“We have raised concerns with the main office the day after hire regarding your electra 1 vessel breaking down and heard nothing back
We had two young kids on board who got a bit hysterical when boat broke down and we started to drift crashing into river bank until a kind couple towed us back
On top of your vessel breaking down the ropes on your boat were not long enough to moor at our how hill destination, very disappointing”
“Always had great experiences, and excellent service, in the many, many years that we have holidayed on Barnes Brinkcraft boats. Only marred this year due to our error and getting the dates wrong by a week and we fully accept that this is our mistake. In fairness BB did manage to alter our booking to the following week on the same boat for which we are truly thankfull. However due to this now being classed as a new booking we lost our early booking discount and our online booking discount, which cost us around £80 in total. It would have been nice to have just paid the difference between the weeks (around £40)and keep our early booking discounts but sadly wasn't to be. Lesson learned for us, double check the dates!!!. Still looking forward to our hoildiay and will still book with BB as they are a great team and have excellent boats.”
Dear Paul
Thank you for your kind review and for holidaying with us over so many years — we really do appreciate it.
We’re very pleased we were able to move your booking to the following week and keep you on the same boat. We’re sorry the change meant the original booking discounts could not be carried across as you had hoped, and we do understand your disappointment.
Thank you again for your lovely comments about the team and our boats. We look forward to welcoming you back aboard.
All the Best
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“The booking process was very easy, had to phone during process as website would not allow me to enter names of other members of my party, as requested by website. Phone calk resulted in me being told " no need to do that now, it was during covid". All sorted”
“We had an amazing time on the Broads. The team at Barnes Brinkcraft were all friendly and helpful, from the Reception staff, through to the very helpful young man who tutored us in boat handling. The boat itself was comfortable and well equippped (we were on Mercury 2) and the goody bag provided was an additional bonus, as was the bottle of Prosecco, (my husband was celebrating a significant birthday while we were away), both of which were very gratefully received. Thank you so much”
“The booking process is really easy. I always make the booking by phone as I like the human touch. The staff are really nice and helpful. I have no experience of online bookings. Thankyou.”
“We chose Barnes as they were the only company that allowed us to keep the day boat to 6pm, most others wanted them back by 4 or 5pm. Staff were pleasant and the booking process was easy. Boat was average for quality and comfort but it was the cheapest model so overall it was good value for money.”
“Riverview is a lovely upside down boathouse. Had everything we needed for our weeks stay. The inclusion of the day boat was an added bonus! Plenty to do locally without having to drive any distance and only 15 minutes on the train to the lovely city of Norwich! Our dog loved the trip too!”
“Stayed in Stay Sail with family for a week and it was lovely. All staff were friendly and helpful and the accommodation was excellent. Views were fantastic from all the rooms and the kitchen was very well equipped. Will definitely stay again.”
“All services as expected and boat good quality as advertised. It seemed to me that they and Wroxham were the best place to start the hire from. Only reason for 4 stars as there was a bit of a delay in their administration on the first day and we weren’t away until 5p. With a return at 9am effectively a day of hire is lost. Other than that, all very good.”
“Reception very friendly & communicative. The teaching of how to act on and around the boat was very informative.
The boat however was extremely dated. (If we had known how dated we would have picked a newer boat)
A little grubby, we had taken our own cleaning bits just in case which came in handy. Very cold due to the very large holes around the middle of the boat where it goes back & forward. We had to stuff it with blankets & towels to try and keep out the cold.
The mattresses were not really mattresses more like what you would have on garden furniture. Very uncomfortable. Not much sleep had.
When we left we were waiting in the car whilst one of our party used the restroom.
The cleaners entered and were in there for around 10-15 minutes. There’s no way a thorough clean was done to a 6 bedroom 2 bathroom boat in that time.
The kitchen window would not shut properly so we had to wedge it with a knife.
We enjoyed the broads and the concept of it. Would definitely go for a much newer boat if we went again.
Not sure though with Barnes Brinkcraft due to the hasty clean.”
Hi Andrew
Thank you for taking the time to leave such detailed feedback – it’s genuinely appreciated, and I’m really pleased to hear you enjoyed the Broads themselves and found the team friendly and helpful during your arrival.
