Dufour 382 GL - 3 cab. charter in U.S.A. (name: "Taonga")

“Disappointed in the condition of the vessel”

The communication from 12knots was effective and timely. Unfortunately, we were disappointed in the condition of the vessel Sun Odyssey 349, Zaniath, in Antigua. There were several items that were not in working condition or of poor quality. Honestly, we've never encountered this with any previous charters. A few to note: The swim transom was broken leaving it in the down position at all times and unlevel; The windows in the Bimini top (over the cabin) were so discolored and weathered the skipper could not see through them safely; The pulpit was loose causing it to slam against the rigging when at anchor (the noise was so loud it sounded as though the vessel ran into something large); the house batteries did not hold a charge (for refrigeration, VHF, etc.); the USB charging did not work. Again, these are just a few items. I shared all this with Dream Charter when we returned. I realize the vessel is 5 years old. However, the condition was that of a much older neglected boat. The vessel should not have been chartered in this condition. The gal who did the check out/in was very friendly and helpful.

“Avoid!!”

Chartered Catana 55 in Tahiti in April, the boat was poorly maintained and we spent hours in the bilge fixing water pressure, steering and water maker problems. Truly the boat was unsafe and we almost returned the 2nd day when the steering failed. The roof was damaged and leaked in the rain, the mainsail wouldn't fully raise and was covered in mold. Galley was ill stocked without even a toaster which in the ad said it did have. The port side head didn't work, fuel line to dinghy had no clamp and kept falling off spilling fuel, low battery alarm Stbd side constantly sounding off, Stbd helm seat broken, propane tank ran out 2nd day which we replaced for $38 and no compensation, had to turn off the tank after each use. The beds had a single old sheet and towels were old... the boat smelled of mold and was only 10 years old. With all the issues we had to work on daily you'd think DreamYacht would have made some kind of compensation, but nothing, not even an apology! We used Conch Charters in the BVI;'s a year prior and they were excellent and the boat was amazing so do your shopping and read reviews!

“Bali 4.5 in the Bahamas was excellent!”

The boat , Bali 4.5 in the Bahamas was excellent (a few tech glitches-fresh water maker not working, one of the heads problematic) but overall superb. Our captain, Ron, was truly a wonderful person. he helped us make the most our 4 days, and spent a lot of time explaining the boat systems, how to handle her under sail and motor, anchoring and mooring, and where to go. Overall, a fantastic experience, and one we'd like to do again.

“We had an absolutely amazing experience!”

We had an absolutely amazing experience on Lagoon 620 in French Polynesia! First and foremost, the crew were incredible. Ange made sure to make our vacation absolutely memorable. He was very professional, friendly and knowledgeable. He made sure he knew our preferences ahead of time and tailored our trip accordingly. He took us fishing, hiking, snorkeling, found restaurants for us, etc. Most importantly, when our onboard desalination system broke (a few times), he spent hours fixing it, and calling in a crew to make sure it was functioning. Mina, our chef, was also amazing! She has such a wonderful demeanor, and was always ready with the most delicious meals, even at 5am when we woke up! We also thank Hinano for his quiet and amazing work behind the scenes making sure our experience was seamless, our cabins were spotless and always jumping in to help with everything that needed attention. We've already talked about coming back for another great vacation - and would insist on the same great crew! We've also already looked into doing another 12 Knots vacation in Europe.

“CATASTROPHE”

CATASTROPHE Very bad technical condition of the yachts. Unprofessional basic personnel. Never again Dyc Nassau!

“NIGHTMARE YACHT CHARTER”

Unprofessional Operation – Plenty of Alternatives A group of six of us chartered a five cabin Fountaine Pajot Saona 47 for seven days in January 2023 from Dream Yacht Charter QLD and encountered many boat problems along with unprofessional & hostile charter management. 1. Lost a day because the generator was faulty. Partly because of this, the boat briefing was spasmodic and disjointed (briefer claimed first time to brief on this boat) as he was also dealing with the tender’s fuel tank not being full, replacing the missing ice chest, filling the boats water tank and agreeing the BBQ was unclean but didn’t have the time to address it. 2. Rain leak in starboard saloon and the boat was delivered with tarpaulin that had to be rearranged to slow the leaks. (Cushions sodden wet, had to be stripped and dried over following 2 days) 3. Dead and live cockroaches in cabins, saloon, and cockpit (6 instances) 4. Main outhaul was chaffed, unsafe to the extent we stopped using the sail. 5. Forward port cabin hatch also taped up to prevent rain from entering. 6. Shore power leads (all three connectors) were full of water and tripped the dock relay. We had to disassemble, dried and taped with plastic. (QYC accuses we dropped in the water, we did not) 7. 2 x AC’s not working (stern port cabin front saloon unit) and both fail to cool air. There were several other more debatable issues but given Dream Yacht Charter’s blameless responses and complete unwillingness to take any responsibility we let these issues speak for themselves. We were offered a refund for 1 ½ days rental, which we declined in preference for sharing our experience in the hope others reconsider using such a shoddy operator as Dream Yacht Charter their other brand, QYC (Queensland Yacht Charters)

