Our week sailing on the Alba IV with Captain Marco was the highlight of our September 2011 holiday in Greece. The boat was very comfortable and whatever island we docked at, Marco was always able to suggest a great spot to visit or eat. Betty was very prompt at answering all our questions and helping us plan our trip. We will have to return soon to sail the Cylcades as the weather prevented us from travelling that far on this trip.

We booked this vacation on the recommendation of a friend and it was everything we had hoped it would be. Betty was fabulous with the booking details and patiently answered all of my many questions as this was the first time we had ever done anything like this. Marcos is a great captain and his knowledge of the different islands and what they have to offer is invaluable. The Wavedancer was very clean and comfortable for my family of six adults. This is an awesome way to sail the Greek Islands. We were there the first week of August and it was an amazing experience!

Trying to find something that interested my wife and 4 children ages 17 - 28 for our first family vacation with all of us together in ten years was a real challenge. From our first contact with Betty though we new vacation Yachting would be it. Betty made all the reservations and planning painless and we even had the opportunity to meet and enjoy dinner with her on Syros. The Alba IV was exactly as pictured and Marco's was everything you would want in a skipper and guide. In each port he filled us in with his extensive local knowledge, arranged and ordered incredible dinners and showed the kids some nightlife after my wife and I retired each evening! They are still talking about the cliffs he led them to and the fun they had sailing with him. Our week with Marco was the highlight of our two weeks in Greece. We will definitely do it again as there are many more islands to explore.

June 15-19, 2011 What an amazing and memorable trip! Marco's excellent knowledge of the islands (beaches, cafes, restaurants, sites, etc.)and his easygoing manner allowed us to create a great itinerary from Santorini to Mykonos. And, Betty made planning the trip easy. Friendly and prompt, she was always available to answer questions and to keep the process moving forward. Many thanks Marco and Betty!

My wife and I were looking to do something special to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary so we chartered with Vacation Yachting for a week. We were a little nervous as we had never done anything like this before. The experience was better then we had hoped for. Captain Marco made the trip. His personality and knowledge of the islands, along with his sailing ability, made it the success it was. Also, Betty was terrific in getting back to us and answering all our questions. We highly recommend Vacation Yachting and can't wait to sail with them again.

My wife and I spent eight days on the Alba IV for our honeymoon at the beginning of September. It was absolutely wonderful. The Alba, also known as Wavedancer, is a beautiful yacht that combines all the comfortable modern amenities with the classical yacht look and feel. The boat was perfect for a honeymoon; at the same time it would be equally perfect and comfortable for up to eight friends as each cabin contains its own closet and head. The boat is great when you are lounging at port while incredibly seaworthy and smooth under sail. What really made the trip was the great direction and sincerity of Marco. Marco is a professional, courteous, knowledgeable and humorous captain who knows yachting and the Greek Islands inside and out. If you are looking for a restaurant, cafe, beach, shop, or anything you can think of, Marco can give you direction regardless of the island. Or, if you are looking to see a specific island, Marco will get you there. Marco even caught and Octopus while snorkeling.....In conclusion, I would recommend a charter of the Alba without pause. Between the boat, Marco and the sights, we had an experience we cherish and will never forget. --Rebecca & Craig. September 2010

We booked the entire boat for a group of friends for a week in early October. Started in Lavrio (Athens), and ended in Santorini. Captain Marcos made the sailing easy, and his recommendations for islands and restaurants and activities gave us a true Greece experience.

July 31-August 7 Our trip with Marco and Patrick was beyond our expectations! It was the trip of a lifetime. Marco's impeccable knowledge of each and every island helped to make our trip very special. This included recommendations for special restaurants and local cuisine, beaches, and island specific attractions. The Wave-Dancer was such a perfect place to call home for the week. It is a beautiful boat with all the amenities anyone would want. We really enjoyed each morning while boating to another island. Marco is a great Captain, very safety conscious, and would highly recommend him and his boat to anyone contemplating an island adventure. We cannot say enough thanks to all of you for making our trip so absolutely wonderful!!! And, we look forward to cruising with Vacation Yachting again! Bob and Jan Benbow Ankara, Turkey/Denver, CO, USA

Charter from Santorini to Syros-July 31-Aug.7 Our trip with Marco and Patrick was beyond our expectations! It was the trip of a lifetime. Marco's impeccable knowledge of each and every island helped to make our trip very special. This included recommendations for special restaurants and local cuisine, beaches, and island specific attractions. The Wave-Dancer was such a perfect place to call home for the week. It is a beautiful boat with all the amenities anyone would want. We really enjoyed each morning while boating to another island. Marco is a great Captain, very safety conscious, and would highly recommend him and his boat to anyone contemplating an island adventure. We cannot say enough thanks to Marco, Patrick and Betty for making our trip so absolutely wonderful!!! And, we look forward to cruising with Vacation Yachting again!

Charter Syros to Syros from august 7-14- Thanks to Marco, a wonderful captain. Great restaurant choices, very safe, nice to the kids, would happily recommend home!

Charter from Syros to Santorini july 24 to 31. Marcos and Patrick were great hosts for our trip. Not only did they provide us a great sailing experience, but they also acted as great hosts and became one of the family for the week. They never led us astray and kept us on track all week long! We were happy with it as it was! This was a great way to see the isles.

Charter from june 7 to 16 from Lavrio to Santorini Marcos, thanks for helping us with a dream vacation come true.

