The Catamaran company ,charter nightmare

Here is a letter I wrote to the company. I don't really know what to expect from them in a response. I honestly will be surprised if they respond at all. This is only the crust of how bad things actually were on board.
Thoughts?


A group of us took a charter aboard Anchor Management in June. The night we arrived we met the chef and captain we had hired. It was specified after a long day of travel to make sure the water heater was on for us. Later that night we went to shower and had no hot water. The chef we hired ,who was staying on board,attempted to remedy the situation by calling someone familiar with the vessel. We were told in a very offensive manner to not touch anything on the boat or we would be responsible. We were told to go use the bath house nearby. This bathhouse was unclean and had no hot water. The next morning I visited the front office for help getting the issue resolved before we set sail. No one ever came to the boat to fix it. The neighboring boat captain (Hal) came aboard and told us if we did not stop complaining the boat wouldn't leave the port as the captain (Ron) would quit on the spot. This did not set well with us.
Over the course of the next few days we were told the water heater had a bad part and could not be fixed. Being familiar with boats we asked the captain to crank the engines and heat the water for us so we could have hot showers. The only day he obliged was Wednesday for the nice dinner at Anegada. We were never offered an explanation as to why our request wasn't honored. We realize boat parts aren't readily available but there was no reason to not use the engines to heat the water.
I also need to address the chef we hired for this charter as well. Two of us had packed our meat from the United States and it was conveyed to the chef to keep our portions separate and explained how we wished our meals to be prepared. We were chastised each time we entered the galley to get a bite to snack on. After several meals with no meat we questioned why we weren't being served our packed portions and were assured the meals were being prepared right. The last two days of the trip the two guests who packed their meat wound up feeding the entire boat,crew included,their meat portions. The chef even threw two steaks overboard saying they were soured. This was a lie because we checked the frozen meats each day to make sure they were staying frozen. There was 30 pounds of meat frozen. It is unacceptable that the two persons who transported the meat did not have meat with each meal as they requested. Friday the chef cooked more meat than could be consumed.
Needless to say this seemingly small inconveniences ruined the majority of our trip. We were a group of 6 friends who have boated together for years but due to issues aboard the vessel we did not speak from Wednesday evening to when we returned to port. We have not spoken since.
This was to be the trip of a lifetime for us and it turned out to be the worst vacation we have ever booked. I am still broken hearted over the money we spent on this vacation and it's disappointing outcome.

Please give me an explanation why this crew did not address our issues and make this a vacation of a lifetime like we were assured it would be.

oh boy, this thread is going to get wild...It's been a quiet summer...

Certainly a well explained problem and I hope the Company has some way to help solve your disappointment - I am a bit surprised to hear you are heartbroken about the money part and not the loss of good friendships however.

Quote

"It was specified after a long day of travel to make sure the water heater was on for us."

I think this certainly makes the case for hiring a boat that is owner operated and crewed. They are many of them here on the board.

It sounds like you hired the captain and chef from the same operation that you chartered the boat from. They have no skin in the game. They get paid to run a boat that doesn't belong to them and cook for a group that they have no relationship with.

Those who run their own crewed charter boats would be out of business if they treated their clients that way.

It is not uncommon for a boat to have minor problems, but I think you could reasonable assume it would be fixed or the hot water issue accomodated using another vessel or at your suggestion the engine heating.
As for the chef, sounds like a pain in the [censored] that doesn't care about your wants or needs.

I'm sorry about your lousy trip. If you make a next one, look for a sponsor that owns the boat and business. There are several really good ones, the bad ones aren't in business anymore.

Something does not add up on the hot water. I assume this was a catamaran. Each engine and hull would have a associated hot water tank which is heavily insulated. The water can be heated by a electric element or running the engines. The electric elements are almost never used in the BVI because they draw a lot of Amps and can overload show power or a genset if the AC is running. Normal engine use to dock or moor a boat should however heat the tanks and provide adequate hot water for reasonable showers all evening. Each hulls system is normally independent of the other.
Having said all of the above the water temp in the tanks is normally fine for showers even when the hot water tanks are empty. Certainly worst case it would be a very minor distraction.
G

Was there no way to get in contact with the charter base for some support on your hot water problem? Maybe to explore the possibility of switching boats?

I'm surprised you waited several meals before asking for your protein and why not ask for a small portion every meal or every day from that point on?

I am only surprised that you waited until the end of this trip to send an email? I wonder if the owners/managers of the company knew during the trip that they could step in and help from at least that point forward?

Something more was going on to ruin the trip beyond cold water and not enough steak.

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. Is there more to it then what you posted though?

Because I'm not sure why the issues listed would ruin a trip or cause issues between you and your friends.

It seems the big issue was the chef? Did you ever consider just firing them? Worst case you pay them anyway, but you could have at least dealt with your meals how you wanted, just would have meant your doing some cooking.

You need hot water in the BVI in August?

