Unfortunately, this did not turn out to be the trip we had hoped for when we booked what appeared…read moreto be a well maintained catamaran. Without making a novel sized post, some of the myriad issues we faced included: -One of the heads (bathrooms) was backed up and they did not have the piece needed to fix it. *It smelled for all 4 days* and we could not use that half of the boat due to the smell. That means we went from everyone having plenty of space and 4 bedrooms and bathrooms, to cramming into 2 bedrooms on the other side of the boat. -There was no propane in the tank to use the kitchen oven and stove, and the backup canister was empty too. The grill had enough gas to get about halfway through cooking some chicken before it gave out. They didn't have tanks available to replace them so we couldn't use the kitchen or cook the groceries we bought. -We never got clear instructions on where to find the boat. We had to wander around the marina with all our luggage and groceries for 20 minutes before finding it ourselves. Eventually we were met by the guy checking us in, who was very friendly, but that doesn't help the fact that we were left without any useful instructions or guidance. The boat wasn't even in the slip that was indicated on our contract, we just happened to notice the name as we were passing it by. -The contract is long, convoluted and poorly written, including fees left and right for every little thing out of your control (even $50 per half hour you check in after 5pm - flight delayed? That'll cost you!). On top of that, it includes an image release stating they can use pictures of you in perpetuity in any form of advertisement they like. When I objected I was told they have used that contract for 10 years - as if the length you use a bad contract makes it as good contract. They did eventually assent to me making cross offs, but not until we were actually at the airport boarding our flight, wondering if we would have somewhere to stay. We alerted them to each of these issues as they arose, plus the fact that one of our party fell on the slippery stairs, which do not have a handrail, as they happened. I followed up with them after we departed and never got any type of response beyond that they were 'talking with the owner about it' and it was 'out of my [hands]' (on separate occasions). Finally, the $1000 deposit that they charged (via ACH, not a credit card hold) was not returned within the timeline I was promised. When I followed up I was told it had been returned 2 weeks prior and to follow up with my bank - it was probably "delayed because of the holidays". Well, my bank has no record of it (surprise!). ACH doesn't take 2 weeks to hit, even "during the holidays". I hope to update this with some good news eventually. For now, we've gotten none.

I offer this story from a hotel room, not the Key West, Florida Blue Ocean Yacht Charters boat that…read moreI paid to rent for nine days. It's been my practice to do something extraordinary every year for my sister's birthday, so when I saw the Expedia advertisement for a VRBO "luxury" yacht rental with Blue Ocean Yacht Charters in Key West, Florida, it seemed like the perfect option. The pictures of the advertised yacht were simply fabulous, complete with quilted blue comforter and delightfully squared matching navy blue pillow shams in the master bedroom, and equally delightful appointed second bedroom with a queen bed, and a third bedroom with adorably immaculate bunkbeds! $400 a day cost seemed more than reasonable, and I booked and paid the full cost the same day--more than a month in advance (even with a $250 cleaning fee included in the $4818 total). My sister (a code enforcement supervisor with Fulton County, Georgia), our friend (Creative Director at Oracle), and I (Title 1 Coordinator in Maryland) arrived and met with the greeter, Daniel, at the Shrimp Road marina at exactly 3:00, well before the 5:00 check-in cut-off (yes, there was a threat to charge us $50 for every hour we were late). It was immediately apparent that the boat we saw was NOT the boat depicted on the website, from the two rickety, weathered chairs to the marred vinyl-covered table under which they were placed. Upon entering the room on the other side of the door, we were greeted with stifling heat and the smell of open sewage. After several introductory conversations with Daniel, our friendly greeter, I took note of the aged stereo system cabinet, the shelves of which were thickly coated with some white dusty-greasy-grainy substance I am--to this day--afraid to name. I decided to walk below deck to determine if the initial red flags led to further horror. The wonderful duvet-covered beds shown on the website? NO. One bed was covered with what appeared to be a mattress cover, creased and yellowed at the foot of the bed. The other? Covered with a polyester, "plushy-style" blanket one would customarily use UNDER a comforter. The third bedroom? Two bunk beds covered with an envelope-styled, closed-ended brown velvet-like blankets with creased, yellowed pillow covers. Most women's impulse would be to check the kitchen and bathrooms. I am no exception. The small refrigerator next to the deplorably filthy stereo cabinet? The crease at the end of the shelves were coated with a brown slime I didn't have to the courage to touch. The under the inner rim of the toilet still had the residue of left-over guests varied dietary preferences, the floor spotted and grimy, the sinks spotted with cumulative nastiness. Filthy, white-coated shower heads? Check. Filthy, throw rugs? Check. Visibly stained installed carpet? Check. Even the toaster was uncleaned, up to and including the lonely crumb that sat visibly perched on the top of the poster. And YES, I was charged $250 on my initial charges in June when I rented on Expedia. NO, I'm not joking. ALL of this I told our greeter, Daniel, who told us that the unit had been cleaned. We discussed our dismay at the quality and cleanliness of the boat, asked about the lack of air conditioning, and asked about the smell that, combined with the heat and motion of the boat, left us reeling with nausea. I then pointed out a smear of something brown on the wall that led downstairs. After I pointed it out, he reached out and wiped it off (yes, it appeared to be wet, not dry) as if it were a smear of splashed prune juice. Given the pervasive smell we experienced on the boat, I dared not imagine it what it actually was. He was not horrified and kindly continued the conversation--nonplussed. Our conversation continued, and given everything we had seen, smelled, and felt, we informed Daniel, our ever-patient greeter, that we could not stay there and refused to check in. While he initially stated that the cleaners could be brought out again tomorrow, by the end of the conversation, he said they could be called back that day. Our thinking? Kim hilariously phrased it most aptly--even if it were sand-blasted, it would not matter because the filth we saw was clearly cumulative and considered a result of long-term neglect. At that point, we asked for a full refund because the property we were shown was a clear misrepresentation of what was depicted on the Expedia/VRBO website. At that point, he stated he would communicate with the host and we left. We later met with the CEO, James (Jamie, I discovered later) Wylly, who asked to meet with us in the Perry Hotel (adjacent to the marina). I assume this offer was made because VRBO had informed him we had complained (we were on the call at the time we received the text). We agreed to meet with him, and--yes, you guessed it (maybe not)--he ultimately (smiling throughout our anxiety-ridden discussion) offered us a complimentary excursion on the yacht. All refused.