Full-Day Symi & St George's Bay Cruise – Lunch & Transfer Options

We ordered by transfer and did not get notified when we were picked up and therefore had to write to them on WhatsApp. The food was a hill of flamingos with a chicken lion, some pasta salad, 2 small meatballs and something I don't know what is. The boat was all for the tourist with too many people and it was difficult to get into the water as there was the possibility to swim. Where we had to swim there was only the possibility to stay right around the boat. The island itself was nothing but the boat trip was a terrible experience.

Unfortunately we had a bad journey experience due to not being advised about the bad weather conditions and the impact that would have on travelling however we have been told this is normal and described as "wavy". I tried to solve the issued directly but was dismissed. I would recommend you skip all these extras and take a larger, smoother direct travel to symi via the official ferry which is only around 20Euro. Our journey out to George Bay was rough, we all got soaked in a few minutes, when moving inside, there was no where to sit, fans not operational and quite a lot of people being sick. vomit bags and tablets were being handed out but apparently I have been told this is normal - you should take a picture and tell us if this is normal.... My son was violently ill the whole duration - he sat in the corner on the floor because there was no assistance. The st george stop - please note we weren't allowed to swim to the beach - other boats do allow this as we saw them all. If you are seasick (or stressed), i don't recommend you order the lunch either because you wont want to have it. Majority ate at Symi. On meeting others who had taken the official ferry, they seemed to have a much better experience. This was a nightmare of a journey. I would like to caveat the staff were actually very good and im sure they are only doing what they are told as its their work. But we should be given warning of this so we can make informed decisions as to whether we board or not. It was a fearful experience and I didn't appreciate being dismissed about this. hence the poor score.

very poor experience - workers freely smoke right in front of you, the boat stunk of smoke majority of the time, small boat for the amount of people there are all cramped in

We booked the Snorkelling & Symi Island Full Day Trip, and unfortunately it turned out to be one of the worst excursions we've ever been on. To begin with, we were supposed to be picked up at 8:50 am, but the transfer didn't arrive until 9:20 am. We had been told the boat would depart at 10:00 am, so we only just made it in time. We were also told that the boat had air conditioning, but it didn't. On such a hot day, this made the journey extremely uncomfortable. The biggest issue, however, was the complete lack of communication. The journey to the first stop was over an hour in very rough seas. It was incredibly hot, many people were seasick, and when we arrived at St George's Bay, the announcements clearly stated we would have a one-hour snorkelling stop. Did we get to snorkel? No. Without any explanation, the boat simply sailed away towards Symi Island. Nobody informed us that the snorkelling stop had been cancelled. When we arrived at Symi, we were told we would only have 2 hours instead of the advertised 3 hours, which meant we felt rushed around the island. After those two hours, we were asked to return to the boat, only to then be told we had another hour anyway, making the whole situation pointless. We got back on the boat at 3:30 pm, expecting to depart at 4:00 pm. Instead, we sat there for 2½ hours with absolutely no information. At around 6:00 pm, we still hadn't left. In fact, it wasn't even a member of staff who told us what was happening—it was another passenger, who couldn't have been more than 12 years old, who informed us that we wouldn't be returning on the same boat and would instead be picked up by a ferry. We were eventually told this was due to the weather. While I understand that weather can affect trips, the forecast had already predicted strong winds. We had checked it ourselves before the excursion, and if the conditions were unsafe, the trip should have been cancelled or rearranged rather than leaving customers stranded for hours. The ferry didn't arrive until 9:30 pm. We had booked an all-inclusive holiday and expected to be back at our hotel by around 6:00 pm for dinner. Instead, we had no choice but to buy food on the island because we would have gone hungry otherwise. Did the company offer us anything while we were waiting? No. No complimentary water, no food, no updates, no apology—nothing. We didn't get back to our hotel until 12:30 am. As for a refund, I still haven't received one. I've contacted the company multiple times by both email and WhatsApp, and so far I've had no response. It seems customer service is the one thing they don't provide. In summary: they took our money, cancelled part of the trip without telling us, left us stranded for hours with no communication, offered no refreshments or compensation, and have ignored all attempts to contact them afterwards. I would not recommend this excursion to anyone. Thank you for taking the time to read my review. I hope it helps others avoid the same experience.

