone’s face.

A thoroughly enjoyable day. Our destination for Day 4 was Santorini. Please come back to read my review of our visit in a future blog post. I would love you to subscribe to my blog do that you don’t miss it.

Thanks for dropping in to read today – I really appreciate it.

Oceana was the ship we chose for our first cruise in September 2018 to celebrate Mr Fitz’s 60th birthday. I had wanted to take a cruise holiday for a few years but Mr Fitz needed some persuading.

He’s not one for material gifts therefore I offered to pay for a holiday for his milestone 60th Birthday. He finally opted for a Cruise having heard nothing but positive reviews from friends. The recent TV show Jane McDonald Cruising also helped!

As we were celebrating a special occasion we opted for a balcony cabin, it added probably around £700 to the cost of our trip but we wanted that luxury. I know many friends who are happy to have an inside cabin – their viewpoint being that your cabin was just somewhere to sleep.

When booking we received £170 in onboard credit. P&O are not an all inclusive line and drinks consumed on board need to be paid for. Prior to sailing I did plenty of research watching Youtube – there are many vloggers who cover this topic, providing valuable hints and tips to help me prepare. One of my favourites are the lovely couple Elyssia and Jason over at EECC Travel. They are American and sail on  Cruise lines that depart from their but I love their fun videos and great packing tips.

Oceana 13th – 20th September 2018

Day 1

We flew from Manchester Airport to Valletta in Malta. The check in and flight was very slick. Everyone on the plane is a passenger on the cruise. On arrival in Malta there were plenty of P&O Representatives to greet you and guide you to your awaiting coaches for transfer.  It was very warm and there was a slight delay on the coaches, apparently the reps and drivers have to wait for permission from the Quayside that they can arrive.

Valletta Quayside

On first arrival at the Quayside there appeared to be a long queue inside the arrivals tent. At this stage you have not yet see Oceana. However check in was really swift. Again there are plenty of staff on arrival to guide passengers and keep things running smoothly. Check in was swift. You confirm your identity, provide a credit or debit card for onboard purchases. Your photograph is taken and you are then issued with your on board cruise card. This does everything! Opens your cabin, pays for drinks and extra’s and confirms your identity whilst disembarking and re embarking on shore days.

Once through check in you get your first view of Oceana – and what a magnificent site as you walk towards her. She looked big and majestic in the hot sunshine with the P&O Livery on the bow. Sent a tingle down both our spines.

Our first sight of the magnificent P&O Oceana

We were on B Deck Cabin 619. Our luggage had already arrived, sometimes there is a delay in arrival. We were fortunate to be able to unpack immediately. We could also admire the view from our balcony, again compact but adequate, equipped with a small table and 2 comfortable chairs.

View of the Balcony from the bed

There is adequate storage space, drawers and wardrobe. A few more hangers were supplied on request. The bathroom although compact was again adequate with enough storage space.  We had a suitcase each and they both fit easily under the bed. Our cabin Steward introduced herself and said she was there to assist and help us get the most out of our holiday.

Our next step was to go and explore the ship. There is adequate time on Embarkation day to get off again and explore Valletta, however as we had visited and holidayed there before we decided to stay on board.

The ship was vast and I have to admit we lost our cabin on a couple of occasions on the first day. We were helped by a little tip we got from you tube videos. I will reveal this on my next #TravelTipThursday Post.

We were really thrilled by our first tour of the ship. I enjoyed my 1st cocktail – a Pina Colada the perfect holiday drink on the Pool Deck in the sunshine.

First Pina Colada on deck

On each deck by the lifts there is a guide to each level to help you find your way around.

On the first evening it is Mandatory to attend The Muster – a relatively new term to us. This is your lifeboat drill. You cannot avoid this as you have to scan your card, therefore they can track attendance. If you fail to attend you are traceable and have to have an individual session, that is my understanding anyway.

