ISTION Yachting - Leof. Poseidonos 1

"Crisis separates the wheat from the chaff" This is a little review on the experience we made with Istion in Volos. We have been on a charter trip from Volos to the northern Sporades and back from Oct 31st to Nov 7th. I do write Crisis in the header as traveling in the times of Covid-19 is traveling under special circumstances. From the start: Just having arrived from Munich in Thessaloniki Airport I get a call from Paris on my mobile - he is the base manager of Istion in Volos - asking if we arrived well and if everything is all right. That is what makes you feel comfy as a customer - being proactively asked. Leaves the feeling that somebody (in this case Paris & Team do care). And this feeling stays on the whole week - we have been taken care of - far more than we did expect or hope for. Helping us with the parking for our rental car, helping us with the luggage, extremely patient guy (Seb) doing the handover of the boat. Problems with the power plug in Skiathos (us being too dumb ? ) Paris is always available via his mobile/Whatsapp and he is PROACTIVE. I can not stop to emphasis this. We had the whole time the feeling "these guys are taking care of us". Locations to visit, restaurants, advice on anchoring places he knows. Always giving us a good feeling. What about the Covid-19 "crisis"? Now - one day after we had arrived Greece started to increase the Corona measures. I always got updates from Paris what we have to expect and what the situation on the islands on our way would be. Than our flight back got cancelled and we had to book flights from Athens back to Munich. Before we could get to Athens the curfew in Greece started. So Paris and his team talked to the police how we could get from Volos to Athens with the curfew at hand. They prepared declaration forms for us we could take with us on our way to Athens and other forms we would have to use when we have to leave our apartment in Athens (we had to stay for one two nights before our flight left). Paris even talked to the landlord and explained the special situation. Assessment: Arrival: ++ (a little bit tricky to find the right spot, but the base staff is very helpful) Shopping: +++ Plenty of grocery stores around Parking: ++ on week of guarded parking was around 40 EUR (need to take a taxi or get a ride with the motorbike from the base) Hand-Over of the Boat: +++ Professional and very patient with us Base staff/manager: +++ highly professional and extremely friendly Supportiveness: +++ (24/7 availability) Sailing area: +++ (we need to come again, stay longer) State of the boat: +++ (pretty new Hanse 458, well maintained) Check Out: +++ (very fair behavior and goodwill) Conclusion: We will definitely come again. The islands and beaches are really pretty and it is a nice sailing-beginners area. And we will do it via Istion - because of the outstanding experience we made with the staff of the Istion Base in Volos (Paris, Maria, Seb, Nikos ,..). Chartering at it's best! When things get difficult due to circumstances like the Covid-19 situation you just can be happy for a base taking care as we have experienced in Volos. Thanks to Paris, Maria, Nikos, Seb and the others of the Volos base.

Thanks to Istion Yachting and the whole team for a wonderful weekend in the Saronic gulf. Everything was well organized, on time, friendly and uncomplictaed. See you soon again!

Rented our sailboat with Istion Preveza last year. Kostas (basemanager) gave us a very warm welcome which we will never forget :-) The boat was in a great clean state and we were able to board quite soon on the saturday which was pleasant as we had to make some miles to Lefkada the first day.

Dear Istion Yachting Group. My name is Lewis Allen and I just finished yesterday a one week bareboat charter in Kos in the 35 foot monohull Hobbit. I was very impressed with the condition of your boats and the professional service I received from Giorgos and his team in Kos marina. It was just my wife and I aboard so I was looking for a 35-40 foot newer boat. I was looking for a 2019 or newer boat. I I did not see anything online so since it was low season I decided to just come to Kos and have a look at the condition of the boats. I spoke with Giorgos on the Istion dock and he showed me the Hobbit. I went onboard and was immediately impressed by the condition of this yacht. I looked at the Yanmar motor and it looked very clean and well maintained. The sails also looked very good. And the lines and sheets were in perfect condition. And plenty of fenders keeping the hull looking new. I have owned many sailboats. My last boat being an Amel 52 Mango ketch, which I lived on for 4 years sailing around the world. I understand and appreciate the constant work and attention needed to keep a sailboat in good condition with all systems working correctly. The check in and orientation by Melissa was thorough and professional. I asked many questions and what she could not answer she went to ask some of the other Istion team. The paperwork and contract I made with Maria who was very kind and professional. Your base manager Giorgos was exceptional. He was always available to answer all my questions and was knowledgeable and very professional. I kept in contact with Giorgos during the week sending him photos and letting him know how everything was going. We saw the full moon rise in the amazing village of Agia Marina in Leros while having dinner at Taverna Mylos. An unforgettable experience. I will enclose a photo. The checkout on Friday afternoon by Pietro was quick and thorough and professional. He was very friendly and kind and I could tell that he understands sailboat maintenance very well. Thank you Giorgos and your excellent team at Kos Marina for such a wonderful week of sailing in the magnificent Dodecanese islands. I will definitely come back and will charter again with Istion. Best regards. Lewis Allen

Mixed feelings with our charter. Overall a great experience that was made extra special specifically thanks to the extra effort put in by Captain Charis. He went above and beyond and unlocked places for us that we would not have been able to ourselves. We had 5 of us on a 46’ catamaran. The size was good, though next time I think we’d go a little bigger. Unfortunately a number of hiccups along the way are what we may remember the most. Specifically with regards to the food not following our preference sheet- not even close- as I pulled it up on day two and asked why nearly everything was from our NO column and did they even get the information? The food that was made wasn’t even tasty in general and at some point people eat simply because they haven’t eaten in half a day. We looked forward to eating on land. A couple other times we were dropped off in places with no instructions or ways to get ahold of the crew to retrieve us. While this may have wasted some time and been awkward, in one instance it did cause a safety concern. We would definitely consider this again- especially with Captain Charis- though with a different chef and clear expectations upfront.

Great experience. All the staff were helpful. Especially Andreas, who was always available to solve any queries we had, each and every day. On the last day we had gusts of up to 40 knots, and he even pilotted the boat from the fuel berth to the Moor.

The catamaran was clean and in perfect conditions, the check-in and checkout run smooth although with a little delay (but hey, we are on vacation, no stress!), the land staff was professional and available in answering all of our questions (they also gave us great tips on where to enjoy the best sea). We will happily rent with Istion again.

First time in sailing in Greece and first time chartering. What a great experience we had with Istion. From the base in Kos we got a Jeanneau SO 410. The boat was in perfect shape, and was nicely presented with a check in extremely easy and issue free. Al questions answered and all requests easily fulfilled. Through our 2 weeks trip we had a minor electrical issue, and the support, and the way it was handled by Giorgos, the manager at Kos Istion base, was just amazing. He did everything possible to have it solved fast and professionally. Thank you! By the end of our charter period, we had also a great experience with the the check out process and for sure, our next time in Greece will be with Istion and Giorgos.