“Big disappointment”

Wouldn't recommend -- ever. We arrived at Port Louis and our 5 year old Lagoon 52 was a BIG disappointment. The two forward fo'c'sle berths were totally unusable because of strong mold and a leak in one of them. One fuel gauge was broken, one fresh water tank gauge was broken, and the VHF radio did not transmit. This was totally unacceptable equipment failures, and had we not been sailing with another boat that couldn't spend time waiting for repairs, I would have insisted that these systems be repaired before we left. Accidentally left my hand-held VHF aboard when we left and the staff never "found" it after repeated calls and a friend searching the boat. Overall staff, including Gabby and Hiro were friendly and responsive I must say but for the price of the charter to have these issues unresolved before leaving was not cool. Not likely to use this charter outfit again.

“Awful Charter Company”

Absolutely the worst cruise ever! If you’re reading this, you’re likely considering Dream Yacht Charters (DYC) for a charter. I’ve been sailing for a long time and my best advice is to find another company…no matter how good DYC sounds, YOU CANNOT TRUST THEM. There is a detailed Terms and Conditions (T&C Contract) for their charters, that apparently only apply if it is in their favor. We did a ‘Cabin Charter’ from Nassau to the Exumas (Bahamas). There were several things that the booking agents and charter operators disregarded that ruined our trip. 1) Our cruise was ruined by a screaming 2.5 year old brat that threw screaming tantrums several times a day. The parents were unfamiliar with any form of discipline. All of the DYC descriptive information indicated it was an ‘Adults Only’ cruise. Their home office even admitted they discouraged booking young children. However, the agent who booked the screaming-kid-family said it was a “Family Friendly” cruise. The disruption in the peace desired when sailing was complete. DYC actually has a written policy in their T&C Contract (Clause 8.5: “The Captain will disembark any Passenger whose behavior could endanger or seriously inconvenience other Passengers…”). Even though the Captain was completely aware of the negative impact of the child’s disruptive behavior, he took no action (likely because they would have had to reimburse the charter fee) and all of the other passengers were seriously impacted by the child’s behavior. You may think you can ask the agent if there are any kids onboard, but their answer means nothing because of the potential for late bookings and they can move you to a different boat as they desire and without any consultation with you. 2) There were 2 non-meat eaters aboard our trip. DYC is supposed to provision adequately to accommodate any dietary needs of their passengers… which they did not do. As a result, the 2 non-meat eaters were given a majority of the fish rations intended for everyone else. There was an opportunity at our first stop to acquire appropriate provisions, but the Captain and cook did not do so. The non-meat eaters ate well and the rest of us did not. 3) The departure on our voyage was delayed by several hours while we waited for someone who never showed up. We never actually caught up on the intended schedule because of the delay. Once again, DYC actually has a written policy in their T&C Contract (Clause 9. 6: “If Charterer is not present at the time of Embarkation… this will be treated as a cancellation of reservation… the Charterer will lose its entire charter fee.”) There was no word from the missing passengers that they would be arriving late, but we waited anyway. 4) We were told by the booking agent that we would have first choice of cabins, as they are supposedly assigned in the order of booking for the cruise. This was confirmed as the policy by the DYC Customer service office. However, the Captain decided to assign cabins by raffle. We got LAST choice. 5) The agents indicated COVID vaccination status would be checked at the base (all passengers were required to be vaccinated). This check was never performed and as we learned later one of the passengers had been ill with COVID less than a week earlier. Again, DYC did not hold to their verbally stated policy. There were several other issues that affected our enjoyment of the trip. In summary, the DYC policies (written or verbal) are easily disregarded by them and apparently only apply if it is their interest to enforce them. AVOID THIS COMPANY. There are many other good quality charter companies and, as I discovered recently when looking for a bareboat to charter, the DYC prices were higher for the exact same boat at the exact same period. They screw you on both the price and service provided. Their “Customer Service” apparently only exists to defend their actions and not to provide any actual service to a customer.

“Bedbugs!”

This company is the worst! Chartered a monohull out of the Bahamas. There were bedbugs in our boat and they did nothing about it! Nothing! Filthy boat, everything rattled, head broken, moldy mattress.

