Name: Variety Cruises
Address: 214-216 Syngrou Avenue, 214-216 Syngrou Avenue, Athens, Greece
Rating: 4.57

“stop online stuff you might end up losing your savings. in case you are already a victim, kindly reach out or file a complaint to wiki at [ PamelaExperts (@) gmail. com ] pls do not blame anyone for your mistakes”

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“Great cruises and great crews”

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Dear Mogens, Thank you for your comment! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed your cruise experience! We look forward to welcoming you back on board for another adventure! Kind regards, Variety Cruises

“Absolute paradise just returned from our cruise and I can honestly say we was spoilt beyond believe from the captain to the laundry attendant we will never forget our once in a lifetime holiday with the most amazing people, everyone went above and beyond to make sure our holiday was one we will never forget. This is our second cruise with variety and it won’t be our last our memories made will last a lifetime.💕🥰🏖️🐳🤩 Reply”

Variety Cruises 5 star review on 9th November 2024

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Dear Gillian, Thank you for sharing your cruise experience in Tahiti and the Islands of Tahiti & French Polynesia! We are thrilled to hear you had a wonderful time, and we truly appreciate your kind words about our dedicated crew! We are looking forward to welcoming you back on board for another adventure! Kind regards, Variety Cruises

“Greece > Jewels of the Cyclades > Galileo > 4 passengers > Oct 18-25 2024 -------------------- Variety Cruise appears to support a culture of safety and comfort violations, false advertising, and doing the bare minimum possible. Specifically, the Galileo ship, Captain Christos, Hotel Manager George and Tour Director Vicky. Our mom’s 80th birthday trip was ruined. -------------------- FALSE: “SAFETY & COMFORT” ********On the sundeck a 2.5 cm thick steel cable stay with steel chain at the end holding the central sailing mast, snapped with sound as loud as a gunshot and nearly took off my sister’s head. It hit the side of the vessel missing her head by a hair. I rushed to her thinking the worst, that she was severely injured. I held the cable down while another passenger went to alert the crew and tie it up. This was life threatening. Clearly the attachment point was rusted beyond its service life and should have been replaced prior to breaking. It was rusted out to approximately 5 mm wide while the other attachment points were 30 mm wide. Clearly indicating the ship has not undergone a safety inspection in many years. ******** Cabin 17 has a horrible moldy smell. I have been complaining to George several times a day, every day and he keeps saying there's nothing he can do to fix it and no empty cabins to move us to. George offered to spray perfume in the room, and I told him not to because I'm allergic. Either George or housekeeping then sprayed my mattress with perfume and I had an allergic reaction, sore throat, headache, and couldn't sleep. The next morning, I dragged the perfumed mattress upstairs and handed it to him because i was so upset. The entire shipboard community saw me dragging the mattress up to him during breakfast. There appears a seawater leak around the porthole as the wood around it is crystallized with salt. Bathroom has stained surfaces and shower grout is cracked and black with mold. Two other passengers had the same complaint to George about black mold in the bathroom also and difficulty getting it cleaned. George lied and said that it was black grout rather than mold. Fridge was broken (it was replaced). When I was complaining about the mold in room 17, George lied that there's a water sensor in each room in case of leaks, Capt Niko confirmed there is no such thing. My allergic reaction to room 17 has subsided but my sister's sore throat and headache continues to bother her. There were 2 other passengers cabins George could have moved us to that had crew in them. Plus 2 reservation agents were on the trip sailing free each with their own rooms who could have been combined. We had planned to abandon the ship in Santorini due to the numerous health and safety concerns. However, the passengers in room 19 ended their trip early due to their dissatisfaction with Variety. George begrudgingly moved us into room 19 as if he was doing us a huge favor. Therefore, we stayed on the ship for the remainder of the voyage. But I had already reached out to corporate about the egregious issues occurring. The boat was not built for the ocean, it is high with a flat bottom and no stabilizers, so it pitches and rolls uncomfortably in 1.5-meter seas, making my sister and a lot of people seasick. Can't sit anywhere near the stern of the boat because the diesel exhaust is so thick one cannot breathe comfortably. Diesel engines so loud and run rough that it shakes your teeth sitting in the aft of the boat. 70db in the staterooms to 100db in the stern, constant sound of the engine’s ranges from annoying to dangerously loud. (Exposure to sound over 85db causes hearing damage.) I've informed Vicky and George we have someone who gets seasick, we are concerned about the rough seas and asked if we should take Dramamine and George's answer was "be a sailor". Didn't have any towels available on the sun deck or mid-deck for 90% of the trip. So, when I brought the bed blanket up to the sun deck, George made a snarky comment. The safety meeting on the 1st day of the voyage was