I agree about the hot water in Aug. The other thing I don't get is on a cat there are as I mentioned before normally two systems. One should have worked. I also had a hard time with the meal thing. If I brought 30lbs of steak I would be asking why I was not eating it!
G

I don't mean to make light of the issue but Captain Ron? Too funny.
If you have not seen this movie load it up and have a nice laugh/cry and then plan your next adventure. Without Captain Ron.

Kryssa, I personally went to the company office at the marina Saturday morning before we left out to ask for the water issue to be addressed. They sent someone out to our boat on the water Tuesday and said it was a bad element. No other boat was offered to us. This was the first of the collapse of our friendship as two of the guests were adamant about the water being fixed and others were not. It caused a big scene Saturday morning before we left out. Everyone has their luxuries. Had the air conditioning not been working , for instance,others would have created a bigger stir than those with the water issue. It's all in what your comfort level is.
We gave the chef the benefit of the doubt the first day and a half before we began asking for the meat that was packed. He just kept assuring us he was a professional chef and we were not to worry about it. By Thursday morning, having packed 5 pounds of bacon for 2 people and only having bacon one morning, things got heated with the chef.
We only had internet at Peter island twice the whole week, which was fine, it was a group decision to try to enjoy the remainder of the trip and address the issues once we returned.
George yes it was a brand new catamaran.
We paid 18,0000.00 for the week for the boat,Capt. And chef. I expect hot water if the boat is equipped. we didn't pay that much to take cold showers all week.
I suppose we could have fired the chef but we would have had to taken over cooking the meals and not all the ladies onboard had cooking skills so that would have left two women cooking all the meals for 8,plus crew,and that was not fair to ask of them. It was their vacation too.

WOW $18K for a week and only terrible memories.

Unfortunately it sounds like the "mood seed" was planted Saturday morning, especially the way you said another captain came over and commented. First impressions on both sides went south quick. HOWEVER, if I pay 18K for a charter I would expect hot water and a flexible chef. Hope the friendships heal. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

I guess I am confused by the term element. That normally implies the electric element in the system. Those are rarely if ever used in the BVI because of the amp draw. Running the engines even just a few minutes for docking normally provides plenty of hot water. When there was no hot water it's usually because the valves are turned off at the tanks. I have found that on several charter boats.
G

I should add that Capt Ron and Hal are best friends and were inseparable the entire trip from each other's boats. Hence the reason he felt he could come onto our boat and chastise us.

I don't really understand this. You can't really get cold water in the system in August, the temperature below deck in confined spaces is nearly always above body temperature..hence you start with warm water. A little running of engines or genset in our trawler made for very hot water.
These days we have a small power cat, there is no hot water tank aboard. The transom shower is never "cool" . In a zero to 10 scale on an impediment to enjoying a trip to the BVI having 100 degree plus water and having 130 degree water I could see steam rising from would rank a 0.1 . There is so much to do and see and enjoy, as long as there are comfortable showers to be taken I don't believe many would view this as a huge problem. Heads not working? No water.. Big problem..By the way unless there was a watermaker on board, the person worring about long hot showers with 8 on board is likely to be unpopular. You had probably 200 gallon capacity. Though many don't abide by it, boat showers should conserve water. Get wet, shut off water, lather, rinse. Wet hair shut off water, shampoo rinse. In that case there is little difference in hot water or warm water. I am in no way saying someone cannot insist on all the hot water they want and as hot as they want. It is just not a big deal for most.

I'm not sure I understand the food situation. Did you hire the chef separately or furnished by charter co.? Did you provision the boat or did the chef? Did you tell them before hand that you wanted each couples food prepared separately ? Please correct me if that is not the case. In the small galley it would be somewhat unreasonable to expect the chef to prepare separate meals for each couple. I often hear of a person or couple aboard requiring different diets..vegetarian, gluten free etc..but I've never heard of three couples bringing separate food for someone to prepare individually.
Indeed when we had the charter boat and today at the condo down there we and guests will bring some special items from home..provision together and use the supplies in common. Since I have never heard of three couples wanting their food kept separate, I'm guessing the chef who has to plan the meals found it strange as well.
I'm sorry you had such a bad time but honestly can't understand it. Perhaps it would have been good to have told the chef that he/she was going to prepare meals separately with items each couple brought. That could have been discussed and the chef declined the charter or done it at a much higher per diem. Just my thoughts after spending trips on the water.

There was a water maker on board.
We hired the chef from the company and provisioned our own boat to our liking. We specified the separated meat but also requested to cook the packed meat to match whatever the meat of the day was. For instance, if the group was having chicken then it was requested to thaw the transported chicken to accompany it. We asked for no separate meal prep or cooking style. Pork chops,ribs,bacon,chicken,summer sausage,regular sausage,butter and milk were packed and asked to be used in tandem with the group meals. No extra effort on the chefs part.

As asked in a private message. Yes we tipped the crew 800.00 a piece because it the accepted practice, not because we were satisfied. I find it offensive that someone would suggest we didn't intend to tip .

See this is where I think thinks went badly not just with chef but perhaps your other couples. This makes it sound like the food was there to be used by the group, which is the only way I've ever seen things done on a group charter. Somebody brings steaks,lsomebody cured bacon whatever..but to be used for a group meal. That is no problem I'm sure.