I’m sorry that Brinks Emperor didn’t meet your expectations. You’re absolutely right that she is one of the older boats in our fleet, and part of our “no frills” range. These boats are priced to offer a more affordable way to get out on the water, but they do have a more traditional, well-used feel compared to our newer models. That said, they should still be clean, comfortable, and fully functional, so I’m sorry to hear where that wasn’t your experience.
The points you’ve raised about the mattresses, window, and draughts are particularly helpful and will be followed up with our maintenance team – those aren’t things we’d want guests to be dealing with during their holiday.
I’d also like to reassure you regarding the cleaning. What you saw was our linen team going on board to remove used bedding – the full clean is carried out separately by our housekeeping team and takes considerably longer. I completely understand how that may have looked from the outside, though, and we’ll take that on board in how we manage changeovers more visibly.
It’s good to hear you’d consider returning to the Broads, and if you did choose to holiday with us again, I’d strongly recommend one of our newer or higher-grade boats. They offer a very different level of comfort, particularly in terms of warmth, fixtures, and sleeping arrangements.
Thank you again for your feedback – it helps us improve, and I’m sorry this particular trip didn’t live up to expectations.
Best wishes,
Sara Thwaites
“I booked this craft last may for my partners birthday and as I was very happy with the friendly efficient service I had so booked again this year again.”
Thanks Susan
This is so lovely to hear. And thank you also for the photos - you obviously had a cracking day weather wise
All the Best
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“Amazing service all round. Relaxing Atmosphere, Ease of Operation,clean and a well-equipped boat.
helpful staff, straightforward booking processes, and enjoyable experience. Looking forward to a return trip”
Thank you Sarah
Those are some fantastic photos you've sent through and we are delighted you're looking forward to returning
All the best
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“First holiday with you, on arrival we were parked and told that we would have a phone call when the boat was ready. No phone call 2 hours later, tried to get the attention of the man who parked us, we were ignored. Now 4:30, after one of our group went to reception, we were told they didn't know we were there, now we were told to load the boat and to come and book in as the reception shut at 5! We were given a bottle of bubbly as an apology, but really not good enough for the price of the holiday! We enjoyed the boat and the rest of the holiday but would not book again due to the issue at the beginning of the holiday.”
Hi Carrie,
Thank you for your feedback — and I’m really sorry about your arrival experience.
It’s clear we let you down here. Being left waiting without an update, and then feeling ignored when trying to get someone’s attention, isn’t the welcome we want anyone to have. After a journey, you should be stepping onto your boat feeling excited… not frustrated and wondering what’s going on.
From what you’ve described, it sounds like there was a breakdown in communication on our side, and I completely understand why that left such a poor first impression.
For future reference (and I appreciate this doesn’t fix what happened on the day), you can track your boat’s status via the Barnes Brinkcraft app, which shows when it’s ready. That said, you absolutely should still have been contacted as promised — that’s on us.
I’m really pleased to hear you enjoyed the boat and the rest of your holiday once you got going, but I do understand how a start like that can colour the whole experience.
Thank you again for taking the time to tell us — it’s feedback like this that helps us tighten things up and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Kind regards,
Sara Thwaites
“Was a nice, peaceful week away on the broads however, the lullaby was too high to fit under nearly all of the bridges so we were limited on where we could go.
I would not book this boat again and would recommend anyone thinking of booking this boat to do a bit more research and book one that would allow you to explore more of the broads.”
Thanks for your feedback – we’re really glad to hear you had a peaceful week on the Broads, even if the boat wasn’t quite the right fit for your plans.
Just to clarify for anyone reading, Lullaby is a larger cruiser, which does mean it can’t pass under some of the lowest bridges such as Wroxham and Potter Heigham. We do make this clear in our boat information before booking, as bridge clearance is a key factor when choosing the right boat for your holiday.
That said, Lullaby can still access a significant cruising area – including routes via Ludham and down to Great Yarmouth (tides permitting) – which covers the majority of the Broads network. In reality, even many smaller hire boats have similar limitations depending on conditions.
Choosing the right boat really comes down to what kind of trip you’re after – if low bridges and maximum reach are top priority, we’re always happy to guide customers toward the best option before they book.
We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
“We always book from Barnes Brinkcraft when we visit Norfolk, weather this time was hot so booked last minute. Always great service and love it in the broads”
Thank you Kelly
Thats really kind of you - I hope you got your ice cream in time ??
We hope to see you again when you're next in Norfolk
All the Best
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
