If you are visiting Santorini, you are likely to have some activity including a boat trip, we give an honest review on what to expect when booking a boat guide and whether it is worth the spend.
This is an honest review of our experience on a pre-booked Viator boat cruise in March 2022.
A boat excursion can be a good way to see the surrounding islands in many Mediterranean countries. Greece has multiple islands in close proximity to each other. And is a great way to explore the surrounding seascapes of Santorini. The trip was booked prior to arrival and we booked a semi-private Catamaran cruise.
What We Booked for a Santorini Boat Trip
We booked our Semi-Private Catamaran tour via Viator. The cruise has thousands of positive reviews, and we felt secure in our choice of service for our Santorini Boat trip.
Spiridakos Sailing Cruises was the company running our service, which included five hours on the boat, food and drink as well as seeing some of the best spots around the island.
The price was £116.00 pp which was a steeper price than most boat excursions in Mediterranean countries. Considering this was also off-season.
What We Expected for Our Boat Excursion
With the term “Semi-Private”, our assumption was Max of six couples on the boat as it was fairly small. However, there were over 20 people on our trip meaning not everyone got comfortable seating on board. There was space to seat ten people for a relaxing experience.
The copy on Viator has since been updated to reflect the complaints but at the time (March 2022), the advertising didn’t reflect this.
Food was advertised as lunch, but it wasn’t specified what the food would be. As we weren’t asked for preferences or allergies we assumed there would be enough options for dietary requirements.
Our main expectation from the trip was to see parts of the island from different vantage points. As we had already experienced a lot of Santorini during our trip on foot.
Having experienced boat cruises in Croatia, Malta and even the Maldives to compare that all had high standards the expectation was to have similar experiences.
Our Experience of the Santorini Boat Excursion
Overall our Santorini Boat trip was not was we expected.
Unfortunately, for us. We were very disappointed with how the trip ended up. On arrival, it was obvious the boat was overcrowded. Catamarans can vary in size so we weren’t fully aware of the size we would be sailing on. However, it was definitely not the correct size for the number of people aboard. We booked under the assumption that the boat would be semi-private.
On the first sour note, we tried to enjoy the rest of the experience. Unfortunately, it was further misery. Each stop which was proposed we ended up cruising past incredibly quickly without even getting a chance to see the site before the boat powered on to the next location. We also were unfortunate to have a person on board who hogged the entire front of the boat for a personal photoshoot, which didn’t allow other passengers to even get a clear snap of the views on offer.
The food on board was a BBQ-style meal with a mixture of grilled meats, fish and vegetables with sides of pasta and salads. Personally, the food was adequate and was served in a buffet style. So you could have an all-you-can-eat feast if you have the appetite. However, Sid has an allergy to seafood which makes it a more precarious meal for him.
However as the sun set, and more time passed on the boat with no time to take in the sights, it began to get incredibly cold. With very little indoor space for everyone on board, we ended up huddled in the outdoor areas. Blankets were provided but by the end of the journey. We both were beyond freezing and ready to go back to our villa for a quick heating up in the hot tub.
Final Review of Santorini Boat Trip
1/5
I would not recommend this journey off-season and could only find it enjoyable on an incredibly hot day. There are better ways to experience the sites listed. I would recommend finding a fully private tour. Where you can dictate time spent in certain sites as the majority were pass-bys. The equivalent of driving past beaches in a car.
