Holiday Cruiser FAQs

Please aim to arrive between 2pm and 4:30pm
We try our best to ensure your holiday cruiser is ready for 2pm collection – occasionally we may need to delay your take over time if we are still attending to unforeseen maintenance issues

If you cannot arrive before 4:30pm or traffic is bad and is causing a delay we can make the necessary provisions to ensure you can still get onboard your boat. Please contact our office to alert us of your late arrival. You are more than welcome to climb onboard and establish yourselves. All we ask is you don’t leave our site. until the following day when one of our staff will complete the handover instructions.

A typical short break will take you to Beccles, St. Olave’s, Reedham and even up to Norwich.
It really depends on how long you wish to spend motoring each day. Our team will show you the map and talk through the routes on arrival.
We recommend that you do not go over Breydon Water to Great Yarmouth on a short break

You are free to choose your own route on The Broads. Depending on how far you wish to motor each day you are able to explore Norwich, Beccles, Great Yarmouth, or the villages of Ludham and Potter Heigham. Our team can go through the routes with you on arrival and can help you make your plan.

The Broads has a variety of bridges, some you can pass through at any time, some you need a low tide and some you will not be able to pass under at any time.
Wroxham and Potter Heigham bridges are impassable at any time
Beccles old bridge may be passable at low tide, but we do not let our boats go beyond this in case the tide is not low enough to pass back through
Most other bridges you will need to wait until low tide to pass under
You will need to be especially careful when timing the passage through the bridges at Great Yarmouth – we will explain this during your handover

You will find a full range of crockery and cutlery, pans and utensils
TV and DVD player
Radio with CD
Microwave
Full set of linen and towels for each person
Welcome pack including: milk/coffee/tea portions and a selection of locally sourced gifts
Hairdryer
Two toilet rolls per toilet
Small starter cleaning pack

Our boats can only power up to 1000w so your own hairdryer will not work
We put a suitable hairdryer onboard for you to use.

Yes most hair straighteners are fine to use on board.
Check the rating of your product – it must be under 1000w

Yes there are mains sockets on each boat suitable for phone charging
You will also find USB sockets for direct charging on most boats.

Most of our boats allow dogs (cats, birds, rabbits) on board, please check individual boat details
We do reserve some pet free boats for people who have allergies
We charge £39 per pet

On arrival one of our experienced and friendly staff will join you for a full demonstration on how the boat works. This will include driving the boat, mooring up and using all the facilities on board. Any queries, no matter how big or small will be answered by our staff during this briefing.
If you are still a little unsure due to your beginner status all our boats have bow thrusters which make manoeuvring your boat even easier. The staff here will always be on hand to answer any questions throughout your holiday and offer a constant support system.
If, on arrival, you don’t feel that you wish to take the boat out you are more than welcome to stay on our site for your holiday and enjoy the facilities here.

Yes. We need to make sure you remember all the operating aspects of the boat and be happy that you are comfortable driving the boat.
We also make alterations and improvements to our boats each year so operating instructions may differ year on year.
Your handover may be shorter, but we still need to sign everything off.

A responsible adult must be in control of the boat at all times (18 years or older).
You may let children (14 years and up) drive if they are under constant supervision and an adult is sitting at the controls with them at all times.
The named skipper will always be responsible for the boat

No qualifications or experience are needed to enjoy a Broads holiday.
Our friendly members of staff are always on hand throughout your stay to deal with any queries.
On arrival you will receive a briefing by an experienced crew member so even beginners leave the boat yard feeling confident and in control.
We do ask that all in-experienced and new hirers read up on The Broads before their holiday and allow time for the full briefing before departing. If you arrive after 4pm and are new to boating we may complete some or all of your demo on the next day, to allow enough time to fully show you how the boat works.

Yes. We recommend that you wear a buoyancy aid when walking around decks and getting on and off the boat.
The river has mud, weeds and is tidal – being a good swimmer will not help if your legs are tangled or if you’re in a strong tide.
We will fit everyone with a buoyancy aid before you get the boat.

Yes you can.
We get very busy during arrival times, so we cannot accept delivery for you, if you are not here. Please ensure that you only arrange for delivery after 3pm, then it can go straight onto your boat. We do not have facilities to store cold or frozen food and cannot be responsible for food spoiling / defrosting.

Boats and bikes don’t mix.
There is nowhere to store them without impeding the deck space and we don’t allow them on the roof as they damage the boat.

Just put them in a bag and dispose into refuse.
Putting wipes of any description (yes even flushable) into our toilets will block them and we will charge £40 for unblocking. Our lovely engineers definitely don’t want to be pulling wipes and sanitary products out of toilet pipes.

Get in touch with us if you wish to hire solo – we view each of these case by case. Don’t book unless you have spoken to us first.
The things we consider are experience, physical ability (for mooring up), your proposed route and the boat you wish to take.
The reason we take extra care is because there are risks involved in boating and being around tidal water. Mooring up solo is much more difficult than with another crew member to help.
We may refuse to accept bookings for solo boaters.

As with solo boating we view each booking on a case by case basis. Don’t book until you have spoken to us first.
We consider the following, experience, age of the children, physical ability (for mooring up), number of children, proposed route and the boat you wish to take.
We want everyone to have a happy and safe holiday, so we may not be able to accept single adult holidays, in all cases.
Please call us and we will do our best to help

This will depend on how long you shower for, how many times you flush the toilet and if you accidentally leave the tap running (this happens regularly)
We recommend that you fill the tank up each day
Most places charge £1-£3 per fill
Tanks usually take 20 minutes to fill up

If you are out for a short break you will usually not need a pumpout – it will depend how many times you flush the loo and how much water each flush.
During a week away you will usually need to get the tank pumped out half way through the week. This is chargeable at other yards (£15-25)

All our boats are strictly non smoking – this includes e-cigarettes and all forms of vaping.
We ask that you smoke completely off the boat, as smoke drifts back into the boat through open doors and windows.
We do charge £100 for decontamination if you have smoked on the boat.

We ask that you let us know immediately if you have a collision of any kind. This way we can assess damage and respond to any third parties.
If you hit another boat please pass the owner, or hirer, our name and contact information.
If another boat hits you please get their name, boat name and registration number.

Different stretches of river have different speed limits – there are round signs detailing the speed limits.
They range from 3mph to 6mph.
The speed limits ensure the river banks are protected from wash and also ensure moored boats are not damaged by large waves created from speeding boats.
We expect everyone to keep to the speed limits and it is an offence to break these limits.
The Broads Authority have rangers who keep an eye on speeding vessels and they will stop and fine hirers for speeding.
The Broads is a place to relax and slow down.