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VI Sailing Concierge Team
Name: Daniel Roy
Yacht: Helia 44-Island Odyssey with BVI Yacht Charters - Ritter Marina: Road Town, Tortola
Charter Dates: 06/19/2021 to 06/26/2021
Broker: Joann Higgins
Area Cruised: Tortola - BVI
Overall Rating: 5
5 being the highest 0 being the lowest
We hope your charter lived up to your expectations and we are eager to have your evaluation and impressions of your yachting vacation. Please answer the following questions and add any comments you may have.
1. Were the staff at BVI Yacht Charters friendly and accommodating?
Yes, very.
2. Was the yacht clean and in good working condition?
Yes. Some odor from heads, could have smelled a bit better, but all worked well.
3. Was the yacht's cooking and cleaning equipment sufficient?
Yes
4. Was the boat well ventilated?
Yes
5. Did the staff at BVI Yacht Charters do a good job familiarizing you with the yacht and its equipment?
Yes
6. Did you like the area you cruised?
Yes, loved it
7. Could we at Virgin Island Sailing, Ltd. have helped you further in any way?
No
8. May we post this review on our website?
Yes
9. Additional comments on your charter?
We had a great charter and appreciated the support fo VI Sailing to find our perfect yacht for our BVI trip. Thanks Joann!
VI Sailing Concierge Team
Name: Rick Bondy
Yacht: Bali 4.5-Vieques with Dream Yacht Charters - Marina de L’Anse Marcel, St. Martin
Charter Dates: 06/04/2021 to 06/13/2021
Broker: Joann Higgins
Area Cruised: St. Martin - Leewards
Overall Rating: 3
5 being the highest 0 being the lowest
We hope your charter lived up to your expectations and we are eager to have your evaluation and impressions of your yachting vacation. Please answer the following questions and add any comments you may have.
1. Were the staff at Dream Yacht Charters friendly and accommodating?
Yes
2. Was the yacht clean and in good working condition?
No. Multiple systems issues
3. Was the yacht's cooking and cleaning equipment sufficient?
Yes
4. Was the boat well ventilated?
No. The Bali is not built for cabin ventilation - the Saloon is well ventilated with the sliding windows.
5. Did the staff at Dream Yacht Charters do a good job familiarizing you with the yacht and its equipment?
Yes
6. Did you like the area you cruised?
Yes
7. Could we at Virgin Island Sailing, Ltd. have helped you further in any way?
No
8. May we post this review on our website?
Yes
9. Additional comments on your charter?
Personnel at DYC were friendly and helpful. Unfortunately the boat had systems issues that could not be repaired before or during the cruise.
VI Sailing Concierge Team
Name: George Bullock
Yacht: Saba 50-Good Vibrations with Navigare Yachting - Nanny Cay Marina, Tortola
Charter Dates: 06/01/2021 to 06/09/2021
Broker: Joann Higgins
Area Cruised: Tortola - BVI
Overall Rating: 5
5 being the highest 0 being the lowest
We hope your charter lived up to your expectations and we are eager to have your evaluation and impressions of your yachting vacation. Please answer the following questions and add any comments you may have.
1. Were the staff at Navigare friendly and accommodating?
Yes. They were consistently helpful and accomodating.
2. Was the yacht clean and in good working condition?
I've been chartering for over 20 years. Good Virbrations was easily the best equipped and maintained yacht I've chartered. It will be important for Navigare and the owner to stay on top of the small maintenance issues starting to pop up. One thing which would have been easily found had they checked was the dinghy motor ran like a pig until I leaned out the mixture.
3. Was the yacht's cooking and cleaning equipment sufficient?
Yes, generally. We never could find the part for the latte machine.
4. Was the boat well ventilated?
A/C would cool the boat very quyickly, even on the warmest days.
