Although Sardinia is undeniably beautiful and the sailing route offered incredible views and swimming spots, the experience aboard Renato's boat left a lot to be desired, especially because of the behavior and attitude of the skipper himself.
Within minutes of our meeting, Renato made an inappropriate comment about a guest's sex life based on his hair color, passing it off as "an Italian joke." This was during what was supposed to be the initial briefing, but the only topics covered were the cost of groceries and route options. No safety briefing, no explanation of emergency procedures, or the location of equipment was provided. Throughout the trip, we were left to imagine the most important safety measures.
Other problems were:
* The trip indicated that there were 4 cabins, but did not say that one of them was for the skipper. So I had to share a double bed and 1 sheet with a complete stranger, which is a lot to ask for in line with the expensive price per night.
*Guests were not allowed to use the private showers, despite the listing suggesting otherwise. Only a short rinse was allowed outside, at the back of the boat, and this was also monitored for less than a minute per person.
* The kitchen and fridge were off-limits to guests.
* Additional costs were charged on top of the booking price: 60 euros per person for groceries (which was also used to feed the skipper) and a surprise fee of 70 euros per person at the end for fuel and laundry, which seemed excessive and was not clearly communicated before departure.
* Renato often made inappropriate jokes, including numerous comments about women's bodies and what we should and shouldn't eat; When we raised our concerns, they were dismissed as cultural differences. This pattern created an atmosphere of discomfort throughout the trip.
* His mood was unpredictable, which made it stressful to ask even basic questions like we could make coffee.
What should have been a fun and relaxing trip turned into a situation where guests bonded over the common discomfort. It's a shame because the natural beauty of the area and the overall comfort of the cabins and boat had real potential. Renato is clearly an expert on the sea and showed us beautiful sights and sunsets, but his approach to hospitality and guest care is definitely lacking.
In short, if you are looking for a respectful and relaxing sailing experience - especially if you are a woman - I do not recommend this trip.
—- English:
Within 10 minutes of meeting Renato he labelled one of his passengers as someone who gets a lot of sex due to the colour of their hair, passing it off as an Italian joke. This was during the initial briefing as we arrived, when the only other thing he mentioned was money for groceries and then gave us 2 options of where to sail too. I'd imagine that a safety briefing would have typically taken place here, but for all we knew there were no life jackets on board or any safety precautions to take.
The examples are endless of his lack of hospitality, including: not letting us open the fridge or use the kitchen, not letting us take a private shower for the complete 4 day trip (only a 30 second rinse off with a hose at the edge of the boat was allowed). He made me so uncomfortable that I was even scared to ask for a coffee due to his unregulated emotional state, and complete lack of compassion.
After every crude joke, or remarks about women's bodies, he would pass it off as a 'cultural divide' - "this is what we say in Italy" was a common defence used to silence us.
On top of the boat booking fees, we each paid 60 euros for groceries, which included feeding him. We were also slapped with a 70 euro fee each for fuel and laundry at the end of the trip which seems like scam.
In the end the passengers on this trip sought comfort from each other more than they smiled, and for that alone I'd like to seek compensation.
In keeping an honest review: the bed sizes are okay for couples. And the places he took us too were gorgeous. Some of the best sunsets and clearest waters I've ever seen. He is a good skipper in terms of the sea, but unfortunately his hospitality runs dry in comparison.
—
While Sardinia is undeniably beautiful and the sailing route itself offered incredible views and swimming spots, the experience aboard Renato's boat left much to be desired — especially due to the conduct and attitude of the skipper himself.
Within minutes of meeting us, Renato made an inappropriate comment about a guest's sex life based on their hair colour, passing it off as "an Italian joke." This was during what should have been the initial briefing, yet the only topics covered were grocery costs and sail route options. No safety briefing was provided — no explanation of emergency procedures or equipment locations. For the duration of the trip, we were left guessing about critical safety measures.
Other issues included:
* The trip stated that there were 4 cabins, but did not state that 1 of those was for the skipper. So I had to share a double bed & 1 bed sheet with a complete stranger, which is a lot to ask for in line with the expensive price per night.
*Guests were not allowed to use the private showers, despite the listing suggesting otherwise. Only a brief rinse outside at the back of the boat was permitted, and even that was monitored to less than a minute per person.
* The kitchen and fridge were off-limits to guests.
* Additional fees were charged beyond the booking price: €60 per person for groceries (which also fed the skipper), and a surprise €70 fee per person at the end for fuel and laundry, which felt excessive and was not clearly communicated beforehand. The skipper did not show us receipts/tickets for these costs so for all we know he just made the figures up himself.
* Renato frequently made inappropriate jokes, some were direct racism, and others were comments about women's bodies & what we should or shouldn't eat; these were dismissed as cultural differences when we raised concerns. This pattern created an uncomfortable atmosphere throughout the trip.
* His mood was unpredictable, making it stressful to ask even basic questions like whether we could make a coffee.
What should have been a fun and relaxing trip turned into a situation where guests bonded over shared discomfort. It's unfortunate because the natural beauty of the area and the general comfort of the cabins & boat had real potential. Renato is clearly experienced at sea & showed us beautiful locations and sunsets, but his approach to hospitality and guest care is sorely lacking.
In short, if you're looking for a respectful, relaxing sailing experience — especially as a female traveler — I would not recommend this trip.
