Cinque Terre and Portovenere Boat Tour Wine and Focaccia

fantastic tour of the Cinque Terre

I want to thank the whole team, I really wanted to take this tour to visit the famous Cinque Terre. Dennis was super kind and punctual with his directions regarding the meeting place and time, complete with a Google location and photos for the meeting point. The skipper and the hostess were professional and friendly, they served us breakfast and an aperitif with focaccia and prosecco, on board there was a fridge with water, Coca-Cola, and beer. We made photo stops and swimming stops and in front of some points the team told us some anecdotes. Satisfied with the tour, I recommend it.

via Tripadvisor (translated)

Beautiful experience and places, I recommend everyone to do it

Excellent experience, everything went well, team organized to perfection, the owner contacted us the day before providing us with all the information, the staff Federico and Safia were very professional and polite, they provided us with food and drinks and told us the whole history of the 5 Terre villages. Wonderful day, everything perfect.

via Tripadvisor (translated)

Very Disappointing Experience — Poor Communication and Serious Safety Concerns

It is unfortunate that I have to write this review because we were really looking forward to this boat trip with our family. Unfortunately, the experience fell well short of what we expected, especially considering the $800 price. We arrived at the meeting point 15 minutes early, but no one from the company was there to meet us. We asked several other tour guides if they knew where our captain was, but were unable to locate anyone. We called the number provided on our booking at 10:00 a.m., the scheduled arrival time, and were told someone was on the way. After waiting another 15 minutes, we called again but received no answer. After a third call, we finally reached the captain, explained that we were still waiting at the meeting point, and he eventually came to get us at approximately 10:40 a.m. While delays happen, the lack of communication and organization was disappointing and did not feel professional. Unfortunately, the trip itself had several issues as well. There was essentially no narration or explanation throughout the tour—nothing about the areas we were passing, the sights we were seeing, or what made them significant. The booking also advertised Prosecco, but they ran out after approximately the first hour. My wife only had one glass. More concerning, however, was the lack of any safety briefing. We were traveling with our three children, ages 5, 7, and 10, yet there was no discussion of safety procedures, life jackets, or what to expect if the water became rough. At one point, we hit a wave so large that the entire boat filled with water. Everyone on board, including our children, was thrown across the boat, and everything on board was soaked. Another passenger was injured, and my wife’s phone, which had been securely stored, was damaged and no longer works. This was an extremely frightening experience, particularly with young children on board, and the lack of any prior safety briefing made it even more concerning. It was also disappointing that there was no children’s pricing option, meaning we had to pay for five adults despite having three young children. For $800, we expected a much more organized, informative, and professional experience. The communication before the trip, lack of guidance during the tour, running out of advertised refreshments, absence of a safety briefing, and the incident on the water left us very disappointed. We had hoped this would be a memorable family experience for the right reasons, but unfortunately, it was not.

Response from the operator: Good morning, To be honest, we were on the boat with other customers waiting for you at 10:00. We left later because you weren't at the meeting point at 9:45. Regarding alcohol, the fridge contained 25 bottles of water, 15 Cokes, 12 beers, and 2 liters of Prosecco. There were 6 adults and 3 children on the boat, so 350 ml of Prosecco and 2 beers each. Considering it was 35 degrees Celsius, I don't think it's safe to drink more alcohol on the boat. Breakfast was also served with croissants and focaccia. When we returned from the tour, the fridge was empty and there was nothing left to eat. Finally, I'm sorry about the waves. When going to the Cinque Terre, we are in open sea and it can happen that we encounter slightly higher waves, I think that's normal. Anyway, I'm sorry but I think the review is a bit exaggerated, but we accept criticism and will always try to work as best as possible.

via Tripadvisor

10/10 Highly recommend

I booked this experience with my entire family and we all had a great time. Everything went smoothly, they were really nice to us. Even gave the option to my brother to jump in the water when feeling sea sick. The towns were beautiful, just like the images and I can say you do appreciate them more from the water.

via Tripadvisor