But in original post you said.
"
"Two of us had packed our meat from the United States and it was conveyed to the chef to keep our portions separate and explained how we wished our meals to be prepared."

"The last two days of the trip the two guests who packed their meat wound up feeding the entire boat,crew included,their meat portions. The chef even threw two steaks overboard saying they were soured. This was a lie because we checked the frozen meats each day to make sure they were staying frozen. There was 30 pounds of meat frozen. It is unacceptable that the two persons who transported the meat did not have meat with each meal as they requested. Friday the chef cooked more meat than could be consumed.
Needless to say this seemingly small inconveniences ruined the majority of our trip."

You see the indication was those items brought were to be cooked separately for two couples. That is just unusual and putting out a meal for 8 on a boat is tough enough without trying to be sure these 4 people get this and the other 4 don't. Is it possible that this aggravation at having to share these provisions or not wanting to share was at the center of some of the hard feelings?

If chartering a boat from the charter co we were with and you paid a per diem for a skipper and a cook, you were responsible for providing for their food as well. Now fully crewed charters including food are different.

Anyway I think I would advise couples chartering together have several discussions about what they are going to do. They should understand even on a nice vessel in some ways they are "camping on the water". Things will often go wrong, genset or Ac breakdown..a head malfunction. Shower sump get clogged. Stuff happens. It is not like a resort stay, though the captain and company should do everything possible to make your trip everything they can.
I would also advise using the same plan we all learned in school when they take your candy away. "If you don't bring enough for everybody, don't bring any. ".
I would be as uncomfortable as bringing a dish to a picnic or a church supper and telling the kitchen crew.."this is only for these two couples"

It seems you were on a hybrid between bareboat and crewed charter and it did not work out. Maybe a real crewed charter or just the two couples that wanted to bring food would work better. Not trying to change your mind but if others reading and expecting nothing to go wrong on a charter to reconsider that type of vacation. . I also would encourage people to share and share alike on provisioning the boat. If bring stuff you like, bring enough for everyone. Anyway hope you all get back as friends. Life is way to short to let little things like how hot the water is or who didn't get what at the dinner table to ruin friendships.

I'm sorry for your angst but brought a smile to my face thinking about the late Bill Hartzman's description of some of his charters gone bad years ago on TTOL.. Sail on Bill H .

Wow, the worst part is your loss of your friendships! I think BVI charters may not be for your group. The bright side is that your A/c worked the whole trip. Next time you may want to try a cruise... Cheaper, with all the amenities. Fair winds to you guys.

Yep! Today when the AC or potty does not work on a cruise ship CNN runs with the story 24/7. Where is Clint Eastwood when you need him.

Let me summarize. A "new" Lagoon 52 with AC, Watermaker, Five (5) Electric Flush Thrones, a crew of two, an extra private container with 30lbs of meat and at least 5lbs pounds of bacon... fouled by +/- engine room temperature water in June?

According to the writer two experience captains working in tandem on two different boats reached agreement on at least some of the issues before the boats even left the dock. The shore manager dispatch a boat to the situation and reached the same conclusion later in the charter. Maybe Burger King and "Have it Your Way".

I still don't understand the lack of hot water. Unless it is as George said and the valves were turned off or something - running the engine should give plenty of hot water. And a boat that size should have two water heaters - I'd think at least one would have been working.

I'm also surprised friendships would be damaged over this - Kind of makes me wonder how good the friendship really was? Even no A/C shouldn't ruin any friendships and for anyone that prefers it, a night without A/C is a lot longer then a quick shower.

And I guess I also don't understand the whole meat issue. Since any food on the boat had to be purchased, why not just have purchased the meat for everyone to use AND pay for? Seems that would have made life easier for the chef and maybe avoided problems there.

End of the day, having done well over a dozen charters with a variety of groups, there's one very simple thing I've learned. You simply don't charter with people who aren't flexible. When on a boat, you need to go with the flow and know things aren't always going to be perfect.

And if you do want to do a charter with chef and captain, a crewed boat is probably a better choice then a bareboat with hired captain and cook.

I can see how you'd be disappointed and I'm really sorry things went badly for you guys. It won't help you but at least you let CatCo know about your experiences with the captain and the cook. I can't imagine why the captain would not run an engine for hot water in the evening. I sense the cook had his own ideas of what he was going to do - he just wasn't prepared to tell you his plan. In both cases that would be "no tip for you"! Of course, if either had a reasonable explanation for their actions, I'd be willing to accept that and move on.

For those interested in as near a perfect trip as possible hire a full time crew and boat - if they can't keep everyone happy no one can.

It's all about expectations and nobody prepares the uninitiated for the downsides of paradise; things like oppressive heat at the dock, sunburn, mosquitos, no-see-ums, flies, jelly fish, sea sickness, rain, rough weather, lightening & thunder, breakdowns, crew incompatibility and having to obey a command or do some work from time to time.

