Annabel II - Crewed Motor Yacht Charter

We had a wonderful time onboard of Annabel II. The crew couldn’t be more attentive, resourceful and diligent. Superb service. Jerry was a great captain, always open to hear our suggestions with safety first approach.
A special word here about Jessica’s careful service and Filippo’s Michelin star level cuisine. This made our trip.
Overall we had a great time onboard and, above all, quality time with family. Please pass on these words to Annabel II team. We also left some kind remarks on their guest logbook.

Good morning! We had an amazing experience.. everything was magic and we are in love with Croatia. The crew was incredible, very kind and ready to help us in everything that we needed♥♥♥

Feedback August 28 - Sept 4 2018 / Croatia - Just as we’re wrapping up and about to leave the Annabell, I wanted to let you know that we had a great week and that the crew were absolutely wonderful. Kerri was amazing with service and details and very nice as well, her husband Robi very friendly and charming as well as an absolutely first rate chef - meals were fabulous. Captain Ralph was also a very nice and helpful - offering good advice and a pleasure to talk to as well. Savo and Tristan are both great lads and super helpful and friendly!

I would be happy to recommend this crew. We had a wonderful week as a family together

The cruise was wonderful and crew and yacht met our expectations completely.
Everybody was very friendly and professional. The chef Robby prepared excellent food and Kerry really spoiled us!
And most important, nobody got seasick!

As our trip is coming to a close , we want to say mahalo again for a great pick on the boat, Capt , crew. Especially Kerry and her husband, Robbie. They made the trip!

Feedback June 2017: Hi Nick and Reia, everything on the boat has been great, can you please make a suggestion on what the tips are on the charters, as well as how should we divided with the crew, percentages for Captian and rest of crew. Thank you in advance, and for all your help in this planning and great vacation, looking forward on renting next year.

We have just completed a three week cruise of the Croatian waters aboard Annabel II and are so completely delighted I am compelled to report back for other prospective travelers.
We began our cruise in Tavit, Montenegro with three couples/friends and voyaged NW stopping at islands along the Dalmatian Coast, finally making an interim stop in Izola, Slovenia where three other couples/friends replaced the first group. The second leg took us SE, basically retracing the first leg, but invariably stopping/anchoring at different bays and villages.
It helps that these cruising waters are simply outstanding in every way: beautiful bays, quaint and historical harbors, 78 degree water, great swimming, hiking, killer sunsets, stand up paddle boarding, interesting and historical villages. Many beautiful and HUGE yachts ply these waters, but I never felt like we were merely tourists as so often is the case in other popular European destinations. We WILL return as there are over a thousand islands, all with their individual charms. The yacht was eminently satisfactory with jacuzzi, music system, TVs everywhere, a huge master stateroom etc., etc. Annabel II also possesses a tuned piano which did get used.
But the greatest delight was our crew consisting of Captain Andrew, Engineer Nathan, Stewardess Hayley and Chef Dee Dee. By the way, Hayley and Nathan are married. All are Kiwis and proud of it. Compare them with Aussies at your risk. Under Andrew the crew operated seamlessly and anchoring/tying up was akin to performance art. As a boater in Southern California I appreciated and was amazed at the teamwork. And the gourmet meals!!! Breakfast was prepared to individual wishes. One morning I asked for crepes expecting to be told it wasn´t planned for and not available. Instead Chef Dee Dee dug up a recipe from her vast repetoire, including Nutella spread and surprised me with a fabulous breakfast. Lunch was typically an ample buffet. And dinners were just fabulous, each different with elaborate place settings and napkins folded using origami rules. Individual dietary needs were always respected, and the meals were healthy. M/Y ANNABEL II / Croatia / July 2016 Part 1
I really can´t say enough good things about this crew.

Our Annabell II voyage was even more special than we imaginedand we were imagining something great. The crew was warm and friendly, making the boat a real home for us all. We seemed to find one great place after another to cruise and to land. We particularly enjoyed the chance for water recreation in the wonderful Adriaticour stops in coves were special, as were the stunning towns we visited. It seemed as though we cruised casually, very unlike the structured programs that big ships offer and wonderful for us. What a way to see the beautiful Croatian Coast! Many thanks for connecting us to such a great boat and crew! M/Y ANNABEL II / Croatia / July 2016 Part 2

An absolutely stunning trip. Weather was great, the crew were fantastic and we thought Annabel II was an amazing boat (lots of space).

