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This was our 4th holiday on the broads and 3rd time using Ferry Marina. We stayed on Silent Emblem which is a beautiful 1 Bedroom cruiser for 2 people, as a bonus it is electric so extremely quiet. We were looked after this time by Keith when we got the boat and he showed us round and helped us familiarise ourselves with the boat again. He was so friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about the boat and the broads and gave us some helpful tips. The boat is very well presented, clean and well stocked with everything you could need, our favourite part is the sun deck where we spent most of our time. We did have a self imposed issue during our week on silent emblem and this is where the true side of the company and staff comes out. Within 1 hour of contacting them to report our issue Chris & Leon where with us and sorting out our problem, they demonstrated amazing customer service, made light of the issue we had caused and had us on our way within 2 hours! Not only that but they both took the time to reassure us that we would be ok going back on the broads and to not let a mishap ruin our holiday! This level of service can it come from training this comes from a true love of their jobs and dealing with their customers! Now there are nicer boats out on the broads but you have to pay a lot more money but the customer service you get from team Ferry Marina puts all the other companies in the shade. A great holiday made all the better by Chris, Leon and the whole team at Ferry Marina. We will be back
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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.
Booked coral emblem as it had an island bed (I'm 6ft 4) and separate bedrooms for teenage son and daughter. Lovely boat bed very comfy. I think it might be a bit older but immaculate clean everything worked really well including heating (we were worried going end of October) had to turn it off at night too hot. Realised just needs 15 mins of engine to get heating on and it will stay on all night if you want it. One bathroom used for shower one for toilet was a great idea from my wife as shower tray hard to get dry. Has a bow thruster which as a newbie makes maneuvers so much easier. Best advice if you want a popular mooring get there 10-10:30. Sutton staithe my favourite and side on mooring much more private than stern on. Got a great mooring at Ranworth but had bigger boats either side so felt overlooked. Used a couple of electric cards which I got from reception but don't really need shore power. Moored in front of the hotel at wroxham £10 until 4pm and another £10 fir the night, expensive but a great position to fish and watch the world go past. Family went shopping at Roy's and had dinner at liberty, very nice. I was a bit nervous never having boated before it before but very easy, they take you for mini cruise and show you what to do. Definitely do it again maybe without kids and next time travel to Southern broads when tides better.
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Date of stay: October 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Get a boat with a bow thruster. Use one bathroom for toilet one for shower. Get to popular...
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.
We originally booked this trip in December 2019, intending to have a week on the Broads in July of 2020. Due to COVID, we had to postpone twice, to this year. all along the way, every employee of the Marina we came into contact with was incredibly helpful and cooperative.
When we finally got our boat, they gave us a very thorough introduction to it, and reassured us that, although we were total novices, we need not fear wrecking the vessel or sinking it.
We had their Silver Emblem boat, and it was perfect for us as a couple, although it would have been equally great had we been able to follow our original plan and take another couple with us. The boat was clean, comfortable, with a well equipped galley. Everything we needed was on board (though the one roll of toilet paper provided was not adequate for the 7 day trip, and it was difficult to find camping toilet compatible paper anywhere). They even made an exception to their "bring your own towels" policy for us, since luggage space is limited when you are flying in from the other side of the world.
The drains on the boat could have done with some disinfecting to eliminate odours, but it is difficult to see how this could have been done, given that the shower and sinks empty directly into the river. The toilet also would have really benefited from a more thorough cleaning, as the residual odours there were quite unpleasant.
All in all, we had a great trip in an almost perfect boat. Dockig back at the marina could have been a nightmare, so crowded are their quays, but all I had to do was slow down enough for one of the employees to jump on board, and he took it all the way in. And nobody said anything about the huge scratches down the starboard side of the hull where I ran the boat full tilt into the bank on one occasion.
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Date of stay: July 2022
Room Tip:Study the layouts and pick your boat with care, considering the needs of everyone aboard.
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.
So disappointed to leave this review. Ferry Marina were great last year when we needed to hire a boat at short notice after another firm let us down. They were great again this year when we hired a dayboat. Helpful, flexible and friendly. We changed the date twice, the boat was great. Service from the office staff was excellent.
HOWEVER, there were floods on the morning we had hired our boat. It all started well with a phone call to arrange a lift through the floods to the boatyard. As a group of 6 with two cars (and one 4x4) we agreed that 2 people would need a lift and that our car would be fine through the floods. Having carefully followed the Ferry Marina 4x4 into the boatyard we were harrangued by the manager who said our driving was unacceptable - far too fast and that we were creating problems with the cars that had already been written off that were parked in their flooded yard.
If we were travelling at the same speed, how was that too fast? If the cars were already written off what difference did it make? Why not give proper driving advice before asking us to follow? The fact our car was lower and the bumper created a bow wave was unavoidable. If it was such an issue the manager should have checked the height of our vehicle before allowing us to follow. I note that the staff using the tractor were not careful near my car when transporting vehicles out of the marina!
