“The boat was grubby - looked as if the inside needed a good deep clean. The fridge was dirty, toilet was grubby and didn’t flush easily.
I understand these are daily rentals and in peak season are out constantly, but for the amount charged for rental I expected a higher standard - I was not impressed.”
Hi Dean,
Thank you for your feedback; we truly appreciate you bringing these concerns to our attention. We understand that cleanliness is paramount, especially when it comes to our boats. We're sorry to hear that you found the interior, fridge, and toilet not up to standard during your stay.
We take pride in our service, and your comments will help us improve our cleaning routines to ensure all our boats meet the high standards our guests expect. We sincerely hope you’ll give us another chance in the future and that your next experience will be much better.
Warm wishes,
Team Barnes Brinkcraft
“As a family of five plus one pup we were really looking forward to our long weekend on the Broads celebrating my sons big birthday.
We were told to be there between 2pm and 5pm to pick up the boat. On arrival at 2.30pm I was informed the boat wasn't ready and could we go for a walk and I would be contacted by phone when it was clear. A call never came so at 4pm we headed into the office only to be accused of not answering my phone ( they had attempted 3 calls....all of which I never received!)
The lady in the office dealing with us was somewhat lacking in personnel skills and came over as passive aggressive. The office seemed very chaotic.
We were told to make our way over to where the boat was moored and someone would come along and show us the essentials.
Eventually, 45 minutes later, a young man arrived and was so in a hurry to show us 'the ropes' because they close at 5pm!
I had to point out that I'd ordered a rowing boat and that wasn't attached.....hence more waiting whilst one was brought round.
So eventually we set off at 5.30pm
The first night the bedroom lights wouldn't turn off so we had to sleep in the main lounge area. We reported it the following morning and it was easily remedied. If we were told that this is a common occurrence and where the fuse box was located this wouldn't have been such a problem to us.
The boat itself was Serenade 1 and in the elite group. It was well equipped and very clean although both shower/toilet rooms were very smelly. Good to handle and had no problem with the steering of it.
Returning the boat went very smoothly although the attitude in the office was still frosty.
Such a shame that customers are not treated with more respect, especially as I paid a substantial amount for what was a 3 nights stay. So, to the owners of Barnes Brinkcraft.....please sort out your office staff in particular. They are the face of your company and are sadly lacking in how to deal with people.”
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience, and we’re so sorry your special family weekend celebrating your son’s birthday started off on such a disappointing note. We try our very best to have boats ready on time and to make the handover a smooth and enjoyable part of the holiday, so we’re really sorry the phone call didn’t connect and that your trial run felt rushed – this is something we’ll address with the team, as it’s such an important part of the experience.
We’re glad to hear you found Serenade 1 clean, well-equipped, and easy to handle, though we apologise again for the smelly bathrooms and the issue with the bedroom lights. For others, please do let us know during your holiday so we are able to remedy this as soon as possible
Your comments about the reception you received in our office are concerning, and we’re sorry if you felt unwelcome. Most of the time our office team are praised for being friendly and helpful, so we’ll take this feedback on board to make sure we consistently provide that same warm welcome to every customer.
“I don't want to throw the wrong light, but there were several items to be mentioned.
The boat couldn't be picked up until mid to late afternoon as per the site, however by the time you get sorted and start your travel, the selection of available stops becomes slim.
Added to the fact that it is recommended to be "parked" for the evening minutes after receiving the boat. Curious that the closest "town" for the evening is 1.5 hrs away at posted speed limits.
I realize there are several ways to approach this, some notes may have been beneficial.
This particular boat was basic in all it's offerings but sufficient.
However, as much as i don't mind a bit of uncleanliness or spiders, the boat suffered both.
Added to the basics of using the kitchen, the gas range without any spark options was odd.
A lighter or matches would have been helpful.
Thankfully I had stuck a lighter in a pack or we would have had a long way to go for tea.
The "morning" of the return was odd at best, as we were met with a brisk "get up and out" although we had the day left on our rental. No questions, simply get out. Hmm.
The general tone of all staff was dry at best.
All in all, the adventure was ok, but not the glorious wander through the Broads that was anticipated.
Good luck to future travellers and don't forget your lighter.”
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that parts of your experience did not meet expectations.
To clarify a few points for future travellers:
Boats can be collected mid to late afternoon, and many guests choose to spend their first evening moored in Wroxham rather than travelling on. Our FAQ includes suggestions for this, including local pubs and places to eat if you don’t wish to cook on board.
Matches are always included in the welcome bag for lighting the gas hob.
If there are ever any concerns about cleanliness, we ask guests to let us know right away so our team can put things right.
Return times are 9am, as noted in the handbook, trial run letter, reminder emails and FAQs, to allow time for a full turnaround before the next holiday.
