Piggybacking on this thread with a related question:

We are on a cruise that will spend Friday, Aug. 2, in Chania (tendered, ar 8 am, sail 6 pm) and Sat., Aug. 3, in Agios Nikolaos (also tendered, ar 8 am, sail 10 pm. We'd very much like to see Knossos Palace, for which Agios Nikolaos seems like the better of the two locations though neither is ideal.The ship offers a shore excursion, but it's already sold out. What would those familiar with Crete suggest? (Cost is a consideration, but not an overriding one.)

P.S. If a mod feels this question would be better in its own thread, I have no objection.