One Day Cruise to Hydra, Poros and Aegina from Athens

One day VIP package was fun

We purchased the VIP package & it was terrific. The staff was so helpful. We enjoyed the sit down lunch w service. María was very attentive as well as the bar tender.

Too crowded

Islands are beautiful especially Hydra. There was not enough time at each island. Boat was VERY crowded. At first my daughters and I couldn’t find seats together on the boat. Eventually we were allowed to sit together in a certain section, but every time we re-boarded the boat, we’d get scolded for trying to sit in that section. Lines for lunch and disembarking VERY long.

One day cruise

Like previous reviews, more time could have been spent at Hydra, Poros is a waste. The time you have on island is so limited as you cannot relax as you watching the time. The trip is long and tedious so take cards, unless you Vip, there is no wi-fi on board. The lunch was nice , but drinks and rest of food is expensive

Good but!

Overall the cruise was good! However the stop on Poros was extremely short! About half an hour total!

Good Way to Sample (not experience) the Islands

The experience was positive from the start. Transportation from the hotel was on time in a comfortable vehicle. We purchased the VIP tickets which I would recommend. We went to the front of the line upon arrival at the boat and escorted to the our own booth in the lounge. The staff was very attentive and was able to accommodate my wife's dietary restrictions with both meals served on board. Cocktails are not included but were excellently prepared and reasonably priced. We did the walking tour on Hydra. The guide was very knowledgeable of the history of the island and pointed out the thing of interest. The tour is short, about an hour, a few minutes available to see the shops near the port, then back to the port. Next stop was Poros, which was really short at about half an hour to 40 minutes available. This was enough time to walk to the end of the shopping area then back to the port. I would have been fine skipping Poros and adding time to the Hydra or Aegina ports. Aegina was the last and longest stop where we took the Panoramic tour. The tour advertises 5 stops, but three of these were 2 minutes stops with no opportunity to get off the bus. You had to take pictures through the windows which weren't very clean for such photos. The is a stop at a monastery which was very nice. The second stop is when you get off the bus in the shopping area near the port. We were provided a sampling of the seafood, then escorted to a nearby pistachio store to buy to some very tasty pistachio ice cream, butter, etc.

Decent trip-Hydra is beautiful.

Nice trip though a bit pricey. Buffet food was so-so. Constant pressure to upgrade; I wouldn’t recommend the VIP package. Definitely a wonderful trip to visit 3 islands; Poros only had 45 minutes and it was pretty much closed as far as restaurants. Hydra is beautiful. Wish we’d had more time there. But as the Meatloaf song goes, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad”. Overall, a pretty good trip.

Nice Way to See Three Greek Islands in One Day

This is a nice way to see three beautiful Greek Islands. It is not a journey to take if you want to spend several hours in one place, however if you want to get a flavor for the islands and possibly going back to one or more, then this is for you. The staff was friendly & helpful. Escorted tours were available at a reasonable price. Would recommend.

7 hrs on a boat, 3 hrs on 3 islands

You pay extra for hotel pickup, but they refuse to pick you up at your hotel in the city centre. Their excuse is that they can’t stop at every hotel, than why do they mislead you with the option?! You gather at 7.15 to than pick up some special people (probably paid for VIP). To than arrive around 8 at the boat. Boat is very crowded (300 people), hard to find a good seat because other groups arrived earlier. Than you spend 3 boring hours on the boat to Hydra, to only spend 1 hr 15 min on the island. Than you get a mediocre lunch on the boat with little flavor, and spend another hour to Poros. Only 30 min on the small island. Could have skipped it for more time on the other 2. Than another hour and 20 min on the boat to Aegina for 1,5 hour on the island. To little time to visit the temple on the other side of the island unless you pay for an excursion. Than another 1 hour 40 min back to Athens. Would have liked more time on the islands and less time on a slow 7 hour boattrip

It was well worth being a VIP for the day!!!

The VIP class service was outstanding! Kostas was the very best at taking care of everything. So thoughtful and helpful! Everyone on the boat was terrific. An outstanding cruise! Highly recommended.

Absolutely Beautiful! We...

Absolutely Beautiful! We enjoyed every bit of the boat tour! 10/10 experience! Highly recommend to everyone!

