Santorini, Greece

The morning started simply enough. We went to the tender ticket desk, and Boris told them we weren’t on a tour, so they handed us two tickets without any issue. We walked over to board the tender—except Oceania wasn’t using their own boats today. Instead, a local boat was doing the transfers.

We stepped inside… and instantly realized this was not the usual cushy cruise tender. It was packed—people standing, shoulder to shoulder, like a floating bus during rush hour. Still, we figured it was just a short ride. Twenty minutes later, we reached the shore… and then came the surprise: we weren’t in the old port of Fira at all, but in a completely different spot—where buses pick up the ship’s tours.

That sinking feeling? Very real. We suddenly had about 20 minutes to get to the actual old port to catch our tour boat. And we weren’t the only confused couple.

We grabbed a taxi and sped off toward Fira. Twenty minutes later we reached the top of the town, then still had to take the cable car down to the port. Luckily, there was no line going down—small miracles! We made it to the boat a few minutes late, but still on time… just 55 euros poorer and a whole lot more frustrated.

Once we finally settled on our tour boat, the day improved dramatically.

Stop 1: The Volcano Hike
The first stop was the volcano. I had planned to hike it, but at the last minute I decided to skip it—and I’m glad I did.

Stop 2: Swimming
The second stop was a swimming break, and it was absolutely lovely. The water was refreshing and the views spectacular.

Stop 3: Thirasia
Our last stop was the small island of Thirasia—a quiet volcanic island with no cars and a steep, winding staircase leading up to the village. I estimated it would take at least an hour to climb up and the same to come back down, and we had less than two hours total. So Boris and I decided to stay by the water and enjoy a delicious gelato instead. No regrets.

In the evening, all was forgotten as we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Polo Grill—a perfect ending to a chaotic but memorable day.Read more