Hermes Yachting Reviews 

We chartered the Hanse 508 Charles from Hermes Yachting, and it was one of the worst charter experiences I've had. I strongly recommend avoiding this company.

1. The boat was in terrible condition. Numerous things were broken or barely functional. Some of the furniture was practically falling apart. The main electrical control panel wasn't working at all. Instead, there was a makeshift contraption to switch the navigation and anchor lights on and off, while the rest of the electrical systems could only be controlled directly through circuit breakers. This is simply unacceptable for a charter yacht.

2. The boat was infested with cockroaches. We discovered the infestation after leaving the marina. When we reported it during checkout, the staff member simply dismissed our complaint. Based on that reaction, I have little confidence the problem will be addressed before the next charter.

3. The worst part was the deposit. During checkout, the staff identified a collection of relatively minor issues that I am completely convinced were already present when we received the boat. Nevertheless, Hermes Yachting charged us for them, taking most of our security deposit.

Given the generally poor condition of the yacht at handover, I found this particularly outrageous. We were effectively made to pay for problems that, in my view, predated our charter.

My advice: Stay away from Hermes Yachting. There are plenty of other charter companies in Greece that deserve your business.

If you decide to charter from them despite this warning, spend as much time as necessary during check-in documenting absolutely everything. Photograph and video every damaged piece of furniture, every malfunctioning system, every scratch, every missing item, and every minor defect. Make sure every issue is recorded in writing and acknowledged by their staff before departure.

Otherwise, based on our experience, you risk being charged at checkout for damage that was already there.

A poorly maintained yacht is bad enough. Being charged for its pre-existing problems makes the experience significantly worse. I would never charter from Hermes Yachting again.

Awful - run before you get scammed too

This summer my family and I chartered the Bavaria 56 "Kallirhoe" through Hermes Yachting for 25 days. €12,500. Absolute mess.

Every single night required taking the tool kit out at midnight to fix yet another problem.

Something was broken almost the entire trip: inverter dead, water pouring onto the cabin floor from the AC and the shower, freshwater pump failing twice. Then the bow thrusters went out and it took over a WEEK to actually fix, including 3.5+ days stuck waiting in Paros for technicians who kept no-showing on us. This was after we rearranged our entire itinerary to meet them

The worst part was being pressured to squeeze a 56ft boat with no bow thrusters into a tight berth in 30+ knot winds - the same winds their own mechanics said were too dangerous for them to cross in a tender. We said no, because it was genuinely unsafe. Vaggelis got hostile and rude with us on the phone over it. Completely unprofessional and out of hand.

And after all that, we find out the water maker their own brochure advertises as installed equipment was never even on the boat. During the checkout procedures they just said it was broken and they would get back to us, but turns out they knew it was never there. When we brought it up, they tried to say their brochure doesn't count.

There was no remorse or apologies ever conveyed by the company. We have never been spoken to with so little respect - ruined our vacation and am writing this so they hopefully won’t ruin yours too! Do not recommend!

Extremely disappointing experience. I would not recommend this charter company.
We chartered the Dufour 460 Vanilla Sky for two weeks and the condition of the yacht was far below what we expected from a professional charter company. We understand that boats can develop occasional problems, but the number of maintenance issues was unacceptable.
The Genoa was heavily worn and had numerous previous repairs. The mainsail furling system repeatedly got stuck, eventually resulting in a pulley breaking. The bow thruster only worked properly in one direction, the wind instrument was approximately 15° out of calibration and the fuel gauge either remained at 99% or stopped giving a reliable reading.
The cockpit refrigerator did not work, one stove burner did not work, there were problems with the toilets/black-water system and bad smells, one bathroom filled with water, and some pumps would run continuously.
There were also safety issues: two broken drawers that could open while sailing, damaged saloon furniture with sharp exposed edges that actually hurt members of our crew, and a defective cabin door/handle that resulted in one crew member becoming trapped inside. The cockpit table also came loose while sailing and the cushions could not be properly secured.
The sheets did not fit the mattresses and constantly came off, leaving us sleeping directly on mattresses without protectors. The frying pan was in terrible condition, with the non-stick coating peeling off, so we had to buy our own.
We also paid €50 to rent a fishing rod for two weeks. What we received looked like a very cheap/basic rod, similar to something costing around €20, with only about 5 metres of fishing line, making it practically useless.
The worst issue concerned the Genoa. Despite already being visibly worn and repaired many times, when it tore we were required to pay €250 in cash for the repair. Surprisingly, the yacht documentation described the Genoa/self-tacking jib as being from 2026, which was difficult to reconcile with its heavily repaired condition.
At check-out, instead of addressing the condition of the yacht, we were told the problems had happened because we did not know how to sail, and their lawyer was mentioned. Obviously, broken appliances, furniture, pumps, toilets and many other issues have nothing to do with sailing ability.
The situation afterwards has been even worse. We had paid a €280 damage waiver plus an €800 refundable security deposit, in addition to the €250 cash repair. After check-out, we repeatedly emailed asking when our €800 deposit would be returned.
They have simply stopped responding to our emails. If they believe they have a legitimate reason to retain any amount, the minimum we expect is a written explanation and supporting documentation.
We have photographs and videos documenting many of these issues.
An occasional problem on a charter yacht is understandable. This number of maintenance and safety problems, followed by blaming the customers, mentioning lawyers, charging us €250 and then ignoring repeated emails regarding an €800 refundable deposit, is not.
Based on our experience, I strongly recommend choosing another charter company.
I will update this review if they return the outstanding deposit and properly resolve the situation.

