“Communication prior to the trip was positive. The car park was water logged and my car was moved from a dry space into a space completely waterlogged, requiring the driver to get in and out with his soaking wet wellies! That said there wasn’t any visible signs of water or mess in the car thank god! I wasn’t aware I had to leave my car keys which I wasn’t keen to do!
We travelled in October so we were expecting to get wet throughout, but we didn’t expect this to be in our own beds! Significant leaks, which we agreed was like water torture throughout the night! The tap water on board wasn’t working, and after a phone call and a visit from the mechanic that evening got everything back working again.
We did have an absolute laugh, with 8 of us on Symphony 1, and expected the “no thrills” experience however the water dripping, stained sheets, smells, coffin style bedroom (single) and damp means we will look for alternatives when we go again! We did get a discounted price but it was still £1000.
We did experience significant high tides and we returned a day early to the yard, unfortunately due to the high water levels we could not get out of the grounds without waders. That’s said two staff members were monitoring the site even though they weren’t supposed to be operating on the Sunday so they were able to give us access to our vehicles so we could leave the site to get something to eat.
All in all we did laugh a lot, but being honest I would hesitate before booking again with this company. Maybe it was just a one off!”
Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback — we really do appreciate it.
Storm Benjamin brought some very challenging weather to the Broads, with unusually high tides and relentless rain causing flooding across much of Norfolk. Our team did their best to move vehicles and assist customers safely wherever possible, so I’m glad to hear that you were able to access your car and that our staff were on hand, even on Sunday when the yard is normally closed.
You’re quite right — Symphony 1 is one of our “no frills” budget boats, and the smaller forward cabin is described as such in our listing. That said, no one should have to put up with leaks or damp bedding. Boats do flex and move with the wind and tide, which can occasionally cause seals to shift, but we always have engineers available 24/7 to respond and replace bedding or carry out repairs as needed. I’m sorry that you experienced discomfort before this could be sorted.
I’m pleased that our engineer was able to get your water supply back up and running that evening, and that despite the conditions you still managed to enjoy your time on board and make the best of it with a few laughs along the way.
We really appreciate your understanding — it certainly was an exceptional weekend of weather — and we’ll continue working hard to make sure future stays are as dry and comfortable as possible, whatever the Broads throws at us.
Kind regards,
Sara
Barnes Brinkcraft
“we really struggled to lift my 98 year old father off the boat, eventually helped by two passing ladies whilst Barnes Brinkcraft staff who were within sight did not come to help, the feeling felt like 'we have got your money, now go away', the poorest example of customer service I have ever witnessed”
“Sadly, the "Sunrise" boat we were provided wsith was not in good order. The steering did not work properly and should never really have been allowed out. However, not wishing to appear as a 'moaning customer' we put up with the issue for a short time befopre it was very clear that furthger progerss was noit safe. The did send out and engineer to rectifie the issue by refilling the steering oil resevior, which helped a little but did not fully restore the steering to the correct working order. The propshaft stern gland also leaked massivly, requiring the bilge pump to run almost constantly. Having worked fore many years iun the boat building industry, it's very concerbing thatr a vessel in such poor condition was allwed to be kept in service. Why did we proceed? Had the 'knowhow' to deall with the issues and not ruin our day out with friends.”
“We had an amazing time on the broads. The customer service and boat Sonnet 1 experience was, however quite poor. Sonnet 1 toilet desperately needs an opening window and adequate draft and rain proofing around the sliding roof areas. We bought some pipe lagging to prevent inclement weather penetrating. Our experience of poor customer service was at the start of our holiday when we were advised that Sonnet was not ready, we eagerly awaited a phone call whilst parked adjacent to Sonnet. We watched the preparations which appeared to be compled then sat waiting for a further 2 and a half hours where no activity took place. During this time I went into the reception and was told Sonnet was not ready. We anticipated more activity but none happened. There were many cruisers being prepared and dispatched and reception was busy, I would presume we had been overlooked. At 4.30 (we had arrived at 11.30) Daniel approached us and politely ask why we were there, advising we were waiting for Sonnet and a phone call Daniel made and enquiry and advised us that Sonnet was ready and we could board and he would send someone. I collected life jackets from an empty reception where the staff appeared to be embarrassed. All other boats and guests had already been despatched. An engineer boarded for the trial run and apologised. This has been our 15th time on the broads having hired several boats from Barnes and I am very disappointed with this event. I would like to suggest a much more customer focused experience for customer arrivals and would welcome an opportunity to help you review and improve your current processes. Kindest regards Sandra Stokes”
Dear Sandra,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience — and for your continued loyalty to Barnes Brinkcraft over so many visits to the Broads. We’re truly sorry we got it wrong this time. You were completely overlooked on arrival, and that’s not the service we aim to provide.
