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Xanemo Sailing
Xanemo Sailing
4.5
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About
Semi-private (10 people max) and private sailing tours from Naxos to the small Cyclades. Departure every day at 8:30am and return around 6:30pm. All-inclusive (snacks, drinks and lunch). Set sail in style to the beautiful small cyclades archipelago and stay off the beaten track onboard of this beautiful Benteau Oceanis 440. Relax, snorkel, explore, this top rated tour is just what you need!
Tours and Tickets by Xanemo Sailing
Sailing
3+ days
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
205 reviews
Excellent
176
Very good
10
Average
3
Poor
7
Terrible
9
lilykuhn
1 contribution
Sep 2022 • Family
The sunset cruise from Naxos to Paros was fantastic! Gorgeous views, good wine, and great crew! Alex and Alexandria did a great job of navigating and entertaining us. The ~3 hour boat ride is perfect for trying out sailing adventures or for a lovely evening. The boat was the perfect size for 6 people plus crew to move around on the boat and had a few places to lounge while tasting some snacks/wine.
Written September 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leannealex123
6 contributions
Sep 2020 • Couples
We had the best day of our holiday on this tour. Debbie and Jerome are amazing, so hospitable and chilled. Food was delicious and there was lots of it. Basically I wanted to take Debbie home and keep her. She couldn’t do enough for everyone. Loved all the jumping off the boat and the swimming and sunbathing on the front of the boat. Take care, leanne and James (the tall couple) xx
Written September 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hey guys! Thank you so much for this great review. I'm sorry I'll have to keep my wife :) I very glad you guys has a great time with us. I still remember James enjoying feeding the fishes while snorkelling in the middle of this huge group of blue fishes! So cool. We look forward to having you onboard again, take care
Written September 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
dlacpa
Virginia139 contributions
May 2019 • Friends
OK, I’m a lover of Greece. We have been going back and forth to Greece and Greek Islands for several years. I’m a non-swimmer, but totally enthralled with sail boats. I know, my wife says that is incongruent, whatever that means. If you’ve been to the islands you can’t help but notice the abundance of sailing yachts, all sizes and description. I have walked by these yachts for years and dreamed of sailing on one. Back to the non-swimmer part. Two years ago we were on Kastellorizo Island, near Rhodes. I talked to a yacht owner while he was docked at the island’s small pier and cleaning his boat. My wife mentioned my life-long desire to ride on a sailing yacht and that I couldn’t swim, upon which the yacht owner promptly replied, “That’s what the boat’s for”. Can’t argue with logic like that. Now. Naxos. May 2019.
Declared to all concerned that this was THE year. Sail boat ride was going to happen. Already familiar with Naxos, great island in all respects and home to more than average number of charter sailing boats. I had, in prior visit to Naxos, scoped out the beautiful Beneteau Oceanis 440 sailing yatcht belonging to Xanemo Sailing. Also, in prior visit to Naxos, had met the owners, Jerome and Depy. Even back then, I expressed my dream of riding a sail boat, but being a non-swimmer, always an unfulfilled fantasy.
This year different story. Booked a day trip with Jerome and Depy. Arrived dockside 8:30 AM ready to go. Crossing the “gang plank” in less than graceful manner, but made it without falling in the water. Good omen. Jerome gave a short briefing on do’s and don’t’s. Missed most of it, as I was enjoying motoring out of harbor, finally, on a real sailing yacht, with tourists on shore watching enviously. Could have been my boat, they didn’t know.
Jerome selected visits to two islands of the Small Cyclades group, Iraklia and Schinousa. Both islands are great, especially, Iraklia. Iraklia is small and quiet, as though you were the only people on the island. Had a tendency to talk quietly and not spoil the tranquility. Beautiful small beach in the secluded harbor. Nice. Now, as mentioned, being a, non-swimmer, there would be no camera worthy, tourist expected leaps from the bow into crystal clear Aegean water. No, a walk around the beach and back on the boat, onto Schinousa. Jerome offers other destinations for the “leap off the bow” crowd and I am sure they are just as lovely as our destinations. Maybe next time.
A pleasing lunch was prepared by Depy, with kebobs, cheeses, bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, adult beverages, and my favorite, sardines. They had also served coffee, fruit and biscuits earlier in the morning and had plenty of wine/beer while sailing!