It was all fantastic, I had an amazing vacation with their boats!!

Amazing experience, everything was perfect!!!

I've been sailing in Greece for the past eight seasons, and Hermes Yachting is by far the best charter company I've ever used. After sailing with them for the last three years, I honestly can't imagine going back to anyone else.

What sets Hermes apart is how exceptionally well organized they are. The entire experience—from booking to check-in and check-out—is smooth, predictable, and completely stress-free. Their processes are clearly well thought out, communication is excellent, and every member of the team is professional, friendly, and genuinely knows what they're doing.

The boats are always in excellent condition, and everything runs exactly as you would expect from a first-class company. After experiencing this level of service, it's hard to go back to the unnecessary hassle that so many other charter companies seem to accept as normal.

I can't recommend Hermes Yachting highly enough. They have completely raised the bar for yacht chartering in Greece.

DO NOT RECOMMEND. Our charter with Hermes Yachting (Booking 26193 - Micha (Bali 4.1 catamaran), Olympic Marine, Lavrio) was defined by neglected vessel maintenance, missing cabin equipment, and an severely compromised sailing experience. After our original skipper had to depart due to a personal emergency, Hermes Yachting replaced him with a staff member who lacked essential skipper experience—leading to constant docking struggles, lost vacation hours, and refusal to open the sails even when requested. Worse, after forcing us to return a day early due to weather, Mr. Vaggelis demanded full skipper payment for Friday, only for us to discover the skipper working his normal Hermes staff job that morning—effectively double-charging us while withholding our money. When we formally reached out in writing to settle these grievances amicably, Hermes Yachting completely ignored our communication. Save your money and book elsewhere.

Professional people, with high standards and warm smiles. Everything was organized and stress-free. The Aegean at its best! Would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a great day at sea.

We had a good experience despite the last minute book. We book last minute due to last minute change of plans.
However, they were very helpful and happy to do all the arrangements for us.

We had an absolutely amazing experience! The yacht was in perfect condition, spotless, luxurious, and even better than the photos. The crew was incredibly friendly, professional, and always willing to help with anything we needed, making us feel comfortable and relaxed from the very first moment.
Everything was organized perfectly, and the whole trip exceeded our expectations. You can truly see the attention to detail and the passion for providing a top-quality experience. Every moment on board felt special, and honestly, we didn’t want the day to end.
Highly recommended for anyone looking for a premium yacht experience. We would definitely choose them again!

NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE.
We rented a catamaran with unpleasant surprises. Broken equipment (watermaker, toilet flush, air conditioning). Missing equipment (chairs, etc.). Poor housekeeping.
They made us sailing around Greek ports for a week to repair the watermaker, but to without success, thus impacting our vacation.
Upon arrival at the port, they said everything was fine, and they didn't even refound us for the water costs we had due to the constant stops to ports. To forget.

We rented a catamaran from Hermes Yachting for a week, and honestly – it was one of the best charter experiences I’ve ever had.

The briefing was super professional and relaxed. No unnecessary talking, no stress – just clear instructions, helpful tips, and a really friendly vibe. They took their time, answered all our questions, and made sure we felt totally comfortable before heading out.

The boat itself? Spotless. Well-maintained. Exactly like in the pictures – maybe even better. Everything worked perfectly, and you could tell they really take care of their fleet.

