New Hire Boats For 2022

[DAVIDH]

It's the pricing that's ridiculous. If you look for availability on a given date (I've looked at 7 nights from the 10th September) In ascending price order, Tranquilla and Bella Signora (2 berth cruisers) are listed after Broom Captains (4 berths and all inclusive), Fair Royale (6 berths and all inclusive), Sephora (4 berths) and Silver Solitaire (4 berths). All these other boats match Tranquilla and Bella Signora in the comfort stakes, and take more people. It's almost as though the prices were formulated when they first bought them, and haven't been looked at since. They stick out like a sore thumb!

[Bikertov]

I do like Bell Signora, a lot - my dream boat to own, if only I could afford it ...

[oldgregg]

On 10/03/2022 at 20:11, Dan said:

At over £2300 in summer for Tranquilla the pricing seems to be past 'on the high side' and a bit extreme!

The quality of the description doesn't really support/validate the cost either... both external pictures feature a different boat name on the image (removing it with photoshop if not taking a replacement photo on a nice turnaround day is not hard) and the description makes no sense... it mentions an en-suite for the rear cabin which the image shows as a lounge and it is only a two berth and the sleeping cabin is pictured as the forward cabin with two singles, yet the description mentions two forward doubles!

I think it is the worst, most confusing and totally inaccurate description I've seen, perhaps whoever wrote it should be flogged... but just to add the icing to the cake there is no layout plan, which other new additions for some fleets have so must be possible but perhaps at the operators insistence/persistence?  

https://www.hoseasons.co.uk/boat-holidays/tranquilla-bh2702

https://www.richardsonsboatingholidays.co.uk/boats/tranquilla/

Dan

Indeed Mr H.

The listing just doesn't sell it at all. I think at that price point you probably need a layout plan and a virtual tour, like many other operators offer including some of the Broads yards.

[MrBlueSky]

At that price I,m assuming an onboard chef and masseur is included. 

[andyg]

The really surprising thing is they haven't reacted to the lack of bookings. Not a single week booked this season. You'd of thought that would of set off an alarm bell somewhere within the company. The season is underway and if it was me and being a new boat Id want to see some healthy booking numbers by now. I hadn't looked at the pricing,they've clearly got that wrong. It's never going to let at that kind of money. 

[Broads01]

Ferry Marina have refitted Rose Emblem and it looks good, albeit I'm not convinced about the grey upholstery. I do like the way they've opened up the view between galley and saloon. I had this booked for a week late September but changed for Silver Emblem for an extra £300. I'm now wondering if I did the right thing. 

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4814815195222355&id=198981940139060

[andyg]

4 hours ago, Broads01 said:

Ferry Marina have refitted Rose Emblem and it looks good, albeit I'm not convinced about the grey upholstery. I do like the way they've opened up the view between galley and saloon. I had this booked for a week late September but changed for Silver Emblem for an extra £300. I'm now wondering if I did the right thing. 

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4814815195222355&id=198981940139060

To be fair Simon, they have invested quite heavily in refurbishing lots of the older fleet since the new owners have taken over. I do agree about choice of fabric colours tho. 

[Vaughan]

I see that the new Fair Regal from NBD has a feature on the EDP website this morning.

Weekends  start at £1328, going up to £3571 in high season, for 2 couples.

That's well over £500 a night, folks.  Remains to be seen whether the industry can sustain these sort of prices.

[Chelsea14Ian]

For that price I could have a very nice holiday overseas.

[Happy]

1 hour ago, Chelsea14Ian said:

For that price I could have a very nice holiday overseas.

  Or a luxury 'all inclusive' cruise

[ScrumpyCheddar]

Well Brooms have totally gone bonkers on there Pricing now.. I’m surprised any one is paying there prices this year ... I for one will not be ..

Last September I paid £1.400 For Broom Commodore this September £2.264 a rise of £864 ..

Have they gone Mad.... 

[Mouldy]

2 hours ago, ScrumpyCheddar said:

Well Brooms have totally gone bonkers on there Pricing now.. I’m surprised any one is paying there prices this year ... I for one will not be ..

Last September I paid £1.400 For Broom Commodore this September £2.264 a rise of £864 ..

Have they gone Mad.... 

Have they gone over to ‘all inclusive’ pricing?  If they have, some of that will be to cover their fuel costs, at £1.90 per litre as of Friday 4th March.  They’re clearly anticipating fuel prices to soar, not to mention some ‘premium’ pricing because they’re Broom and deserve it based on their reputation.

[ScrumpyCheddar]

10 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

Have they gone over to ‘all inclusive’ pricing?  If they have, some of that will be to cover their fuel costs, at £1.90 per litre as of Friday 4th March.  They’re clearly anticipating fuel prices to soar, not to mention some ‘premium’ pricing because they’re Broom and deserve it based on their reputation.

Mouldy I’m not sure if they have gone all inclusive of fuel let’s just say £300 is for the fuel, that’s still a £500 increase on last years price ... Let’s remember there using Red diesel and not white... so there fuel supplier to pump price would of not risen anywhere near the price of white from a fuel supplier to garage forecourt prices. 
 

And after our last holiday with Brooms last year I’m afraid to say there reputation has slipped down wards ... 
 

