ftaylor
  • (Member) (Topic Starter)
(Member) (Topic Starter)
First the good bits, fabulous places to see and our tour guide, Tania, was excellent really helpful informative and patient. The boat was clean and well appointed with a friendly, family, staff. The holiday began very badly however, No rep to meet us at the departure airport, check-in time of 03.50am meant most of us had been up all night, we arrived in Split tired and hungry and then had to endure dragging our luggage for hundreds of yards over rough cobbles and stony pathways and to wait, in the heat, for over 3hours before being able to board the boat. Given the cost of this holiday, very expensive in comparison with other similar holidays, the quality of food on the boat was average at best, no choices at all and a very limited bar with even fewer choices of wine. It would have been better for a later flight time to have been arranged or for us to have arrived the night before and spent 1 night in a hotel. Also better for the arrangement on board to have been B & B only as food is so cheap and delicious and available everywhere on the islands, and the cost of the holiday should have been far far less.
AnnF
  • (Member)
(Member)
Sorry to hear that you didn't think much of this holiday. I did it the week before and thoroughly enjoyed it. Everyone to their own, I suppose.

Ann

Bobby1820
(Member)
Thoroughly agree with everything that was said... this trip was well, well overpriced for what it was. Ok the boat was clean and modern but cabins were very basic, comfortable but basic and you would expect much more from a modern boat. The meals on board were less than average I would say and never hot, you were lucky if parts were warm.. I asked the rep about it and said even if the plates were hot it would keep the food warmer, but the reply was that there is nowhere to heat the plates! They obviously have not heard of an oven or microwave! I was on a Gullet cruise the other year, small old fashioned boat and the food that was produced in their galley was out of this world. Stupid things too like instead of having a water urn or boiler for hot water for teas/coffees in the morning they kept boiling a kettle! Heaven knows how long it takes to get a cup of tea when the boat has couples on it! Two small tesco basic toasters for bread! Its a shame as with a few changes they could make things much better. Croatia is cheap as chips eating out and some lovely food, so I cannot see for the life of me why JY charge so much for the trip.

I have also been on the boats website and see that an upgrade to an above deck is 35 euros, so even with two people that is 70 euro or about £50 so why does JY charge £100!!! Plus there are single cabins available at no surcharge and one of our party was unlucky to get that one, it was half the size of our cabins and yet JY still charged here a single persons price and £100 upgrade!

Have been once before with JY to Russia where they overcharged for everything and only decided to go with JY again for the type of trip, but think that JY is really a bit of a rip off charge wise so will not tempted to travel with them again.

Organisation etc., nil.... however good company on board and loved the actual trip, ate out wherever I could.

Moderator
(Member)
Hi Bobby1820,

I am truly sorry that you had a poor experience with Just You, this is something that we hate to see. I have passed your comments over to our customer service team so you should be hearing from them soon.

Kindest Regards,

Monty

Bobby1820
(Member)
'Moderator' wrote:

Hi Bobby1820,

I am truly sorry that you had a poor experience with Just You, this is something that we hate to see. I have passed your comments over to our customer service team so you should be hearing from them soon.

Kindest Regards,

Monty

Thanks Monty, happy to give them back detailed feedback if they need. Bob

Toni2909
(Member)
Oh dear oh dear oh dear .......... is this the same as the Croatian Coastal Cruiser that I have booked with great excitement for next August? My heart is sinking, as I have been looking forward to it so much. All I can hope is that, over the months leading up to it, JY can have serious words in all the right ears.

Toni

Toni2909
(Member)
Sorry, it's called the Croatian Coastal Explorer - supposedly a new tour but sounding suspiciously like the one reviewed above.

Toni

AnnF
  • (Member)
(Member)
No, Toni, it isn't the same one as the CCE - the leaflet for the Adriatic one came out just before Christmas and the one for the CCE appeared a few weeks later. The ship will probably be run by the same company, though. As for all the criticisms above, all I can say is that I did this holiday starting on 19 September and had a lovely time. It seems that some people's idea of a cruise is on a large P&O-type liner and the ships that are used for the coastal cruises are most definitely not. If it is any help, when I was sitting at Split airport waiting to come home I met up with a couple of Australian women who had just finished a cruise with the same company as ours but with a full complement of 40 and they were equally enthusiastic.