I have been Captain and previously a chef and a mate on full time crewed Charter boats - It was some of the easiest and hardest weeks of my career - totally depending on the guests expectations and attitudes and occasionally alcohol consumption.

We had the spare cabin you were welcome too. It had very hot water.

And the plot thickens...

In all seriousness, I'm sad that this group had such a bad experience. I wonder how they found this particular boat/crew and how much research went in to finding them.

Rick, I know these folks. They are all on my dock. We were there at the same time but we bare boated as I have done for 15 trips. All the folks on Lakegirls charter are VERY experienced boaters and all own very nice power boats. They paid to have relaxing fun and it didn't seem to fully work out that way. Their expectations were not unrealistic just under delivered.

I surprise the cook would even consider using meat the he/she didn't purchase themselves. They are putting the quality of their final product in jeopardy by not selecting the meat themselves.

And imagine if some of that meat was bad. It would have still been considered the cooks fault even though it was provided to them.

All in all, those 2 issues are both minor and if those were the only problems I would have considered it pretty successful.

$18'000 for a week for 3 couples and you had to bring your own food? Just curious what kind of boat was it? how large?

Last time I checked you can get a 58' cat chartered and crewed all inclusive for $20K. Don't see the value in this arrangement but don't have details.

I do feel a bit sorry for the chef. Trying to prepare meals in a galley and having to keep track of who's meat is who's and having to make multiple meals for a setting would get frustrating, confusing and impractical if not impossible.

Sorry, I also don't get the issue with no hot water. The water in those tanks have to be at least 39 deg (Celsius, Canadian Eh!) After a hot day in the sun and water, a nice cooling shower is much more refreshing and definitely not worth ruining a vacation or a relationship over.

Also you are combining boating with da'islands mon! Service standards, parts availability, repair times, all have to be set low. If they exceed great! If not, have another drink, enjoy the water and the beach...

Great story from renting From Moorings. The towel that they had on the boat to wipe your feet on was dirty from the maintenance people wiping their boots on to fix an odor issue from one of the heads (They ending up just spraying some cleaning solution which didn't fix the problem by the way.) When I asked for a fresh towel as the towel was already dirty before our departure they just looked at me with that... "what do you expect its for wiping dirty shoes, dumb [censored]" look . "Sorry no other towels available" they said... And that's when I remembered "oh yeah I am in da islands" and about to set off on a 7 day adventure of a life time! laughed it off and departed. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" />

Actually an online quote from The Moorings for a crewed charter in the BVI for any 9 days next June for 8 people would be over $35,000 for the boat plus the 15-20 percent gratuity paid on the full amount at the conclusion of the charter. Using the actual charter numbers above this group paid $18,000 total for 9 day or +/-$250 per person per day for a crewed boat with AC, watermaker, and five (5) electric flush thrones.

I think you meant "at least 29 deg".

No actually upper 90s F. Is about right below deck after a hot sunny day in the BVi, warmer If engine or genset has been on. 29 C. Would require a charterer Togo waaaay too far north for a charter boat. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

"Service standards, parts availability, repair times, all have to be set low"

As a boat owner in "da ilons" there are plenty of good mechanics, between SST, BVI, SJU, and SXM, parts are plentiful. You can get most anything overnighted. Depending on the location, water heater is an easy install. Since there were 2 and neither worked, I would assume they were turned off. Some of you think it's fine to take cold showers, not me. Here is a 11 gallon water heater, so cost should not have been an issue.

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marin...111?recordNum=2

I dunno, but I suspect that there were a LOT of poorly working parts here.

Having run a crewed charterboat for years, and before that bareboat skippered (granted in the old days)here's my two pence.

I'm thinkin' that your party was a bunch of Millenials, or slightly older...used to instant gratification and anonymous communication. You would have been comfortable texting the crew of your displeasure, but would avoid actually sitting down with them and having a face-to-face meeting to iron out the problems before they became insurmountable.

The fact that you brought meat to be divided up differently at each or some meals is no less than ridiculous. Unfortunately your goofy chef didn't have the ability to discuss a more reasonable plan with you, and practiced the prevalent West Indian technique of avoidance (not to say that he was West Indian by birth). Obviously you should have stopped the madness at the first meal, and again...had a short meeting, which may or may not have been productive, as far as the silly meat allocation was concerned, but at least you would have had a plan.

The hot water thing is also nothing short of ridiculous. If you had knowledge that the engine heat exchanger was working, and that the problem could have been solved by running an engine or two...you obviously should have had a short meeting with the captain - mano-o-mano to resolve the issue. If it couldn't have been resolved...seriously...get over it. Cold water happens. And in August at Latitude 18, nothing is actually cold naturally. Take a saltwater bath with a freshwater rinse and enjoy your evening.

The captain sounds like an idiot. He should have been sensitive to your dissatisfaction and addressed it toute de suite. He should know that he's more flight attendant than pilot in the BVI. The fact that you tipped him is a testament to your weakness, not his.

The bottom line is that you should have...as some have emphatically suggested...gone with a crewed charter boat. They would have communicated with you in advance and worked out the details of your 'meat situation'. If there was no hot water, the skipper would have gone to the ends of the earth to solve the problem.