Hi Andrew

Just wanted to personally write and thank you for an extraordinary week. Every aspect of the week on the boat with you and your crew was nothing but amazing. One couldnt even start to outline every aspect of perfection and professionalism you all showed, from the precision planning, wonderful food and the genuine care in ensuring we were all looked after every minute of every day.

Im afraid you may have set the bar to high for all and our expectations have now been set for any future charter we may go on. Please pass on our upmost gratitude and thanks to Jack, Sammy and Becky

Our feedback is very positive!

The experience with Annabel II was wonderful! Most important of all, the crew was fantastic: Andrew a gentleman and very professional, Sam a great chef, and Jack and Beckie making sure we were very well treated all the time.
The locations were beautiful, very well chosen by Andrew.
Annabell II is a great yacht, the whole family enjoyed it a lot.

We are looking forward to repeating this experience!

I have nothing but great things to say about our charter. Our crew displayed an impressive level of professional experience. The crew went to great measures to ensure that we were enjoying ourselves at all times. We were able to make it to several lively clubs. Which were exactly what we were hoping for. Sammy has an amazing talent and ensured we were well feed at all times. I had no desire to eat anywhere but the boat.

We had a wonderful holiday on Annabel 11. The boat was perfect and the crew were fantastic. This year we had the best chef we have ever come across in our entire lives so that was a massive bonus (although not for the waistline!).

The boat and crew couldnt be better.
The crew was delightful, very accommodating and gave excellent service.
The boat was spotless and extremely well taken care of.
The captain planned a well thought out itinerary and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves

´Everything is great. Captain Andrew and the crew are super, the yacht perfect and the area is more beautiful than I remember. Trip has been fantastic!!! Will be sad to leave tomorrow.´

The crew have been more than wonderful. They were just great.

We had a fantastic trip and I have to say that Andrew and his crew were really clued in in this. Excellent people and a very nice boat...We all had a fantastic trip in Croatia...

Annabel and her crew was above our expectation and the cruising area gorgeous .

We are loving every moment of our cruise. The boat is very comfortable and the crew is very pleasing. The food is great. So far, we can only say good things about our trip. We are starting to plan our next trip, already.
Thanks for everything, so far.

I recently had the opportunity to join Grae on board Annabel II for 10 nights around the Aegean. I am writing to thank you so much for the most amazing holiday I have ever had. Not only were we surrounded by beautiful scenery, Annabel II was just gorgeous. Having never been on a cruising holiday before, this holiday far exceeded any expectations I had. Andrew was a fantastic captain, Lance produced the most stunning food at every meal, and the other crew were friendly and attentive to all of our needs.

Again, thank you for the Annabel II charter. You have now changed the way in which we want to holiday in the future.

All of the crew contributed greatly to the fantastic and unforgettable vacation we had in Croatia.

The boat and crew were fabulous. We had a great time.

We would like to thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to spend an amazing time on Annabel II. It was an experience that will be treasured forever by all of us.

When we confirmed with Grae & Dellys that we would go we realised that it would be something special, however as time went on and we got more photos and updates, the trip just kept sounding better and better. So of course we thought we were prepared for what was to come, but I have to say words and photos can´t describe the actual reality of the experience, it really felt like a dream. Being on board such a beautiful boat in an amazing part of the world with magnificent crew made us feel unbelievably special. I remember saying to Grae & Dellys, you can´t describe this feeling you actually have to live it to appreciate how fantastic it really is.

Annabel II was perfect in itself but the crew were really superb. Gary is just fantastic, not only did we enjoy his company & expertise but we really appreciated how he related to the kids, particularly Bryden our very active 12 year old. Both the kids had a ball, I knew they would have a great time but I hadn´t expected that the staff would relate and treat them so well. Bryden was off helping (or talking) with Robi, Gary or Jo during most of the trip, they all seemed genuine in taking an interest in him.

Robi´s cuisine was divine, how he managed to produce such amazing meals was staggering as he hardly seemed to be in the kitchen. Kerry just seems to keep going and going, was fun to have around and couldn´t do enough for us, her attention to detail was incredible. We really appreciated having such a fun couple on board with us. Jo was fantastic too, the boat always looked immaculate (as did she!) and as I mentioned before she was great with the kids...young and old!!