negligent. None of the safety features were reviewed except for the location of the life rafts and where to meet in an emergency. No information was given on covid, seasickness, the vessels safety features, or any other concerns. They should've also warned about keeping the securely doors closed since they swing wildly in rough seas, my sister’s hand was badly bruised when the bathroom door slammed shut on it. There was a complete lack of communication from the ship’s officers on weather conditions, seas, wave height and what to expect while under way. The only information we got was incomplete and secondhand or thirdhand when we pressed George or Vicky for it. This is negligent and should have been announced daily. When we arrived at the marina the beginning of the voyage it started off on the wrong foot, we have an elderly parent who has trouble walking and they wouldn't let our taxi in the marina gate to drop us and baggage. When I asked Vicki for a transfer to the airport at the end of the trip with the pickup directly from the ship instead of the top of the hill, she was rude. There is an offensively strong perfume air freshener in the rooms & sprayed regularly by machine into the dining area causing allergic reactions. We had to dispose of the air fresheners in the rooms. Captain Christos kept pushing to keep moving to the next port instead of just staying more time in that port to avoid rough seas. In fact we didn’t even get to disembark in Mikonos since the stop was so short. There doesn't appear to be any satellite communication on the bridge therefore in the event of an emergency there would be no way to call for help while at sea. FALSE: “RENOVATED 2020” Boat is worn out. Major stains on carpeting, sundeck outdoor seating, walls, sinks, broken deck chair. Metal surfaces are rusty. Broken navigation light on the bridge. The ships hull is dented, damaged with paint peeling in many places. Room 19 leaky porthole. Toilet intermittently didn't flush. Carpet is not vacuumed around the edges. Bathroom fixtures, tiles and grout are all stained. Bathroom sink cabinet was not secured to the wall and it bounced around. Every one of our Duvets, sheets and towels were stained in all our rooms. Water coming out brown from the faucet for one full day. FALSE: “SAILER” This is not a sailing trip. Not a sailing vessel, boat has no keel and the sails are just for show. The sails don't do anything except look pretty. Vicki and George promised 4 times that the sails would be raised, but the sails were never raised during the voyage. The whole point of coming was to take a sailing vessel. We wouldn't have booked the trip without this. FALSE: “TV, WIFI, CENTRAL MUSIC” There is no Wi-Fi while at sea. George told us that the Wi-Fi for purchase is no better than using our own cell phone signal and that the ship has no satellite Internet service. Your brochure claims there is wifi. A typical ship would have a satellite Internet. We wouldn't have booked the trip if we knew this. There is no TV service at any time, we asked George, and his reply was ‘no tv’. The ‘central music system’ doesn't work in any room. We missed hearing critical information on several occasions because shipboard announcements can only be heard from within the dining room. They cannot be heard from any other part of the ship due to the noise of the engines, and they are not broadcast in the cabins. TV screens should have been used to communicate trip details, chartplotter maps, weather conditions, tour info, etc. FALSE: “NON-DISCRIMINATION” I made 4 attempts to speak to captain Christo and they won't even acknowledge me while I'm standing in front of him. He turns away from me and refuse to speak to me or even acknowledge that I'm talking to him as if I wasn't a person. This is beyond offensive. A clear case of discrimination. Since the officers wouldn't speak to me I asked Vickie, George and the kitchen manager if they could help me get a tour of the ship, and none of them could help. Finally one of the waiters assisted me but it was not his job. People should have worn name tags to be more accountable. FALSE: “ENRICHING EXPERIENCES” We took our mother on this trip with her 80th birthday. We put in a birthday request upon check in, and Vickie ignored it. It brought a cake out for another guest birthday and greatly embarrassed us since our mother thought it was for her. Vicky seems like she's mainly there to sell tours, she must be working on commission. She has an abrasive personality and was difficult to deal with. Vickie kept telling us the tours were ok for people with mobility issues, they weren’t ok and caused pain-and-suffering. The one day it was calm enough to swim we reminded her three times for snorkels and masks, but she left the boat without helping at all. Captain’s dinner Oct 23 none of the captains attended and most passengers in their rooms due to the rough seas. Greek dancers on-board were unprofessional. One couldn't dance well, the other one chewed gum. Another couple were so dissatisfied with Variety that they left the ship in Santorini. FALSE: “USAGE OF SANITIZER ARE MANDATORY” The entire voyage only 2 bottles of sanitizer's were publicly displayed (the bar & the lounge). Noone from the ship made any effort to use them or encourage their use at any time. No sanitizer was provided upon boarding the ship or at mealtime as advertised. FALSE: “CRUISING SPEED 11 KNOTS" The boat went 9 kn, regardless if the water was rough or dead calm. The captain should have varied the speed based on the wave conditions for passenger comfort.”