The crew was extremely...

The crew was extremely welcoming and attentive! The food was great and the islands were absolutely gorgeous! Great trip!

Not for the faint hearted.

Unfortunately, not as described and not for the faint hearted. We weren't advised that the hotel pick up was actually 1 hour earlier than advised on the booking confirmation (8am actually turned out to be 7am). We felt pressured into gathering our things together for the day and weren't able to grab any breakfast before leaving. At the port, it busy and boarding the cruise ship was a little chaotic. The ship was delayed leaving Athens, which made the early morning rush, completely unnecessary. On board, the facilities were good and the staff friendly and attentive, but it was only halfway to our first port of call - Hydra that we realised that the tour price was just the tip of the iceberg. In order to get the most out of the 3 island visits, you needed to spend another 80-odd Euros to take part in a very short walking tour and a twilight coach trip from Aegina in a bus with tinted windows - passengers got to see next to nothing! We were taken to a lovely Cathedral which was undergoing extensive building work (again, rather pointless). There was also a significant delay entering the final port of Aegina with no explanation, which meant the sun was already going down. The buffet lunch was sub-standard, the drinks were extra and the trip was unecessarily long (over 13 hours). A further delay returning to Athens seemed to be more about selling food and drinks rather than giving passengers the choice of getting back to port after a very long day. Not recommended for families with small children (they won't last the course); some adults will struggle.

On-board entertainment is worth it

Pros: - convenient way to explore some of the islands - excellent on-board entertainment and food (I had VIP tickets) - friendly staff - options to do this without spending a lot of money (VIP includes one on shore excursion) especially if you decide to explore the islands on your own - hotel pick up and drop off Cons: - if you use an assistive device (i.e., wheelchair), the cobblestones on the islands are difficult to maneuver - if you use an assistive device (i.e., wheelchair), consider skipping the walking tour of Hydra. The guide said she'd go slow so that my group (one person in a wheelchair) could keep up; but we ended up losing the group after the second stop. - Walking tour of Hydra and panoramic tour of Aegina had heavy religious overtones and discussion of the famous people who visited the islands. - only 40 mins - 1 hours on shore for each island; if you do a tour, it will take almost all of this time

Beautiful 3 Islands Cruise

It was amazing visiting all three islands! The Athens Day Cruise was a great way to do this! The staff were super helpful and attentive! Even though I wished we had more time on the islands it was a great way to know which one I would visit again! Aegina was the largest, and I loved the Aphaia Ruins and visiting the monastery, one of the most beautiful churches! Hydra was probably my favorite! No cars, everyone walks or rides miles, lovely port! It was a long day, but well worth it!

Worth the money, clean cruise and good food.

In 12 hours, you’ll get to see three islands which is great. 1-1.30 hours per island, which is enough if you just want to walk around and visit the cafés and markets. If you want to spend time in the churches and museums the time might not be enough. The cruise offers tours on the islands - only Aegina is worth it for the view and one church. The other two are unnecessary. Cruise is clean and convenient. The port is most easily accessed by cab from the closest metro or from your stay. Food on board is tasty and appropriately priced. The crew will keep trying to sell you stuff - photographs that they’ll take of you, VIP lounge, stuff from their store and different tours. VIP lounge is not worth it and you can get the stuff from the store on the islands at a cheaper price. Overall good experience. Worth the money.

Don’t take this. Spend money and go to one island.

Lack luster rush job of putting you in islands for too short of time. This really was a bad version of the bare minimum. I felt cheated.

Wonderful full day trip!

It was a beautiful day with cool air in the morning and evening but perfect as you hopped between the islands. Everyone was very kind, happy and accommodating.

Overall good but they need to ditch the broadcast of selling extra tours on the islands, improve the food

Aside from the lunch this was a good trip. The excursions that are on the islands were an annoying surprise, they talk over a terrible microphone trying to sell you these extras so that was not a great thing. Hand out a flyer, don’t broadcast commercials while we are trying to enjoy the cruise. Other than that, good staff, amazing views, islands

Athens three island excursion Oct 2023

Had a beautiful day to take an excursion to the Greek islands near Athens. We were picked up at our hotel, Athens Gate, promptly at 7:45 and driven to the port where we boarded ferry. Ferry ride to Hydra was a was comfortable. Though we have been to Greece and islands,we had never been to Hydra. Neat little island with lots of history and quaint shops. After Hydra we stopped at Regina and Pros that were mostly closed for the season....but neat and picturesque. During the return trip to Athens we were treated to some entertainment and Greek food....good! At our return, we were shuttled back to our hotel. A long day excursion was well done.

