False advertising & horrible service! We booked a "private tour" which came with the exact experience if we had done the group. We were not asked for any input on the stops (like posted on the website) and when we tried to ask for a swim (as offered in email to us) we were told it was not possible because there was no ladder to get on and off the boat (apparently the captain radio'd manager who told him he could stop for a swim but 1) that was never passed along to us 2) how would we swim when there was no way to get on and off??), the manager rudely berated us for taking on drinks and snacks (again see the email encouraging this). To top it all off when we all needed to pee after over 2 hours we were only given the option of peeing on the floor...some of us tried to pee of the edge. Again if we could get off the boat to swim that would have fixed the bathroom situation. Humiliating!! We asked for a partial discount to make up for the bad experience but nope. After 3 interactions with the manager finally got an apology. So good luck if you have any problems with this group. There are many other tour options - pick one of those and don't support this rude and "misleading" one.
Hi Shelley, We are genuinely sorry that you left disappointed with your experience, but we feel it is important to clarify several points for anyone reading this review. You booked a private Benagil RIB tour for €585. Your group had exclusive use of the vessel and skipper for the full approximately 2.5-hour excursion, and the complete Benagil coastline and cave tour was provided as booked. The private price is for exclusive use of the entire boat, crew and departure rather than purchasing individual places on one of our shared tours. A private tour provides greater privacy and flexibility, but the skipper remains responsible at all times for deciding where the vessel can safely stop, taking into account sea conditions, location, time and passenger safety. It does not mean that every requested stop or activity can automatically be guaranteed. We have already acknowledged that there was a communication failure regarding your request to swim. The skipper contacted our office and was advised that a swimming stop could be accommodated if conditions permitted, but unfortunately this was not properly communicated back to your group. We apologised to you in writing for this. We also understand your comments regarding the RIB's facilities. This particular vessel is a high-speed sightseeing RIB designed for navigating the Algarve coastline and entering the sea caves. It is not a luxury yacht and does not have an onboard toilet, bathing platform or conventional swimming ladder. We accept that these limitations should have been made clearer before departure and have taken your feedback onboard so that future customers are given clearer information. We are also sorry that you felt the manner in which your concerns were handled at reception was rude. Regardless of whether we agreed with your request for compensation, you should have felt that your concerns were listened to respectfully, and we have previously apologised for that. However, we cannot agree with the statement that the private tour was not provided or that this amounted to false advertising. Your group received the privately reserved vessel, skipper, fuel, full excursion duration and Benagil cave and coastline experience that formed the principal service booked. After reviewing the circumstances with the skipper and team, we did not believe that a partial refund was appropriate for a tour that was operated and completed in full. That decision does not mean that we dismiss your concerns. We have acknowledged where communication could have been better and have used your feedback to improve the information provided to future guests. We are sorry that the experience did not meet your expectations and wish you and your group all the best. Vilamoura Watersports Centre
