Cruises to Santorini: 10 Reasons to Avoid Them (2026 Guide)

Greece › Greek Cruises
By Santorini Dave

See Also

• Where to Stay in Santorini
• Where to Stay in Mykonos
• Where to Stay in Crete
• Where to Stay in Rhodes
• Where to Stay in Athens

Cruises to Greece in 2026

• Recommended Greek Travel Agents

If your idea of a dream vacation involves being herded like cattle onto a floating shopping mall or trapped in a slow-moving retirement home with buffet pizza and 3,000 strangers, then by all means, book a cruise to Santorini.

It’s a sterile, cookie-cutter way to “see” Santorini while missing everything that actually makes it special. I wrote this guide to convince you to cancel that cabin, and stay on the island like a guest rather than a cargo shipment.

Wall Street Journal Article

Greek Cruises – My Advice

• Are Greek island cruises worth it? While Greek island cruises can offer cost-savings and convenience, they are a lousy choice if your goal is to experience the beauty, history, magic, and charm of the islands.
• Santorini Cruise Ship Schedule for 2026: No cruise ships dock at the Santorini ferry port. Instead, they anchor inside the caldera, and passengers are tendered to the Santorini Old Port (Skala). From there, it is a walk or cable car ride up to Fira. I post the cruise arrival schedule here so that independent travelers can plan their itinerary to avoid the heaviest cruise ship crowds.



• Santorini and Mykonos Cruises: While cruises to Santorini and Mykonos can seem convenient, they come with several drawbacks. Large cruise ships contribute to overcrowding at these popular islands, detracting from their idyllic charm and impacting the local environment. Cruises limit your time in each destination, with tight schedules that restrict opportunities to immerse yourself in each islands’ history, dining scene, and local culture. Travelers will find the all-inclusive nature of cruises to be impersonal, lacking the freedom and flexibility that independent travel provides.

NY Times Article



• Santorini Cruises Last Year: Over 800 cruise ships arrived in Santorini last year, with passenger arrivals exceeding 1.2 million. Mykonos saw 749 ships and nearly 800,000 passengers. The most popular ports for Greece cruises are (in order of ship arrivals): Santorini, Mykonos, Piraeus (Athens), Corfu, Rhodes, Heraklio (Crete), Patmos, and Katakolo.
• The 8,000-Passenger Cap: Starting in 2026, Santorini is strictly enforcing a daily limit of 8,000 cruise passengers. While this sounds like a lot, on peak days in previous years, that number often hit 15,000. If you are staying on the island, check the cruise schedule and plan to visit Oia on the days with the lowest projected arrivals to avoid the worst of the congestion.
• Sign our petition to ban cruise ships from Santorini.
• NY Times article on Amsterdam & Barcelona banning cruise ships.
• Cruises not welcome here: Inside the European cities banning giant ships

Santorini Cruises

Please, don’t do a cruise to Santorini. They are bad for the local infrastructure, the environment, and the local economy. In 2026, new regulations include a €20 peak-season arrival fee and a strict 8,000-passenger daily limit, but the island remains overwhelmed. On a cruise, you only get a few hours to see Santorini, and those hours are spent fighting crowds at the cable car or the Oia footpaths. All of the best things to do in Santorini – like caldera hikes or leisurely winery lunches – are nearly impossible to enjoy on a cruise schedule.

If you really want to see what makes Santorini the most magical island in Greece, you’ll need to stay overnight. The best Santorini hotels are some of the most awesome and incredible places to stay anywhere. Sleeping in a cave and waking up with views of the caldera out your window is a very special experience. Five to seven days is what I recommend for most visitors to Santorini, but even a one-night stay is better than visiting on a cruise.

Santorini is a great year-round destination. If you’re into wine, great food, and sightseeing the best time to visit Santorini is from April to early June and late September to early November.

Few cruise passengers to Santorini get to visit the village of Oia at the far end of the island. Cruise ships near Fira are just visible in the distance.

Are Greek island cruises worth it?
Cruises may seem like a good all-inclusive option, but their limited time on each island, crowds during peak tourist season, local resentment, environmental impact, and lack of flexibility make them a less than ideal choice for exploring the breathtaking Greek islands.