Beautiful but long day

During my trip to Greece I was not visiting Santorini or Mykonos. Therefore, to get a taste of the islands I booked this one-day cruise. Since it was late in the season the smaller (the Platytera) of the two boats was used. The scenery and islands were lovely. I paid for the VIP section but given the cost this may not have been worth it. Once onboard, optional island excursions were offered - one walking and one bus tour - for 28 euros. I enjoyed the day but it is very long. The cruise is 10+ hours of which less than 5 is on shore.

Pricey and not worth it

It was awful from start to finish... DO NOT BOOK THIS TOUR IF YOU DONT WANT A HUGE RIP OFF. To start nothing is really included aside from the boat journey itself... the islands were all under the time frame they allocated for.. even with the times all you have time for is to stroll the port harbour side which is just a tourist trap area... nothing to majorly see aside from the views which could be done cheaper on a private boat. Less than 4 hours total exploration with an 8 hour boat ride.. The upselling on this was atrocious... for an actual tour you'd be looking at alot extra to pay. Nothing included other than the sub par buffet... which was bland beyond belief.. a previous bad review mentioned this and they claimed catering to multiple groups around the world meant they needed to accommodate... I doubt the global food perspective is blandness at the expense of any actual taste. We were offered no trip back to our accommodation so endured an additional expense and were treated rudely when asking about the return back. If you want to waste a whole day and lose out on sightseeing which would be cheaper and more exhilarating then you should pick this trip. They try and palm off issues on the boat company which is also just milking a long petrol trip to anyone who books this. We tried to get a small refund for the inconvenience from no lift back and they refused. If I could ensure one thing from this it is that anyone who reads this I emplore you not to book with this trip as its clearly been overly reviewed to make it look better. I can only assume it would apply to people who just want to go to a few shops along a harbour side. AGAIN DO NOT BOOK THIS AS ITS A TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY AND A SCAM.

Beautiful day on the water

My nephew and I took the one day cruise to Hydra, Poros and Aegina on a beautiful fall day in November. I had been on this cruise many years ago, but my nephew had not so I wanted him to experience this. We booked our passage in the VIP section which was well worth the small extra cost because it included some extra perks. We were so glad we went on this particular day, as the cruise was canceled the following day due to bad weather. Want to do a shout out for the man who took excellent care of the VIP section. His name was Kosta and he was like a mother hen watching over his chicks. He helped make the trip really enjoyable.

Fun

Hydra was nice the boat, food and show were good. The boat staff was very experienced which showed in a horrible storm. Very disappointing experience in angeana where I was hoping to enjoy. Very Rushed and local tour person (blond from hydra) gave no information but to hurry up. The weather got better and they gave us no time.

Good

Must do VIP on this. Very nice special room BUT they need to allow an outside deck for VIP. You cannot find a chair in crowded areas of ship. Too many people on this. Hydra is the best island and more time there would have been better.

Not terrible but still had a good time.

The pickup and return from our hotel was a bit sketchy…. Communication was poor. Ultimately worked out but not without stress. The cruse was good but seemed overbooked. There were not as many seats as passengers. I still have the overall score a 4. But could have easily been a 3 or even a 2.

3 island cruise with pick up

The cruise was very nice, but it did not allow enough time on each island. It was virtually impossible to do any exploring and get back to the boat on time. Also it would have been nice to have a printed schedule that informed passengers re how much time on and between each island. The ship's crew were wonderful and the food was good, for which I was pleasantly surprised. The pick up and drop off were far less organized and professional. The pick-up time was changed to 20 minutes earlier on very late notice the night before. I happened to check my email very early that morning and caught the change just in time, but others of the group did not. What was most concerning, however, was how we were picked up at the port on returning from the cruise. We were met at the dock and simply told by the bus supervisor to "go up there to the right." She did not wait for the group to assemble, she did not accompany us, we did not know where we were going and did not know who else was on our bus. It was dark, we did not know where we were, but had to just keep walking and walking. Finally we got to the street and looked down and happened to find some other people also wandering around and were thus able to finally locate the bus--- quite a distance from the port. Had I been alone I would have been terrified to walk around that area in pitch blackness and don' t know if I would have found the bus or gotten lost trying. Because we were put in a potentially dangerous but definitely scary situation by the bus people I cannot give the excursion a higher overall rating.