Boat not particularly crowded, well-maintained and clean. We spent a pleasant day with a wonderful stop for a swim in the bay of San Giorgio and then visited the characteristic and picturesque island of Symi. Kind and helpful staff

Excellent experience and pleasant trip. The staff were friendly and helpful. The souvenir photo with a magnet was a nice idea.

The trip was great and it was nice to swim in the cold water of St George bay. Symi is a handsome but beautiful place. Recommended!

If you like to be on a boat with (lying) space, cozy Greek or pop music and a crew that has a chat / joke with you, this is not your thing. The benches were fine but everyone was very close together, both next to and in front of you you regularly hit your fellow passengers.. On the way back no place on the upper deck so we had to sit inside in the heat. Inside there was smoking and the whole way there was loud “thump” music (On the way there the whole oeuvre of Rihanna had passed by). The swim stop was beautiful, an hour is very long. We arrived there at 11:30, later than stated in the brochure. Also Symi was fantastic and we like to come back here in the spring, now it was too hot, 36c and little wind. The retreat took from 16.15-18.00, much longer than we expected. There was no more contact than good morning and goodbye with the crew. So not our thing and €40 pp without food and drink we thought was pricey. We make these types of boat trips more often so can compare. Can imagine that younger people are fine with this in terms of atmosphere, music and communication.

Very nice and relaxing day with friendly staff! On the way back by bus to the hotel we forgot our camera. Everyone was very helpful and have our camera back! Toppers!

we departed at 10am and was headed to st george’s bay when we were told it was too windy and we would go to symi island first and then go back to the swim spot on the way back. at this point the boat should’ve turned back around and dropped us back. we arrived at symi island at midday, and was off the boat exploring the island for 12 minutes before they rang and said we needed to return to the boat now or we wouldn’t be allowed to leave, and would have to leave in the morning. everyone came back to the boat, sat on it for an hour, and then was told to come back at 15:30. everyone got back off the boat, and returned at 15:30 as instructed. we were then told we wouldn’t be moving until 6/7pm but we should stay on the boat because of the coastguard allows it to leave, they will depart immediately. we stayed on the boat until 7pm, they ran out of bottled water, and was not offering anything to us unless we payed. they have a system where if you leave them a review and show them, you get a free soft drink. i was denied this as i didn’t give a high enough rating. i was reasonable and said i understand the weather conditions but they haven’t changed since before we left, this boat never should’ve left. the lady at the bar was very confrontational and made me feel uncomfortable by shouting at me infront of the whole boat. eventually, after many people asking the crew for updates for hours, they told us we had to get off and at 21:30 a ferry would come to pick us up. so we walk 20mins to a nearby port and wait for the ferry to arrive. upon arrival, we watched our boat and crew leave separately and return to rhodes. I arrived back to my hotel at 1am. 6 and a half hours later than expected. at this point, i’m trying to get a refund speaking with get your guide. other people on the boat got full refunds while i was offered a partial refund (and many others) even though we were all in the same situation. they stated their decision is final. the next day i get an email for mediterranean sea cruises saying if i leave them a good review, they will give me a refund. once again with the reviews!! at this point i informed them this is blackmail and i reported the conversation. i had already fought for 11hours for a refund with get your guide and it was processed, and id already left them a 1* review ! i am understanding of the weather conditions, but we looked the day before and saw it was going to be very windy, im not sure why it still went ahead. what i’m not understanding of, is the extreme lack of communication from the crew, the lack of care, and their want for positive reviews, even if it’s a lie. the experience ruined a whole day of my holiday, stuck on a boat, ferry, and a coach for total of 16hours. and then ruined the next day of my holiday totalling 11 hours asking for a refund. they have no remorse whatsoever, they just care about good reviews.