Is this level of strictness normal on a private catamaran charter?

[Itsgettinghotinere]

We’re currently on a private catamaran charter in Croatia. For the most part, the week has been great, the Islands are beautiful and it’s been wonderful to see so many different places.

That said, I’m not sure if our experience of our skipper and hostess is usual or not…

We planned a sailing holiday as we wanted to do an activity holiday with our teens. I’ve sailed and grew up with small pleasure boats. We made this clear when we booked via the charter company and specifically listed it on our preference list. The preference list also stipulates that learning to sail is one of the possible options. We have not been allowed near the helm let alone sail! To be fair, the wind has been minimal so we’ve been under engine all week but yesterday would have been perfect but no, we are not allowed.

We are also not allowed to:

1. wear shoes on the boat. We know this however our hostess constantly shouts “shoes, shoes, shoes” at us as soon as we walk on to the sugar scoops! Every time. Without fail.
2. Sit on any outside seating while wet from swimming. When swimming we have to stay at the front of the cat until we dry off. I’m referring to the all weather outside seating. It’s making it very difficult as we’re not allowed to get any water while we swim as were might drip on the teak.
3. We are not allowed to drip anything anywhere: my husband was washing his hands in our cabin but the cabin door was open. While drying his hands some water dripped on the floor and our host saw and immediately came into our cabin and dried up the 3 spots.
4. We are told to eat over our plates. Our teens are 14 and 13 so it’s not as though food is dropping everywhere. My son was told to eat his watermelon over the plate as our host didn’t want to spend her time cleaning after him. We are not allowed to leave any crumbs on the table and look out if any accidentally end up on a cushion (out door cushion).
5. One evening my husband had a glass of red wine and it came with a warning not to spill any.
6. They have made restaurant bookings ahead for us which is fine for the most part but one was very expensive- (€650) and we only had two drinks each. The next evening was the same so we said we’d like to move our booking to a different restaurant and was told that it would make things awkward for them, they wouldn’t honour future bookings maybe and we ended up eating there.

There are other instances like this. The obsession with everything being clean all the time. We are very clean, tidy and respectful people. We just feel like we’re intruding on their boat.

While I’ve typed this I’ve been told we can only apply sunscreen off the boat, nowhere on the boat as apparently the front is full of sunscreen! I make us all stand on the front and apply sun cream. We don’t use sprays and I’m very careful about applying it. But it’s not enough and now we can’t use sunscreen unless we’re in the harbour or on land! In fact, our packing list said sun cream would be provided as they understandably want to use creams that won’t damage the boat. We arrived to find none so I suspect they prefer guests don’t use anything.

We’re walking on eggshells and just don’t feel welcome. Is this normal behaviour? I’d like to hear from those who had chartered before. Thank you

What are the other families like? Are they being picked on the same way about their shoes or crumbs?

As for not going to a restaurant because it would make it awkward for the boat owners - tough. Sounds like a them problem.

Honestly, you're being mugs if you accept being bullied because it would "make things awkward" for them. Use your words and tell them you'll find your own restaurants - what have you got to lose now?

I’m going to sound really stupid here but I didn’t realise that this was a thing that people did. I always assumed when I saw nice yachts on holiday that people owned them. How much does this typically cost? It sounds amazing although this particular scenario sounds horrible. Water on the boat??? Seems like they don’t really want you there.

From the OP's later posts, it sounds like they already have sailing experience though.

This is a private charter, it's just them.

Also false advertising to include the scooter and drone in the advertisement and yet for them clearly not be available for use.

Definitely no tip.
You will shoot yourself in the foot if you do and then complain.
I would 100% be looking for a refund and I would be telling them their bullying behaviour whilst you were in their care was completely unacceptable.

See how many bookings they get when you list out all the examples in your review.

Your holiday was mis-sold to you in my view.

Why no shoes?

I've only ever been on yachts where deck shoes have either been strongly encouraged or essential! Bare feet were not on!

