Well, good thing my friend and I are experienced kayakers. What was advertised was definitely not what was delivered.
Advertised: Guided Tour
Actual: We were told there were 5 guides, but not one introduced themselves. And there was no "guiding" going on. I can't even tell you what creek we were on. There was no introduction, for example "Bob will be leading the pack with Jim in the back. Mary and Sue will be in the middle . . . " And no way to differentiate the "guides" from the rest of the 30 odd people on the water. In the dark.
Advertised: Perfect for beginners, safe and easy for families
Actual: It was pitch black out. And yes, I know they can't control the weather and there was supposed to be light from the full moon, so no, I don't hold that against them. BUT there was absolutely no safety briefing - how to hold a paddle, how to make sure your PFD is tight enough. I didn't see anyone check the fit of a PFD and they certainly didn't check ours. They didn't tell us what to do if we were separated, fell in, got stuck, etc. No warnings about overhead branches or surface logs. No guidance whatsoever. And two people fell in. In the dark, and yes, there are alligators in the creek.
Advertised: Complimentary photos
Actual: A few pics of the decorations on the docs and a few more of people standing around waiting to get into rented kayaks.
And yes, I'll be petty now:
Advertised: Cold beverage, snack
Actual: Bottled water was not offered to us but we were directed to a cooler on a truck after asking, snack was no name hard Halloween candy.
I rated a 2 since it was a nice kayak and we did manage a few laughs, but really found the whole operation poorly run with no organization.
Ответ от хоста
Nov 2020
Hi Margaret, thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback for this event. When I spoke with you and Darby immediately after the event in the parking lot, you didn't indicate you felt your experience was a 'nightmare', but instead said you wanted to offer constructive criticism, which we gladly accept. I have issued a refund for your ticket and for Darby's, as I certainly would not want you to pay for an experience you felt was a nightmare. We have implemented changes for future night tours: our guides will be wearing lighted arm bands and/or vests to easily distinguish them from guests. At the check-in table, when you were given the bag with the 'no-name Halloween candy' and codes for free appetizers and meal discounts at local Amelia Island restaurants, there were also Halloween candy bags full of brand-name mini chocolate bars in the skeleton coffin that was right next to the table (photos can be seen on our Facebook page) free for the taking. There was also a plastic tub full of granola bars, cheese crackers and peanut butter crackers on the table for anyone who wanted one. There were two drink coolers at the trailers, one with bottled water and one with full-size Gatorades, which we offer on all of our tours. The two guests who fell out of the kayaks while horseplaying actually showed up at the boat ramp the next morning to give their guide, Tyler, a tip for his help in assisting them. It is difficult to get the same type of individual complimentary photos on a night tour as we do during our day tours due to the fact that it is dark, and we will be sure to mention that in our event information on our next event. We had a large number of guests at this premiere event, and we will be limiting the number of guests on future events to a smaller group. I do appreciate your feedback, and although we did have much of the items you addressed already, the fact that you weren't aware of them shows that we need improvement, and will take this as a foundation to make changes that will improve our future events. Thank you again!