Helpful Report

Dear Mr. Katz, Thank you for sharing your feedback. At Variety Cruises, we value guest input as a means to continually improve our services. However, after a detailed review by our Customer Care department and management team, we have found significant inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the claims you have made. While we respect every guest’s right to share their experiences, it is important to address and clarify when assertions misrepresent the facts. We take such matters very seriously, especially when they pertain to statements that could unjustly harm the reputation of our services and crew. Please be advised that you may be contacted by our legal department regarding these misrepresentations and their potential impact. We remain committed to providing exceptional service and wish you all the best moving forward. Sincerely, Variety Cruises

“An extraordinary cruise with outstanding customer service and an excellent crew that was focused to give us the best time on board at all times. Everything was done to make us feel so welcome and so comfortable on board. The food was amazing and the best I ever had. A huge compliment to the whole crew who made this cruise unforgettable.”

Variety Cruises 5 star review on 25th September 2024

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Dear Nancy, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about your cruise in Tahiti & the French Polynesia. We truly appreciate your kind words about our crew—our family at sea—and we're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the meals and the overall experience! Incredible photo from the sundeck! We look forward to welcoming you on board again soon! Maybe this time in Cape Verde! Kind regards, Variety Cruises

“The smallness of Variety Cruises allows one to get to know everyone on board. You get to know the crew and the ship can go places larger vessels can not. Our last cruise on Variety, there were 15 passesngers on a 40 passenger ship. It was lovely. We had room to move around and lots of personal attention,”

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Dear Mary, Thank you for sharing your experience in the Seychelles! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the cruise and the intimate environment our ships offer. We look forward to welcoming you back on board! Kind regards, Variety Cruises

“Just returned from our Greek Isles cruise aboard the Panorama. What a fabulous experience! From the moment we arrived and were welcomed by our amazing cruise director Ully and Captain Andreas we could tell this trip was going to be special. Socializing and enjoying this adventure with a wonderful mix of fellow passengers added to an unforgettable vacation. The entire crew were friendly and attentive and we couldn't ask for anything more. Swimming at private beaches or off the ship was a real treat. All the ports beautiful and with Ully in charge we could relax and enjoy all the sights and local history. We can't wait to sail again on a Variety cruise!!”

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Dear Eileen, Thank you for taking the time to share your cruise experience! We truly appreciate your kind words about our crew and onboard team, and we're glad that you enjoyed the swim stops! We look forward to welcoming you back for another adventure! Kind regards, Variety Cruises

“A wonderful way to explore the world while being wined, dined and entertained in style. A very congenial atmosphere on board.”

Variety Cruises 5 star review on 10th September 2024

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Dear Alison, Thank you for sharing your cruise experience! We look forward to the opportunity of welcoming you back for another adventure! Kind regards, Variety Cruises

“Greek islands - great. On this boat, at $1,000 per day, each, so $2,000 a day not including drinks or wifi, one expects things to be clean, in working order, all staff to be friendly,especially on aboat that only takes 40 guests. I would give THIS Galileo experience by Variety Cruises, a 6.7 out of 10. It wasn't terrible but i would never recommend it - there are other cruise boats to choose from. The guest consensus concluded the staff (not the lovely room cleaners or the lovely tour guide) have been doing this too long, are complacent, bored, are just doing what they have to do - not rude, just absent and disconnected which is hard to miss on a small boat. Every Guest mentioned a problem with their rooms. We had no hot water in the shower for the first 3 days, our friends toilet wouldn't flush properly, another's toilet leaked, our friend's room behind the captain's stunk of cigarette smoke (from his quarters) for the whole trip, all the shower curtains were dirty and need replacing, a light hanging out of our ceiling, the lounge covers on the day beds everone commented on (stained, mouldy). All of these things are easy and cheap to fix. It was advertised as a sail boat, but they couldn't be bothered putting up the sails; that you could swim off the boat, but they won't let you. Remember $2,000 a day, so very 5 star pricing for a 3 star gig. On the last night they turned everyone's air con off, making the small rooms sweat boxes. The cruise manager got complaints from everyone and just shrugged his shoulders - last night, he didn't care less, NEXT. We doubt complaints that they shrug their sholders to ever get back to senior management. And they hit you up for a massive tip at the end. No. Here's a tip: turn over some of the crew (unfriendly Captain first, Guest manager second), fix up the boat, get the owner to put $$ back in instead of just taking $$ out (like the Grandfather who started this company did). The Gk islands were great, the itinerary was good, lovely other guests we hung out with. We enjoyed ourselves a lot.”

