Richardsons Boating Holidays

Richardsons Boating Holidays

Richardsons Boating Holidays
4.5

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles257 reviews
Excellent
169
Very good
36
Average
23
Poor
10
Terrible
19

Bob F
Kent, UK252 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020
We decided on booking a small cruiser to explore the Broads and found a nice looking boat on offer with pretty good reviews (7.8/10) from Richardsons of Stalham. We booked Siesta 3 which was just about big enough for 2 people and a dog. The boat was fairly easy to manoeuvre and was functional enough for 4 nights break. the bed was comfortable enough although the boat got cold at night in September. The gas stove was fine although the grill was not much use. The shower was small but adequate with good spray of hot water. The dining are was a little cramped so we moved the table out to the upper deck during the evening. On the last night, it rained heavily all night and we found one of the bedroom windows leaked onto the pillow and also the skylight dripped slightly which was a pain. Overall a very pleasant break with superb weather for the first few days allowing us to take in the incredible scenery and visit several pubs, shops and restaurants but heavy rain and gale force winds made things extremely difficult on the last day. Richardson's team were very polite, helpful and the guy gave a very good demonstration and ensured I was reasonably competent to moor the boat sideways and stern before letting us loose on the rivers and broads. Siesta 3 was a good boat for 2 people for a few days to see if you like boating but we will take out a slightly larger, better equipped boat if we return.
Written 25 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Bob, thanks for your review. I was pleased to read we were able to welcome you aboard Siesta recently. It's great to hear you felt the cruiser was fairly easy to manoeuvre and was suitable for your 4 night break. Thanks for your feedback on the berth. I was sorry to read you felt the boat was cold. Our cruisers do come with heating to help keep our guests warm in the colder months, and we do provide blankets and can provide extra is requested. I was sorry to read the grill was not useful - I do hope you reported this to the marina so they could rectify any issues here. I was sorry to hear that one of the bedroom windows leaked along with the skylight - I sincerely hope you reported this to our team so they could rectify this for you. I'm glad to hear you had an overall pleasant break and enjoyed the area. Thanks for your positive feedback on the team as well as the team member providing your trial run. Thanks again for reviewing us and we hope to welcome you back in the future. Kind regards, Laura Bush Marketing Assistant
Written 8 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Ian T
14 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
Just returned from a weeks holiday afloat with Richardson’s, we have previously been with other companies, but this is the first time a boat had broken down, all I can say their service was absolutely great, the couple of guys sent out were really good at their job, the first fitted a temporary Alternator and we was informed to give the yard a call when we had arrived at the next overnight stop, when the call out guy would bring the correct part. The second guy arrived, was fully briefed about the issue and had all the correct equipment to sort out the issue completely, absolutely first class service. On arrival back to the yard, we spoke to someone and we was informed, they would sort out an issues once made aware of the issue, financial recompense was agreed without issue.

The week minus the one day for the breakdown was very relaxing, all I can say time on the broads forces you to slow down as the speed limits on the broads generally is 5mph. My son has already speaking of getting a bigger boat for next year. I would not hesitate in going through Richardson’s next time.
Written 18 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for leaving a lovely review. It's great that overall you had a relaxing break and that your alternator issue was resolved quickly and professionally by our engineers. We very much look forward to welcoming you again in the future.
Written 3 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

David Milsom
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Couples
A most enjoyable short break on Calypso.
We booked a short break somewhat on impulse, in addition to an already booked week later in the year (we come to the Broads at least once per year, and my family has been on boating holidays here since 1966).

My last experience of Richardson's was in about 1980, when I was too young to remember in detail. Some of the 'classic' fleet are reminiscent of this time, which is nostalgic, but for budget conscious boaters, do not be alarmed! Our boat had been fairly recently refitted, was very comfortable if slightly lacking in storage space, and was spotlessly clean.

Everything worked perfectly, and we had prompt, friendly, and very efficient service at the start and end of our holiday.

Satisfaction depends upon what you expect. Richardson's do a modern, elite, and more fancy range of cruisers if this meets budgets and needs, but experienced boaters do not expect hotel-like comfort on more traditional cruisers. Our experience was very good and we would happily repeat it. Sure, the external appearance of the craft was a little tired, but it worked faultlessly and, in my view, was excellent value for money.