It sounds really unpleasant. The no sunscreen rule would have had me off on the first day though. I am extremely fair and burn so easily, as does DC2 - we'd have had to spend the whole holiday inside, which is completely unreasonable. Even with layers on I can burn so wear factor 50 almost all the time, with repeated applications.

Go to them now and say that you want the drone tomorrow morning and the e-scooter tomorrow afternoon.

The option to sail was presented by the charter company; they suggested all the available activities and then provide a list of equipment to bring to do said activity ie sailing gloves.

In which case, you definitely need a refund.
Also, report the wagging finger.

This sounds awful, they should hire their boat out if they are going to be like this. The atmosphere is already frosty so you may as well speak up. I’m sure it has cost a lot of money, and you’re not even enjoying it.

Sounds horrible. I hope one day you can look back and laugh at this bonkers behaviour. My husband and I still have a chuckle at the time we were invited to a friends place for dinner. He poured us red wine (we were sat on a new, white, sofa) and as he handed them to us he said ‘be careful not to spill on the sofa.’ Felt like a bunch of toddlers!

I'd be wondering if it was somebody else's boat and they were just pretending to be the hosts.

All sounds very odd.

No point asking you to bring sailing gloves if they don't expect you to help with crewing.

You cannot wait until after the holiday to report issues and expect a refund. Thats a universal truth of holidays

I would not be waiting until the trip is over to contact the charter company as you may loose leverage once the trip is over as they will claim they were not left with any opportunity to remedy the situation

really sorry you are having to deal with this op

So what if it makes it awkward?

Are you gong to drop €600 on a meal to avoid awkwardness?

(Reminds me of The Thick of It:
"You bought a bank to avoid social embarrassment? Ive sometimes bought the Big Issue..."

I was also wondering if it is in the a boat they look after for someone who lives abroad and visits occasionally. Would explain a lot.

Yes, we have yachting enthusiasts amongst friends and family. Some of them would think this lady was great!😂

Another time you find these mismatches is with horses and riding - parents and those in charge have very different feelings about how it should all roll!

Rule 1 is totally normal, the rest are bonkers

I've been on boats before and one of the 'rules' are that outlandish in the expensive boating community! People are very precious.

I know....for the first 8 years of my married life I pretty much lived on oil tankers of all sizes.

I missed the no sunscreen....WT actual F???????

I did this in Croatia once. My preference list stated the only foods I do not like are caviar, truffle and oysters. They served all 3 in the first day. Croatians seem to have got the memo that there’s money in boating but they haven’t understood the clientele. Our stewardess also kept trying to sell us her book on marketing and the crew were racist.

As for your charter -

The shoes is normal.

The rest is really weird though. I would be telling them I had paid for the charter and don’t need to be chivvied like a child. They need to clean after you not avoid any water or crumbs. It’s their job.

They sound like an inexperienced and lazy company. I would complain.

This sounds awful and not normal - apart from the shoes - even so, you don’t need yelling at.
I am a boat owner and although I don’t charter her out, my rules are simple. No shoes, apart from sailing shoes and don’t block the heads or you will be sorting it. The only idiot who spilt red wine was my dog - full glass, just as I was praising the big lump for not falling overboard, she hopped into the cockpit and knocked over a giant glass of well earned red. The stain was still there when I sold her years later. I called it ‘character’.
When learned to sail on a 40’ Bavaria, the skipper didn’t even mention no wet clothes on the inside cushions and it was me who pointed out “please hang your jackets in the heads”. Winter on the Solent and we were all soaking. My god, we had such fun! Perhaps look at this kind of thing for family holiday!
Now the proud owner of a beautiful Moody, I’m a bit more strict, but mainly about the heads.
if you want revenge, bung up the bogs on your last day - very easy to do and an absolute bastard to clear (joking/half joking), but if someone treated me that badly, that is something I would think about 😆