Once again thank you so much from Rob, Madi, Bryden and myself for one incredible holiday, we would do it all again in a second!

I thought you might like some feed back from our recent cruise aboard Annabel II, 01-10 July from Corfu to Zakynthos (Ionian Islands, Greece).

The trip has been eagerly awaited by our family including 12 year old daughter and also our friends the Bird family with their 16 and 12 year old.

From the moment we arrived in Corfu we were met by Capt Gary in a minivan and transferred to the boat a short distance away. The crew Jo, Kerry and Robi ( master chef extraordinaire) did the meet & greet, took luggage to our suites while we enjoyed the welcome aboard champagne whilst walking around this brand new, boutique super yacht.

Annabel II is 30m and what a great design Horizon Yachts have created for guests. There are so many areas to hang out and relax and a choice of four different location dining options. There were seven of us and four crew but so much space and comfort. We berthed next to larger and more expensive boats but Annabel II had much better outdoor areas than those other monsters.

The suites are extremely comfortable and very well appointed. We had the master suite which covers the whole beam of the boat and boasts a large ensuite, his and her basins and shower. The VIP suite forward is also suitably appointed as are the two twin suites which can be converted to king beds. All suites have their own ensuites with luxury toiletries, soaps and shampoos. Hairdryers are standard in every suite. Lighting is excellent in the bathroom areas and all have portholes.

We enjoyed our sailing days sitting above on the sun deck. From here we had 360 degree panoramic views and often the crew would set up lunch for us on the two dining tables. The weather in July was fantastic and hot around 30 degrees. Being on the sun deck with its adequate shading as well as comfortable day beds for those wanting to sun bake provided a nice breeze. Those other super yachts mostly had their outdoor areas around a dining table at the back of the boat where there is no sun, can be noisy when cruising and you cannot see what is coming up. At least we were set up with a great bar, with bar stools and a spa pool up top and could have a chat with Capt Gary who controlled the vessel from his air conditioned bridge or the dual controls from the sun deck. There were dolphins alongside one day and turtles the next all spotted first by Capt Gary. We would not have had this interaction had we been sitting at the back of the boat.

Other dining options for breakfast included the forward saloon area off the galley and on the sun deck. Lunch was always on the sun deck as this was out preferred daytime choice. We were swimming everyday and lunch on the sundeck allowed for those with wet swimwear to come and go as they pleased. Dinner was in the formal dining room on a couple of nights or on the rear deck dining table or once again on the sundeck above. Coming from a cold New Zealand winter we were happy to mostly eat outdoors. Those that feel the heat may prefer dining in air conditioned comfort which is available in the formal dining room.

As we are both active families the range of toys and watersports aboard Annabel II suited us. Everyday we had the kayaks in the water, went snorkeling and the tender was in full use towing the kids around in the biscuit ( and the big kids). My wife had not water skied for 25 years and got up and going first time. Rob Bird got down to one ski! Even though we had a start and finish plan Capt Gary and I would check maps during breakfast for likely lunch time swimming spots along the route for the day and we ended up with some great finds and magnificent bays with hardly anyone around. For those who prefer a less active and a more leisurely paced day there are nice quiet areas aboard for reading or catching up on news from abroad from one of six televisions onboard. The library is evolving and there is also a good selection of DVD´s which you can watch on the 50 inch TV in the saloon or from the privacy of the TV in your suite.

The crew are outstanding. Robi the chef simply amazing with his creative cuisine. There was only one night we went ashore to a restaurant that came highly recommended. It was nothing compared with Robi´s expertise in the kitchen and we never ate ashore again. We had themed evenings on some nights, Italian and Greek, casual fun BBQ one night and French the next. Every night there were surprises. Robi is also handy with the tender for shuttling the team to beaches or local shops when we weren´t tied up alongside.

Annabel II is ideal for an extended family group or a group of friends between three or four couples. As a travel agent with a discerning clientele I have no hesitation in recommending Annabel II.

Feedback June 2017: Hi Nick and Reia, everything on the boat has been great, can you please make a suggestion on what the tips are on the charters, as well as how should we divided with the crew, percentages for Captain and rest of crew. Thank you in advance, and for all your help in this planning and great vacation, looking forward on renting next year.