5. Did the staff at Navigare do a good job familiarizing you with the yacht and its equipment?
Yeah, pretty good. This was my first experience with a virtual check-out. A couple things were missing, though, One was the operation, including the manual controls, of the dinghy lift. We figured it out but not without a couple of mistakes. Second, while the location and operation of the windlass was shown, they would do well, I think, to give a more thorough demonstration of setting the anchor and securing the bridle to the chain. As experienced charterers, this wasn't a big deal but for a less experienced sailor, this might be a head-scratcher. Also, there needs to be an EXPLICIT WARNING about the dinghy lift: When the support brackets are extended there is a hole in the platform which one can easily step into. (As we found out the hard way!) It is a hazard and but for dumb luck, we narrowly avoided a serious leg injury to a crew member.
6. Did you like the area you cruised?
Love the BVI. Always have and always will. This year was special because the place was almost empty. 10 boats at Anegada. 12 at Great Harbor on Jost. Amazing.
7. Could we at Virgin Island Sailing, Ltd. have helped you further in any way?
Yeah. Specifically with some first hand intelligence on the odd-ball COVID protocols. It took us two hours to clear Customs at Road Town. Finding a place to do the 4-day test was a total cluster.
8. May we post this review on our website?
Yes
9. Additional comments on your charter?
We had a great trip. The boat was terrific and the crew was all smiles. There are, though, a number of small maintenance issues are creeping up...sprung refrigerator doors, a torn zipper in the aft port cabin, a ceiling tile starting to fall off in the cockpit. While small and barely an irritant, as an experienced charter, tolerance for things like this is low. It's like, if they don't make sure the fridge door closes properly, what's their engine maintenance like? Yachts are complicated systems and things are going to go wrong. (Like when the water maker failed on day four.) It seems, therefore, that owners and charter operators ought to redouble their efforts to make sure small easily fixable things don't become the pebble in charterer's shoe.
VI Sailing Concierge Team
Name: Gail Livaudais
Yacht: Leopard 514PC Dash Away with Virgin Charter Yachts - Nanny Cay, Tortola
Charter Dates: 05/14/2021 to 05/22/2021
Broker: Melody Delgado
Area Cruised: Tortola - BVI
Overall Rating: 5
5 being the highest 0 being the lowest
We hope your charter lived up to your expectations and we are eager to have your evaluation and impressions of your yachting vacation. Please answer the following questions and add any comments you may have.
1. Were the staff at Virgin Charter Yachts friendly and accommodating?
The BEST
2. Was the yacht clean and in good working condition?
Semi
3. Was the yacht's cooking and cleaning equipment sufficient?
Semi
4. Was the boat well ventilated?
Yes
5. Did the staff at Virgin Charter Yachts do a good job familiarizing you with the yacht and its equipment?
Yes
6. Did you like the area you cruised?
Yes. Wish we were notified that the area was really not open & running like usual
7. Could we at Virgin Island Sailing, Ltd. have helped you further in any way?
No
8. May we post this review on our website?
Yes
VI Sailing Concierge Team
Name: Steven Tyson
Yacht: Saba 50 - Good Vibrations with Navigare Yachting - Nanny Cay Marina, Tortola
Charter Dates: 06/11/2021 to 06/20/2021
Broker: Karimah Reed
Area Cruised: Tortola - BVI
Overall Rating: 4
5 being the highest 0 being the lowest
We hope your charter lived up to your expectations and we are eager to have your evaluation and impressions of your yachting vacation. Please answer the following questions and add any comments you may have.
1. Were the staff at Navigare friendly and accommodating?
CYOA staff were great but unsure of their arrangement with Navigare and did not know anything about the specific boat.
2. Was the yacht clean and in good working condition?
Yes
3. Was the yacht's cooking and cleaning equipment sufficient?
Yes, except there is no propane solenoid and the grill tanks were stored in an unvented area. These items need to be addressed for safety asap.
4. Was the boat well ventilated?
other than the propane areas above yes.
5. Did the staff at Navigare do a good job familiarizing you with the yacht and its equipment?
CYOA did okay but didn't know the boat and we did not get a Navigare briefing. Thank god I had sailed 2 other fountaine boats...