We really appreciate your patience and understanding, and we’re looking carefully at how we can prevent this happening again. We’re currently developing a customer app that will help improve communication around boat readiness and check-in — it should make things much clearer for everyone in the future.
That said, we know technology won’t ever replace genuine, attentive service, and we’ll be reinforcing that with the team too. We’re all human, but we should have done better.
Thank you again for your thoughtful feedback and for offering to help us improve — it means a great deal.
Kind regards,
The Barnes Brinkcraft Team
“The mattresses were hard and the quilts barely fitted the bed. Having to run the engine to cook for six people is a very poor state of affairs. The windscreen wipers were dangerously inadequate considering the bad weather we had, we had no alternative but to drive in the wind and rain on the upper deck. The toilets/showers were incredibly difficult to use because they were so small the taps were almost in accessible. No foldaway stools for the table for six people.”
Hi Jane
I am so sorry you did not enjoy your boating holiday. Unfortunately, there are always compromises on size when booking a boat. We do try and do our best to show as many pictures of the interior as possible so people can make informed choices.
A laundrette provides duvet covers in standard sizes, single or double
I am surprised that you had to run the engine to cook, as those that are run on electric should work from the engine battery, provided the boat had been run (and therefore the battery charged) for 3 or 4 hours. I am so sorry that was your experience - a quick call to our engineers may have enabled us to sort that issue out for you
Windscreen wipers on boats never quite match those on cars (there’s not much room for a big motor on a cruiser!), but your point is well made. - luckily your top speed would have been 6 mph rather than 0 mph on a boat
All the best,
The Barnes Brinkcraft Team
“When the young man showed us around the boat he showed us the controls and when he put the wiper on it came off as it was broken he did put it down on your system but personally I would of got an engineer over to replace it. And when we came to take a shower at night the shower pipe was all taped up to the taps so water was coming out of the shower and the bath tap using twice as much water than necessary. Mid way through the week we came back to the yard as my daughters boat needed a pump out and I mentioned to the man who was doing the pump out about the wiper and he got an engineer out to replace it and offered to do the shower as the holiday was about over I asked him to leave the shower till we got back and hopefully it was done before it went out again”
Hello Neil,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I’m really sorry to hear about the issues you experienced with the wiper and shower during your holiday – that’s not the standard we want to offer.
We’ve identified where things went wrong on the trial run and have made sure that, in future, any issues like this will be dealt with before a boat leaves the yard. I’m pleased to hear the engineer was able to resolve the wiper while you were with us, and we’ve ensured the shower was fixed before the boat went out again.
Your comments have been passed to our team so we can tighten up our processes, and we truly appreciate you highlighting them. We hope this didn’t overshadow your time on the water too much, and we’d love the chance to welcome you back for a smoother experience next time.
Kind regards,
The Barnes Brinkcraft Team
“Back from a week’s break at Topsail and unfortunately, the whole experience was rather disappointing. The relaxing holiday that was planned in what appeared to be a lovely tranquil & quiet setting was far from the truth…The property, along with the other 4 adjoining properties was situated in a very busy working boat yard. 5:15am wake-up call by the industrial refuge lorry…7:00am wake-up call by the laundry wagon…7:30-800am wake-up call by staff arriving at the main office across the yard, only 30 metres away…8:00am to 4:30pm constant use of a hydraulic hammer used to repair the metal defence panels was sole destroying.Thankfully, it was me and my son who suffered mainly as we had the 2 bedrooms overlooking the yard. The view from the other side was beautiful and clearly used for advertisement purposes!! The whole place needs a really good fettle by a domestic who’s passionate about cleanliness…and it’s quite ironic that we were waiting over 30 minutes before we could enter the place in order to allow ‘cleaning’ to be completed???It may as well be mentioned also that both the tin opener & scissors positioned amongst the other kitchen utilities were not fit for purpose, albeit the tin opener was replaced upon reques. Overall, a very disappointing experience, which I would give 4/10…fair to say, as a family of 7, we won’t be returning nor recommending. Gutted & disgruntled ‘customer’ 😔”
We’re sorry to hear your stay at Topsail didn’t meet expectations. Our adverts do make clear that the cottages are based in a busy working boatyard, which many guests enjoy, but we appreciate this isn’t for everyone. We’re especially disappointed by your comments on cleanliness, as we usually receive excellent feedback here. A quick word with reception would have allowed us to resolve this straight away. Thank you for highlighting the kitchen utensils too — we’ll make sure these are reviewed. We’re grateful for your feedback and wish you all the best with future holidays.