 

[Mouldy]

15 minutes ago, ScrumpyCheddar said:

Mouldy I’m not sure if they have gone all inclusive of fuel let’s just say £300 is for the fuel, that’s still a £500 increase on last years price ... Let’s remember there using Red diesel and not white... so there fuel supplier to pump price would of not risen anywhere near the price of white from a fuel supplier to garage forecourt prices. 
 

And after our last holiday with Brooms last year I’m afraid to say there reputation has slipped down wards ... 
 

 

Trust me, a fellow Moonlight Shadow syndicate member emailed the rest of us last weekend to report that they’re charging £1.90 litre for diesel.

There are a couple of other members of the syndicate who are also Forum members and they are fully aware of my opinion of Brooms.  I won’t say more on here, though, except to say that you’re not alone in your opinion.

[webntweb]

6 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

Trust me, a fellow Moonlight Shadow syndicate member emailed the rest of us last weekend to report that they’re charging £1.90 litre for diesel.

Have Broom's stopped giving the 10% fuel discount to their moorers?

[andyg]

Personally I think fair regal will let very well. It's exactly what young couples are looking for in my opinion. Lens design offers huge amounts of space both inside and out. Although not the most attractive boat to look at ( my opinion again ) this design does offer the opportunity to avoid those cramped bow cabins,berths being half under the deck etc etc, decent size showers and large open living spaces and of course large comfy double beds. We and our friends had already committed to broadsman for Sept long before regal was announced if we'd of known I'm pretty sure we'd of booked her.

[YnysMon]

52 minutes ago, webntweb said:

Have Broom's stopped giving the 10% fuel discount to their moorers?

Yes. That stopped last year. 

When we were on Moonlight Shadow in November we refuelled etc. in Swancraft instead of Brooms (this was on a Friday). We would have done the same in February except that I didn’t fancy manoeuvring in and out of Swancraft in a stiff wind. 

[Andrewcook]

Richardson's had the most Hiring Boats out in February apart from a few Boats from Herbert Woods. 

[andyg]

6 hours ago, Andrewcook said:

Richardson's had the most Hiring Boats out in February apart from a few Boats from Herbert Woods. 

From what I've seen Andrew this weekend while I was up in Horning it seemed busier then I'd expected. That can only be a good thing for the yards. I did notice richardsons have been busy with there paint brushes over the winter some very smart looking refreshed Boats, always nice to see. 

[SwanR]

We’ve been out as well just for a weekend hire. Richardson’s had 20 boats going out last Saturday and I can’t remember how many had gone the day before. Apparently next weekend is busier still and they will be going back to operating from more than one quay. They are still using the same check in process at the moment that they instigated during the pandemic. 

It has definitely been busier than March in other years, although Monday has felt a little quieter than the weekend was. 

[andyg]

I have back to back bookings with Richardson's in Sept a week with our friends and a long weekend with my siblings. We have 1pm takeover times for both boats. Don't every remember having such early starts times. 👍be great if we actually do get away at the times stated especially on the long weekend. Will seem like we'd gained a day afloat. 

[SwanR]

I think they try to get the platinum boats and short breaks away as soon as possible. We were third in the queue at 1pm. The boat was ready. So trial run completed, boat loaded and we were out of the yard by 2. 

[andyg]

On Fri our change over day il be at the yard all morning catching up on some washing from our weeks trip and waiting for my brother and sisters to arrive. I do have to pop into Norwich to collect one of my sisters from her hotel as she is travelling down by train from up north the day before. Richardsons are fine with me popping off site to collect her and return to do my washing. Well there's method in my madness I won't actually be doing my washing my sister will be. She isn't actually aware of that yet il surprise her on the morning lol...bless her, well you don't have a dog and bark yourself do you 😉. Be interested to see what actually goes on on a turnaround day as I'm normally in my car and gone by 9am. 

[DAVIDH]

2022 bookings have slowed down to a trickle since the beginning of the month. There are currently 767 boat weeks available to sell on Hoseasons for Spring Bank, the summer school holidays and the October Half term. That compares with 325, over the same dates in 2021, at this time. I've not included Easter figures, as UK self contained accommodation was only allowed to reopen on the 12th April last year, which affected advance bookings taken up to the 16th March - my comparison date.

Though advance bookings are well down on 2021, the boatyards will have benefited from holidays starting up to and including Easter this year - as there were none last year. Bookings over the last two weeks in particular have been poor. No doubt much of this is due to the wall to wall coverage of the fighting in Ukraine. It doesn't deter people from going on holiday, but it is mesmerizing, and diverts attention. I'm sure it will have  slowed overseas bookings too. 

Prospects for 2022? With cost of living increases starting to bite, there won't be as much disposable income around. I can't see some of the super-luxury boat prices holding at the level they currently are. It won't be another bumper year that's for sure...... or will it? Who knows what will happen next?

[andyg]

We have booked an overseas holiday for 2023 with tui. We we're ment to have taken our youngest granddaughter away in 2020 but it was all cancelled due to covid so we are just catching up so to speak.spoke with a lady at tui this morning and she said they are incredibly busy for this summer and 2023 advanced booking are incredibly strong. Post pandemic blues I guess, I know several friends of ours have booked overseas holidays they can't really afford ATM they've just put them on a credit card and said they'd worry about paying them later. I guess a lot of folk have just had enough of covid, never ending price rises and what's going on in Ukraine.