6. Did you like the area you cruised?
yes, it was great.
7. Could we at Virgin Island Sailing, Ltd. have helped you further in any way?
You all were great but Navigare and CYOA need to smooth their relationship out...
8. May we post this review on our website?
Yes
VI Sailing Concierge Team
Name: Eric Tuman
Yacht: Sun Odyssey 419-JillSee with BVI Yacht Charters - Ritter Marina: Road Town, Tortola
Charter Dates: 05/31/2021 to 06/08/2021
Broker: Joann Higgins
Area Cruised: Tortola - BVI
Overall Rating: 4
5 being the highest 0 being the lowest
We hope your charter lived up to your expectations and we are eager to have your evaluation and impressions of your yachting vacation. Please answer the following questions and add any comments you may have.
1. Were the staff at BVI Yacht Charters friendly and accommodating?
Yes
2. Was the yacht clean and in good working condition?
Yes
3. Was the yacht's cooking and cleaning equipment sufficient?
Cleaning supplies were lacking, we had to re-provision to order sponges, dish soap, paper towels and trash bags.
4. Was the boat well ventilated?
The forward hatch was poorly located. No wind scoops were provided which may have helped.
5. Did the staff at BVI Yacht Charters do a good job familiarizing you with the yacht and its equipment?
Yes, despite it being virtual, I learned what I needed to prior to operating the boat.
6. Did you like the area you cruised?
Loved it!
7. Could we at Virgin Island Sailing, Ltd. have helped you further in any way?
The COVID protocols were not as clearly articulated as they should have been. We struggled with testing and quarantine requirements, throughout the trip.
8. May we post this review on our website?
Yes
9. Additional comments on your charter?
It was an amazing trip, despite and to some extent because of the pandemic. The protocols were challenging, entry to the BVI was very stressful as we didn't get approval until we were already heading to the Islands. Retesting at the border was wholly unnecessary and caused lengthy delays after an already arduous trip. Testing to get back to the states was not coordinated well and communication about the process was misleading at best. On the other hand, we had the place almost entirely to ourselves! We had no issues with picking up mooring balls whenever and wherever we wanted. Restaurants were widely available and we had complete solitude, when we wanted it. We were also very impressed with BVI Yacht Charters attentiveness and care for their fleet and their ultimate customer. No request was too big nor too small. We would definitely charter from them again! Thank you, Jessica and Eric Tuman
VI Sailing Concierge Team
Name: Andrew Chalnick
Yacht: Karma with Tom Fores & Hannah Rubino
Charter Dates: 06/14/2021 to 06/21/2021
Broker: Emily Mack
Area Cruised: St. Thomas - USVI
Overall Rating: 5
5 being the highest 0 being the lowest
We hope your charter lived up to your expectations. We would love to know some of your impressions about your yachting vacation. Please answer the following questions and add any comments you may have.
1. Was the crew friendly and accommodating?
Extremely! Hannah and Tom were wonderful to spend the week with.
2. Was the yacht comfortable and clean?
Extremely, it was comfortable, clean and spacious. There were separate bathrooms for all bedrooms and tons of space for storing our belongings.
3. Was the yacht well ventilated?
Very, air conditioning was such a welcome surprise.
4. Was the food good and well presented?
Abundant and beyond expectation!
5. Did you like the area you sailed?
The bays around St. John were not only beautiful, but relatively secluded and free of crowds.
6. Could we at Virgin Island Sailing, Ltd. have helped you further in any way?
7. May we post this review on our website?
Yes
8. Additional comments on your charter?
We have traveled many places around the world, but exploring St. John from this beautiful boat was truly a unique and incredible experience. As a family of avid hikers, it was also wonderful to explore the many trails that were easily accessible from many of the stops we made.
