“The boat was shabby inside, faded cushions, shower drain which did not work properly so I stepped into cold water constantly, cover on my bed did not look clean, roof came off it's runners, mud anchor had to be repaired en route. But the lovely weather saved the weekend and I did enjoy it, though would not repeat the experience. Members of staff were pleasant and helpful.”
Dear Pamela
Thank you for your honest feedback. I’m sorry the boat’s condition let down your weekend. The cushions and bedding should have been better, and the problems with the shower drain, roof and mud anchor clearly added frustration to your stay.
We’ll arrange a check of the shower drain and use your comments to guide our winter refit work at the end of the season, including reviewing the upholstery and checking the roof mechanism and anchor equipment.
I’m pleased our staff were pleasant and helpful, and that the sunshine helped you enjoy the weekend. We understand why you’ve come away disappointed, and your feedback is useful in helping us address these issues.
Kind Regards
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
Hi Nick
Thank you for your feedback—I’m glad things worked out OK. Could you tell us a little more about what felt “clunky” during your boating holiday? It would be useful to understand where things could have been smoother.
Please email me at sara@barnesbrinkcraft.com with your booking reference and a few details, so I can look into it.
Many thanks,
Sara
“Had a lovely trip but the screen on the boat was very dirty hard to see out it wouldn't take long for you to clean before you hire them.out just spoilt the experience”
Dear Dave
Thank you for your feedback. You’re absolutely right—the screen should have been clean before you set off. Being near the end of the season is no excuse, and I’m sorry it affected your view and spoiled part of your experience.
We’ll raise this with our day boat team so they pay closer attention to the screens before each hire. I’m glad you otherwise had a lovely trip, and thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Yours
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“Find it frustrating that after using them for many years maybe 5 times they stil offer no loyalty discount. The trip we had this week was actually an apartment rental.it came with a day boat for 3 days.i asked if we could have a better day bot and was told it was an extra 140 pounds a day even though there were many just moored up not being used as out of season....they would not consider upgrading or discounting it....anyway just booked with Herbert woods for next summer!”
Dear David
Thank you for choosing to stay with us again and for sharing your feedback. We’re sorry you left feeling that your loyalty hadn’t been recognised. We thank returning guests with a hamper of local treats, but we understand you were hoping for a discount instead.
We’re also sorry the day boat upgrade was disappointing. Your apartment stay included a day boat for three days; a different boat carries an additional hire charge. We can understand why seeing boats moored at the yard made that frustrating, although our day boats have been busy throughout September. We should have explained the charge more clearly when you asked.
We appreciate the holidays you’ve spent with us, and we’re sorry to hear you’ve booked elsewhere next summer. We’d be pleased to welcome you back another time.
Yours Sincerely
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“We very much enjoyed our trip, and the staff were extremely helpful and friendly. I was a little disappointed with the boat: the awning seemed to be broken, and in its lowered position obscured the forward view quite badly. I also found that when seated the screen was not easy to see through and had a heating effect on my face! It was easier to steer standing up, or would have been if the steering position had been constructed to make this possible. I had to steer with my feet sticking out over the edge of the platform holding the seat, which was only just possible and quite uncomfortable. The engine was also louder than I was expecting, making conversation in the boat difficult.”
Dear David
Thank you for your kind words about our team. I’m pleased you enjoyed the trip overall, though I’m sorry this boat wasn’t as comfortable or quiet as you’d hoped.
We’ll ask the team to check the canopy and make sure it’s stowed as neatly as possible. I appreciate that you found the screen and steering position awkward to use.
If you’d like a similar style of day boat with a quieter ride, Brinks Sun Charm has an electric engine and may be worth considering for your next trip. We’d be happy to talk you through the options before you book.
Yours sincerely
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“Explanation of boat and some of the T&C's on the day was a little rushed.
Compared to some of the other boats I have previously hired (from different companies), this boat was a little ticky to steer and throttle response was delayed.
No information or map provided on places to go (most other companies provide this)
Boat was clean and tidy
Team helpful on return”
Thank you for your feedback. We’re pleased to hear that you found the boat clean and tidy and that the team were helpful when you returned.
We’re sorry that the handover felt a little rushed. We do try to make these as thorough as possible, and we also send links before your hire to videos covering boating on the Broads generally, which can be useful preparation before you arrive.
We’re a little surprised to hear that you found the boat tricky to steer and slow to respond to the throttle, as we normally receive very positive feedback about the handling of our day boats. We will, however, check the boat to make sure everything is operating as it should.
We would also normally provide a copy of the Broadcaster, which has a map of the Broads in the centre and plenty of ideas for places to visit. We’re sorry if this was missed on this occasion and will remind the team to make sure it is offered as part of the handover.
Dear Ian
Thank you for your feedback. We’re pleased you liked the boat, but we’re sorry about the smell from the toilet.
The toilets on our day boats use river water to flush, and occasionally this can bring up a rather unpleasant muddy or “eggy” smell. It isn’t a sign that the toilet is unclean, and normally pumping some more water through will clear it quite quickly. We appreciate, though, that if you don’t know this it can make the toilet feel unusable, so we’re sorry it affected your day.
