Once upon a time, Uber was just a mere taxi-hailing app. Then they branched out into food delivery, before conquering all with trains, flights, hotels and even reindeer rides. And now the app has started up something else: Uber Boat, which is now available on the Greek island of Mykonos.
Now, some of you might think that Uber already offers boats, namely the Uber Boat Thames Clipper in London. However, that one’s just a sponsorship. Mykonos’ Uber Boats mark the first time that the company has offered private boats on its app.
You can book an Uber Boat in Mykonos just as you’d book any Uber, anywhere. It’s all done through the Uber app, the only catch being that you need to book 45 minutes in advance and you have to be picked up from one of 25 pick-up/drop-off points around the island.
But what’s an Uber Boat on Mykonos actually like? Well, to find out, we sent Time Out staffer Agnes Sali to try them out first-hand.
‘Mykonos is really scenic. It’s a very, very sexy island,’ she explains. ‘Because it’s very hilly. On a boat you’ve got a good view of everything in the distance: all the nice architecture, the mountains and hills...everywhere you turn, 360 degrees of beautiful scenes and amazing sights.’
‘We got the boat from the beach to a restaurant,’ Agnes says. ‘To start with it was quite slow, letting us look around and enjoy the views. Then the skipper put some speed into it.’
But Agnes’ boat experience wasn’t just a matter of getting from A to B. It was also about fully appreciating her surroundings. ‘We got to sit in the middle of the ocean, we got to jump in the sea,’ she says.
Even aside from the views and scenery, Uber Boat felt like a convenient but different way of exploring. ‘It’s a nice alternative way to get around, rather than riding in an actual taxi,’ says Agnes.
Plus, it’s pretty easy to avoid congestion in the open sea, which, naturally proves an upside. ‘You’re just going to and from your destination, but in style and with no risk of traffic,’ she says.
Above all: ‘it’s something you would want to experience in Mykonos,’ says Agnes. Makes sense – hiring a boat or getting a ride on one has long been one of the best and most popular ways of exploring and enjoying yourself on the island. And now you can do so with Uber, it’s exceptionally convenient, too.
If you fancy booking an Uber Boat, well, get yourself down to Mykonos!
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