VI Sailing Concierge Team
Name: Andrew Chalnick
Yacht: Karma with Tom Fores & Hannah Rubino
Charter Dates: 06/14/2021 to 06/21/2021
Broker: Emily Mack
Area Cruised: St. Thomas - USVI
Overall Rating: 5
5 being the highest 0 being the lowest
We hope your charter lived up to your expectations. We would love to know some of your impressions about your yachting vacation. Please answer the following questions and add any comments you may have.
1. Was the crew friendly and accommodating?
Extremely! Hannah and Tom were wonderful to spend the week with.
2. Was the yacht comfortable and clean?
Extremely, it was comfortable, clean and spacious. There were separate bathrooms for all bedrooms and tons of space for storing our belongings.
3. Was the yacht well ventilated?
Very, air conditioning was such a welcome surprise.
4. Was the food good and well presented?
Abundant and beyond expectation!
5. Did you like the area you sailed?
The bays around St. John were not only beautiful, but relatively secluded and free of crowds.
6. Could we at Virgin Island Sailing, Ltd. have helped you further in any way?
7. May we post this review on our website?
Yes
8. Additional comments on your charter?
We have traveled many places around the world, but exploring St. John from this beautiful boat was truly a unique and incredible experience. As a family of avid hikers, it was also wonderful to explore the many trails that were easily accessible from many of the stops we made.
VI Sailing Concierge Team
Name: Eric Foster
Yacht: Lucia 40-Dare Greatly with BVI Yacht Charters - Ritter Marina: Road Town, Tortola
Charter Dates: 06/09/2021 to 06/20/2021
Broker: Joann Higgins
Area Cruised: Tortola - BVI
Overall Rating: 5
5 being the highest 0 being the lowest
We hope your charter lived up to your expectations and we are eager to have your evaluation and impressions of your yachting vacation. Please answer the following questions and add any comments you may have.
1. Were the staff at BVI Yacht Charters friendly and accommodating?
Yes, as always
2. Was the yacht clean and in good working condition?
Yes, exceptionally well prepared
3. Was the yacht's cooking and cleaning equipment sufficient?
Yes, all great
4. Was the boat well ventilated?
Yes, A/C as well
5. Did the staff at BVI Yacht Charters do a good job familiarizing you with the yacht and its equipment?
Yes
6. Did you like the area you cruised?
Yes, of course- it’s the BVI!
7. Could we at Virgin Island Sailing, Ltd. have helped you further in any way?
Not really, this was originally planned for Mar 19, you guys really helped us manage the plans through COVID
8. May we post this review on our website?
Yes
9. Additional comments on your charter?
A terrific cruise with BVIYC, as always!
VI Sailing Concierge Team
Name: Francelis Gonzalez
Yacht: AZULIA II with Daniel Brown & Sarah Rowland
Charter Dates: 06/19/2021 to 06/26/2021
Broker: Emily Mack
Area Cruised: St. Thomas - USVI
Overall Rating: 5
5 being the highest 0 being the lowest
We hope your charter lived up to your expectations. We would love to know some of your impressions about your yachting vacation. Please answer the following questions and add any comments you may have.
1. Was the crew friendly and accommodating?
The crew was extremely friendly and easy to work with
2. Was the yacht comfortable and clean?
Yes it was at all time
3. Was the yacht well ventilated?
Yes it was
4. Was the food good and well presented?
Excellent!!!!!
5. Did you like the area you sailed?
Love it
6. Could we at Virgin Island Sailing, Ltd. have helped you further in any way?
We are happy with all the help
7. May we post this review on our website?
Yes
8. Additional comments on your charter?
We had a MAGICAL week at Azulia II. Dan is extremely accomodating and also a great Captain. He plays the guitar and sings very well. He took us to St. Croix and the snorkeling was awesome! Sarah spoiled us so much!! Starting with the cake and decorations for my birthday which was on our arrival day... as well as the nice presentation of the dining table every single evening. The flavor of her food was amazing. She is a great CHEF!! If we can give them 10 stars we will. They are spectacular!! We miss them!!