What stood out the most: the check-out process was smooth and fair. No nitpicking, no hidden charges – just an honest, respectful handover. That’s rare in the charter world and really appreciated!

We’re already planning to book again for next year – no doubt about it. If you're looking for a trustworthy, down-to-earth, and professional charter company, Hermes Yachting is the way to go.

I had booked the Salted Caramel for 2 weeks. The boat was in good condition.
The staff were very friendly and helpful. The pick-up and return were
uncomplicated and courteous. I will be happy to book with Hermes Yachting
again.

I highly appreciate a warm and welcoming approach of the staff, totally professional communication during the entire trip, transparent and serious handling of every piece of our agenda, and last but not least, perfect condition of the chartered boat and full support regarding technical issues.

Best experience ever! Excellent customer service and great staff. Thank you guys, see you again next year!

We had a great experiance this october with Hermes,boat was in good condition and the staff very friendly

It was a perfect week and a perfect support! It was not the youngest Yacht we hat, but it was in a very good condition! Thank you for this beautiful sailing week!

Amazing company and crew! We rented the boat Bellatrix for a week and it was one of the most unique experiences! Both of our kids enjoyed the trip and the team guided us through the whole process! Definitely recommended!!!!!!

Boat showing age- bathroom handles broke/needed repairs, light in bathroom broke, tender (dingy) 1/2 nearly deflated discovered during 1st time use, hot water useable only in 1 tank (found out the hard way), no assistance offered from company when asked queries-left on our own, poor support, onboard gas grille totally not functional, journey started with used gas tanks which we needed to replace, sails stuck making sailing difficult, and worst of all, got stranded in open water due to engine failure! After asking company for help and their advising sailing was safe, it was NOT. Took 7 hours once towed into port for company local mechanic to work in the engine. Company threatened to sue us if we did not return unsafe sailboat back into original marina!!!!

Few more:
Wifi plan we purchased did not work.

With pending storm and seeking guidance as to where to go and indicated to Hermes that Santorini Marina advised that boat could not go into Marina since it is too shallow - Hermes still advised going there! Hermes Did not know the Marina details and their boats specs.

Boat motor cooling system failed and alarm went off- Hermes expert advised to press the alarm button, disengage alarm and continue motoring.

Given problem with engine and we deciding to take shelter in first safe harbor - Hermes advised to not do that - rather go to a further island two hours away! Towards the later afternoon.

going from one island to the next the smoke started from the engine - disengaged engine and could not sail due to no wind. - called Hermes technical help - took over an hour for someone to return our call/message. Rather than sending a tow boat - they required the captain to trouble shoot for at least a couple of hours before Hermes decided to send a fishing boat to tow us to the next nearest island.

Hermes advised not to report/call the coast guard for help / rather - they asked if the coast guard asked us for details to refer them to Hermes technical expert - why? What have we to hide? Why divert from maritime protocols? What does Hermes wish to hide? Or not disclose to Coast Guard?

⁠When docked- waited three hours for mechanics for possible repair. Took 3 mechanics over 3 hours to repair. And then needed to wait at least 12 hours for the repair work to be finalizef (could not sail until following day).

Crew had no confidence that repair would work and that we would be stranded on way back to Olympic Marina (a 55 mile journey). Captain was forced to return the boat under threat of prosecution!!!

We chartered the sailboat - Vanilla Sky and encountered the following problems:Boat showing age-bathroom handles broke/needed repairs, light in tha bathroom broke, tender (dingy) 1 side nearly deflated discovered 1st time using, hot water tank only available in 1 tank (discovered after running out), onboard gas grille no functional, initial sail without complete gas tanks, paid for wi-fi (critical for some on board) and did not function (was reimbursed at the end of the sail but too late) - WORST of ALL - boat stranded after engine failure! Contacted the company whilst sailing with engine signaling distress- were told to keep using as it was probably a faulty fuse!!!! It was not, needed to be towed into a port waisting a full day of sail and left unsafe in open waters. Local mechanic finally meeting repairing engine ("it should be ok to sail") but not 100% guarantee the repair is effective. None of the crew felt safe to continue to sail with a faulty engine but were advised we would be sued if we did not return the Vanilla Sky to orginal port. We never recommend Hermes sailing (there are better companies to rent from) nor renting Vaniall Sky (which we saw has been rented out immediately after return to port by us).