“Dream Yacht charter”

So after purchasing a 2021 Bali 5.4 thru Dream Yacht Group (Dream Yachts Charter, Dream Yacht Sales) and finding out after 7+ Months of trying to get them to approve warranty work to be repaired I have come to the realization that they care more about their bottom line than any of their customers and leave those holding the bill. Stay clear of these guys. I have included two of my many issues with my new boat that they continue to drag their feet on in hopes that I will just go away and eat the coat of the repairs that are clearly warranty issues. Missing bottom paint and many other issues. Not going to happen. I’d love to post my website but I can’t. A simple search for Dreamyacht Fraud will show more information 1 star to 2 too many

“Worst Travel Experience Ever!!!!”

Worst travel experience ever! DO NOT use this company, zero integrity. We were left on the dock before the boat even left due to the agent selling us a trip that we were told we shouldn't have been sold, after flying all the way to BVI! Not only were we out the cost of the charter, but flights, time, the cost of additional flights home, etc. The company is refusing to refund our money, and conveniently, the agent is "no longer there." We have had to contact our attorney to resolve. Horrible company and management. I have been in the incentive travel business for 25 years and have never experience such a mess, I would certainly never let my clients use this company.

“No Dream here”

We had to ask for another boat as this one had no working heads, electric winches did not work, a/c not working in all suites, ripped cushions, no swim platform, no grill, rusted fridge, no top sheets provided on 4 beds, generator noise was so loud could not sleep, oven did not work...

“BE CAUTIOUS WHEN CHARTERING from DREAM YACHT CHARTER, La Paz Mexico”

BE CAUTIOUS WHEN CHARTERING from Dream Yacht Charter, La Paz MX - APRIL 2021 Please be careful when bareboat chartering from Dream Yacht Charters (La Paz) or from anywhere for that matter, due to the potential for breakdowns and loss of charter days. When we arrived in La Paz, my family and I were excited in anticipation of sailing the Sea of Cortez after a 1 year delay due to the pandemic. After checking in at Dream Yacht Charter's (DYC) office in Marina Costa Baja on Sunday, 4/18 we began the orientation and boat checkout. We quickly learned of several problems that needed to be fixed before we could accept the boat, Camano, a 2018 Lagoon 52 catamaran. It was important that everything worked properly because there is no cell phone coverage in "about 70% of the sailing area", and the VHF emergency channel 16 is often unreliable and should not be counted on. As the former owner/operator of a sailing charter company, I have experience with boats which, in salt water, are subject to frequent and often significant failures. Over the next 4 days we discovered several more equipment failures that delayed our charter from Monday morning until Thursday afternoon including a faulty bilge pump and emergency tiller that did not work. The tiller was corroded and would not fit into the receiving device that is needed to operate the rudder manually, an unacceptable condition should the steering linkage fail. The base manager and dock mechanics worked diligently to make repairs and get us out of the dock, the manager extended our charter by one day, and scheduled a captain at their cost to resolve any potential equipment failures that might arise, which was appreciated and needed. However, we still lost 3 days net that we paid for in advance. As it stands now, we have requested a refund for the 3 days we were stuck at the dock during which time a properly operating vessel was not available for our enjoyment. We paid $12,571 (US) for what they consider a 12 day/11 night period. As we actually had a properly functioning boat available for just 9 days/8 nights, we have requested a pro rata refund of $3,142 (US). A detailed report has been submitted to Dream Yacht Charter and their broker, Ed Hamilton and Co, along with the request for a refund of the lost days. I will post the results of their response as soon as it is known.

“DYC Bottom Line More Important Than Clients”

I had booked a bareboat sailing adventure with Dream Yacht Charters in the USVI for this month (May 2021) and had an unexpected acute health event that necessitated cancellation of this trip. I requested a refund due to medical issues and was denied. Dream Yacht Charters were not even willing to let me book at a later date. Apparently, the management at Dream Yacht Charters has made the decision that they need my $4,000 more than I do for my ongoing medical testing expenses. Dream Yacht Charters has followed their cancellation policy to the letter, but has squandered the opportunity to do what is right for a potential repeat client. Had Dream Yacht Charters made a different decision, then they would have had a loyal client who would be an ambassador for their brand. Instead, management has shown that their bottom line is more important than their clients. When my health issues are resolved and I book my next sailing adventure, it will NOT be with Dream Yacht Charters.

“Everything was fantastic!”

Everything was fantastic! We had a few issues with the boat and the Dream Yacht Charter crew had to come out 3 separate times to fix them but they were super responsive and resolved all problems. We're already looking for a charter to book for 2021!