Having been on proper 4x4 driving courses with Land Rover I have no concerns about my approach to driving through the flood to ensure my car was protected from any issues (in fact a bow wave is recommended though I am not suggesting that was the approach I took).
It is completely unacceptable, even IF the criticism was justified, to shout at customers when you're having a bad day (Ferry Marina managers) is unacceptable. Complaining everyone is unhappy with you isn't a justification for being rude. That's part of your job when things go wrong! We are the very people you should be working hard to look after are those who are willing to turn up and give you their custom.
On reflection we should have cancelled - I'm not sure it is ethical to still be getting customers on to boats whilst several holiday makers are trying to sort out insurance claims.
Utterly dismal - we will not be returning. I have been such an advocate all year for this business that I suspect they have had several customers book based on our recommendation (we work in the tourism sector). Never again. We have the recording of the abuse we recieved from our dashcam...
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Date of stay: September 2020
Service
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.
Response from Harry The-Heron, General Manager at Ferry Marina
Responded 14 Oct 2020
Thank you for your feedback Dr Robinson A number of people commented on your driving, including those in your party who accepted a lift from our manager. Their words were 'he drives like that everywhere'. Whilst we appreciate feedback is important we also take staff and customer safety very seriously.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We have just returned from a disastrous holiday on a Ferry Marina boat. Our holiday started on Saturday 26th September. The weather was wet and windy and there had been a storm the previous day. We collected our boat, which was lovely, and set off for our first stop which was Salhouse Broads. We had been asked where we were going that night and one of the young staff said that would be nice. We moored stern on with great difficulty because of the wind and being total novices. Luckily, a couple on the next boat saved the day as our engine cut out just as we were trying to come in and they pulled us in on the rope. An engineer came out and mended a broken terminal. We then cruised for the next few days. On Wednesday we were moored in Potter Higham . At 1pm we had an email advising us to come back to the boatyard as the car park was flooded and our car may have been damaged. We discovered our car was flooded with about 4” of water in the rear well and all the seats totally saturated. One of the young staff members offered to get us a hoover pump but it was too late to help. He then told us that the breaching of the bank had taken place Saturday night into Sunday morning, 4 days earlier!!!
We returned to our boat in shock and rang our insurance company. They eventually advised us that the car would be a write off. We asked for thinking time overnight. On Thursday morning the insurance company made arrangements for us to get back to Kent via a hire car. When we asked in the office why it had taken 4 days to tell us about the flood the staff member said it was because they were spacing telling people so that not everyone came back at the same time.
After talking to the people moored next to us in the marina we discovered that they had arrived on the same day as us and within 30 minutes of our check in time. They had been advised to stay in the Marina overnight because of the weather ,and on Sunday morning had been advised to move their car to higher ground as the car park was flooding. Their car was saved! There are no signs in the car park warning you of liability to flood. This is apparently definitely not the first time this has happened. Talking to locals this is a regular problem. The car park appears to be below the water level.
We were one of many cars written off ,the pick up truck had already collected 3 when they took ours. We were told there was at least 10.
At no time did any of the management come to see us. No voluntary information was given and certainly no apology or sympathy expressed. In fact when I spoke to one of the managers (?) his parting shot was, can you believe it, “have a nice rest of the day”.
We have lost a much loved car, curtailed a very expensive holiday and feel traumatised by the whole incident.
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Date of stay: 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.
Response from Ferry Marina, General Manager at Ferry Marina
Responded 21 Oct 2020
Thank you for your feedback and we're sorry the holiday didn't live up to your expectations. As I'm sure you can appreciate the amount of flooding we experienced that weekend wasn't predicted, not helped by the pump in the neighbouring car park being out of action. The last time we experienced flooding of that nature was several years ago. At that time measures were introduced to address any further flooding but unfortunately on this occasion that didn't happen because of the pump not working. The team did everything they could to notify customers and get cars moved, whilst attempting to repair the neighbouring pump and install 2 pumps ourselves, but unfortunately the water had already breached the riverbank. As a business we took measures to try and ease any concerns and after attempting to contact you via mobile to make you aware of the situation, with no response, we then emailed you, to which you responded. We're sorry you feel this way about our business but as explained we did everything we could to eliminate any further damage to vehicles after the water had breached the riverbank, something that hasn't happened for many years. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your concerns in more detail with a view to you coming back and enjoying a relaxing break on the Norfolk Broads courtesy of Ferry Marina.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We hired a skipper boat for a day on the Broads. We were impressed with the cleanliness of the boat and the service of the staff. We were able to park near to the hut where we got our key and bouyancy aides so loading our picnic and supplies onto the boat was simple. The team socially distanced at all times. The boat is for six people so as a group of four we were able to enjoy the day without compromising social distancing. We had beautiful sunshine and a great, relaxing day. Highly recommend
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
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.