When I ran my charter boat, I would have done virtually anything to make you happy. And our guests agreed...with never a bad comment...in spite of many difficult situations (losing steering, inadequate power at night, running aground at Anegada...the list goes on).

I only actually terminated one charter. That was because the drunken wife, and mother of three, demanded 'special favors' from me. I negotiated a refund with the whipped hubby (everything was refunded except the cost of perishables - which we donated to the hospital). We put the entire family ashore in Road Town the next day.

Reasonable people talk reasonably to one another to resolve issues.

It ain't rocket science.

I have run the engine in the morning leaving the anchorage , stayed under sail all day and the water was still warm, not hot, for sunset showers aboard.
I have hung solar shower bags on the mast all day sailing and the water was too hot to use undiluted.

I guess only ladies can cook <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

There is a reasonable possibility for the meat: someone brought Kosher or Halal provisions which weren't available in the BVI.

As to the rest, I have met some oddball crew. This happened during the timeframe the government was actively enforcing the labor and other laws at the charter companies. Who knows what effect that might have had.

I saw that too. Regardless, even though I am not a 'boat person', I just don't get the meat situation. Do people routinely bring their own separate meat supplies, when there is a bareboat? If I were renting a villa with two other couples, I would never do that..

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.

Don't Think it was Kosher or halal.

ahhh.... good point - that surprisingly skipped by me

perhaps ... exquisite non-GMO
what do they call that? free-range?

having been there.... I rather have GMO than free-range beef
but, that's just me... and trying to save these original version teeth
but... 'nuther story - 'nuther day

Love the way this post has gone. Some really nice BOATERS with personal boats much nicer than what they chartered had a bad experience. I know this because they are all on my dock and all raft up every weekend. I was there at the same time as said in another post, what they had as a crew is what i told them to expect! They should have bare boated but chose to sit back and enjoy. I always provision on island with the charter company, 15 times thus far. The meat they brought down can not be bought on island, no way near the quality. GMO, ABF, Organic.... who cares, they paid a lot to bring it and even more to have a CHEF, sure, cook it. I am in the food business with a chefs degree, CEC. I doubt if their chef had a dishwashers degree BUT, they paid for a dream vacation and basically got the shaft, twin screw in my opinion. I have been on TTOL since 2000 and just read and rarely if ever respond but, please members, understand that some people for their first or second time who pay for a crewed boat watch the Bravo show about yachting and expect at least a good time. Not toasted bagels for breakfast and cold showers. I am not defending them as they don't need it, just stating a fact and telling you that people I know well and enjoy every weekend did not get what they paid for. I met Capt Ron and Chef dishwasher at Norman Island for a drink on their boat. Both were laying on the couch doing nothing. and They got good tips. I would have tossed them on the dingy and a bottle of water for the run home:) My .02

I think the mistake made was trying to get a crewed boat experience on a bareboat. In that same price range they could have booked a fully crewed cat in that size range. The one cost posted I suspect was a Moorings 58 which is a substantially larger boat. A fully crewed M4800 can be had in the 17-19000 range in the summer.
G

The Moorings Crewed 4800 max's out at six (6) passengers. When you want to make the jump past 6 passengers with a fully crewed experience the price and effort jumps way up. Cooking and caring for 8 adults three meals a day 24/7 is a lot of work for 9 days. Before you get to I brought my own food times two (2) including 5lbs of bacon for someone to fry up.

GTcapt, I think most of us are just surprised that these issues would ruin a vacation or friendship. And I think many of us are also surprised that someone would bring meat and not just bring it for the entire group.

But I also think George has it right - should have done a fully crewed boat - that is a very different experience.

That's pretty much the way I see it as well. I can't fathom why any of the problems described in the original post would ruin a friendship. Makes zero sense.

What a crazy story without all the facts. Probably should be on Bravo. Maybe "Boaters of Atlanta". Embarrassing how much I have enjoyed it.

Some of you missed the part where we , as a group, in meetings prior to departure, understood the meat situation. None of the group had an issue with some having their own meat.
It was discussed with the so called chef, day before departure, expectations of how the meals were to be served. He enthusiastically stated it wouldn't be a problem.
So, once again, all we are wanting is a reasonable explanation why we didn't have hot water and why our premium steaks were thrown overboard.

"the meat situation"...this just cracks me up

LakeGirl:
I hope you have learned how NOT to plan a menu for charter.

I have learned to save my money on a useless so called chef and put my money toward more days on the water.

Lake,

Your own writing provides the explanation. You were on a bareboat with a rented driver and cook. The element on the single water heater failed and could not be replaced in a timely manner. In the opinion of the cook, hired to prepare meals for everyone, some of the meat spoiled and was disposed of. I also suspect your tone or the approach of others failed you along the way. The majority of the bareboat captains and cooks have a routine they know they can reasonable deliver without risk. Most will stick to their routine. You may find some fully crewed charters different. Starting with the pre charter customer survey. Checkout in the hours BEFORE you started your charter was the time to dispute any issue that made the yacht unacceptable. CHECKOUT is the time provided for you to inspect the yacht you chartered. At some point someone in your group signed for and accepted the yacht. That was the time to force any issue important to your group. I note "hot water" is NOT on any charter operators guarantee list that I know of.