What cruises are going to Santorini this year? The following ships and cruise lines are scheduled to visit Santorini in 2026 and 2027: Celestyal Discovery, Viking Sky, Viking Vesta, MSC Sinfonia, Silver Moon, Silver Ray, Mein Schiff 5, Mein Schiff 6, Norwegian Jade, Norwegian Viva, Crystal Serenity, Regal Princess, Sun Princess, Artania, Seven Seas Explorer, Seabourn Encore, MSC Lirica, Azura, Oceania Insignia, Silver Spirit, Star Clipper, Oceania Sirena, Star Pride, AIDAblu, MSC Musica, Celebrity Reflection, Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Ascent, Odyssey of the Seas, Star Flyer, Wind Star, Oceania Riviera, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Gem, ms Nieuw Statendam, Brilliance of the Seas, Celebrity Beyond, Celebrity Constellation, Oceania Nautica, Rhapsody of the Seas, Azamara Onward, Vision of the Seas, Marella Explorer, Marella Voyager, SeaDream I, SeaDream II, Seabourn Sojourn, Costa Deliziosa, Disney Dream, ms Oosterdam, Azamara Journey, Resilient Lady, ms Europa 2, Wind Surf, Star Legend, Jewel of the Seas, Norwegian Epic, Azamara Pursuit, ms Volendam, Seven Seas Voyager, Norwegian Star, Viking Venus, Crystal Symphony, Enchanted Princess, Oceania Marina, and Norwegian Breakaway.

What are the best cruises to Santorini? The worst cruises are the Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Epic, Odyssey Of The Seas, and Disney Magic, all of which dump nearly 5,000 visitors at the Santorini Old Port. It’s truly awful.

The best cruises to Santorini are the SeaDream II (112 passengers), Star Flyer (170 passengers), Star Clipper (170 passengers), and the Wind Star (178 passengers).

What months do cruises visit Santorini and the Greek islands? Santorini is now a year-round destination and cruises visit the island from February to December. January is the only month that doesn’t have any cruises to Santorini.

Recommended travel agents for Greece: Fantasy Travel is good for planning trips to Greece and the Greek islands. You can read more about travel agencies for Santorini vacations here.

But you don’t need a cruise, tour, or travel agent to visit Santorini. Use our Santorini Travel Guide to plan your own visit. It’s more fun, more authentic, and more memorable.

Cruises to Santorini and the Greek Islands

10 reasons not to do a Santorini cruise:

1. Limited time onshore: Cruise itineraries typically allow only a few hours to explore Santorini, which is not be enough time to fully experience the island’s beauty, culture, and attractions. (Tendering ashore and getting up and down the caldera takes an hour in each direction at least.)

2. Crowds and congestion: Cruise ships bring a large influx of tourists to Santorini, particularly during peak season. This leads to crowded streets, long lines at popular attractions, and difficulty finding quiet spots to enjoy the island’s charm. You only see the island when it’s densely crowded with other cruise ship passengers (your shipmates).

3. Missed local accommodations and dining: Staying onboard a cruise ship means you miss out on the diverse range of accommodation and dining options available on Santorini. The island boasts stunning cave hotels, traditional guesthouses, and local tavernas that offer a more immersive experience than cruise ship facilities.

4. You won’t be around to see the sunset, when Santorini is at its most beautiful. The Sunset Departure Trick: Almost all large cruise ships depart the caldera between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM to avoid paying overnight mooring fees. This means they leave right before the sunset begins. If you stay in a hotel, you get the best part of the day—the quiet, golden hour—all to yourself after the ships have disappeared over the horizon. Sunrise – and the morning quiet – is also a wonderful time (before the cruise ship passengers arrive).

Breakfast at a Santorini hotel with caldera view.

5. Lack of flexibility: Cruise itineraries are usually fixed, with little room for customization or spontaneity. Travelers who prefer to have more control over their schedule and explore destinations at their own pace may find the structure of a cruise limiting.

6. You won’t have time to do any of the best Santorini tours: a catamaran tour of the caldera, a boat tour to the volcano, a winery tour, a photography tour, a fishing tour.