Firstly what a warm genuine welcome from everyone, the new lad on the gate, the older chap who loves fishing, the lady in reception and Luke for his help and advice along with everyone at Ferry Marina, we felt like family arriving.
A mixed and varied quality modern fleet of boats, cleaned to perfection, better equipped than expected and well furnished whilst comfortable.
This long overdue staycation saw us finally booking a boating holiday discussed for several years for a trouble free week on the Broads.
This company is clearly at the top of its game and the repeat customers we encountered on our holiday are testament to this.
Highly recommended company that restored my faith in uk holidays.
Thanks to everyone
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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.
We were very fortunate to moor at Ferry Marina this morning for a short time and was directed by Carl. The purpose of our stop was for a shower, have breakfast and fill the water tank on our hire boat. Incidentally our boat is from another company but there was no problem and we were made to feel very welcome. On the off chance my wife enquired about one of Ferry Marinas boats and without hesitation, Carl showed us round two boats in their fleet. As a result when we return home we will be making a booking for next year with this company. In a very short time, we were shown such great customer service and felt so valued. Well done Carl, you are a credit to your company and we look forward to seeing you again next year.
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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.
This was our first holiday on the Broads for over 50 years! We booked through Waterways Holidays who in turn used Ferry Marina. Our boat was the Serene Emblem which we found out was, by the own admission of one of the older members of staff, not the easiest boat in the fleet to drive.
To be fair, the introduction was good, well managed and timely and Dennis was very informative in the pre holiday briefing. We had lunch at the ClubHouse which was ok but not haut cuisine - friendly but not a wonderful experience. The food was 'pub grub', service ok and the attention to Covid Secure was good.
The Serene Emblem is an old style boat, the front double berth was good and the bed was very comfortable. The two toilets on board were old style, working but all manual which may be the norm!
The galley area was acceptable, the oven and hob in good working order and the fridge, limited in size but after defrosting by the cleaning staff, was ok.
The rear single berths were small but good for children. We used them for storage which was excellent.
The issues with the boat are as follows:
1. The driving position (only in the saloon area) was insufficient for two people, the helm position was good but the throttle was positioned low down to the left and not easy to control, especially when attempting to 'stern moor'. The is no visibility from the driving position to the aft of the boat which makes stern mooring very difficult. Thank goodness for the bow thruster.
2. Access to and from the stern of the boat is tricky due to the rear seat and the need to step up to exit the boat. Many other boats have a step down to exit.
The boat was fine in terms of it didnt break down, ran well and everything worked. It was lacking in some gauges - no water, fuel, or waste tank gauges so all guesswork.
The return at Ferry Marina was well managed and the staff very helpful.
We would definitely return to the Broads but choose a different boat.
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Date of stay: 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.
We hired Crystal Emblem 1 for a week in September 2020 to take a staycation break from the Covid 19 chaos. From the outset Ferry Marina were helpful and efficient. Their communication explaining how to collect our boat within Covid limitations was very thorough and detailed. On arrival we were shown our boat and given instructions in a very polite, friendly and helpful manner all within social distancing and other Covid rules. We set off and found the boat, although not the most modern of the fleet, to be more than adequate, comfortable and well equipped. After mooring for our first night we discovered a small problem with the water pump not working at full efficiency. After calling the office and speaking to a very polite and respectful lady an engineer was immediately sent who fixed the issue without a problem.
We had booked the boat for 6 nights and enjoyed 4 days of beautiful weather, graceful cruising, and amazing wildlife. (We had an Otter climb out of the river right next to the boat!). Unfortunately on Thursday night the weather broke and we experienced 60mph gusts and, to put in mildly, a great deal of rain. Friday was spent moored up and entertaining ourselves. The TV with Freeview and a DVD player was a godsend, I don’t think I have ever drunk so much tea in a 24 hour period!
Unfortunately the appalling weather continued into Saturday and the river had risen and was flowing very quickly so we decided to call it a day. As my crew consisted of only my 81 year old mother and myself we felt that under the conditions it wouldn’t be safe for us to bring the boat back. I called the Marina and spoke to a lovely lady who was very understanding and arranged for a very pleasant, friendly and experienced gentleman to come out to us and bring the boat back into the Marina. On arrival back at the Marina the staff were very chatty and sympathetic.
I would highly recommend Ferry Marina boat hire to anyone who wishes to cruise the Broads. Nothing seemed to much trouble, their fleet is comprehensive, well maintained and clean. But in my opinion their customer service and attitude to their customers is beyond compare and they should all be very proud of what they do.
Thank you all of you.
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Date of stay: September 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
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.
There are more places to choose from in the Horning area.
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandEast AngliaNorfolkNorwichHorning
NUMBER OF ROOMS
50
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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