It was a calm day and the sails could not work to their potential, however, we encountered a dolphin family that swam alongside the boat (see latest Xanemo website). Late in the day, returning to Naxos, the wind did cooperate and we were treated to a display of real sailing prowess as we “tacked” (impressed by my nautical expertise?) against the wind. Being a novice, I was nevertheless, impressed with Jerome and Depy’s skills in operating the boat. They work together well and we, instinctively, knew we were in good hands. They displayed a high level of competence that provided the non-nautical, water-evasive person a significant degree of comfort.
Thanks to both for a great sun-filled day cruising the Aegean in style. An unforgettable experience for a non-swimming, “wannabe sailor”. Please check out Xanemo Sailing in Naxos if you are a fellow wannabe. Same goes for the rest of the crowd that just, for some inexplicable reason, like to jump off a perfectly good boat into the water.
Declared to all concerned that this was THE year. Sail boat ride was going to happen. Already familiar with Naxos, great island in all respects and home to more than average number of charter sailing boats. I had, in prior visit to Naxos, scoped out the beautiful Beneteau Oceanis 440 sailing yatcht belonging to Xanemo Sailing. Also, in prior visit to Naxos, had met the owners, Jerome and Depy. Even back then, I expressed my dream of riding a sail boat, but being a non-swimmer, always an unfulfilled fantasy.
This year different story. Booked a day trip with Jerome and Depy. Arrived dockside 8:30 AM ready to go. Crossing the “gang plank” in less than graceful manner, but made it without falling in the water. Good omen. Jerome gave a short briefing on do’s and don’t’s. Missed most of it, as I was enjoying motoring out of harbor, finally, on a real sailing yacht, with tourists on shore watching enviously. Could have been my boat, they didn’t know.
Jerome selected visits to two islands of the Small Cyclades group, Iraklia and Schinousa. Both islands are great, especially, Iraklia. Iraklia is small and quiet, as though you were the only people on the island. Had a tendency to talk quietly and not spoil the tranquility. Beautiful small beach in the secluded harbor. Nice. Now, as mentioned, being a, non-swimmer, there would be no camera worthy, tourist expected leaps from the bow into crystal clear Aegean water. No, a walk around the beach and back on the boat, onto Schinousa. Jerome offers other destinations for the “leap off the bow” crowd and I am sure they are just as lovely as our destinations. Maybe next time.
A pleasing lunch was prepared by Depy, with kebobs, cheeses, bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, adult beverages, and my favorite, sardines. They had also served coffee, fruit and biscuits earlier in the morning and had plenty of wine/beer while sailing!
It was a calm day and the sails could not work to their potential, however, we encountered a dolphin family that swam alongside the boat (see latest Xanemo website). Late in the day, returning to Naxos, the wind did cooperate and we were treated to a display of real sailing prowess as we “tacked” (impressed by my nautical expertise?) against the wind. Being a novice, I was nevertheless, impressed with Jerome and Depy’s skills in operating the boat. They work together well and we, instinctively, knew we were in good hands. They displayed a high level of competence that provided the non-nautical, water-evasive person a significant degree of comfort.
Thanks to both for a great sun-filled day cruising the Aegean in style. An unforgettable experience for a non-swimming, “wannabe sailor”. Please check out Xanemo Sailing in Naxos if you are a fellow wannabe. Same goes for the rest of the crowd that just, for some inexplicable reason, like to jump off a perfectly good boat into the water.
Written June 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ahoy! That is an amazing review! You cannot imagine how much this touches us! I am very glad we shared this day together and I'm happy that you had a good time with us. I hope we will see you again next year :) Until then, take care, and stay on boats as much as you can! Cheers
Written June 11, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
JB60TRAVELS
Toronto, Ontario84 contributions
Jul 2022
We did this day sail in July 2022. Unfortunately our experience was nothing like the earlier reviews, and was more like the more recent reviews.
As others have noted, there are no cushions on board. The sea was fairly rough and it made for a very uncomfortable trip sitting for several hours on hard bench seating. The owners may wish to take note and add cushions to the boat .
