Poor Safety and no service
Trip with Festiva, owned by this company, started out poorly. First we had to try to find snorkel gear in a hodge podge box of gear then no assistance getting on board with our luggage. Safety briefing omitted several items like fire extinguishers and exit hatch. The captain, Tyrone, sent more time off the boat than on the boat over the first 2 days, being absent from 8pm to 8 am the first night and 9pm to 8am the second night as well as other times during the trip. During the first night an alarm went off every 30 minutes in one guest cabin waking them. When the captain returned he stated it was normal. This was not investigated and nothing was done until an email complaint to head office which resulted in it being quickly resolved.
Our impression is that the Captain, Tyrone, was not at all in engaged in our adventure. We received no briefing on where we were going each day unless we asked. In fact all 8 guests got together to have someone approach the captain to find out what was happening the next day and then bring it back to the group so we could discuss it. We did not get to snorkel in any good spots with the excuse being the anchor was broken.
After the first 48 hours on the boat the Captain admitted he didn’t know our names. At the Baths we found out once we were on shore that there is a charge. Since we swam in from the tender we didn’t take money. Thank God someone gave us tickets. When we returned and asked the captain he told us he knew but never mentioned it. He never assisted anyone getting back into the tender ever. The cook slept in the kitchen/indoor dining area every night making it unavailable for our use. instead of his cabin taking away space that we could have used to play cards.
During the captains nightly disappearance we wondered what would happen in an emergency since the tender was gone. There was no other life raft on the boat. Two other couples on the boat had done this tour before saying that are experience was far below what was expected. This was not worth the money. Comments to Festiva
have gone unanswered.
Blaine Parks
-
November 24, 2025
We chartered Peace Out for 10 days beginning Nov 6th, 2025. We have chatted boats from a variety of companies in the past so our experience isn't a first time charter experience.
Our booking experience was very good. Lisa was helpful, attentive and answered all our questions. More than just booking - she became a trusted friend in the process
I will leave the serious issue for last, but start with an overall review of the base, staff, and boat.
The base is easily located and the entrance/exit channels easy to navigate. There are restroom/sgower facilities on the premises, however they seldom had any toilet paper or way to dry your hands, and the showers were lukewarm at best.
The staff on the docks seemed friendly and attentive. Our check-out went well and our return was equally a warm reception.
The boat itself was showing nice but showing her age. The starboard water tank was cracked so we were warned to never fill it fully. The freezer never got cold enough to freeze anything. And the house batteries would not hold a charge longer than a couple hours. The starboard start battery was not able to start the engine unless the batteries were either being charged or the engine started with 30 minutes of charging ending. That became an issue for starting and requiemred a very extended generator run time to simply maintain batteries The dock staff agreed the batteries were old when we returned. We weren't given any of that info.
Many of the snaps and fittings were heavily corroded and seemingly not maintained. This meant that very few of the exterior cushions could be trusted to stay in place in even light winds. To our demise, one of our cushions left the boat overnight in a protected an homage because of these snaps. Two others were halfway our when we woke up.
I searched the anchorage for over aan hour, looking for the cushion, and reported the loss as soon as we returned to the base.
The dock manager smirked a little and said, yeah - second one this week. When I mentioned the corroded snaps, his response was - it's an older boat.
The charge to us? Over $1000 for a 3x2' very tired cushion, list overnight because the snaps were not serviceable. But that's not the worst part.
We were never notified of the charge. In fact I caught it on our credit card statement and still no response after email, text and phone calls asking for clarification. They only responded AFTER I contacted my credit card company to dispute the charge. That was a full 8 days after they charged us.
Their email was short and terse. They will get their mo ey but never get our business again.
One additional warning - BEWARE THE FUEL DOCK!
You - as expected - are expected to refuel the boat upon return. What they dont tell you is that the fuel dock in Hodges Creek charges well above the prices offered in other nearby locations. So - fill up before you return and just top up the last few gallons.
As a full time delivery skipper, I am very familiar with the average fuel prices. They are price gouging. Void them.
Overall - we had great weather and enjoyed our time in the islands. The boat was average, the maintenance lacking and the communication when charging over $1000 to our credit card was horrible.
Your experience may be different. I rarely if ever leave a negative review. This one was earned.
Jessica Bradley
-
November 02, 2019
My husband and I had a wonderful week celebrating our 20th anniversary sailing the BVI on “Parrots of the Caribbean” , a 40 foot Leopard out of The Catamaran Company. The boat was in perfect condition and well stocked, the service out of the base at The Catamaran Company was seamless, and the weather and the sailing were ideal. Chartering through Lisa Eberle was an easy and delightful experience. We would strongly recommend The Catamaran Company. We can’t wait to get back for spring break with our kids!!
Stephanie Bishop
-
May 19, 2022
The team at The Catamaran Company was wonderful. Tao, Mynova and Erin all helped to make our trip perfect. I would highly recommend them. Thank you all for making my birthday trip the best it could be. We all can’t wait until next time.
Dustin Strange
-
December 03, 2024
We had a wonderful experience sailing on Breezin last week. Such a beautiful boat with the best Captain you could ever ask for. Captain Ron was full of information and made all the guests feel at home. Would definitely recommend to anyone seeking the adventure and be sure to ask for Captain Ron!
