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

Yes, they could stay in the shade, rather than enjoy the sunshine on a holiday in the summer that they are paying for, I guess they could also stay in their cabins out of the hosts way, or perhaps clear off the boat every day dawn til dusk, so that they don't get in the hosts way.

How far would you want them to go to make these hosts happy, when they have paid a lot of money to charter a boat (with several other facilities they've been denied)!? Honestly 🙄

Go to Butlins next time, it’s a lot more chilled.

It’s actually been a much needed (unwanted) distraction from everything.

We’ve decided to book a hotel for our last night as the thought of packing and getting out early at the weekend is not something we’re relishing.

Don't tell them you're leaving early! Do an evening flit and leave them tipless!

Yes I’d want to be out of there asap tbf. I dare you to leave some crumbs 😂 but make sure you’re all off before they notice 😂

No, our steps are teak. We are unable to get out without getting the wood wet unless we spider climb up the anchor line but I think that would be frowned upon?

Absolutely no way they’re getting a tip surely?

I would write them a letter explaining exactly why they are not getting a tip and hand it to them as you leave. And also tell them what sort of review they can look forward to.
OP please do post a link here to the review you write when you get back.

No shoes as in street shoes that you have been walking about in on land especially, they get grit and scratch the deck, but Deck shoes you reserve for the boat, helps stop stubbing toes and slipping if the deck does get wet, which it does.

In my experience yes. No need for shoes on a yacht.
If you are say tendering to shore for dinner the crew will take the shoes in a basket on the smaller boat for you to put on when you hit land.

It's their presumably rather expensive holiday, maybe they'd like to swim.

I'm not overly familiar with boats, so I'm finding it difficult to understand the issue with water/drips on teak.
A boat is designed to spend its life in water. In rough seas I'm sure waves splash over it, and sea spray when it's windy. And of course rain.
So why are they so paranoid about drips?

And the sunscreen 'rule' is just ridiculous. They should have provided the boat-friendly stuff, as stated in the contract. That's a 'them problem' that they didn't. I'd be applying it as often as I needed to.

It's unbelievable that it should be problematic that a boat gets wet!

I think it could be quite good fun - you could set a timer, slowest one up walks the plank.

Well done for getting away early! I hope you found something nice and can get away asap and have a nice relaxing time together for the remainder of your holiday time

In my experience the rules are quite typical for a Catamaran. You can't compare a Catamaran to a Yacht, they are totally different and will have very different rules.

The rules are all based around cleanliness and tidiness. Space is at a premium and it's important everything is kept clean and hygienic.

The restaurant bookings, did you not have a discussion about food in the weeks before? No they will not want to cancel as they have taken the reservation fo, likely to be a tricky place to get a table, in their name. Whenever your break is finished, they will be starting again with new people. If they cancel lots of bookings they will struggle to get tables in the future for guests.

All normal in my experience of similar breaks.

This is highly likely what was going on - we did a private charter and the skipper 100% was organising the note to spend evenings with the his mates etc. however he didn’t book restaurants just gave us a few different recommendations.

Why would anyone hand over large sums of money for such a holiday then, to be constantly shouted at and not allowed to do anything?
And how is it normal to assume that guests will wish to eat in a restaurant costing 600 euros a time, twice?
What's the actual enjoyment here?

We’ve chartered and these rules, other than the shoes, are not things we’ve come across, ever. The crew normally bend over backwards to make everything spot on. I can see why it’s spoiled your holiday op.

No, they did not discuss anything with us. It was all decided for us. It’s been lovely picking our own restaurant this evening.

We love to snorkel and have sadly spent so little time visiting bays and anchoring up so we can swim and snorkel. We told them today we wanted to stop mid morning for a swim which they did but they rushed us to get back on so we can carry on to the harbour. We’ve been in the harbour since 4pm so could have easily have given us more time.

None - I totally agree it’s out of order and by certainly shouldn’t have pressured you after you told them you didn’t want to go to that

It's a little bit like asking what if someone can only wear trainers on a horse: you need riding boots.

Deck shoes are ok but most people who can wear deck shoes can go barefoot.

Is there any way you can get off and cut the time with them short? I have never heard anything so ridiculous and I absolutely could not hack that. I’d be asking for my money back. No sunscreen is dangerous ffs!

It is fun but truthfully I don't like staying on boats. I much prefer a day out on the water and then a night in a nice hotel.

Use the proper loo and put on suncream before you head out, avoid the head all day (😄) then back to the hotel for a proper shower and a mains plumbed loo!

It's probably because you are so drippy after your swim! 😂They want you to drip at the water park and come back dry!

Owners can get stressed about people dripping everywhere, but if you are chartering they need to accommodate you a bit, and surely being aware and using towels liberally (you could also sit in the to apply sunscreen and wait until it absorbs) would help with all this.