Charter from june 7 to 16 Lavrio-Santorini Captain Marcos, Thanks for a great vacation! It was "perfect". Thanks for introducing us to so many great foods and beautiful places. You made it so easy to fall in love with your beautiful country Greece! This was a trip we will never forget!

Charter from may 28 to june 4 from Lavrio to Santorini. In July 2009, when deciding where to go on vacation the summer of 2010, my sister Karen said, ?What about chartering a sail boat in Greece?? YES! She found Marco on Matt Barrett?s website. Our anticipation and excitement grew to unbelievable hopes and expectations over the next 10 months. We have never done anything like this before. Seldom does anything meet with expectations so blown out of proportion. Marco took our group of 8 family and friends on the vacation of a lifetime. He welcomed us into his home ? the Alba IV, the Sea and all of the Greece we were about to experience. Marco and Betty planned our trip from Lavrio to Santorini perfectly. Sailing for a few hours everyday, Marco then brought us to Islands we would not have otherwise seen. Spending each afternoon swimming, walking /site seeing, eating & drinking and shopping, In the evening, Marco brought us to family owned restaurants. The food was always fresh and amazing, the people always friendly and generous in their hospitality. Each day ended with strolls around port, a final drink at a tavern, then rocked to sleep by the gentle movement of Wave Dancer. Marco is a wonderful captain, tour guide and chef. He exceeded all of our expectations. Truly a vacation of a lifetime! With many thanks Marco and Betty. Peace, Laura Kimsey

Charter from june 23 to july 3 Lavrio-Lavrio. We thoroughly enjoyed our Greece vacation, and we can't thank you and Marco enough for all you did to make it so special. We would never have been able to see so many islands in one trip if not for the way we did it with the yacht charter. Marco was absolutely wonderful and so helpful! It made the whole experience much nicer knowing we had him to turn to for advice about what to do, where to eat, etc. I don't know if he mentioned to you, but we had a bit of a panic last Saturday morning when our pre-arranged taxi shutlle did not show up to take us to the airport. We finally got hold of them and they had completely forgotten us. Marco was able to speak to a local cab driver who called his company and they got two cabs sent over to Lavrio to pick us up right away. We made it to the airport in record time (going about 140 km per hour!) Anyway, I felt as though we were rushed in saying our goodbyes to Marco, and I wanted to let him know how much we appreciated everything he did for us during our trip. Thanks, too, to your son for checking us in online the day before. It was a very full flight, and I didn't want to take the chance of being bumped from our flight.

Hi everybody, This is a message from Vacation Yachting. As our webpage is new there are no entries from previous years. We can give you many recommendations from clients. Just ask. Betty van der Mei

Dear Marco and Betty, There is no way to thank you enough for the adventure of a lifetime! We were so excited when my sister chartered the beautiful Wavedancer for our first trip to the Cyclades, but we had no idea of just how amazing our week would be. None of us had ever sailed before and Marco's love of the open water, the beautiful, varied islands and his boat was contagious. His knowledge of the best places to eat, drink, swim, what to see, and where to hike was limitless and ensured that every day was our new "Best Day Ever" and every taverna was our "Best Meal Ever!" (The actual best meal MAY have been Chef Marco's chicken with vodka and cream sauce,cooked on deck under millions of stars and eaten after a sunset swim in an empty bay turning that impossible aegean blue water into red and gold, within sight of the mystical island of Delos) There were so many times we would look at each other and ask, "Is this really happening?" Marco is a gifted host and made us feel that the WaveDancer was our home. He is so funny and quick witted that he kept us laughing for a week straight. We could not have felt safer or in better hands on any dimension. (He also did not let anyone panic when he let me steer the boat)In short, the only thing that would have made our trip better would have been if Betty had joined us. The time we had with her and her good humored, welcoming presence on Syros was too short--and made us not want to leave Syros! I SO HOPE that someday we can come again and see some of the other islands with you. For us, there could be no other boat, captain or Betty! Best love to you Pam

Charter june 7 to june 16 Lavrio-Santorini We had an amazing vacation with Marco and the Alba IV. We couldn't have asked for anything more. Marco was a better resource than any guidebook. If you're going to Greece, I would highly recommend doing it this way. Michael and Ashley Grinnan

We had the most amazing time. It was everything we could have asked for and more! Will send pictures! ~Michael and Ashley

Charter march 26 to april 2 from Syros to Syros From the moment I first got in contact with Betty and Marcos of the Alba IV I knew we would have a great vacation. The 10 of us had an unforgettable trip through the isles, with Marcos being a fantastic guide and skipper. He was experienced, professional, and fun all at the same time! Some of our best memories are of all being on the boat between islands, chatting and enjoying each others' company. Everything about the trip was easy and efficient - from working to charter the course and deal with payment with Betty, to arriving at Syros and meeting them to head to the boat, to sailing the isles and returning to Athens afterward. I cannot begin to describe the incredible time that we all had, and we still constantly talk about places we saw, people we met, and things we did in Greece while traveling with Marcos. On behalf of all 10 of us, I would like to thank both of you for a week of fun, relaxation, and unforgettable experiences. I only hope we are lucky enough to return again for another trip! Some of the other people I went with also wished to add their thoughts: Marcos was so great. He let us do our own thing while still being a friendly, available, hospitable host. He took us out on Paros and we had amazing food together. Plus the boat was great, nothing went wrong, and the weather and price were perfect. Marcos was an amazing skipper, went above and beyond to make us comfortable and happy. The islands were gorgeous and if you enjoy sailing, you'll enjoy this. Definitely an experience to have! Thanks marcos :)