I am sorry this did not work out for your group. My theory here is somehow your group was oversold a fantasy complicated with some unwelcome in the Caribbean guest body english. Abrupt, direct, bossiness, is not the best practice to gain favor anywhere in the Caribbean. In your first post here you call a person out for lying in a public writing. That may be TTOL first! CatCo is one of the best in the business. An operator that only work with high quality boats that are never allowed to stay in the fleet more than three years. The are also a sponsor here: http://www.traveltalkonline.com/docs/sponsors.html along with many other great operators.

LakeGirl:
When I took a "Learn to Bareboat" course 25 years ago (Okay, it was more like 30 years ago), my main concern was I did not want to have a bad experience with a captain. Although, this rarely happens, it can and does happen. (Besides, I like handling the boat myself).

Life is full of lessons!

Just a point on the statement that the Catamaran company will only keep a boat for 3 years. That is totally incorrect and if true would preclude them from selling new boats into the fleet. In fact the opposite is true and CatCo like Voyage will keep boats in thie fleet longer then most first tier companies. Currently if you go to their website and check the Tortola fleet you will see boats dating back to 2007.
G

Gotta love the internet...

Someone posts that they spent $18K for a week vacation, doesn't get what they paid/asked for and is disappointed with their experience. In return, the community turns it around and blames the original poster.

I got no skin in this game but am grateful for the lessons learned here. Thanks for sharing.

Hope the "friends" can get passed this.

Will_L, my first thought upon reading the original post was of BillH too. He had some great stories and would have well related to this one. Bought back fond memories.

Back to the OP. Very surprised to see the OP being slammed here. Perhaps they should have hired a true crewed charter, still the Charter Co should be held fully accountable for providing poor staff. The OP didn't go out and hire their own crew off the street. They relied on a reputable company that advertises a service to provide a captain and/or a cook for their charters. This places the responsibility of providing experienced quality crew on them, NOT the charterers. The Charter Co failed here.

As to the lack of hot water, one of the many things I have learned from TTOL and from chartering is to count on your charter boat having an issue. Others here will have a better understanding of how the Charter Co should have better handled the hot water problem. I have always chartered crewed boats, often had boat maintenance issues and problems were always resolved quickly and quietly.

Rita's comment as to always use owner crewed charters is misleading. ANY crew, owner or hired, can suck. Due diligence through your own research, a yacht broker, or chartering from a quality company helps, but like all travel much of it is a crap shoot and hope for the best.

Susan

Susan, I don't think the OP was all that badly slammed here. I think the big issue many (myself included) have is that this made the trip a nightmare and potentially ruined friendships. And I think most of us found it odd one couple would bring meat just for themselves rather then bring it for the whole group.

I think most of us would be annoyed, perhaps upset, but move on and enjoy the trip. Perhaps there was more to it then just the meat and hot water though.

I do think the Charter Co is still responsible and should do something as do I think most others that commented. I think the charter company also should have been communicated with during the trip as well. After all, you can complain to the captain, but they aren't the ones the big payment was made to.

It would be great to hear if there was any follow up from the charter co.

maytrix, you are correct, using "slammed" was an overly strong word. I did read many of the posts as the had the OP done A, B, C, this would not have happened. Maybe so, but that is hindsight.

You are also correct in that the charter company should have been notified too. However, I can see that as being a difficult decision. Your charter is prepaid, you are on and likely going to stay on this boat with the 2 folks you are going to complain about. Odds are high the situation is likely to get more unpleasant. It would be a tough call to make.

Wondering too about Charter Co's response.

It sounds like the trip started badly and went straight down hill from there. I always use a first tier charter company, hopefully reducing the number of boat issues during the week, but there are always some issues, although often minor (that we can solve ourselves or do without). One trip a year ago was a little challenging. A belt on one of the catamaran engines failed and the engine was overheating. The charter chase boat came to the rescue, but we loss half a day. Late the next afternoon the generator threw a belt and we had no A/C on a hot summer evening. I called the charter base at near closing and was told the seas in the channel were too rough for the chase boat. Could we wait until tomorrow? (We were at Norman Island.) In a calm voice I responded that I was tired, hot, and needed help. About 30 minutes later I see the charter company chase boat crossing the channel with sea spray flying over the top of the boat. He had a big smile, replaced the belt, and afterwards we furnished a cool drink and a smoke. He apologized for the inconvenience, jumped back into the chase boat and headed back to the charter base. I guess my point is ... "[censored] happens". I doubt if any charter company will find financial success by being unreasonable with clients, but perfection is a hard goal to achieve, although most seem to be attempting to keep issues to a minimum.

I find this quote from the original post very telling. There are some styles that work better than others across the Carribean to cajole more from those in positions of local power...