Unlike others, we were made aware of where we would be going and there was a basic safety talk, essentially about how to put on a life jacket.
We went to 2 areas that were otherwise reachable by car(and generally unspectacular and not off the beaten path) and to the island of Shinousa . Unlike other boats , we did not dock in Schinousa , but anchored in the bay. We were told that we could snorkel, use the small beach or walk around the small town. Not exactly sure what the crew was thinking. As we were not docked, we could not walk to the town (swim to shore and then walk barefoot?) , and would not have has a towel to lie on the beach. So, it was just snorkel or stay on the boat.
From earlier reviews we determined that lunch was going to be pork souvlaki. As we don't like pork, we let them know when we make our booking and suggested that we would be okay with chicken souvlaki , which is what we expected. Instead we got some meat and rice wrapped in cold slimy cabbage, which was tasteless and inedible, The greek salad was good as was the afternoon fruit tray. The morning snack consisted of white bread and a slice of cheese and turkey(I think) that tasted like plastic. In summary, not a good experience on the food side.
The web site (and in fact the tripadvisor description of the tour) says that they will be taking pictures , which they would email to us. Nobody took pictures and therefore nothing was emailed to us .Owners should either have someone taking pictures, or change the website and tour description.
In summary, a very long unpleasant day, nothing like the experiences that earlier reviewers had experienced.
As others have noted, there are no cushions on board. The sea was fairly rough and it made for a very uncomfortable trip sitting for several hours on hard bench seating. The owners may wish to take note and add cushions to the boat .
Unlike others, we were made aware of where we would be going and there was a basic safety talk, essentially about how to put on a life jacket.
We went to 2 areas that were otherwise reachable by car(and generally unspectacular and not off the beaten path) and to the island of Shinousa . Unlike other boats , we did not dock in Schinousa , but anchored in the bay. We were told that we could snorkel, use the small beach or walk around the small town. Not exactly sure what the crew was thinking. As we were not docked, we could not walk to the town (swim to shore and then walk barefoot?) , and would not have has a towel to lie on the beach. So, it was just snorkel or stay on the boat.
From earlier reviews we determined that lunch was going to be pork souvlaki. As we don't like pork, we let them know when we make our booking and suggested that we would be okay with chicken souvlaki , which is what we expected. Instead we got some meat and rice wrapped in cold slimy cabbage, which was tasteless and inedible, The greek salad was good as was the afternoon fruit tray. The morning snack consisted of white bread and a slice of cheese and turkey(I think) that tasted like plastic. In summary, not a good experience on the food side.
The web site (and in fact the tripadvisor description of the tour) says that they will be taking pictures , which they would email to us. Nobody took pictures and therefore nothing was emailed to us .Owners should either have someone taking pictures, or change the website and tour description.
In summary, a very long unpleasant day, nothing like the experiences that earlier reviewers had experienced.
Written July 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
anitabfranklin
Maryville, TN38 contributions
Do NOT take this boat. There are many other options available in Naxos. Please read all of the recent reviews for this boat as many of them explain the same things.
First. we got off to a bit of a late start after the captain ran over the mooring rope. I was less concerned about that incident, honestly and more concerned about the fact that I thought I had booked a trip to the small Cyclades. I understand routes may change due to weather, but there was zero communication about the change. All of our stops were places I had been in our car. We paid for an experience we could not get by land. I was so disappointed.
In addition, the hospitality was severely lacking. No waters or refreshments were offered to us after two hours of sailing to our first location. We had to ask for everything. The website promises pictures of our adventure and of course there were zero as the staff was not interested in us.
I had previously booked this boat back in 2020 and when I had to cancel for Covid, it was heartbreaking. When we rebooked our trip this year, your boat was the first thing I booked. I had such high expectations and excitement about what a fun trip. It really was not.
There were also no safety instructions, no floatation devices in the water in case of an emergency (all other vessels had a ring tied out), and no hand sanitizer out for guests. Honestly, the only good parts of the trip was seeing the beaches (which we have seen in a car for much cheaper).
I wrote to the owner and received no response so I plan to spread the word. It's too expensive to pay for mediocre.