Thank you also for your comments about visibility through the screen from the steering position. We’ll take a look at the boat to make sure everything is as it should be.
All the best
The team at Barnes Brinkcraft
Thank you for your feedback, Peter. I’m sorry the handover felt rushed and that we didn’t make the navigation information clear.
There is a map in the centre pages of the Broadcaster, which we put on every boat. We also have a Barnes Brinkcraft app that uses GPS to show your location.
We should have pointed these out and made sure you felt confident before setting off. We’ll remind our handover team to explain both options and allow time for questions.
“Overall good afternoon on the boat. However booked for 12.30 & arrived in plenty of time. The boat didn't arrive till 12.45 & the cleaning & handover was very rushed. Didn't get on the boat till 12.50 but the team were great & allowed us to return the boat at a later time so none of the experience was lost.”
Thank you for your review. We’re pleased to hear you had a good afternoon on the boat and that the team looked after you.
We’re sorry the boat was late returning and that this made the cleaning and handover feel rushed. On busy days timings can occasionally slip when a previous hire returns later than expected, but we appreciate that you arrived in plenty of time and understandably expected the boat to be ready for 12.30.
We’re glad the team extended your return time so that you didn’t lose any of your boating time, and thank you for being understanding about the slightly delayed start.
“The boat was acceptable except the toilet smelled. It would have been intolerable if we had needed to sit in the cabin but the weather was fine and we were outside.
The instructions for using the boat was very brief and hurried.
On return there was no signage to direct us to the correct mooring off the main river and we had to moor elsewhere and find a member of staff. Jack was very helpful and took over and drove us to the correct place in the boatyard.”
Hi Maurrice
Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry the handover felt brief and hurried, and we’ll pass this on to the day boat team. We’re pleased Jack was able to help and guide you back to the correct mooring.
For anyone reading this review, directions for returning to the day boat yard are included in the booking confirmation email, so it’s worth keeping this handy during your trip.
The toilet is flushed using river water, which can occasionally cause an unpleasant smell. Giving it an additional flush will often help, although we appreciate this wasn’t ideal during your day out.
“The good bits, the website was quick and easy to use, the reception was friendly and the paperwork minimal which I liked. The only part I thought could have been better was the pre-departure brief. I would have liked more info about basic troubleshooting and what to try first before calling the Barnes Brickcraft helpline.”
Dear Abraham
Thank you for your feedback. We’re pleased you found the website easy to use and that the welcome and paperwork were straightforward.
Your comments about the pre-departure briefing are particularly useful, as this is an area we are currently reviewing. We do provide a skipper’s handbook covering many of the basics, but we appreciate that it may not answer every practical “what should I try first?” question.
We’d be very grateful if you could let us know which troubleshooting information you felt was missing, or what situations you would have liked covered before departure. You can contact me directly at sara@barnesbrinkcraft.com.
This would really help us improve both our briefings and the information we provide to future customers.
Thank you again for taking the time to share your experience.
Yours sincerely
Sara Thwaites
“Someone could be on the desk welcoming guests. Had to wait both sides of my visit.
Boat was showing lots of signs of aging including the ducked up lino flooring in the kitchen area.”
Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry you had to wait at both the start and end of your visit. We were unfortunately short-staffed on 23 July, but we appreciate that this should not have affected the welcome you received.
We’re also sorry that the picnic boat was showing signs of age, particularly the lifted lino in the kitchen area. We have passed this on to our maintenance team so it can be inspected.
The Barnes Brinkcraft Team
“Everything was very polite and professional. The boat was clean and well-prepared for us. However it would have been good to know ahead of time how tight the beds were!. they were quite short and the doubles were at most a 3/4 size, most tapering -so narrower at the end. We were a party of 8 and I chose a boat for 12 people to give us more space. However I must say that there is no way 12 people would ever have fitted on that boat: Emperor 2!
We will do another holiday here for sure but book a different upgraded boat and have fewer people.”
Dear Jacqueline
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback. We’re pleased to hear that you found the team polite and professional and that Emperor 2 was clean and well prepared for your arrival.
We are sorry that the size and shape of the beds came as a surprise. As with many boats designed to accommodate larger parties, some of the berths are shorter, narrower or tapered, and the double berths can be more compact than a standard bed at home. We completely understand that, having booked a 12-berth boat for eight people, you reasonably expected it to feel more spacious.
Your booking was made through Waterways Holidays, and having reviewed the information displayed there, we agree that the berth sizes were not explained as clearly as they are on our own website. We have asked for this wording to be updated so future customers have a better understanding of the sleeping arrangements before booking.
We’re delighted that you would consider another holiday with us. For a future booking, our team would be very happy to help you choose a boat with larger beds and a layout better suited to your party.
Yours Sincerely
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“Booking holiday for 2027 was easy on line and received a receipt for deposit by return ,but conformation of booking showing actuall holiday booked did not follow I left a message on phone no response then emailed and then 3 days after booking I received confirmation on email .
