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

Some of those rules sound reasonable, but it also sounds like they're taking the enjoyment out of your holiday. I'd expect a few guidelines, but not to feel like I'm constantly worried about doing something wrong.

I think both of you are in the right and wrong.

I don't think this was the right environment or place to "learn how to sail", so I don't think you should have made this request. In most European countries you need a proper certificate to operate boats, especially larger ones like Catamarans, so...no wonder they didn't let you or your kids have a go at sailing. If you want to learn how to sail, there are actual courses to do so. However...I don't think it would have killed them to talk to your kids about the mechanisms of the boat, the basics of sailing and let them have a quick steer.

I agree with you that the staff were rude in many ways. If you make your boat available for people to use, and you take money from them to have a good time on your boat, you can't really expect that there won't be any spillages, that bathroom floors won't get a few drops of water on them, or that kids won't occassionally drop a piece of fruit, ice cream, or whatever. If you're so precious about your boat that a thorough clean after the guests have left isn't enough for you, maybe don't sell boat experiences to tourists...

On the other hand, I do get why they'd request that you remain in one end of the boat when you come up from the water all wet. I think it sounds sensible and, frankly, more safe and comfortable to contain the "wetness" to only one part of the boat instead of having water going everywhere. I'm saying this as someone who's been on more boats than I can count, and really hates it when you can't find a dry spot to retreat to.

In regards to the restaurants, I think this probably comes down to lack of clear communication. I suspect the boat staff never asked you for your restaurant preferences and price limit, and you probably didn't tell them or communicated your wishes to them either? I think it really sucks that the boat staff automatically booked the most expensive options for you - I think part of good customer service is to give guests amazing experience, but they should also be mindful about not making guests pay the most expensive prices. They probably wouldn't go to these restaurants themselves, so why book them for their guests? Well, it's because they often make deals with these restaurants and get a cut from each guest they book into the restaurant.
Either way, you're completely entitled to tell them you want to cancel these expensive restaurants. It's not your problem that it will make things awkward for them.

I agree with the people who are wondering do they actually own the boat. I wonder do they actually look after it for someone who lives in another country and lets them know when they are flying in to have it ready for them.

I think you have handled it very well telling her they were making the holiday uncomfortable and if their are issues to handle it discretely with you.

When you leave I would email the company and explain all the issues you had, the expectation you had from the booking advertisement. I would make them aware about the restaurants/waterpark bookings. I would ask for a partial refund.

It sounds absolutely appalling and not a relaxing holiday at all. I'm so sorry you're not having the relaxing holiday you were all hoping for.

The lack of suncream and rule about applying it is downright irresponsible. People should be encouraged to apply suncream whenever they need it. I'd have to reapply every few hours on a boat when it's sunny.

Sorry if it makes things awkward for you but we are a very small party of 4.
However I can catagorically state your feelings of akwardness are nothing compared to mine right now. This is supposed to be a relaxing holiday and we feel we are in prison .

What happens when they sail in big weather? The teak gets wet.

Op, please ask the skipper or hostess this question.

They are enforcing the rules in an OTT way.

The floor in the bathroom will have been about slipping, but you are right, she could have waited!

Barefeet/deck shoes, boat-safe sunscreen (which they should have provided) and containing the water to one area after swimming are actually all within the bounds of good practice, and I think not unreasonable, but they could be being nicer about the way they are enforcing it.

Crumbs are just a hazard of hosting she needs to deal with.

The restaurant bookings I think are most unreasonable. If you didn't agree to that pricing level, they will have to risk upsetting the restaurant. And you are quite entitled to say no the the water park and ask about the drone and scooter.

Yes but add in some specific examples so if can be clearly seen how unreasonable they are

If you want a chilled sailing holiday that's fun and you actually get to sail your own yacht, go with these guys next time - https://www.sailingholidays.com/ My family have been sailing with them since the early days and always have memorable holidays.

who doesn't put non slip floors in bathrooms on ships and boats?

Ooh I really want to see the review!
Care to paraphrase?

Shoes is normal, everything else is ridiculous including not asking your price preference for a restaurant. I’ve chartered and was nothing like this, so laid back but mine was skippered not hosted so I either cooked or ate out and the skipper joined us or not, by the end I had 20 hours sailing too.

This sounds like the most disappointing experience - the set up for the perfect holiday, without getting to live it.
We chartered a cat around Croatia a few years ago, and had nothing like the rules you’ve described! Our skipper was like part of our family by the end of the week, we were consulted about where to go / what we wanted to do at all times, and they were completely flexible. I don’t remember any strict rules and my youngest was only about 6 at the time - so definitely not the tidiest / neatest guest! We were obviously respectful, and careful, but it sounds as though they are expecting you to work for them in some boat preservation capacity! For goodness sake, it’s a boat - in the sea - it’s going to get wet!!

Oof. Well at least I know never to ever book a holiday like this (even if I could afford it!).

Hope you can relax a bit OP, sounds bloody awful.

Yes, there is normally a textured or non slip surface, and she didn't need to do it in such an admonishing way. But because boats are moving, rolling and slanting things, wiping up spills does take on greater importance.

Easy to wipe up spills. Doing it in officious way after observing a few drips post hand washing? No.

Yes, I am agreeing. That's why I said she doesn't need to "do it in such an admonishing way."

Absolutely! I was just emphasising what an awful host this woman is.

What did the host say when you spoke to her?

Yes, I feel bad for the OP.

I think in fairness, the hosts are probably trying to be be very professional (especially the lady if it is her first time, which I think I read).

Most of the "fixations" are not wholly dreamed up, but represent good practice with safety/care of the difficult-to-maintain deck surfaces rationale at the back of them. So there is space for them to feel they are demonstrating professionalism.

But there needs to be a balance between safety and making the guests feel ill at ease, and it sounds as though they do need feedback on this aspect.

Even if the host and skipper were being reasonable the whole concept of chartering a boat sounds like a lot of hard work rather than a relaxing holiday.

When you write your review you can highly recommend it to people who have a fetish for public humiliation. I suspect that they have the ability to remove reviews, which is probably why there is only one available.

A case of "be careful what you wish for" maybe!

It isn't my favourite sort of holiday, that's for sure.

Indeed. It gives me flashbacks to my childhood. My DF must have taught these people!

@Itsgettinghotinere I feel so sorry for you. You really needed this holiday and the hosts sound absolutely AWFUL. I would hate it! You have experience of boats, you sound very respectful and they are bonkers.

Reminds me of an AirBnB we stayed at for a few nights. Owner lived in part of it. No, of course I wasn't going indoors with shoes on (I even took slippers with me!)
No, I did not need a timer on the shower that would go off after about 3 minutes of water running.
No, I did not need to carry anything upstairs in a washing up bowl for fear of dropping it.
No, I did not want to read the masses of 'do's and don't's' that were plastered all over the house.

Trouble is, it makes you nervous. So much so, I dropped a miniscule amount of tea on the bedroom carpet and set an alarm for 3am to creep downstairs and look for carpet cleaner under the sink!

Be firm
Do it for all of us!