First. we got off to a bit of a late start after the captain ran over the mooring rope. I was less concerned about that incident, honestly and more concerned about the fact that I thought I had booked a trip to the small Cyclades. I understand routes may change due to weather, but there was zero communication about the change. All of our stops were places I had been in our car. We paid for an experience we could not get by land. I was so disappointed.
In addition, the hospitality was severely lacking. No waters or refreshments were offered to us after two hours of sailing to our first location. We had to ask for everything. The website promises pictures of our adventure and of course there were zero as the staff was not interested in us.
I had previously booked this boat back in 2020 and when I had to cancel for Covid, it was heartbreaking. When we rebooked our trip this year, your boat was the first thing I booked. I had such high expectations and excitement about what a fun trip. It really was not.
There were also no safety instructions, no floatation devices in the water in case of an emergency (all other vessels had a ring tied out), and no hand sanitizer out for guests. Honestly, the only good parts of the trip was seeing the beaches (which we have seen in a car for much cheaper).
I wrote to the owner and received no response so I plan to spread the word. It's too expensive to pay for mediocre.
Written July 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christopher B
10 contributions
Jun 2022
Had really high hopes for this trip, as most of the reviews made this seem like an awesome excursion. However, it was anything but. It started off by being made to sit on the front of the sailboat (I would not call this a "yacht" as some have) with nothing to hold onto, no real seats, while the wind was overwhelming and the waves were scary big, to say the least, while the crew got to stay in the back, sheltered from the winds and from getting wet. While there were seats in the back of the boat, there were no cushions ANYWHERE on this boat. It made for a very uncomfortable day. The crew was less than enthusiastic, no communication, very little interaction. At each stop they went down under the boat. They almost let us wash up onto rocks at one point from not paying attention. They took us to stops that you could drive to, not beaches that were "exclusive" or hidden or anything special. This day was a waste of time and money. At one point, we even considered looking for a garbage bag to make a dry bag to throw our backpack into and just swim to shore at one of the stops and catch a cab back to our hotel. Also, the description of the excursion states they would take pictures and that you could relax and put your phone away, HUGE false advertisement!
Written July 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephanie B
Ashmore, Australia4 contributions
Cons:
- We get on board, hardly an introduction or what the day will entail
-no safety briefing
- no information or knowledge provided about the area
- The crew were unprofessional and didn’t seem interested the whole day
- they served turkey(processed plastic slices) and cheese on stale bread for morning tea it was revolting and a small piece of cake
- lunch was dried up meat skewers
- arvo tea a tiny fruit platter
- the marketing for the tour talked up we were going to a “Secret location” and we just stayed around Naxos to spots we all knew about
- the crew were too lazy to put up the sail on our sailing experience
Pro:
- beautiful sailing boat
- good weather
- stunning clear water
- provide snorkelling equipment
- We get on board, hardly an introduction or what the day will entail
-no safety briefing
- no information or knowledge provided about the area
- The crew were unprofessional and didn’t seem interested the whole day
- they served turkey(processed plastic slices) and cheese on stale bread for morning tea it was revolting and a small piece of cake
- lunch was dried up meat skewers
- arvo tea a tiny fruit platter
- the marketing for the tour talked up we were going to a “Secret location” and we just stayed around Naxos to spots we all knew about
- the crew were too lazy to put up the sail on our sailing experience
Pro:
- beautiful sailing boat
- good weather
- stunning clear water
- provide snorkelling equipment
Written July 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Сергей
Zurich, Switzerland8 contributions
Jun 2022
Really poor communication with customers and arrogant attitude. Worst experience ever had. You had better choose another one.
Written June 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris T
2 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
Very unhappy with our trip. Not at all as advertised. This was a nice boat ride, but it was NOT a tour. The crew was two people - a captain (a kid in his 20s) and a helper (another kid in her 20s). The helper napped during the trip. The captain vaped the entire time. Neither of them spoke a word about Greece or what we were seeing. The “breakfast” was a piece of Wonder bread with one slice of cheese and one slice of ham. The “lunch feast” was one pork kebab and pita. No HD pictures. None of the food mentioned in the listing, or activities. Really disappointed. We wanted a tour were we would learn about what we were seeing, but the “captain” ignored us the entire time.
