Private Cruise Charter Reviews

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

The whole experience was amazing from start to finish, and that’s even though we never managed to reach the Outer Hebrides, like we'd been hoping (too much wind/swell in the Minch, thanks to hurricane remnants from across the Atlantic, so the Captain advised we turn back to Skye). We chartered the Emma Jane for 8 days, and there were three generations of us from 11 to 65 (including two kids). Most amazing was Chef Louis, who did the impossible, and served food to suit us all, despite our varied and complicated dietary issues. (Very, very tasty food too.) He was ably assisted by Jenny, our Steward, who kept everything running smoothly. And now everyone misses having their breakfast toast served to them in a Harris Tweed toast cosy. The scenery and wildlife were just as amazing, ably interpreted by our naturalist guide Lynsey. We had several pods of dolphins come surf the bow wave, much to everyone’s delight. As well as eagles and many other bird and mammal sightings, as well as rainbows, castles, perfect beachcombing beaches, and so much more. Lynsey led our rambles ashore, with options for the less energetic among us to still enjoy a stroll while those with younger knees tackled the hills. James, our captain, did a fine job of avoiding the worst of the swells, and he consulted with us each step of the way, so even though we were disappointed not to get to Lewis/Harris, we knew it was for the best. James and Lynsey also made for excellent hosts at dinner. This trip was to celebrate our 30th anniversary, and James managed to surprise us by having his daughter pipe in our cake while we were docked in Tobermory, in fine Scottish style. I’ll keep overusing the word “amazing” as it’s the only word which just about manages to capture the experience. Highly recommended. If you are thinking about doing a Hebrides cruise, do it, and do it with these people. You will not be disappointed. Thank you James, Lynsey, Jenny, and Louis; you made our trip extraordinary. Comments from other family members: Awesome, highly recommended. So friendly, and nice people, incredibly accommodating (especially Louis), extra awesome. Emma Jane is the best! When can we go again? I loved everything about the trip.

Barry Twycross

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

3 August 2024

Huge thanks once again to skipper Rob who, with his lovely boat the Elizabeth G and his magnificent team gave us such a wonderful family trip.  With his vast experience he was able to use a short weather window to get us to St Kilda and give us a magical half day there with the island to ourselves.  We landed in seven other places, were repeatedly in the company of common or bottlenose dolphins and saw eleven Minke whales in the Sound of Raasay.  Our crew were cook Charlie, steward Maggie and guide George who were superb in their roles, efficient and knowledgeable, and soon seemed to become part of the family for this special trip.  Very many thanks to you all including Emma who works so hard behind the scenes to make it all happen.  We hope to be back.  Margaret Knowles

Margaret Knowles

27 July 2024

Having left the Elizabeth G and the amazing Hebrides Cruises team today (following the most extraordinary 10 day trip to St Kilda & the Hebrides) I cannot shout loud enough in my support for this shortlisting!! Your care, attention, professionalism and quality are all beyond top standard. We have had amazing nature, wildlife, Hebrides and boating experiences and lessons everyday & I am leaving the trip with a far better awareness & understanding than when I started (in particular regarding our human impact on sea life and why we must respect & preserve it as much as possible). Thank you so much Hebrides Cruises & good luck in the finals!!

Kate Knowles