Everything worth knowing before you book.

Groups of up to seven who want the boat to themselves rather than a seat on somebody else’s. Couples, families, friends travelling together, and people who have done a ticketed excursion once and did not enjoy being on a timetable. The day is built around swimming, stopping where you like the look of it and going ashore only if you feel like it. If what you want is a fast transfer, a party boat or a fixed sightseeing itinerary, we are honestly not the right fit.

Up to seven guests, plus your skipper. The price is the total for the boat, not a per-person fare — two of you pay the same as seven of you for the same cruise. Larger numbers simply mean less room and more turns with the shade. We run one group at a time, so you are never sharing the boat with strangers.

Yes, and there is no minimum age. There are child life jackets for every age, and each child gets one that fits. For children aged two to six, consider a four- or six-hour cruise with frequent stops. Eight hours is possible, but only with time ashore built in — a walk, lunch at a taverna — rather than eight hours straight on the boat. Parents remain responsible for their children during the trip. When you enquire, tell us how many children are coming and their ages.

Tell us before you book. Boarding at the marina is a step from the pontoon with a hand from your skipper rather than a climb, and your skipper is there to help you back aboard after a swim. Both are manageable for most people, but “most people” is not a useful answer about a specific person. Describe the situation when you enquire — including anyone who is not a confident swimmer — and we will tell you honestly whether it works, and which cruise length suits.

Say so when you enquire, because it changes which cruise we suggest rather than whether you can come. The northeast coast stays close to shore for most of the day, in sheltered water; Paxos, Sivota and the Diapontia islands each involve an open crossing, and the Diapontia route spends a good part of the day in open water. The boat is a deep-V Technohull, which its specification describes as giving stability and a smooth ride in chop — but no hull removes a swell, and we would rather move you to a sheltered route than talk you into a crossing. Your skipper can also shorten or change the route while you are out, and if the conditions on the day are unsuitable the cruise is rescheduled or fully refunded.

Swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. Soft bags rather than hard suitcases, which are awkward to get aboard and to stow. A light layer for the ride back is worth having even in August. Everything else — drinks, fruit, snacks, snorkelling gear, the paddleboard, the sea scooter, shade, a freshwater shower and a WC — is already on the boat.

None. Your skipper is aboard for the whole cruise and handles the boat, the anchoring and the navigation. You do not drive, you do not need a licence, and nobody expects you to have an opinion about the wind. Your skipper speaks English, German and Greek. Christos Batralis has over 5,000 hours at the wheel.

As much as you want within the length of cruise you have booked. Swimming stops are the point of the day rather than an interlude in it — you anchor somewhere you like the look of and stay until you have had enough. We will not put a number of minutes or a number of stops on it, because that depends on the route, the weather and what your group feels like doing.

Yes. Snorkelling gear is carried aboard as standard and included in the price. The northeast bays in particular shelve steeply and stay clear close to shore, so you often do not need to go far from the boat to see something worth seeing.

Both are aboard and included — no hire charge, no add-on. The stand-up paddleboard comes off the stern and is a good way to potter around a bay at your own speed. The sea scooter is a handheld electric unit that pulls you along underwater, and it is usually the thing teenagers and adults alike want a second go on. Both are used with your skipper’s guidance, and whether they suit a particular child is something to confirm with us when you enquire rather than assume.

That is fine, but tell us in advance. Nobody has to get in, and a non-swimmer can spend the whole day aboard perfectly happily. Anyone who cannot swim does not go into the sea without a life jacket and supervision.

Yes. There are life jackets for adults and child life jackets for every age, and each child gets one that fits. Tell us how many children are coming and their ages when you enquire.

Your skipper is there to help you back aboard. If getting back aboard would be harder for anyone in your group, tell us when you enquire and we will talk it through properly. The exact arrangement is confirmed when you enquire — and if it matters for someone specific in your group, that is exactly the sort of thing to ask about first.