We’re pleased you still enjoyed the adventure, and we’ll use your comments to help us improve the guest experience.
“We had an issue with the drivers seat on the serenade - it had got stuck in the forward position. We had to call the engineer and it took over an hour for it to be sorted. We were then told not to move it,as it would be temperamental, this then caused an issue with the cabin space as we couldn’t get round if the table was unfolded. It then impacted our journey out of Yarmouth that evening, which caused us to mud weight due to lack of moorings and as a result, we then couldn’t raise the mud weight the next day, so had to call the engineer again. No one had told us where the crank was - which would have been helpful as part of the induction. When I was telling the reception staff about this on checking out, I found them quite rude and dismissive about the impact it had. Also the radio didn’t work as it was stuck in demo mode. Considering it was our first time and we had an “elite” boat, it wasn’t great.”
Hi Donna,
Thank you for your feedback and for bringing these issues to our attention. We’re truly sorry to hear about the troubles you experienced with the driver's seat and the radio, as well as the impact it had on your journey. We understand how frustrating it must have been and appreciate your patience while we resolved the issues.
Your comments regarding the reception staff and the induction process are noted, and we will ensure to address these concerns with our team. We aim to provide a warm and helpful experience for all our guests, and it’s disappointing to learn we missed the mark during your stay.
We value your suggestions, and we’ll take them into consideration to improve the experience for our future guests.
We hope you’ll consider visiting us again for another boating experience.
Warm wishes,
Team Barnes Brinkcraft
“Excellent holiday on a fabulous boat with everything we needed included.
Friendly and helpful reception. Clear and comprehensive boat instructions and demo.
Very easy to collect and return boat with great access to car for loading and unloading. Thank you”
“Booking works well, information is straightforward and clear; advice is given freely.
The accommodation in the shore buildngs is very clean, everthing works. There is no shortage of help during one's stay.
We shall be booking again. It's a pity that we cannot have access to a day-boat during school holidays.”
“Staff very polite and helpful. The house (Mallard) that we rented in 2022 and again 2025 had deteriorted a lot and is looking very sad. It would be nice to see the gap under the house cleared and blocked up a little with a fence or something similar. We all enjoyed our stay and we will be back soon.”
“We had an excellent holiday and the weather was lovely and hot. The views from the balcony's were brilliant. The apartment suited our needs for 3 generations.”
“All the staff we spoke to were lovely, the boat was clean, the hamper? 12/10!! The boat itself was brilliant, very spacious and modern. Will definitely book again.”
“What can I say. Check in was easy and we were shown everything we needed to know before setting off ourselves. The Broads are lovely and clean with places to stop. No issues with the boat as it has everything we needed, boat was very economical on fuel and easy to navigate. When we were done it was easy to check out.”
“Lovely location. Friendly and welcoming staff. Nothing is too much trouble. Always very clean cottages. Local shops and restaurants on the doorstep. Can’t wait for our next visit in October.”
“A really good day on your excellent electric boat. We had no problems at all but just a couple of bits we thought worth mentioning. The electric hob seemed very easy to activate accidentally with the power button so prominent. We unplugged it. Also, a bit odd that the toilet window has plain glass.
But another very good day out with Barnes.”
“The staff were very helpful and kind especially when we got stuck coming back in will definitely recommend to anyone who wants a day out my family loved it.”
“We had a lovely day on the Broads in our Picnic boat, however there were a couple of things that prevented this from being perfect.
1) the briefing on how to drive the boat was very brief and there was no explanation as to how to put up the awning. Considering it was a very hot and sunny day, the awning would have provided some much needed shelter. We attempted and failed to put this up and ended up with the cover in the inside cabin, because we couldn't reattach it.
2) About 90 mins into our hire the boat lost power. The throttle lever was loose, with little to no power or steering possible. We were able to drift to a mooring at The Swan Inn with the help of some boat owners and tie up whilst we waited for an engineer to arrive around 1hr later. The issue was remedied quickly, however this lost us around 1.5hrs of hire time.
3) We were warned upon taking the craft out that the gas stove did not work properly and we accepted that.
On the whole the boat was fit for purpose, however the loss of power and lack of shade did detract for our enjoyment somewhat, hence only 3 stars.”
Thank you for your review. We’re glad you enjoyed your day on the Broads overall, but very sorry for the issues you encountered. Losing time on the water due to the throttle fault must have been frustrating, and we appreciate your patience while our engineer came out to you. We also take on board your comments about the briefing and the awning instructions – we’ll make sure our handover team gives clearer guidance in future. Thank you as well for your understanding regarding the stove. Your feedback helps us improve, and we hope you’ll consider coming back to give us the chance to provide the full experience we aim for.