Another yard which I will not name had reasonable boats, but very poor front of house service. Richardson's could be the same given the scale of operation...keep caring for your customers and I hope you get reviews you deserve!

(Some of the more negative reviews here reflect perhaps unrealistic expectations of what a boat will offer...if you require the luxury of a hotel, stay in one instead, I suggest: for those who understand boats and boating our experience was excellent...recommended!)
Written 16 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to leave your lovely review and offering a realistic expectation of what to expect from a boating holiday on the Broads. It is wonderful to read you had an enjoyable time on Calypso from our classic fleet and we very much look forward to welcoming you again in the future.
Written 18 April 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Wayne P
1 contribution
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Couples
On arrival at Richardsons ( we were about 20 mins early), there was a long wait to speak to a worker at Richardsons who then informed us the boat was not cleaned yet! We waited about an hour and a half to be fully booked in etc and then to be shown the boat and how it worked etc. We were also told that we would need a pump out in a few days which we would have to pay for( no refund). The water tank was not filled up as mentioned by the guy that showed us around as we had to fill it up the next day having only used it for tea/ coffee . The boat was dated and there were areas that we could see damp mould . The toilet stank from the offset so I doubt it had been pumped out prior to our use. Mooring up proved difficult at times especially if there was free mooring that had been taken already which then meant having to pay to moore , something we wasn't aware of !!! It was between £5-£15 per night mooring and cheaper for the day but still we weren't aware of this.We moored up a night early in Richardsons boat yard before leaving the boat the next morning.
The broads were lovely etc and we enjoyed that part of the holiday but unfortunately I doubt we will use Richardsons again which is a shame as they were recommended to us !!
Written 16 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time for leaving a review regarding your recent boating holiday with us. Unfortunatley this year due to unprecendedted demand, coupled with staff in isolation, occasionally we have not been able to get guests away as quickly as we would like so I apologise that you had to wait longer than anticipated to get you on your way. All boats are topped up with water and pumped out before departure. We always suggest a pump out midweek and topping up with water every day. With regards to the above mentioned issues, we always ask at the point of return if everything was ok with your trip so we can respond to any issues. I am hoping that this was the case with yourself but unfortunately I have no way of checking without further information. Please feel free to email us with your holiday details so we can look into this matter further for you.
Written 8 September 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Nicola K
Manchester, UK172 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020
This was my first holiday on the broads, my Son and his family had been doing them for a few years but this was the first time with this company and definately the last.
We had booked Moon Voyager believing it to be one of the best , we were a party of 5 adults 1 toddler and two small dogs.
We were told we could have the boat from 1pm, so arrived soon after. There didnt seem to be any proper organisation in place , we eventually got our boat after 3.30. It didnt help that the weather was horrrendous with strong winds and heavy rain. The next morning before we left the boatyard we found two of the three toilets were not working and in fact were backed up.
We had to wait for a member of staff to come on board, not ideal in these Covid times, we even put a mask on our toddler. He was very pleasant and apologised but said the wrong toilet paper had been used, obviously by the previous customers, he even had to replace a pipe in the main bedrooms toilet. .
The boat hadnt been cleaned very well , there were a few cobwebs and dust, luckily we were prepared and cleaned the surfaces our selves.We feel the roof being low should have had at least a bit of padding. The seal on the roof didnt fit properly so the curtains moved with the draft, very frustrating as this was used as a bedroom.
Even though it had been fixed the rear toilet had been seeping all week not a pleasant experience all round.
Written 7 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for writing us a review and leaving us your feedback from your stay aboard Moon Voyager. Moon Voyager is one of our Platinum cruiser with a higher standard throughout and is designed to offer a home-from-home on your Norfolk Broads boating holiday. I am very sorry if the cruiser did not meet your expectations. We endeavour to get our platinum cruisers read for a 1 pm check-in, however this regretfully is not always possible. I can only apologise if there was a hold up on the day of your arrival, however, I was pleased to see you were away by your contractual 4pm take-over time. The waste-pipes on board all of our cruisers are smaller than regular household waste-pipes and so it is important guests follow the rules of use of the toilets. It was disappointing to read you experienced issues with 2 of the toilets on board due to mis-use by the previous guests. I am please our team were able to help rectify this for you. I was sorry to read you felt you needed to clean through the cruiser yourselves, and we would always expect our cruisers to be cleaned to the highest standard prior to our guests arrivals. If you had reported this to our team, we would ave been able to offer help to get any areas resolved for you. Many of our saloon areas double as a sleeping area in our larger cruisers. You mention the curtains in this area moving in the draft of the roof seal and I can only offer our apologies if this had affected your sleeping here. It was disappointing to read of the issues you experienced and therefore your holiday did not meet your expectations. We always hope all of our guests have the best possible experience with us, and I am sorry you would not return with us. Kind regards, Shanice Peck, Customer and Brand Champion.