Helpful Report

Dear Mr Mahony, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We sincerely apologize that your experience aboard the Galileo did not meet your expectations and are sorry to hear about the issues you encountered with the cabins. Please note that, to date, we have not received any reports of cabin-related issues through our online channels or customer satisfaction surveys. Please be assured that we have addressed the concerns you raised with the relevant departments. We are surprised by your comments about the crew, as we receive positive feedback about their service. Nonetheless, we will share your observations with our team to help enhance our guest experience. Regarding the sails, the Galileo is classified as a motor sailer, and the use of sails depends on favorable wind conditions. Safety factors such as wind direction, speed, and sea spray can sometimes prevent the use of sails. In these situations, we rely on the engine to adhere to the itinerary, especially on shorter routes where precise timing is crucial. We regret that conditions during your voyage did not allow the use of sails, but we strive to maximize these opportunities whenever possible. Please note that the Galileo operates weekly, which limits the time available for extensive refurbishments. However, a comprehensive renovation is scheduled for this winter. Thank you again for your feedback. We look forward to the opportunity to welcome you aboard in the future with improvements that reflect your suggestions. Our customer care team will follow up via email with further details. Kind Regards, Variety Cruises

“Greek islands - great. On this boat, at $1,000 per day, each, so $2,000 a day not including drinks or wifi, one expects things to be clean, in working order, all staff to be friendly,especially on aboat that only takes 40 guests. I would give THIS Galileo experience by Variety Cruises, a 6.7 out of 10. It wasn't terrible but i would never recommend it - there are other cruise boats to choose from. The guest consensus concluded the staff (not the lovely room cleaners or the lovely tour guide) have been doing this too long, are complacent, bored, are just doing what they have to do - not rude, just absent and disconnected which is hard to miss on a small boat. Every Guest mentioned a problem with their rooms. We had no hot water in the shower for the first 3 days, our friends toilet wouldn't flush properly, another's toilet leaked, our friend's room behind the captain's stunk of cigarette smoke (from his quaters) for the whole trip, all the shower curtains were dirty and need replacing, a light hanging out of our ceiling, the lounge covers on the day beds everone commented on (stained, mouldy). All of these things are easy and cheap to fix. It was advertised as a sail boat, but they couldn't be bothered putting up the sails; that you could swim off the boat, but they won't let you. Remember $2,000 a day, so very 5 star pricing for a 3 star gig. On the last night they turned everyone's air con off, making the small rooms sweat boxes. We doubt complaints that they shrug their sholders to ever get back to senior management. And they hit you up for a massive tip at the end. No. Here's a tip: turn over some of the crew (unfriendly Captain first, Guest manager second), fix up the boat, get the owner to put $$ back in instead of just taking $$ out (like the Grandfather who started this company did). The Gk islands were great, the itinerary was good, lovely other guests we hung out with. We enjoyed ourselves a lot.”

Helpful Report

Dear Mr Mahony, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We sincerely apologize that your experience aboard the Galileo did not meet your expectations and are sorry to hear about the issues you encountered with the cabins. Please note that, to date, we have not received any reports of cabin-related issues through our online channels or customer satisfaction surveys. Please be assured that we have addressed the concerns you raised with the relevant departments. We are surprised by your comments about the crew, as we receive positive feedback about their service. Nonetheless, we will share your observations with our team to help enhance our guest experience. Regarding the sails, the Galileo is classified as a motor sailer, and the use of sails depends on favorable wind conditions. Safety factors such as wind direction, speed, and sea spray can sometimes prevent the use of sails. In these situations, we rely on the engine to adhere to the itinerary, especially on shorter routes where precise timing is crucial. We regret that conditions during your voyage did not allow the use of sails, but we strive to maximize these opportunities whenever possible. Please note that the Galileo operates weekly, which limits the time available for extensive refurbishments. However, a comprehensive renovation is scheduled for this winter. Thank you again for your feedback. We look forward to the opportunity to welcome you aboard in the future with improvements that reflect your suggestions. Our customer care team will follow up via email with further details. Kind regards, Variety Cruises

“Outstanding professional service always executed with a smile and a generosity of spirit. Delicious fresh varied food every meal. Interesting excursions in port and attention to the care, comfort and happiness of each guest. Amazing hospitality. You feel as if you are part of a wonderful family. Worth every penny. Highly recommended.”

