Hoseasons Boating Holidays

We were really let down by the standard of boat we were allowed to hire; dirty, unhygienic, mould on the windows and bed pillows. The shower stopped working and tray blocked and toilet overflowed. Light fittings were cracked, wires hanging down. We were also advised to check the engine oil and water every other day of our 7 day holiday ... We tried to tolerate the dirt and spent a number of hours cleaning ourselves not wanting our 3.5hr drive to be wasted and knowing businesses have struggled during Covid.

The staff were really great but our holiday was ruined by the stress of one thing after another and we had to come home early on the day of our wedding anniversary due to the mouldy pillow, me having asthma and the water tank needing to be filled twice in 2 days; we couldn't cope with anymore.

I was torn about leaving a review but feel it important others are aware... When you work full time, a break away means so much and this was very important to us.

We were compensated but the money really wasn't the issue.

We booked a long weekend and came home after first day boat absolutely ran with water inside all our clothes were damp nothing to light gas hob with didn't have anything to eat or drink from Friday night till Saturday morning when we went back to the boatyard we were told there should have been matches on the boat the TV didn't work or The wifi no bin liners or dish clothes basic things I think should be provided

We recently hired a boat advertised to take 11 people. There were 8 adults and 2 children in our party, the accommodation was not sufficient for this no of people . Our boat was ill equipped for 10 there was nowhere we could sit altogether , the boat was old and shabby, had no shore power hook up and was extremely cold and damp and needed some serious updating. All in all very disappointing I wouldn't recommend for large parties

this company is acting in a deceitful and underhand way.

They happily sell you a boating holiday. When you pay for it, the payment all goes through smoothly. Then they tell you the terms and conditions. That's the part where the jaded staff member rattles off 45 terms and conditions at a rate of knots without pausing for breath. There is no opportunity to speak during this. The customer invariably agrees to said terms and conditions only to find out weeks later that the company have fleeced them of several more hundred pounds. This has happened to me and I now find out from Trip Advisor that it is a regular occurrence.

AVOID THIS COMPANY AND BOOK DIRECTLY WITH THE BOATYARD.

10/08/13-17/08/13 the boat was great to handle wonderful high level steering position,the boat it`s self was a little on the shabby side it has had quite a few knocks and bashes it is in need of a refit the condition of the boat doesn't match the the price of £1400 pw alphacraft boat yard is a little untidy hose pipes and other sorts of pipe laying about the staff are very good very helpful and friendly on the boat there was freeview tv great picture a playstation dvd player hair dryer fridge toaster beds 3 doubles 1 single 2 wc shower rooms one en suit all nicely laid out I loved this boat just a pity about it`s condition however I would recommend this boat.

I just want to warn people about hiring a boat from Sanderson Marine Craft in Reedham. Although we booked the boat via Hoseasons, the problem we encountered was the boatyard, not Hoseasons. When we collected the boat, the boatyard owner had us sign the hire document before we had had chance to check the boat over properly - with hindsight, we were too trusting and agreed to this. However, we regretted it because the boat was filthy, the bedding, which was supposed to be clean, was also filthy. The toilets smelt awful the whole holiday and there were leaks due to the ill fitting canopy. There was a leak over one of the beds that was so bad, we had to tape bin bags over the mattress to try and stop it getting worse. There was slime in the showers and filth around all the taps. We had to clean the boat as best we could and tried to enjoy the holiday, trying to ignore all the things that kept going wrong. However, the boat eventually broke down - not much of a surprise really given the overall state of the boat. More worringly, it was not a surprise to the boatyard owner or the mechanic either, judging by their reaction when they had to come out to us when it broke down. The boat was basically an old boat, badly maintained - both internally and mechanically and should never have been hired out as it was not fit for purpose. Unfortunately, when we subsequently made a complaint, the boatyard owner refused to acknowledge there was anything wrong with the boat. In fairness to Hoseasons, they did try to get us a satisfactory response and an apology from the boatyard owner but when the owner denied everything, Hoseasons did apologise and gave us some recompense. However, we would not like anyone else to experience a 'holiday' like we had so are warning others that if they book a boat with Sanderson Marine Craft in Reedham, make sure you thoroughly check everything before you sign because if you don't, you will get nowhere afterwards if you make a complaint because the boatyard owner will deny everything - please learn from our mistake and don't trust that the boat you get will necessariy be fit for purpose.

We have had boating holidays before as two couples so this was nothing new. However, we did book well in advance with BarnesBrinkcraft (one of the more established companies on the Broads) and having studied the various options in our chosen price range settled for the craft Rexmore 1. Booking on-line went smoothly and the administrative procedures all worked well, we were asked our estimated arrival time (13.00) and advised that the boat would be ready at 14.00hrs. As it was we boarded at about 14.30 and a very helpful young man came to show us the ropes with a bottle of bubbly in hand, a nice touch. While we were all supplied with life jackets I did notice the boat lacked a life belt, that was soon rectified, as were extra ropes to aid double moorings. It really wasn't until we had departed that some of the minor shortcomings on the boat became apparent. The main one of these was the sliding canopy. It did slide for the first couple of days, then went 'crunch' and had to be assisted manually thereafter. It was obvious that this must have had a few mishaps over the years as there were bits missing and it was out of true, hence the drafts whistling through the main cabin of an evening. The gaps in the roof also allowed a variety of wildlife in, (especially those of the eight leg variety). Then we discovered the shower leaked and the window wiper was faulty. The fore cabin billed as a two berth was about the size of a three-quarter bed and too small for two large adults. Luckily we had booked a boat that is advertised as sleeping 6 to 8 for just the four of us. It would be a very tight squeeze to have a party of eight.That said, it was very clean and appeared to have a reliable engine and that's what really mattered. The best description I could apply is that of 'a tired boat" passed it's best and not one that deserved a four star rating. In this respect, perhaps a little overpriced.

I am writing to express my frustration at the incompetence i have experienced with Hoseasons for booking and paying for a boat.

I booked a boat with them for a week in Aug 2011 and paid a deposit of £50.

In May i attempted to pay the balance by debit card but their system was not working properly, i tried again the next day but again it was not working properly. I finally paid through online banking and directly into the account no. they gave and quoting my booking no, the money was taken out of my account immediately.

A few days later I received an email asking me where the money was. I rang them and told them I had paid, they asked which account and I told them. They then asked me to send them a copy of my bank statement, I refused. After three or more phone calls they eventually traced my money. I told them it was not my problem that they had lost my money!! When I told their customer service rep that I was too busy to keep ringing them she told me that she was busy as well, i told her that the difference was that i was her customer!!

I will try and avoid booking with Hoseasons again, last year booking a boat with Ashby boats was easy.