Booking the trip was straightforward. Communication beforehand was very good, and Vasilis was responsive and helpful in answering our questions. Unfortunately, the experience on the day did not live up to those expectations. When we booked, we had agreed that if we wanted to add an extra hour to the trip, we could decide this on the day and pay the additional amount. I messaged the day before to confirm our timings, only to be told that Vasilis had forgotten we had booked for five hours and had arranged another trip for the evening. As a result, we were unable to extend the trip and, more importantly, had to start our journey back earlier than we had originally planned. This was disappointing, particularly as the timing had been agreed in advance. We also felt that the boat was too small and cramped for 12 people. In our opinion, eight people would be a much more comfortable maximum capacity and would allow everyone to enjoy the trip without feeling crowded. Especially because we weren’t allowed to access the lower deck at all, even when preparing food. Most importantly, the atmosphere on the day was not as relaxed or welcoming as we had hoped. There seemed to be a lot of rules and restrictions, and we often felt that we were being watched or corrected rather than simply being allowed to enjoy the experience. For example, while preparing food, we felt that Vasilis was repeatedly watching what we were doing and intervening, and would not let us use the kitchen space. We were more than happy to clean up after ourselves, but he insisted on doing this for us. Although presumably intended to be helpful, this contributed to a feeling that we couldn’t fully relax and enjoy ourselves. Another odd rule, meant we had to ask permission to use the toilet on the boat which felt very unnecessary. This was particularly noticeable because we have taken a number of boat trips with skippers in Halkidiki before, and those experiences have felt much more relaxed, warm and welcoming. There is a Greek word, philoxenia, which is often translated as “hospitality” but carries a deeper meaning — essentially, making guests feel genuinely welcome and cared for. For us, that spirit of philoxenia was missing from this experience. We appreciate that every skipper has their own way of operating a boat and their own responsibilities around safety and cleanliness, but we believe these things can coexist with making guests feel comfortable, trusted and at ease. We appreciated the good communication during the booking process, but unfortunately the experience on the day did not match the level of hospitality we have experienced on other boat trips in Halkidiki.