Disappointing marketing

Trip was fascinating, all organisation was good in timing, pick up, come bac, etc. Meanwhile i have nonpossibility to use my point dollars from my profile account. Web showed me that i have 18 dollars, so book a trip and spend them, because they expire soon. I have book the trip, however no any discount, nor to use dollars from my account. That was rather disappointing, fake marketing

3 island tour

Hydra was great. The scenery was spectacular . Service was good. People were accommodating good time

Wonderful Day Cruise

We had such a lovely day cruise! We ended up booking last minute because our train to Meteora was cancelled. I didn’t know what to expect but everything exceeded our expectations. We were traveling with a baby and a toddler so we got the VIP based on other reviews. I would say that it’s definitely worth it for the extra space, ability to leave your things on board, the exceptional service, and delicious food. We felt wined and dined and the staff in the VIP section really made the trip such a special treat for us. We really enjoyed Hydra and Aegina and opted for the Aegina panoramic tour which was beautiful-loved visiting the monastery. Poros was just okay but with only about 30 min there and not much to see, I think it would be better to either do another island or skip it and add more time to Aegina. On the way back to Athens there was traditional Greek dancing on the upper deck which was really nice and during the trip out there was a fun DJ-people were dancing and it was such a nice atmosphere. There’s also a cute boutique on board that had nice dresses (I got two for a great price). The food was delicious! We didn’t expect multiple courses and a plated lunch but it was so so good! The salad, main course, and orange cake were all delicious. The staff set the tables beautifully and it was such a nice part of the trip. If traveling with young children, get the VIP for sure so you can have the unlimited water/soda/juice, dedicated staff, and your own sitting area with couch and table. Bring some games/toys to pass the time since it is a long day but our 3yo loved looking out the window at the water. Highly recommend this tour and sincere thanks to all of the staff and crew for making it such a wonderful experience for us!

Lots of positives but very overpriced and overcrowded!

I want to start by thanking the staff who worked on the cruise, and the lovely lady who picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel! I can’t fault the staff at all - everyone was polite, friendly and couldn’t do enough for us. There are loads of positives to this trip: the food on board provided at lunch time was really good, the islands themselves are gorgeous, the staff are wonderful (especially one man I didn’t get the name of but who went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time!), the toilets on board were clean (but busy), and drinks pours were generous when we did buy a drink. I do think however that the trip is very, VERY overpriced for what it is. We weren’t expecting a private boat of course, but to turn up and be on a ferry with 550 people, each paying over £100, and there not be enough chairs for everyone was a little disappointing! Due to the sheer numbers of people it also meant that embarking and disembarking was a real challenge and took a very long time, wasting at least 20 minutes of each stop herding everyone off. With half the amount of people it would have been worth every penny! Not including a drink is a little poor too - I appreciate providing drinks for all of those people would add up, but not even a cheap bottle of water per person was disappointing, particularly as it’s an over 12-hour day in the heat, so for the price it would be good if water was included. I do appreciate that it does say beverages not included, and we planned accordingly and brought our own drinks, but with the amount of money the trip would’ve made I think a water on board would’ve been a nice touch. The boat also set off late, I think probably because of the sheer number of people getting on. This meant the we had very little time on each island, less than an hour in one case, and adding on the time it took to get on and off we ended up rushing around each island, barely enough time to wander down the beachfront to get an ice cream or a drink. I appreciate that it’s a lot of travelling, but to have less than 3 hours on the islands in total was a real shame! I’m not sure how you’d rectify that as it is a long way to go, but if you’re wanting to spend any length of time on the islands I’d recommend a two-day trip if you can do it. I cannot express enough how great the staff on board and Teresa, our pickup contact, were! I just feel disappointed at the lack of value for money really. I think €75/€80 would have been a fairer price for what it was. The food was good, and Hydra was a particular highlight, but if the tickets had been capped at a smaller number of people or if drinks were included it would have made it a lot more of a pleasant (but still long!) day.