Written July 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EmMerks2015
United Kingdom1 contribution
Jul 2022
It is quite sad to write this review as I had such high hopes for the day. Having read other reviews and visiting the tour website, I was looking forward to a great day with Jerome and Debbie. When we arrived however, we were greeted with Alex, Bill, and Alexandra (clearly Alex's girlfriend who was not a trained employee of the company). There was no communication about the plan for the day nor was there a safety briefing- this would've been useful as the ride was choppy and we were all made to sit on the front of the boat with no real seats or hand-holds.
While we visited some beautiful locations, they were well-trodden spots where it seemed all the large, rambunctious charters also went. We also spent too much time at each location and were given no information about each stop or help with snorkelling equipment.
Alex and Bill were on their phones, making calls and or texting the entire time while Alexandra spent the majority of the charter below deck.
When I asked if the company had changed owners and explained I was expecting Jerome, Alex responded with an arrogant "no I am the captain of this boat". The other guests were on the day were also clearly disappointed with the service.
I had such high hopes for the day which were unfortunately totally let down. Also disappointing that this tour was a gift to my sister for her graduation.
Find a better company!
While we visited some beautiful locations, they were well-trodden spots where it seemed all the large, rambunctious charters also went. We also spent too much time at each location and were given no information about each stop or help with snorkelling equipment.
Alex and Bill were on their phones, making calls and or texting the entire time while Alexandra spent the majority of the charter below deck.
When I asked if the company had changed owners and explained I was expecting Jerome, Alex responded with an arrogant "no I am the captain of this boat". The other guests were on the day were also clearly disappointed with the service.
I had such high hopes for the day which were unfortunately totally let down. Also disappointing that this tour was a gift to my sister for her graduation.
Find a better company!
Written July 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello we are a group of 7 people. 4 adults and 3 kids ages 3, 12 and 13. Do you acepto kids or just adults? We are planing to visit Naxos the second week of June. Also do you have a bathroom in the boat? Thanks
Written March 3, 2023
Bonjour,
Un enfant de 12 ans paie l'excursion ?
Merci pour votre réponse
Céline
Written April 18, 2022
Bonjour, Le prix de la croisière ainsi que les îles visiter ?
Merci
Written September 10, 2019
Bonjour,
Pour le prix je vous invite à utiliser la fonction de réservation en ligne de TripAdvisor.
Les destinations dépendent des vents. Il m’est donc impossible de vous dire où nous irons lors de notre croisière.
Bien à vous,
Written September 10, 2019
Is it choppy? will someone prone to motion sickness have a problem?
Written July 13, 2019
“Choppiness” depends on the weather. It may be a bit, usually in the afternoon, depending on the season you are interested in.
If you are pone to motion sickness, I would suggest you take some pills (can be bought from any pharmacy). Some patches also exist, which work great.
Finally, some bracelets are available on the market for sea sickness.
In any case, if you feel a bit sea sick while onboard, just speak to the crew. There are multiple techniques to avoid the bad feeling and keep only an amazing memory of your cruise.
Written July 14, 2019
Γεια σας σκεφτόμουν να επισκεφτώ την Νάξο τον Σεπτέμβριο και θα ήθελα να μου πείτε διάφορες πληροφορίες για τις κρουαζιέρες που πραγματοποιείτε , τιμές, διάρκεια της κρουαζιέρας καθώς και μέρη που θα επισκεφθούμε!
Written July 6, 2019
What is your availability for the first week of July?
Written June 15, 2019
Sorry can't help. You'd better to ask the question directly to Xanemo- Sailing. J-M
Written June 16, 2019
Καλησπερα σας
Θα ειμαστε την εβδομαδα του 15αυγουστου στην Ναξο, μπορειτε να μας πειτε σχετικα με την εκδρομη ;
Τιμη;διαρκεια;μερη;
nickgreek1@ hot mail . com
Ευχαριστω
Written July 31, 2018
I am looking for a private day charter for my wife and myself. We will be in Naxos September 26-27, but I think September 27 would work best. Do you have any openings? Please respond by email. Thanks!!
Written July 5, 2018
Hello
I don’t have access to your email I’m afraid. We are fully booked for your dates though. Are you flexible maybe ?
Thank you very much!
Written July 11, 2018
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.