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Dear Lorraine, Thank you for sharing your cruise experience and for your kind words! We truly appreciate your positive comments about our crew-our family at sea, who are dedicated to delivering the highest standard of service. We are also pleased to hear that you enjoyed the meals and had a wonderful time onboard. We look forward to welcoming you back for another memorable adventure! Kind regards, Variety Cruises

“More expensive than the monster ships, but well worth it. Great food, good crew, no crowds, fine excursions.”

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Dear Edward, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback! We appreciate your kind words about our crew and we are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the food and the excursions! We look forward to the opportunity to welcome you back onboard! Kind regards, Variety Cruises

“We had an excellent time and were very happy with our trip. We have never been on any type of cruise before and are glad we experienced our 1st cruise on a small ship. I would definitely recommend variety cruises. Great value for our money. Very casual, which is what we were looking for”

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Dear Amy, Thank you for sharing your cruise experience! We are delighted to hear that your first cruise was an enjoyable and memorable one! We look forward to the opportunity to welcome you back for another adventure! Kind regards, Variety Cruises

“L'organisation, les services à bord et l'équipage ont été parfaits ... tout particulièrement, l'hôtel manager et sans oublier la coordinatrice des excursions qui a été formidable. Cependant, une petit commentaire sur un groupe d'une quinzaine de personnes qui nous ont donné l'impression que c'était leur croisière privée et qui se sont permis de nous diriger même un peu !!! Je pense qu'il serait plus judicieux par rapport aux croisiéristes individuels de ne pas accepter de groupes importants en même temps !!!”

Variety Cruises 5 star review on 30th July 2024

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Nous vous remercions sincèrement d'avoir partagé votre expérience de croisière ! Nous apprécions beaucoup vos compliments sur notre équipage dévoué. Nous espérons avoir le plaisir de vous accueillir à nouveau à bord prochainement. Cordialement, Variety Cruises

“Excellent cruise and itinerary. The crew was very kind and helpful throughout the whole trip. Food and meals were just perfect, far beyond our expectations!!! We had the time of our lives.”

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Dear Spyridon, Thank you for sharing your experience onboard Pegasos in the Seychelles! We really appreciate your kind words about our dedicated crew, and we are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the meals. We look forward to the possibility of welcoming you back on board! Kind regards, Variety Cruises

“If you don’t like the thought of a cruise - think again. With a smaller cruise liner, I experienced all the service benefits of a top hotel - food was fantastic, crew couldn’t do enough to ensure an entertaining time, activities were tailored to the 18 passengers ( who were more like family) and the stop off trips around the Seychelles brilliantly planned. It exceeded my expectations! I would also recommend this holiday to single travellers and all ages.”

Variety Cruises 5 star review on 26th July 2024

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Dear Joy, Thank you for your kind words about our crew - our family at sea, who always strive for the best! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the food and the itinerary! We look forward to welcoming you onboard again! Kind regards, Variety Cruises

“It has been a great experience.. highly recommended”

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Dear llaria, Thank you for your positive feedback! We look forward to the opportunity to welcome you back for another adventure! Kind regards, Variety Cruises

“First time on a cruise of any sort and it was fabulous. The accommodation, the food and all the crew from the Captain to the person that serviced our cabin twice a day were excellent. We even met the CEO who bought us drinks! All the guests from all over the world became friends and Ully our tour guide was great. A special mention to Mick who organised a cake for our silver wedding anniversary and Valerie who looked after our needs at the cocktail bar. I would highly recommend this company.”

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Dear Stephen, Thank you for sharing your cruise experience! We are delighted to hear that our crew and onboard team surpassed your expectations, and we're pleased that you enjoyed the dining experience. Congratulations on your wedding anniversary! We look forward to welcoming you back for another memorable adventure. Kind regards, Variety Cruises

“Had a wonderful cruise on Pegasus in the Seychelles in April. Staff members were all very friendly and helpful. The food was wonderful and the ship was very comfortable.The cruise coordinator provided useful briefings and led some very good excursions.”

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Dear Elizabeth, Thank you for sharing your experience! Your kind words will be shared with our team onboard - they will be delighted to know that they contributed to making your trip so enjoyable. We look forward to the opportunity to welcome you back for another adventure! Kind regards, Variety Cruises

“Excellent service throughout. Panorama 1 was an excellent sailing boat , the choice of swimming beaches could not have been better.”

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Dear Dimitra, Thank you very much for your feedback and we're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the swim stops. We look forward to welcoming you again onboard! Kind regards, Variety Cruises

Customer Service
Communication Channels	Email, Telephone
Queries Resolved In	6 - 12 Hours

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