We are going on a Greek Isles cruise in July on NCL Gem and we are planning not to take shore excursions at some of the ports - Split, Santorini, Mykonos and maybe Iraklion.

Does NCL provide a shuttle service to the nearest town or are we on our own? If we are on our own with respect to finding transportation, any suggestions on the safest way to get there and back to the ship at these ports? Thanks for your ideas.

John M.

If you don't book excursions through the ship, then you are on your own. That's how it works in the Caribbean cruises, so I assume it's the same for Europe cruises.

Just make sure you keep your watch on ship time, and do your research for reputable companies.

Actually in Europe the cruise lines offer shuttle service in several ports. Some cruise line may have a nominal fee, and others may be complimentary. Mykonos will probably have a shuttle. Santorini might be a tender port. Where it drops off there is a cable car to go to the city.

Thanks for the replies. I thought I had read somewhere on here that some of the cruises provided shuttle service to ports but then someone else said that NCL did not.

When we landed at Santorini a couple of years ago on Celebrity we were on a shore excurion and I believe the tender took us to a dock where tour buses took us up a winding switchback road to the main island area.

If we aren't on a shore excursion do the tender boats take us to the foot of the cable car then (which I think is on the opposite side of the bay)? Hopefully that is the case. My memory is fuzzy and I didn't really pay attention at the time. Thanks for all of your help.

John

The tender should drop you off by the foot of the cable car.