Santorini explosive argument

[JifNtGif]

I always go in holiday once a year with friend. Normally Europe, something chilled for 10 days. We switch who does all the admin / booking but will have a few places in mind. This year it was my turn to organise. Have booked Santorini. Got a fantastic deal. Beautiful venue. I booked it over Xmas for this July. Friend happy.
After several earthquakes we were nervous but agreed to wait it out (aware this is 'act of god' so couldn't get refund on insurance). There's been nothing major recently. So I assumed trip was on.

Over the weekend friend forwarded BBC article and said that the lead scientist said the " big earthquake/ volcanic eruption was coming this summer " and has said she's not coming.
I've read the article and it doesn't say that at all. In fact if anything it seemed the team had no clue what was happening and just let a journalist hang out with them for a day.
We can't cancel without losing a lot of money and friend said she would rather pay not to go. She won't reimburse me if I go by myself though.

We had a heated discussion and tbh I think she's making up earthquake scenarios/ catastrophising. What would you do ?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm25lz56rezo

Don’t let it destroy your friendship if she’s got a true fear understand that. she can’t go. But of course you can she should pay you but I think if she offered 50% I would take that Santorini is absolutely beautiful and if you get a chance, get the ferry to Folegandros because that’s the island on which my mother was born.

I've messaged her spurred on by the responses saying I basically wanted to sort out the summer trip and I'm still going so please could she pay me for half of the booking if she doesn't want to go.
I've been left on 'read ' and she's posted on SM since 🙄

What is he reasoning for not wanting to reimburse you if you still go?

went there recently. No earthquakes, absolutely beautiful and quieter than usual.

She should be paying you for her half of the booking regardless of whether you’re going or not.

So she’s already got a fear of natural disasters, so hardly surprising she’s spooked, especially after the fires in Greece a couple years ago which reeked havoc. Can you find someone else to take her place?

Well first of all, she needs to pay for her share of the holiday that she agreed you should book on her behalf way back in December. How come she hasn’t paid you yet?

Only when she has paid what she has been owing you for the last five months and all is square between you, do either of you address the issue of whether to go or not …taking into account all the implications of risk and cancellation costs etc.

I would still go unless there were official warnings not to travel there. But of course your friend is entitled to feel differently in which case she takes the loss of cancellation or the loss of transferring her part of the deal to somebody else.

I hope you can manage to keep the friendship.

Well done. I don’t suppose you have another friend who could take her place and reimburse her and so you have company? I guess it may be hard/costly to change the flights to their name. But she may at least get her money back for the hotel.

I’m sure you’ll have a lovely time. If it was really risky the UK Foreign Office would advise against travel there. It actually says:

Earthquakes
The area around the Cycladic islands of Santorini (Thira), Anafi, Ios and Amorgos, experienced increased earthquake activity in early 2025. This increase has since subsided and the tourist season is expected to continue as usual.
There is a risk of earthquakes and earth tremors in Greece. You should:

• familiarise yourself with safety procedures in the event of an earthquake
• follow advice given by the local authorities
• call the Greek emergency services on 112 if you are in immediate danger

For further guidance on how to prepare for earthquakes, please visit the Greek Ministry of Civil Protection (in English) and to see, for anywhere in Greece, where your nearest assembly points are located in case of emergency you can visit mysafetyplan.gov.gr (map with text in Greek).

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/greece/safety-and-security

Have you asked her why she thinks it's appropriate to not pay her share of the holiday if you choose to go regardless?
I can't imagine that she will be able to give any logical and acceptable reply. It's an awful way to treat a friend, and I think it will probably be the end of the friendship.
I would tell her I'm intending to make a money on line claim to recover her share of the holiday. And I would follow through on it.

Did she agree to pay before you made the booking? If so she should still pay up. This year might be a good time to visit Santorini if numbers are slightly down as the island is usually massively overcrowded. I don’t think there is any immediate risk of eruption and all volcanic areas are monitored by scientists constantly.

If you can cancel the accommodation for free you could also go to another island. Santorini is a good gateway to some of the other Cyclades eg Amorgos, Folegandros, Naxos, Milos etc

Keep the trip, lose the friend.
No true friend would leave you stranded like this. She should at the VERY least reimburse you.

Why has she not paid you already if you booked at Christmas?

@JifNtGif Is there any chance you could do a name change for her booking and take someone else? (I'll come! 😂 )

Do you get a partial refund if you cancel? Is that why she isn’t willing to pay her share and let you go alone?

Otherwise it makes no sense at all that she won’t pay up if you go it alone.

It would have been better to get her share of the money before booking.

I'd ask her to refund you her share but that you will look for another friend to take her place to try and get some of the money back to her.

She's being ridiculous.

It's not 'reimbursement' really.. she should be paying for her part of the holiday anyway whether she goes or not. Is she suggesting that you lose all the money because of a decision she makes? Does she think its an all or nothing situation? In which case I'd say the friendship would be in trouble anyway..
If she decides not to go it should have no bearing on your decision.

Just to clarify
She's saying that if you cancel the whole trip, she'll pay you her half

But otherwise she won't? That's insanely unreasonable.

Most of them leave during the winter anyway. I'm close to someone who lived there 3 decades and left in 2020.
He said it was always 'shaking'.
He's still in touch with many friends who have businesses based there and none are too worried, just cautious. Those that could live elsewhere during the frequent tremors that occurred just left for a while. It wasn't a 'fleeing in panic' scenario.
Many who work and live on Santorini never spend the winter there anyway (most own homes on mainland or abroad) and it always empties out from November anyway.

Anecdotally he's heard the season about to commence is terrible. Very low advance bookings etc which is maybe why you found a good deal.

Just go

She should pay her half whether you go or not. I would go in your circumstances. You can’t change it or get your money back, the only thing you can do is aim to go unless something dramatic happens just before you go

This ^^

Fear doesn’t mean she can refuse to pay the OP and dictate to her.

I think if she has a phobia you could be more understanding and try to talk to her

If you knew this about your friend why did you even consider going to Santorini given its recent history?

Wow. She does not get to dictate what you do. If her anxiety is preventing her going, that's her decision. But she doesn't get to not pay her share of you go.

I agree that the friendship is dead whatever. If she sticks to this totally illogical 'deal' your friendship will never be the same, as she'll have cost you so much money. So make her pay whatever, and at least get a holiday out of your broken friendship.