On this occasion Muster was not until 8.15pm, from other more experienced passengers we understood this to be later than usual. You have to attend your Muster Point, our was the Starlights Theatre, with your life jacket. During the Muster The Captain addresses everyone from the Bridge with instructions for the event of an emergency. You also try on your life jacket to ensure you know how to fit it.

The Muster P&O Oceana

Because Muster was later, the seating for Dinner was a little rushed. We were on Flexible dining, however this night everyone was just ushered to tables for speed. We prefer a table for two but were seated with 4 other couples. This was however a new enjoyable experience. Food was delicious with ample choice. During dinner we could sea out the windows that the ship was sailing away from port. We were off on our first cruise adventure.

Following Dinner we enjoyed a few drinks on board. There are several places to eat and drink on board. Each has it’s own unique vibe.

When we finally retired to bed we found the bed to be extremely comfortable and the gentle, barely felt movement of the ship, provided us with the best nights sleep we’d both experienced in ages.

Day 2 was spent at sea and I will describe that in my next post about our experience on board Oceana.

Thank you for popping by. I appreciate  you following and all comments are always appreciated

Earlyretirementrocks.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. This does not affect the price to you of any purchases you may make.

Packing Cubes

Packing cubes are becoming increasingly more popular for travelling. I have been using them for around 3 years now. In fact I have 2 sets pink and blue – 1 set for me and 1 set for Mr Fitz for the rare occasion we use 2 suitcases, like on our recent cruise holiday. Alternatively if we use one shared suitcase the different colours quickly identify who’s clothing they contain.

Packing cubes in 2 colours

These little zipped cubes will give you back some of your sanity while you travel! They help you to stay organized, keep your belongings compact, and find what you need in record time from your luggage.

What are Packing Cubes?

Packing cubes are relatively small soft containers made of fabric, often in a rectangular shape, used for packing clothing. They fit neatly into your luggage, separating items inside.

The usually come in packs containing several cubes and often extra zipped bags for dirty laundry, shoes and toiletries. Amazon is a great place to start – there is plenty of choice to suit your needs.

Now that I consider myself an experienced Packing Cube user I thought I would provide you with my top 3 benefits for using them in my experience.

Organisation

These fabulous packing cubes keep your luggage organised, no longer does all the contents flop about within your case or you have to frantically search through to find that item that you want.  Each cube can be used for particular groups of clothing – I often separate my clothes into tops, shorts, beachwear and lingerie. I can then find items more easily.

Packing cubes and pouches fit snuggly – photo taken after I’d started to unpack!

Utilises space

The packing cubes enable you to roll your clothing, which I feel uses less space within each cube and reduces creasing. They also fit snuggly into your luggage maximising capacity. Other items such as straighteners and jewellery rolls slip in the spaces between cubes.

Saves Time/Space in Destination

The cubes assist you a lot when unpacking at your destination. You can simply lift the cubes out of your luggage and place them as they are with their contents still inside into drawers in your accommodation. This helps you save space when it is limited and time and can get you to the pool, beach or back more quickly after your arrival. An example of this was on our first cruise holiday in September. Space is limited inside a cruise cabin, I was able to lift out the cubes containing swimwear and lingerie straight into wire baskets on a carousel inside the wardrobe of our cabin. As well as keeping the storage spaces neat and tidy I also knew where to locate these. Again on our recent holiday to Corralejo even though there was adequate storage drawers I chose to lift the cubes straight from our suitcase into them. Even my tops and Johns shorts remained in cubes. Many of our beach holiday clothes are made from fabrics that don’t crease. We arrived at our apartment in late afternoon so we were itching to get out into the winter sunshine and anything to save time helped!

Packing cubes can be lifted out and transferred straight into drawers at your destination

This is my first post in which I hope can become a series of Travel Tip Thursday – I cannot promise that they will be weekly – I am just going to start today and see how this series develops.

Thanks for being here today

Have you used packing cubes? If so do you have any other uses for them? Let me know – I’m always ready to learn more