Have you ever witnessed a captain on the boat next door boarding another boat to tell a group to knock it off?

Somewhere along the way somebody taught me the importance of starting every BVI encounter with a pleasant patient Good Morning! How are you? or similar. I am thinking we did not start off with the expected BVI patience and pleasantries.

One more note, of course <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> ........ Every chef on every crewed charter I have experienced made in very clear from the first day to stay out of the galley. Period. It was non-negotiable.

I'm sorry I am a very good cook/chef but screw the bought chef it's MY money and I'm the customer.

Maybe someone in the dining business could chime in on the pluses and minuses with encouraging the the customers to invade the kitchen. On our cruises we do out best to limit the galley to those taking ownership of the food plan. Nothing worse than the larger males filled with Rhum playing with the blender and the juice containers.

As far as not going in the galley, I guess the one thing we'd need to know is who provisioned the boat? For a fully crewed charter, they do it all. So they know what is needed and if you need a snack or something, they'll get it.

In this case it was a hired chef. If they provisioned though, then they'd know what was needed for meals and what was needed for snacks..etc so just going in and raiding the fridge could impact their meal plan. If the charterers provisioned and had a hand in planning the meals, then that might be different.

I am in the "dining business" and we're talking a galley here that the chartering customers paid for NOT a commercial foodservice operation. BTW, would it be better in your always humble opinion if the were smaller filled with RUM? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

I understand the "stay out of the galley" deal, as I can see how it would mess up a meal plans... it's the attitude that I don't get. Besides, isn't there usually a cooler or a "snack basket" where folks can grab something if they're hungry?

Rewrite: It is always best to stay away from the clutches, throttles, and wheel when someone else is tasked with driving the boat. It is always best to stay out of the work space of the person paid or "volunteering" to cook and clean for the group. If you are drunk that is doubly important. When invited for brunch I stay out of the kitchen unless specifically asked and I do not bring my own cooler of bacon for you to fry up for me.

If you were "invited for brunch" that means you're in someone else's home/business! This specific situation is concerning a cat that people paid to charter. For some reason you're focusing on this "drunk" aspect which has never been mentioned by anyone but you.

Yes, always full and stocked with the snacks the guests requested. Also a cooler, full and iced with the guests preferred water, alcohol, and non- alcoholic beverages.

BUT, this was not a true "crewed charter", more of an a la carte hired staff of a captain and a cook. Perhaps an attempt at having a true crewed charter experience by piecing the staff together and self provisioning to save a few bucks ? Sounds like it. Some of the onboard guests had higher expectations for sure.

Having lived down here for a year now I am going to go out on a limb and guess that the "chef" had never seen a dry-aged steak?

Having lived down here a short time - one tends to see "dry-aged everything"... but, I digress
<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" />

Having been to the bvi sense the 1972 . We have enjoyed reading this thread. We have alway chosen to bring down
Our meat and shop for all else local. We were down in July for two weeks and our liquor bill alone was about$1300. Yes we support the local economy and do eat out a bit and visit local bars. We enjoy cooking and all foods are for everyone.
With that said my question is. There are three side to every story. We have one side .I would love to hear from side two ( the cook and captain ) and side three ( something in the middle of all party's..
last of all my hopes that their friendship is not lost, friends are to precious.

W

i personally went to the catamaran company office Saturday morning before departure to grieve about having no hot water. We stayed in touch with them the first three days of the trip and after that....nothing . We were quickly spending our vacation trying to resolve issues that were not in their priority.

I emailed the catamaran company when I began this thread and received a phone call for our version of the trip issues. I was told they would speak with the captain and call me back within a week. Well it's been a month now and all I've heard is crickets......not surprising.

For those asking, we provisioned the boat ourselves. It was our food to eat any dang time we pleased. No one was drunk in the galley and only once did anyone enter the galley while he cook was preparing meals. And that was to open a bottle of wine for dinner.

Thanks for the followups.

I agree the charter company should have called you back as good customer service. They owe that to you regardless what the captain or cook said. To not do so is not right at all..even if they decided your case did not merit compensation. Shame on them.

My guess is that nobody wanted to make that call. Kind of human nature not to want to give bad news or tell someone "you have no case".

On the other hand the charter company I assume set you up with this captain and this cook. Do they have years of good reviews for this crew, know them, see them weekly, trust them. They relayed your complaints, the captain and cook gave feedback, the charter company came to the conclusion that you were not entitled to compensation. With your complaints as given here, and every other charter guest gave them kudos, I'm sorry to to tell you, they will rightfully trust the crew. A better response would be an apology for your feeling it was not the charter you wanted with a small monetary discount on another charter.

But regardless the only in some ways fascinating and totally bizarre part of this story that we obviously only heard one side of is that you blame the charter company for the disintegration of friendships back home with the fellow couples chartering the boat.

I suspect the comment way back something to the effect " they served the meat people brought to everyone on board including the crew." Had more to do with the hard feelings than the crew actions or failing hot water which should unite the crew in mutiny!