I think these should be sent together it has always been the case when I have booked other holidays
My holiday this year with Barnes Brinkcraft was great hence booking for next year but I did book that through Waterside Breaks”
Dear Carolyn
Thank you for booking with us again, and we’re really pleased to hear that you enjoyed your holiday with Barnes Brinkcraft this year.
We’re sorry that your 2027 booking confirmation did not arrive promptly. You are quite right that the deposit receipt and full booking confirmation should follow through without the need for you to chase us.
Unfortunately, illness has left us unusually short-staffed in the office, which contributed to the delay in responding to your telephone message and email. However, we appreciate that this should not have affected the service you received, and we are sorry that you had to wait three days for confirmation of your booking.
We will check why the confirmation was delayed. Rest assured your 2027 booking is all correctly in place.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention and, most importantly, thank you for choosing to holiday with us again.
All the Best
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“The person I spoke to for booking was very helpful. After clarifying the few questions I had, I proceeded to book online only to find the the website froze every time I attempted to use it. I went back to the office and spoke to the person I had talked to before and booked over the phone. So I am £10 out of pocket already on this holiday as the booking system with its attendant discount failed. So good human and bad tech hence 3 stars.”
Thank you for your feedback, and we’re pleased to hear that our team was helpful when you called.
We’re very sorry that the website repeatedly froze while you were trying to book. We completely understand how frustrating that must have been, particularly as it meant you missed out on the £10 online booking discount.
We’ll make sure the £10 discount is applied to your booking, as you shouldn’t be left out of pocket because of a technical issue. We’ll also pass your comments to our website team so they can investigate what went wrong.
“Had an enjoyable 3 hour trip on the broads. Boats are basic but easy to handle. Clean.
My main issue was that this company who are obviously quite a large one with many warehouses and places where they operate from think its acceptable to not provide a single toilet for their customers. One has to walk into town to use the public one. Shame on you.”
Thank you for your review, and we’re pleased to hear you enjoyed your trip and found the boat clean and easy to handle.
We’re sorry the toilet facilities were not made clear when you arrived. Toilets are available at our main Barnes Brinkcraft reception, although the closest public toilets to the day boat departure point are located at Roys in the town centre.
We appreciate your feedback and will add clearer information about the available facilities to our website and customer information.
“Unfortunately we had several issues with the boat. Hand basins in the bathrooms did not drain properly. Smell from the toilets until pumped out and blue chemical added. Vacume gave off burning smell so couldn't be used. Overall the boat looked old and tired.”
Dear Ameet
Thank you for your feedback, and we’re sorry that several issues affected your holiday aboard Royall Ambassador.
We do describe Royall Ambassador as one of our older-style cruisers, but the basins should still drain properly, the toilet system should not cause an unpleasant smell, and the vacuum should be safe and usable. We also appreciate your comments about the boat looking tired.
We will review the boat carefully, including the bathroom drainage, toilet system, vacuum cleaner and general presentation. Your feedback is helpful and will form part of our assessment of whether the description and photographs accurately reflect the boat’s current condition.
Yours Sincerely
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“We had a great holiday but the boat was not as described. The floor plan was very misleading. Two of the “double” beds were not suitable for 2 people. None of us are large so I don’t know how anyone bigger than us would have managed.”
Dear Jan
Thank you for your feedback, and we’re pleased to hear that you had a great holiday overall. We’re sorry, however, that the sleeping arrangements were not as you expected.
Your booking was made through Hoseasons, whose listing does not currently include the same level of detail and photography as our own website. On our website, we show the actual sleeping areas and explain that some berths may be undersized and unsuitable for an all-adult party, asking guests to check with us before booking if berth size is particularly important.
That said, we appreciate that the floor plan gave you a different impression of the double berths. We will review this with Hoseasons and look at how the layout and sleeping arrangements can be described more clearly, so future guests can make a fully informed choice. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Best Wishes
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“Overall the week's boating was very pleasurable and Regal Star an excellent craft. The office staff were very friendly and informative. The information given after booking was very comprehensive and added to the general planning of the week.
However, one observation rather than a direct criticism was the time spent in making sure basic handling, particularly manoeuvring onto moorings was understood. This was very limited before being sent on our way. This lead to some difficulties at certain moorings.
~”
Dear Anthony
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that you felt a little more instruction would have been helpful.
For anyone else reading this, please do just let us know during your handover if you would like anything explained again or in a bit more detail. We are always more than happy to help, whether that’s going back over the controls, ropes, mooring, heating, toilets or anything else that helps you feel confident before you head off.
And of course, if once you’re underway you feel you would benefit from a little more tuition, you are very welcome to come back to the yard and we’ll happily go through things again with you.
We want everyone to relax and enjoy their time on the Broads, so please never feel awkward about asking — there are no silly questions when boats are involved!
All the Best
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“We had a good time but very disappointed with the boat seemed to have maintenance issues which needed resolving eg very bad knocking from prop at certain revs engine seemed very laboured and steering was very stiff”
Dear Tony
Thank you for your review. We’re really pleased to hear you had a good time, but we’re sorry the day boat didn’t feel as it should.
We take comments like this seriously, and our maintenance team will check the knocking from the prop, the engine performance and the stiff steering so we can get these issues resolved. Thank you for letting us know.