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Poor Safety and no service Trip with Festiva, owned by this company, started out poorly. First we had to try to find snorkel gear in a hodge podge box of gear then no assistance getting on board with our luggage. Safety briefing omitted several items like fire extinguishers and exit hatch. The captain, Tyrone, sent more time off the boat than on the boat over the first 2 days, being absent from 8pm to 8 am the first night and 9pm to 8am the second night as well as other times during the trip. During the first night an alarm went off every 30 minutes in one guest cabin waking them. When the captain returned he stated it was normal. This was not investigated and nothing was done until an email complaint to head office which resulted in it being quickly resolved. Our impression is that the Captain, Tyrone, was not at all in engaged in our adventure. We received no briefing on where we were going each day unless we asked. In fact all 8 guests got together to have someone approach the captain to find out what was happening the next day and then bring it back to the group so we could discuss it. We did not get to snorkel in any good spots with the excuse being the anchor was broken. After the first 48 hours on the boat the Captain admitted he didn’t know our names. At the Baths we found out once we were on shore that there is a charge. Since we swam in from the tender we didn’t take money. Thank God someone gave us tickets. When we returned and asked the captain he told us he knew but never mentioned it. He never assisted anyone getting back into the tender ever. The cook slept in the kitchen/indoor dining area every night making it unavailable for our use. instead of his cabin taking away space that we could have used to play cards. During the captains nightly disappearance we wondered what would happen in an emergency since the tender was gone. There was no other life raft on the boat. Two other couples on the boat had done this tour before saying that are experience was far below what was expected. This was not worth the money. Comments to Festiva have gone unanswered.
We chartered Peace Out for 10 days beginning Nov 6th, 2025. We have chatted boats from a variety of companies in the past so our experience isn't a first time charter experience. Our booking experience was very good. Lisa was helpful, attentive and answered all our questions. More than just booking - she became a trusted friend in the process I will leave the serious issue for last, but start with an overall review of the base, staff, and boat. The base is easily located and the entrance/exit channels easy to navigate. There are restroom/sgower facilities on the premises, however they seldom had any toilet paper or way to dry your hands, and the showers were lukewarm at best. The staff on the docks seemed friendly and attentive. Our check-out went well and our return was equally a warm reception. The boat itself was showing nice but showing her age. The starboard water tank was cracked so we were warned to never fill it fully. The freezer never got cold enough to freeze anything. And the house batteries would not hold a charge longer than a couple hours. The starboard start battery was not able to start the engine unless the batteries were either being charged or the engine started with 30 minutes of charging ending. That became an issue for starting and requiemred a very extended generator run time to simply maintain batteries The dock staff agreed the batteries were old when we returned. We weren't given any of that info. Many of the snaps and fittings were heavily corroded and seemingly not maintained. This meant that very few of the exterior cushions could be trusted to stay in place in even light winds. To our demise, one of our cushions left the boat overnight in a protected an homage because of these snaps. Two others were halfway our when we woke up. I searched the anchorage for over aan hour, looking for the cushion, and reported the loss as soon as we returned to the base. The dock manager smirked a little and said, yeah - second one this week. When I mentioned the corroded snaps, his response was - it's an older boat. The charge to us? Over $1000 for a 3x2' very tired cushion, list overnight because the snaps were not serviceable. But that's not the worst part. We were never notified of the charge. In fact I caught it on our credit card statement and still no response after email, text and phone calls asking for clarification. They only responded AFTER I contacted my credit card company to dispute the charge. That was a full 8 days after they charged us. Their email was short and terse. They will get their mo ey but never get our business again. One additional warning - BEWARE THE FUEL DOCK! You - as expected - are expected to refuel the boat upon return. What they dont tell you is that the fuel dock in Hodges Creek charges well above the prices offered in other nearby locations. So - fill up before you return and just top up the last few gallons. As a full time delivery skipper, I am very familiar with the average fuel prices. They are price gouging. Void them. Overall - we had great weather and enjoyed our time in the islands. The boat was average, the maintenance lacking and the communication when charging over $1000 to our credit card was horrible. Your experience may be different. I rarely if ever leave a negative review. This one was earned.
My husband and I had a wonderful week celebrating our 20th anniversary sailing the BVI on “Parrots of the Caribbean” , a 40 foot Leopard out of The Catamaran Company. The boat was in perfect condition and well stocked, the service out of the base at The Catamaran Company was seamless, and the weather and the sailing were ideal. Chartering through Lisa Eberle was an easy and delightful experience. We would strongly recommend The Catamaran Company. We can’t wait to get back for spring break with our kids!!
The team at The Catamaran Company was wonderful. Tao, Mynova and Erin all helped to make our trip perfect. I would highly recommend them. Thank you all for making my birthday trip the best it could be. We all can’t wait until next time.
We had a wonderful experience sailing on Breezin last week. Such a beautiful boat with the best Captain you could ever ask for. Captain Ron was full of information and made all the guests feel at home. Would definitely recommend to anyone seeking the adventure and be sure to ask for Captain Ron!