Relaxing, Informative Tour

We enjoyed this trip so much. We paid extra to be in the VIP area which was well worth it. There was some live entertainment on the ship. It was a relaxing day, the food was good and the three beautiful islands each had a different interest. Guided tours were informative and there was plenty of time for shopping, too. We would recommend this trip.

Great tour, food needs an uplift.

Great tour, very informative. I think there should have been Dramamine available for customers with a waiver. Also instead of packing in a large lunch with a small snack, do one nice lunch with higher quality items. Service impeccable, food subpar.

Great day!

This was a great value for a full day’s experience to see 3 islands experiencing Greek life. The staff was extremely courteous and efficient. I highly recommend this tour. We did take the Panoramic tour of Aegina which was interesting, but bus was supposed to an English tour and was Spanish and English. The guide catered to the Spanish guests.

Great day

Enjoyed our day. Friendly staff and a nice way to see three islands. It’s a long boat ride to get out there, but we all thought it was worth it.

Fun cruise

Took my husband and 7mo old on this day cruise with VIP and transfers. Such a good trip! A definite highlight of our time in Athens. If you are going in the dinner, highly recommend splurging on the VIP: quieter indoor space with AC, unlimited coffee (they do a very solid cappuccino freddo)/soft drinks, lunch, and first on/off boarding privileges (which the staff takes very seriously and was a major bonus with the baby). Katerina was our primary host and exceptional service. If you are traveling as a family, would recc'd bringing some games as the sitting area is that chill (you are able to roam anywhere in the boat but it was pretty crowded out on the docks with a lot of ppl smoking- just not our scene). To that point: if you are traveling with you ger kids, the VIP was absolutely a win since we could sprawl out on a few couches, baby could nap, do diaper changes, etc without issues. The transfer service was also pretty helpful especially at the end of the day to have a quick and easy ride back to your hotel. Hydra was definitely the highlight of the islands. I would go back to Greece just to stay here for the week. So beautiful white wall buildings, no cars so quiet and peaceful, beautiful foliage/flowers, and a large touristy area at the pier for food and souvenirs (if you're into it). Poros is a quick trip and honestly could go without it. I was so tired by the time we got to Aegina but gas a cute dining scene and a lot of history. Also note if you don't do VIP, you are doing first come first serve for a seat outside (some inside as well) every leg of the trip. In the summer, I can't imagine walking on the island for an hour and then no relief from the heat if you're still sitting outside so be prepared! The one pro is that they are playing good music and have a performance on the deck that we missed being inside. Great trip, loved the service, it's a long day but worth it! Dress comfy and bring things to do if you're not one to talk for 12 hours :)

Amazing views, food and culture

Beautiful islands with amazing opportunity for pictures. A little more time in Poros would have been nice to enjoy the island a little more and experience the culture a bit more. The downside to this excursion was that the boat did not leave the port until close to 9:00 am and we had a 7:15am from the pick up location.

waste of time and money

We literally had 40-50 minutes per island, except for the last one where they were selling tours for ... Couldn't see anything or do anything and they wouldn't let us leave our things on the boat so we ended up carrying everything around, and by the time we got back on there were barely any seats. The food was also very mediocre and it wasn't a buffet. You were given small portions and it wasn't filling or delicious either. The 3 island tour is offered from other companies too and I had heard that it was awesome and nothing like this. This trip was very disappointing and a waste of time and money. Would not reccommend and will not go again. If you don't want to see each island, just step foot on it, then this is the tour for you.

3 idyllic islands

This action packed tour is well worth it. Being a VIP customer is a great plus as you get to board and disembark first, there is less time wasted. The 3 islands are gorgeous. I loved Hydra the most as the streets were clean and easy to walk. The island is beautiful and has so much charm. Aegina has the amazing Church of Agios Nektarios for which it is famous. One cannot go to Aegina and not see this amazing church. Poros was a fun island to explore in the short time we had there

Beautiful day in the islands!