Written 3 November 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Doug
Suffolk, UK1 contribution
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
The Broads are busy but very pretty. We saw otters, kingfishers, heron and various birds of prey. The fishing was good in-between boats passing.
The various mooring points are clean and have pubs and local shops. They are busy though and we ended up pulling up against the river banks where we could find somewhere we could jump off and tie up for the night.
The staff were helpful in Stalham.
The boat we took our was the Blue Horizon. The boat was around 40' long with 2x toilets, a kitchen, a room with 2x large beds, a seating area with a pull out bed and a room with a double bed. The boat was clean and had the expected safety features and tie points to secure you in place for the night. There were some issues though which didn't spoil the trip (just about) but should be mentioned.
1. The double room had an issue with the skylight which leaked onto the kids beds in the night.
2. There was also a condensation problem in both bedrooms.
3. The windscreen wipers were designed to wipe a 1' space but managed to wipe nothing at all. This meant I had to either wipe the window by leaning out of the window or drive upstairs in the rain.
4. The 1st bathroom toilet was so high your feet were over a foot off of the ground while sitting. An older person would not be able to use it.
5. The 2nd toilet shower could only be sat in. The ceiling came down so low that only a limbo dancer could stand.
6. Both showers were cold.
7. The kitchen sink didn't drain.
8. I banged my head on every door frame and on a coat hanger in the toilet when trying to sit.
9. I am 1.8m tall and had to sleep in the foetal position because the bed was at most 1.6m long.
10. Within an hour of turning off the heating the temperature dropped so low we could see our breath. We slept every night fully clothed with hats on. This was because we couldn't leave the boat running and the advice was to turn heating off while asleep.
11. The boat broke down twice in 2 days causing the cabin to fill with smoke. Both times I had to forget mooring points, cut the engine, drift into the bank and jump into the bog to try and secure the boat so it didn't drift into others.
Written 27 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for leaving us a review of your boating holiday. It was great to read you had a wonderful time exploring the area of the Norfolk Broads and saw a wealth of wildlife. I was however, very sorry to read there was a number of issues you experienced which dampened your experience. When guests discover an issue on board, we would always ask that they report these to us straight away so we can endeavour to offer help as soon as possible. I do hope you reported these at the time so our team could rectify them for you. Norfolk Broads cruisers are designed to be able to navigate some of the smaller channels of the rivers and so can be compact in places. I can only apologies if you found the bathrooms to be inconvenient when using the toilets and showers. All of our cruisers feature 'berths' rather than 'beds' as they are not standard bed sizes. The berths vary in size to fit on board in different areas. Although smaller, we would expect these still to be comfortable for our guests, and so I am disappointed to read you found the berth uncomfortable to sleep on. With the largest fleet of cruiser on the Norfolk Broads, I do hope we would be able to to welcome to back with us in the future. Our knowledgeable Bookings Team are on hand to be able to offer help and advice when making a booking with us. Kind regards, Shanice Peck, Customer and Brand Champion.
Written 3 November 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Mick B
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Family
This was our second year boating from Richardsons. We booked San Domingo 2, as we had San Domingo 1 last year and we like the classic range. They're good value for money and we've found ours to be very reliable, you just need to listen to the guys at the trial run and read the captains manual. We've always found Richardsons staff very helpful and friendly and our boats clean inside and out. The classic range are no frills but in our experience functional and reliable, just be realistic with what a boating holiday is like, as another reviewer put, if you want a 5* hotel then book one. We visited all the main spots on the northern broads, travelling at low speeds we only used 39 litres in 6 days, so got a big chunk of our fuel deposit back, if you race everywhere, then expect to use more fuel. We loved our holiday and will be booking again for next year.
Written 5 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review which gives a fair and realistic experience of a boating holiday on the Broads on one of our well maintained classic fleet. I'm glad you had such a good time and we look forward to seeing you again next year.
