Greek Isle Shore Excursions

oufpat

Mouseketeer
Joined
Mar 6, 2011
We usually cruise DCL, but were priced out of their Greek Isle Cruise. We decided to book RCCL for September, 2020 9 night Greek Isle Cruise. I'm very excited about the itinerary, but when I've started researching their shore excursions, I was a bit disappointed in what was offered. Do they increase the number of excursions as it gets closer, or is it better to book private companies. I'm almost having second thoughts about this cruise now.
 
We usually cruise DCL, but were priced out of their Greek Isle Cruise. We decided to book RCCL for September, 2020 9 night Greek Isle Cruise. I'm very excited about the itinerary, but when I've started researching their shore excursions, I was a bit disappointed in what was offered. Do they increase the number of excursions as it gets closer, or is it better to book private companies. I'm almost having second thoughts about this cruise now.

I did the 11 night Greek Isles trip out of Venice a few years ago with Royal and ended up booking all of our own tours with private companies. We had the BEST time and the tours were way cheaper than Royal was offering. I would be happy to give you more details if you would like.
 
Thanks for the advice, I'd be interested in what company you used for Crete, Mykonos and Santorini. I've read good reviews of PK tours for Athens.
 
Thanks for the advice, I'd be interested in what company you used for Crete, Mykonos and Santorini. I've read good reviews of PK tours for Athens.

I used https://www.the-travel-insiders.com/ for all of my Greek tours. I had also read good reviews of PK tours, but The Travel Insiders gave a discount if you booked three or more tours with them. We were not at all disappointed!
 


Thanks for the information. We are booked for 7 days in August 2020 and was also disappointed in the excursion options. There are none listed for Santorini! What were some of the excursions you did?
 
Thanks for the information. We are booked for 7 days in August 2020 and was also disappointed in the excursion options. There are none listed for Santorini! What were some of the excursions you did?

I did this one. It was part of a package of three (Santorini, Athens, and Katakolon). It was a private tour so we had a ton of flexibility in how long we stayed in each place:

The Highlights of Santorini – The Black Pearl of the Aegean (6h)
  • Fira Santorini



  • Santorini donkey
  • Santorini church
  • Santorini taverna



  • Black beach Santorini



  • Destination:
    Aegean, Cyclades, Santorini
    Duration:
    Full day
    Type of tour:
    Private Tours
    Theme:
    Beach Fun, Culinary Experience, Greek Island Experience, Religious Tours, Sightseeing, Walking Tours
    Type of vehicle:
    chauffeured private car, coach, mini bus, minivan, taxi
    Price: from 75€ p.p., free of charge children under 3 years old
    Santorini is an island of diverse beauty and enchanting sunsets! It offers stunning views from villages hanging off the 1000-foot cliff, the volcano with the hot springs, the striking Black Beach and a famous wine tradition that goes back to the ancient years.
    The tour starts from the Old Port, where you will take the cable car to the town of Fira. There, at Fira town, your local tour guide along with your vehicle will be waiting to welcome you and together you will explore the unique attractions of the island.
    Your first stop will be at Oia, one of the most famous and most photographed villages in the world. Oia is located on the other side of the island and stands out beautifully and full of impressive traditional houses, art galleries and domed churches.
    From there, a 35-minute drive through the picturesque countryside of the island will bring you to the traditional village of Pyrgos. Pyrgos is a hillside village set on the highest point of Santorini, offering panoramic breathtaking views and close to the Monastery of Profitis Ilias.
    Your exploration of the island will continue with a visit to the famous Venetsanos Winery, where you will have the unique opportunity to enjoy a wine tasting experience in one of the canavas. The vine groves produce a wine rich in taste, but in limited production, therefore, not much of it is exported.
    A stop for a refreshing dip or lunch at the renowned Black Beach of Kamari is a must for anyone visiting this mysterious, awe-inspiring island. It is arguably one of the most famous and beautiful beaches of Santorini.
    Finally, return to Fira where your tour will be completed. You can either spend time exploring Fira village at your leisure OR take the cable car to return to your ship.
    If you are on an afternoon tour, you may even watch the spectacular Santorini sunset from the cliffs of Fira accompanied by a drink or a snack with wonderful music in the background !

 


We just went on a 7-night cruise out of Venice this past May that included Kotor, Corfu, Athens, Mykonos, and Argostoli. The only tour we took was a private tour at Athens, where we had a driver plus tour guide. In our group of 10, I was the one that suggested the private tour and booked it. Everyone in our group cited Athens as their favorite stop (made me really happy). We went with Nikos Loukos for our tour, and in the 6 hours we saw a lot, plus our driver stopped at a very yummy gelato shop on our way back to the ship. If you're still doing research for Athens I highly recommend this company. I haven't done a review on Yelp/Trip Advisor yet, but I'm going to do it. https://privategreecetours.com/.

In Mykonos there are lovely options for lunch (probably just like all the other islands). One of my son's highlights on the islands were the delicious, relatively healthy choices lunches we had there. It was refreshing after eating the food on the ship.
 
thanks to all for the recommendations - I just booked an NCL 11 night cruise out of Rome for a smashing deal, we too got priced out of DCL, not hard when there are 5 of us. NCL's price, albeit in late August, is literally 20% of what DCL would have cost us. Really looking forward to the Greek ports and spending some time in Athens before the cruise as well. I'd also love to do a Percy Jackson themed tour :)
 
I am in the process of booking a 7 night out of Rome on the new Odyssey for June 2021. My biggest concern is getting off the quickly and avoiding crowds as much as possible while on land. My tentative plan is to use ship-sponsored excursions in the morning to get priority departure and then use private tours for the afternoon/evening to visit some more remote areas (e.g., Delos). So, I am concerned that there are no excursions listed for Santorini. Does anyone have any more info about that, or have recommendations for staying ahead of the crowds? My friends don't want to spend the money for a suite that would get priority debarkation and I am concerned about the huge size of the Odyssey. At least, there are extended hours in port.
 

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