Been renting villas with friends, chartering boats with friends, owned a charter boat inviting guests, own a condo where often have guests..since 1980s. Never heard of bringing food that is not for everybody. This whole thing makes little sense.

Such vacations are not for everyone ..if I could access Bill H's old story of the Charter from hell on here it might shed light. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

A Villa or a charter is a unique chance to share, accomodations, food, drink and good times between unrelated people for an extended time. Usually it works sometimes it doesn't.

I see sometimes people that seem to want to share expenses with other couples so they can have that fancy property or fancy boat for their dream vacation. It is not so much they want to share the accomodations, the food, the good times together..but as a means for each unit to experience the place.

To believe you lost friendship of 3 couples because the chef didn't parcel out the meat properly or that ruined your entire vacation over 30 pounds of meat...doesn't add up.

The warm, not hot water issue is strange in that in a letter to charter company was the only complaint against the captain. If he were Captain Bly there should be in more than a week's interaction a squawk list that would make him sound worse than what each of our presidential candidates are saying about each other. Did he take them everywhere they wanted to go? Do what they wanted to do? I just don't believe he would not start the engines if requested.
Neither the chef or the captains actions would have caused true friendships to have been ruined by the participants on board.
Indeed it would likely have made them stronger. I took an offshore course years ago with four aboard plus the instructor. He was a real jerk of the highest order. It actually brought the crew closer together and though his attitude made for a miserable 4 days, we had a great time laughing at the pub when it was over.
Chartering or renting Accomodations with unrelated people is not for everyone. It is best if there is a good fit well established with common interest in doing it, not being "sold" or talked into going. It requires that everyone knows things might go wrong and are comfortable spending the money with no buyers remorse during or after.