7. You’ll only visit the most crowded and touristy locations on the island and miss out on Santorini’s charming traditional villages like Pyrgos, Emporio, and Megalochori.

8. There is only one access point from the cruise ships to the island – the old port of Santorini. This tiny port gets absolutely overwhelmed with cruise ship passengers and makes for a terrible introduction to the island.

9. Cruises are floating Petri dishes of disease and illness. (From the Wall Street Journal: “Early in March, the world’s cruise-ship operators had ample evidence to believe their fleet of luxury liners were incubators for the new coronavirus. Yet they continued to fill cruise ships with passengers, endangering those aboard and helping spread Covid-19 to the U.S. and around the globe.”)

10. Environmental impact and new taxes: Cruise ships have a massive environmental footprint. To combat this, Greece now charges cruise visitors a “sustainability tax” of up to €20 per person. You are paying a premium just to be part of the overtourism problem. Independent travelers staying in hotels contribute more to the local economy and have a much smaller environmental impact per person.

Summary: After the shore excursions have returned to the ship and the cruises have departed, Santorini returns to a calmer and more tranquil pace. If you can stay a few nights on the Santorini, you’ll see a completely different side of the towns, restaurants, and attractions. It’s much more fun, relaxing, and beautiful on the island after the cruise ships have sailed away. And if you arrived on this page after watching the absolutely awful Santorini show by Rick Steves – just ignore everything that guy recommends about seeing the Greek islands. I bet any local would tell you the same.

Top Cruise Lines for Santorini

1. Royal Caribbean:
Royal Caribbean is a major contributor to the overcrowding of Santorini. Their massive ships dump thousands of people at the Old Port simultaneously, leading to gridlock at the cable car. The onboard experience is loud and generic, with mass-produced food that can’t compete with a local Santorini taverna. You’re essentially staying in a floating shopping mall rather than experiencing Greece.

2. Celebrity Cruises:
While marketed as “premium,” Celebrity is still a large-ship experience that prioritizes volume over authenticity. The atmosphere is cookie-cutter corporate luxury that feels the same whether you are in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean. You pay a high premium for “exclusive” dining that is still subpar compared to the fresh, local ingredients you’d find at a restaurant in Imerovigli or Pyrgos.

3. Norwegian Cruise Line:
NCL is one of the worst offenders for the “floating Petri dish” feel. Their “freestyle” approach is often just an excuse for a chaotic, disorganized dining experience and a lack of quality control. The ships are frequently loud and packed with tourists who have no interest in Greek culture beyond a quick photo op, making the entire journey feel cheap and rushed.

4. Carnival Cruises:
Carnival is the bottom of the barrel for a Santorini visit. The “fun ship” atmosphere is exhausting, noisy, and completely at odds with the tranquil, sophisticated beauty of the caldera. The food is uninspired, mass-market fare. Visiting one of the world’s most beautiful islands on a Carnival ship is like going to a Michelin-starred restaurant and ordering a lukewarm hot dog.

5. Holland America Line:
Holland America’s “sophisticated” atmosphere is often just code for dated and dull. The ships feel like a slow-moving retirement home that completely misses the vibrant energy of the Greek islands. Their limited activity schedule and rigid environment offer zero flexibility, forcing you into a sterile, sheltered bubble that keeps you from actually connecting with the local culture.

6. Princess Cruises:
Princess pushes “destination immersion,” but in reality, you’re just another number in a massive shore excursion group. The onboard vibe lacks any true Greek character. By the time you navigate their slow tendering process and wait in line with your tour sticker, you’ve wasted half your day. It is a hollow, sanitized way to see an island that deserves so much more.

Greek Cruise vs Greek Ferries

When traveling between the Greek islands, you have two main options: taking a cruise or using the ferry system. Both options have their advantages and drawbacks, depending on your travel preferences and interests. I strongly prefer travelling by Greek ferry.

Greek Cruises:
• All-inclusive Experience: Cruises offer an all-inclusive vacation, with accommodation, meals, and entertainment typically included in the price.
• Comfort and Convenience: Cruise ships provide a comfortable way to travel, with various amenities such as swimming pools, gyms, restaurants, and bars on board.
• Guided Tours and Excursions: Many cruises include guided shore excursions at each port, allowing you to explore the highlights of the islands without the hassle of planning.
• Limited Flexibility: Cruise itineraries are predetermined, which means you’ll have limited time on each island and may not have the opportunity to explore off-the-beaten-path destinations.

