I can't imagine booking a cabin with a company like Festiva. I appreciate what they do and maybe it works for some but, man, you are in for a rude awakening if you end up spending a week on a catamaran with people who, in the end, are like oil and water. All that is magnified with alcohol.

Just to make the point, I received inquiries from 7 folks when I posted a request for crew for our 2 week charter in July. Narrowed it to 3, got in depth references from 2, talked to the references by phone and email and ended up with one crew member, the 5th on our boat, after a ton of research.

That paid off as Russell Bertrand was a perfect fit for the four of us. Not only did we have a great time together, but he turned out to be great in giving the 3 newbies on the boat the confidence they needed to make the trip completely enjoyable.

Bottom line: Do your research.