Private Cruise Charter Reviews

5 May 2025

Ben and I have recently returned from what was simply the most remarkable and unforgettable experience of the Inner Hebrides aboard the Emma Jane with family and old friends.  We have travelled around northern Scotland many times over the years, mostly up in Assynt and across to the Outer Hebrides. We love the soul and spirit, the flora and the fauna of the ancient lands, it’s our ‘happy place’. We were so excited about the trip.  Our experience with you surpassed so much of what we have done in the past. Yes, we were so very lucky with the weather and being on the sea in a beautiful boat is just wonderful. But none of it would have been so memorable without the delightful crew, each and every one of you who just made it such a magical trip.  Charlie thank you for an abundance of delicious, tasty food that landed on the table day after day. Feeding us relentlessly and the scones were the best ever.  Jas – Auntie Jas! – your attention to detail, always there when we needed you to be, popping up at just the right time. Subtly professional with amazing cabin tidying skills.  Will – your astonishing wildlife knowledge will not be forgotten. It made such a difference to the trip to have you there feeding us with gems of information throughout. We learned so much and we both feel that our attitudes and perspectives towards the landscapes and the wildlife have been shaped as a result.  Jake – thank you - you were always there, tirelessly working in the background to help and assist with a noticeable commitment to a safe operational environment. We were impressed with how professional you were.  James – a massive thank you for being the ultimate skipper. Your lifetime of experience and local knowledge, your sense of humour and professionalism really put the icing on the cake for us. It was such a joy to have you guide us through each day and manage it all so seamlessly.  And thank you for your mother’s book which I have read. I really enjoyed it, what an insight into your unique and incredible family life and all the more enjoyable because you were in it! Many a tale you could tell I have no doubt. Please pass on my regards to your mother with my best wishes and let her know that the book is now being passed around the group!  Words don’t really cut it to be honest but suffice to say a HUGE thank you from Ben and I for a once in a lifetime experience (although we are already talking about the next trip with you…..!).  We really do hope to see you again on one of your lovely vessels and wish you all the very best in the meantime.  Sue and Ben xx

Suzanne Goodfellow

5 May 2025

It was always expected to be a good holiday as we knew the Hebridean coastline was stunning; we had visited before. We knew we were going to be well looked after on a Hebrides Cruise, be on a beautiful vessel, be very well fed, and spend time wonderfully learning more about the amazing wildlife, history and ecology of the area; we had read the reviews before and since booking 18 months ago, and Emma had covered everything expertly to prepare us for the trip. We also knew we were going to like our cabin mates; as a private charter we were travelling with friends. But our trip was so much more than the sum of those things thanks to the team with us and their obvious love of working together and doing what they do. From the moment we stepped on board and our relaxed welcome briefing by our captain James, the entire team of James, Jake, Will, Charlie and Jas were just that - with us - joining in and being completely at ease with everyone, whilst subtly making sure the trip ran like clockwork, taking hospitality to a level which is seldom experienced and does not happen by accident! It was sunny, and so was the disposition of Charlie our extremely talented and creative chef, as we woke to her chuckling with Jas while preparing amazing breakfasts. This continued right through to the most gorgeous dinners and the briefing at the end of the day by James, Jake and Will when on occasion the raucous enjoyment was only matched by the jaw dropping cacophony of the guillemots and razor bills at Harp Rock. The only thing that was dark and stormy was the cocktail thanks to the multi talented Jas, always attentive to everyone’s individual preferences in between offering up new origami napkin styles and creative table decorations. And there was next to no wind, but we were blown away by Will’s wildlife photography and knowledge of both wildlife and history of the area. There were so many sightings every day and it amazed us all how someone with such depth of knowledge and experience could use such diplomacy that somehow we were made to feel like the experts! Will’s photos of otters feeding on Inch Kenneth, and the shag on Lunga photo staring straight at the lens were particularly spectacular. So a good holiday it certainly was, but with hugs back on the dock in Oban (we tried to stow away but were unsuccessful) it was clear that more than that it was an experience which will stay with us always, and quite possibly for some, will influence our direction of travel as seamlessly as James and Jake steered the direction of the Emma Jane to ensure that each special sighting was captured by all. With sincere thanks, until next time…. Jon & Lesley

Lesley Goodfellow

3 May 2025

Thank you so much to you all for the parts you played in making this yet another truly memorable trip on the Elizabeth G.  Who would believe that after sixteen years of adventures on the Elizabeth G we can still find new islands to land on and the care we receive on board never dips below excellent.  Emma, we are full of admiration for the way you cope with everything onshore.  We realise that this must be very stressful at times and yet you always manage to appear so calm.  In sending this email to Hebrides Cruises we are, of course, including Rob in our thanks.

Margaret Knowles

24 April 2025

Emma - Please convey a great big thanks to James, Gill, Abbie and Sammy for helping to make our voyage on Lucy Mary such a wonderful experience for Nance, myself and our guests. We all really appreciated the attention received, the comfort of Lucy Mary, wonderful catering and the voyage itenary!
Sandy.