So don't worry. Just remember that you will not be on a large liner with all that P&O, Celebrity etc provide but in smaller surroundings with a small crew, limited space for storing drinks, food etc, and a galley where the cook works wonders in a very confined space. If you know the name of the ship you will be on, search for Katarina Cruises (or Croatian Cruises) on the internet and pictures and details of their boats are shown there. I did it before my holiday and was very pleasantly surprised.

Have a lovely holiday when it comes - and don't forget to pack some travel sickness tablets because you never know when a storm is going to blow up!

Ann

Toni2909
(Member)
That's a great tip, Ann. Travel sickness pills are going on my packing list right now! I have been to the website of MS Eos and it looks great. I know from a previous canal boat holiday that the rooms will probably be on the small side and the beds on the hard side and the facilities somewhat limited, but all of that is fine by me. Also, we seem to have quite a few lunches and dinners off the ship, so plenty of chance to sample the local cuisine.

I shall stop panicking and just look forward to my holiday.

Toni

Jaya
  • (Member)
(Member)
Hi Toni

If I were you, I would not worry too much as everyone's expectations are not the same. Like Ann said, remember this is not a big liner but a smaller vessel so there are bound to be some restrictions. I am sure you will have a great time.

Jaya

Toni2909
(Member)
You are right, of course, Jaya. Everyone has different expectations and, I guess, will judge against what they are used to. For me, a good choice of wine is red or white / large or small (and guess which size I usually choose?!) The website makes it clear that there are only 21 cabins, and the photos on the website show a small ship not an ocean-going floating city, so I'm pretty sure I have a realistic feel for what to expect.

Toni

AnnF
  • (Member)
(Member)
'Toni2909' wrote:

That's a great tip, Ann. Travel sickness pills are going on my packing list right now! I have been to the website of MS Eos and it looks great. I know from a previous canal boat holiday that the rooms will probably be on the small side and the beds on the hard side and the facilities somewhat limited, but all of that is fine by me. Also, we seem to have quite a few lunches and dinners off the ship, so plenty of chance to sample the local cuisine.

I shall stop panicking and just look forward to my holiday.

Toni

Just to say, Toni, that the cabin I had (down below) had a very comfortable king-sized bed in it and the shower room was the best I have had so far on a holiday - the shower cubicle was as big as mine at home with plenty of room for lathering etc without banging one's elbows all the time.

Ann

Samantha
(Member)
Hi Toni, I'm booked on the Aug trip, look forward to meeting you.

Sure we'll have a great time ☺

Sam

Bobby1820
(Member)
'Jaya' wrote:

Hi Toni

If I were you, I would not worry too much as everyone's expectations are not the same. Like Ann said, remember this is not a big liner but a smaller vessel so there are bound to be some restrictions. I am sure you will have a great time.

Jaya

Just to clarify, I have travelled on Ocean Liners and small Gullet cruises so I know not to expect P&O and all the trimmings... however, what I do expect when paying the prices we paid is at least hot food and not warm to cold food served up every meal. The service was amateur to say the least, filling up one kettle umpteen times for teas and coffees at breakfast, two small basic toasters etc. This was not a cheap holiday, in fairness JY really loaded the price as it would have been heaps cheaper booking direct even paying for a double room. Yes we all have different expectations I accept that but I am very well travelled and know what can be done, as I pointed out the Gullet cruise I went on before was a much older vessel but the food that was produced from the tiny galley much smaller than on our boat was amazing.

Toni2909
(Member)
'Samantha' wrote:

Hi Toni, I'm booked on the Aug trip, look forward to meeting you.

Sure we'll have a great time ☺

Sam

That's great, Sam. I look forward to meeting you too. I'm sure we will have a brilliant time :thumbup:

Toni

Jaya
  • (Member)
(Member)
Hi Tony

I hope you get large glasses of wine!! Enjoy.

Jaya