Greek Ferries:
• Flexibility and Independence: Ferries allow for more flexibility in planning your trip, as you can choose the islands you want to visit and how long you want to stay on each.
• Lower Cost: Traveling by ferry is often more budget-friendly than taking a cruise, especially if you’re willing to stay in budget accommodations on the islands.
• Authentic Experience: Ferries offer a more authentic Greek island-hopping experience, as you’ll be using the same mode of transportation as locals and have more opportunities to explore lesser-known destinations.
• Less Comfort and Amenities: Ferries are less luxurious than cruise ships, with limited amenities on board and sometimes crowded conditions during peak season.

What are the best sailing tours in the Greek islands and Santorini?

While I spend a lot of time telling people to avoid the big, hulking cruise ships that ruin the Santorini caldera, there is a way to see the Greek islands by sea that actually makes sense. If you want the magic of sailing into a harbor without the 3,000 shipmates and the mass-produced buffet, you need to look at these smaller, boutique companies. These are not cruises in the traditional sense. They are sailing adventures on small yachts or elegant motor sailers that can actually dock in the tiny ports the big guys cannot touch.

• G Adventures (Best for Authentic Sailing): This is my top recommendation for travelers who want a real sailing experience without the luxury price tag. You stay on a 15 meter charter yacht with a maximum of 8 people. It is intimate, flexible, and authentic. You spend your days swimming in hidden coves and your nights docked in small villages like Folegandros or Sifnos. Because you start or end in Santorini, you can easily book 3 or 4 nights at a real caldera hotel before or after your trip. It is the perfect hybrid of island life and sailing.
• Variety Cruises (Boutique Small Ships): If you want more comfort than a 15 meter yacht but still hate the big ships, Variety is the answer. They use motor sailers like the Galileo or the Panorama, which carry only 34 to 49 passengers. Their Jewels of the Cyclades itinerary is a classic. Because the ship is so small, they can often dock at more convenient spots and offer a much more relaxed schedule than the giant liners. It feels like a private club rather than a tourist trap.
• Running on Waves (Most Unique Ship): This is a stunning 64 meter three masted sailing ship. It only carries 42 passengers, meaning you have a ton of space. It is a real sailing vessel, not just a motor ship with decorative sails. They focus on authentic Greece with bike and sail itineraries and yoga retreats. It is one of the few ships that manages to be both high tech and traditional. This is for people who actually love the art of sailing.
• SeaDream Yacht Club (The Gold Standard for Luxury): SeaDream I and II are 112 passenger twin yachts. This is yachting, not cruising. The service is incredible, the food is actually good, and they can pull into tiny harbors like Hydra or the heart of the Corinth Canal. They often stay late in port, meaning you might actually get to see a Santorini sunset from the deck without the vibrating engine of a 5,000 person ship beneath you. It is high end, all inclusive, and very sophisticated.
• Windstar Cruises (Elegant Masted Ships): Windstar ships like the Wind Star and Wind Spirit carry about 148 to 312 passengers. They feel much larger than a private yacht but are still tiny compared to the Royal Caribbeans of the world. Watching the sails unfurl as you leave the Santorini caldera is one of the few cruise experiences that actually lives up to the hype. It appeals to a mature crowd that wants a quiet, refined atmosphere.
• Intrepid Travel (Small Group Sailing): Similar to G Adventures, Intrepid uses small yachts for 8 to 12 people. Their itineraries often focus on the Small Cyclades, hitting islands like Koufonisia and Schinoussa that most tourists and all large cruise ships completely ignore. It is focused on local culture and hidden gem destinations. It is a great way to see the islands if you want to avoid the crowds entirely.

My Advice: If you are determined to see the islands from the water, pick one of these. They respect the local environment, they support the local economies of the smaller islands, and most importantly, they will not make you feel like a number in a cargo shipment.

Santorini Cruises – What to Know

Map of Santorini

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