Well planned day with very smooth logistics. This ensured we could maximize our time on each island. Loved the crew, the energy of the dancers and the overall comfortable cruising experience. The islands are beautiful and I thought I would feel very rushed, but it actually worked out to be a nice pace and seeing enough to know where to come back and spend more time when I can!

Short but memorable island hopping tour!

This is a great tour of some of the islands close to Athens. Each island is beautiful and unique. VIP is the way to go! We got off the boat first at every stop and we did not have to fight for seating. There was plenty of comfortable couches in the exclusive and air conditioned VIP area. The food and service were well worth the extra cost (which also includes a free tour). We would highly recommend to everyone, especially those visiting Greece for the first time. An unforgettable experience worth every penny. (The picture of the cross actually has a piece of the Crucifix in it)

Almost perfect!

It was really an outstanding day. We had our own private areas on the ferry, a lot of personal attention, and all of the other benefits of the VIP class described in the brochure plus a lot more. Well worth the extra charge! The Only exception to a perfect day was the panoramic tour which featured a bus with a very poor speaker system, and a guide, and less than total command of the English language. Certainly did not ruin the experience, but it kept it from being perfect highly recommended.

Highly Recommend!

Fabulous way to see the islands near Athens! Upgrade your seats to VIP! It makes a huge difference in the quality of your trip. It's worth every penny! In VIP you are in a private upgraded section and have room around you to enjoy your cruise. Otherwise, you are crowed together and miss the preferred treatment. The staff was amazing and we thought this was a truly great experience.

Boat from hell

The boat trip took forever to get knowhere. Spent 8hrs on a tug, getting brainwashed into buying items, food and extra for tours eg swimming. Don't bother with this overcrowded tug waste of money.

Fun, explorative and touristy.

Nice touristy experience if you don’t mind large crowds on a ferry boat. We had a 90° day and 400 onboard. The journey was well-handled and we ate lunch on Island stop #1, as the boat buffet didn’t interest us. We opted for the shuttle pickup/drop-off and the diver was lovely.

Cruise Greek Islands

This is by far the best way to see islands close to Athens. I highly recommend upgrading your seats to VIP so you can be spoiled but any interior seat is good to get out of the wind. The staff is amazing and there is a traditional dancing show at the end that is truly a great experience. One of the funnest trips we took in Athens.

We Recommend this Relaxing, Informative Tour

We enjoyed this tour very much. We opted for the VIP upgrade and that made a big difference. We were able to initially board the ship first and exit the ship first on the excursions. The food was very good. There was a mid morning snack and lunch was served at 1 pm. The tour we chose on Aegina included a buffet. Our hosts were excellent. They were very attentive and helpful. The stop on Poros was short but we enjoyed it because pulling into that harbor was so picturesque. We would recommend this 12 hour tour. It was relaxing, informative and the scenery was beautiful on each of the three islands.

Poor experience of their photo taken by the cruise operators.

The cruise was good, but I was very disappointed of the photos taken during the cruise. I paid 10 euros for the prints of 4 photos, and extra 5 euros to their professional photographers. After 6 days of waiting and communicating with the photographer via email and via trip adviser, I received the scan of the photos that I purchased, each with about 250 kB, with poor resolution. I purchased the original resolutions of the photos, not the scan of the photos that I purchased. I am really disappointed.

Overpriced for island touring

Hydra and Aegina were beautiful, would rather have spent more time in these two islands and skipped the second one. We got 1.5 hrs in both these ports and 45 min in Poros which is barely enough time to get off (waiting in line to get off the boat) and enjoy. Too many ppl onboard. Had to fight for seats, and there was a long time in between islands. Lunch was great! Entertainment was great. Most of the time is spent onboard. Rechargeable outlets available. Plenty of restrooms.

An amazing cruise to Ydra , Poros Aigina

I truly recommend to all Key tour and truly be back for more !! Katerina & Titos at the vip / service and bar was the best we’ve ever had and we’re had quite a few ! Katerina’s knowledge about hospitality & service was phenomenal !! The lunch was amazing !! Thank you for your creat Cruise .

3 Island Cruise

Hydra is a very beautiful island. Well worth seeing. It was a very relaxed cruise.Loved it. Mix of sights from ruins to churches to donkeys and wonderful panoramic views