A Tosh

10 April 2025

Dear Emma - I wanted to write a proper thank you for our cruise.  I know you have all moved seamlessly to creating a special experience for the next sets of guests, but you must know that you, the whole team ashore and aboard, have once again created a treasure-trove of memories for our family.  It’s hard to believe that a week ago we woke up on Lucy Mary looking at Lismore lighthouse.  The whole experience was so perfect it’s like we stepped into another world at the end of the pontoon.  The Hebrides are glorious and we were very lucky with the weather, but we know that the rest of the perfection comes from a great deal of skill, organisation, talent, and very hard work.  You and James have created and inspired a team which not only provides five star service but also radiates fun, imagination, attention to detail and compassion.  Indy’s enthusiasm is so infectious.  Sammy somehow managed to make everyone’s favourite food and serve exactly what everyone wanted to eat.  It was wonderful to see Will’s growing confidence; his rock-pooling was a revelation and we did so appreciate the shining windows and the flying tender and the great piles of coats and shoes and lifejackets that were all kept shipshape.  Abbie is a marvel; there is no single thing to thank her for, but a million little things, which together create a feeling of welcome, safety, beauty and comfort.  As well as a great leader of the team, James is an intuitive, talented and hugely knowledgeable skipper and we all loved being on the bridge looking at charts and  searching for lights and beasties (and doing fast and bumpy on the tender).  A heartfelt thank you from each and every one of us, especially me.  I had the best time, doing what I love and knowing everyone else was happy too.  With love

F Mylchreest

28 September 2024

Trip was a huge success! Special note must be made of the wonderful crew - skipper Charlie was always in control, calm and hugely knowledgeable and interesting, wildlife expert George relentlessly answered our queries and had great ability to sight activity far away, Charlie chef provided endless, beautiful and varied meals and Sofia stewardess could not do enough for us, smiled endlessly and made stunning table displays. Great team cohesion. Mostly fab weather was a real bonus. Shame about the whale, but otherwise wildlife sigthings exceeded expectations!

Moira Clink

28 September 2024

I was fortunate to be on a six day private charter cruise on the Emma Jane. We were very fortunate with our weather given that we travelled at the end of September but what really made the cruise special was the quality of the crew on the vessel. We could not have asked for better. Our skipper (Charlie) was very responsive to our requests or suggestions for places we wanted to visit. Our chef (also called Charlie) was terrific, producing great meals on a series of special themes. Our wildlife guide (George) was brilliant at spotting animal life and helping us to understand their way of living. We especially enjoyed the frequency with which common dolphin took to surfing off the bow of the ship. Our stewardess (Sofia) was also really good. She looked after us so well and was tremendous at decorating the dinner table and ensuring that service throughout was of the highest standard. She also was particularly strong at remembering our individual preferences for drinks and food and quickly mastered all our names. I was hugely impressed with the whole effort by the team who all got on together so well. They seemed to be enjoying themselves which only made it easier for all of us to enjoy ourselves. All round a full five star review. It was a terrific six days which will last long in the memory. Thank you all so much.

Michael Spence

9 September 2024

We all had a great memorable time although the weather could have been kinder but we were dressed for it. The crew were great nothing was too much trouble.Food was excellent and flexible, catering for our different needs.

barry fehler

24 August 2024

We chartered the Lucy Mary for a Big Boat Adventure with our special and complicated family. It was even better than last year: there is a magical space where the sky meets the sea and everyone becomes their best self. Together our children, diverse in every way, were awed at following otter tracks up a pristine white beach, thrilled at fast and bumpy tender rides and delighted to hang over the bow with the dolphins. The crew scanned the sea for creatures great and small and navigated us into Fingal’s cave and up to the top of Ardnamurchan lighthouse; yet every adventure ended in a beautiful calm anchorage for swimming and sleeping. Each day we woke up to sparkling windows and stunning scenery; after each adventure we feasted on delicious fresh food at a whimsically decorated table. Somehow the water and wind and wild made the world stop awhile and we had huge fun and enjoyed every moment. Even the rain didn’t matter: our clothes dried superfast and we warmed up with hot chocolate and tea in thermos mugs (and chocolate cake). Next year’s adventure is already the highlight of our calendar.

Fiona Mylchreest

15 August 2024

I was lucky enough to find myself on the Emma Jane in the summer of 2024, courtesy of my wonderful family. Near the end of our cruise, I was asked by one of the crew members what my favourite parts of the trip were. I couldn’t come up with a good answer, though not for lack of amazing moments - quite the opposite, in fact. I came to the realization that the cruise in its entirety was one big highlight. I enjoyed every second I spent on the ship. The food was superb (Thank you, Louie, for putting up with my family of picky eaters!), our guide was very knowledgeable (Lynsey, thank you for teaching me about all of those Scottish seabird species!), the skipper was always friendly (Thanks to you, James, I now aspire to learn how to repair and maintain a ship’s engine) and of course the natural beauty of the Hebrides was simply stunning. I miss being on the ship all the time and hope to be back again one day.

Emily Ward