So again I would urge anyone not to invite people so you can have the charter of a lifetime and see those you invite as a way to lower costs...take a less expensive course. Then for gosh sakes if you take food aboard, unless a vegan or you have stashed a snickers for personal consumption..share and share alike. It's a party with people. Part of that is sharing experiences and food and drink.

Hope you return and have a better experience. Was not anything about this week enjoyable?

Below Decks

Sometimes crews and guests see thing in a different light.

Ep 10: Charter from Heaven, Charter from Hell?

http://www.bravotv.com/below-deck-mediterranean/season-1/ep-10-charter-from-heaven-charter-from-hell

No hot water: not a big deal in my mind. How long are you actually in a shower while on board anyway? 2 minutes? 3 mintues? And that's only every couple of days... Hell, half the facilities I've used on shore didn't have properly functioning hot water. It's friggin' hot enough down there, the water isn't going to be that cold.

Steaks: Yeah, I'd be pissed, and ask to be reimbursed for the cost of them or stop somewhere to have them replaced, but that would be the end of it.

Friendships Lost: That's on you and your friends. I've lost some "friends" due to events on (even before) a charter, but I sure a s**t didn't blame it on the boat <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

... just my $0.02

Why don't you post a picture of the Capt and the Chef and the busy body Capt from the other boat? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

I don't think you can compare any real situation to Below Deck. Below Deck is not reality. It is a show where they cast the crew and guests and I would bet much of it is also scripted and directed..

Still no return "follow up" call from TCC. Last correspondence was " I'll speak with the captain and everyone I can and I'll call you back". That was three months ago. I suppose customer service is not high on this companies list.

I guess that they have an abundance of customers and don't care about you. That's unfortunate. Thanks for updating us.

I wanted to bump this back to the top since here are new members who may be looking at this company to charter. BEWARE OF THE CATAMARAN COMPANY!!!

Tenacious:) I love it
<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

Just return from our 2nd trip with them, great boat and service. Chase boat was to us in 45minutes when a fresh water line started leaking. With another company we were the 2nd charter on a new cat and the genset bearing went out. We have had 22 charters and stuff can happen... life with boats. The TTOL discount made up for the 5pm issue.

Just reread the entire thread... Very entertaining!

Regardless of the circumstances, decisions made, you do deserve a call back from CC. That is inexcusable.

Just curious LakeGirl, looking back on your charter what would things would you do differently in terms of arrangements, planning? What would you change to ensure something like this doesn't happen again?

I would be the main contact person for the trip. We had one person book for two boats(16 people). That way if there was a problem I could dispute the full charge with my credit card company. I should have demanded a resolution on site instead of trying to keep the peace for the sake of the whole party. I would get references on each crewmember onboard. We blindly accepted the catamaran company hiring qualified help to staff the boat which failed us miserably. We have since had friends charter different companies and looked at their food service photos with great envy. It looked five star and they paid half what we did. I would still pack my own meats.. I do not regret that decision at all! We will charter to the BVI again(probably next year) and I assure you it will be a flawless trip.

Lakegirl480

may be tempting fate here..

Now have never had a boat in charter with Catco, nor even knew anyone that chartered from this outfit. Could be one of the best or one of the worst for all I know. But the early posts told me that the complaints were unusual. Looks to me Ike it may be time to give up the vendetta. Perhaps reconcile with the alienated friends and choose a new destination.

Jesus... give it a rest already. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/hammer.gif" alt="" />

You didn't have water that was hot enough to suit your liking... so friggin' what? You're in the Caribbean where it's 80F+ every day. A cool (no possible way it was cold) shower won't kill you.

You lost some steaks... again, so what? You're out $100 or so on a $10K+ trip? If you went ashore and ordered a steak from one of the finer establishments on any of the islands you probably would have had a better meal than can/would be prepared on the boat.

You "lost friends"... either they were sh*tty friends or you're to blame. Either way, get over it.

Going back on this I can just about guarantee where the blame should be firmly placed. I hope the mods lock this thread.

I can say that in 34 years of chartering in the Caribbean with 4 different charter companies that there is no such thing as a "flawless charter," but I still loved every minute of it!

Yeah, seriously - give it a rest. The hot shower thing is just beyond pampered / wimpish.
<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

Where is that gosh darn "like" button? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Its been a while since I bumped this thread up for any new travelers that may be considering the Catamaran Company as a booking agent.
No need for any snide remarks(again) from the peanut gallery. This is simply to educate those who may be considering this trip and may help
generate some questions (that I wish I had known to ask before traveling).

Lakegirl480

It's been 2 years, I think its time to let it go.

Have you done another chater? How'd it go?

Hey Maytrix, I'll never forgive you for not finding shore power the night we sweated to death off Les Saintes! That was 2 years ago also, I think?!

A little over a year ago, this little storm named Irma came along and destroyed everything we worked years and years for. Is this where I file my complaint?

I've never forgiven myself! LOL

Hey Lakegirl go back to your lake and give this a frickin REST

Huhm, not sure I would put it that way, but I don't care for the original poster bumping the post that way, so we will close this one here.