Written 16 June 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Darren
Ashford, UK2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021
This was our first holiday on the broads from the moment we pulled into Richardsons yard we was greated by 2 staff who desipte it raining hard all day were still chearful and cracking jokes.
We was directed to our boat and told to wait in the car and someone would come and show us round the boat and take us for a test run down the river.
Due to covid restrictions we had to wait a while before we was showen around the boat by yet another cheerful member of staff who did not rush and took the time to show us round the boat and explain everything before taking us on our test run.
Once we was all happy we was then allowed to leave the boat yard and begin our holiday.
We had hired Rhapsody 3 for the week which is a graet boat for a couple and could not fault the boat in anyway with no issues what so ever.
We decidecd to moore back at the boat yard on the last nigh and again was greeted by 2 staff who happily tied the boat up for us.
Check out the next day was very smooth the boat was refilled with diesel and we even got a cash refund for the unused fuel.
Would we come again? Thats an easy yes, have booked another 2 holidays with Richardsons already.
Written 11 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. It's lovely to read that enjoyed your first visit to the Broads and that everyone you met was cheerful and helpful. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future for more adventures on the Broads.
Written 12 March 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Vixitgz
Hawkhurst, UK4 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Couples
We hired Commadore, the boat was late into the yard (no fault of Richadsons I might add, the previous occupants didn't seem to be in hurry to end their holiday!) The boatyard kept us informed but it was a bit of let down as we had planned to catch the tide for Ludham Bridge but was unable to. However we were left two bottles of wine a profuse apologies.
This is a premium boat, we paid a lot of money for it, and even though I understand the boat arrived very late into the yard one of the toilets were filthy. As a result we then felt we had to scrub all of the bathrooms (there are three). The boat itself looks tired even though it is a premium boat. We were surprised at this as last year we had a Broadsman (beautiful boat I might add) and it was absolutely lovely,
exactly what youd expect. On collection we were told the locks (which are like car central locking) 'are temperamental' when we couldn't lock it. Basically we were unable to lock the main door on the boat for the entirely of the holiday. Then on day four the side door locked itself....constantly! The only way it stayed unlocked was if it was open. The drinking water tap leaked so badly we had to keep a cloth wrapped round it and wring it out periodically.
The loo blocked and they had to sort it out, which they did very quickly I might add on our very first day. We were told it was to much loo roll. Without being to graphic we use wipes (which don't go gown the loo!!) So it couldn't be this. Seriously wondering if something was wrong with the loo in first place, because after this it was much much quieter than when we picked it up.
On arrival back to the boatyard we told the lady in reception about the dirty loo and other problems. We are realistic, things sometimes go wrong, but no excuse for not being clean. We received no apology and were just asked if we had told the chap who refuelled the boat. Then waved on our way. An apology would have gone a very very long way.
I would like to state that we have used this boatyard before as a group and never had problems before. But we were pretty disappointed this time round.
Written 16 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review regarding your trip on the Commodore. As stated at check in we always advise to give us a call should you have any issues with your boat. We would happily of come out and rectified the above issues if we had been notified. Our receptionist did make a note regarding the points above on your paperwork and passed this on to the relevant department to rectify. We are sorry that your trip did not meet your expectations on this occasion and hope that we can welcome you again in the future.
Written 27 June 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Deanna W
2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021 • Family
The boat was great, however during our time out we were flagged down by another boat to say that we had a blockage in our boat and the water wasn’t coming out, because of this we had to stop and make sure we could clear it before we continued. Consequently we ended up being late (45 mins) to hand the boat back. We were told we needed to pay a £30 late fee even after we had explained why we were late! It was the end of the day the boat didn’t need to be used and we still got back before they closed! The guy was very insistent and did not give us any discretion considering the circumstances! This is such bad customer service, we have been long standing customers with richardsons and now we will NEVER use this company again!!
Written 5 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you fo your review. This is the review page for the boating holidays and it would appear that this is for a day boat hire. If you could clarify this then I can direct this to the correct department to look into the issue for you.
Written 3 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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