April 2018
Biff & Amy,
Thank you so much for our amazing vacation. There were so many firsts for us that we will remember forever. Your hospitality was like nothing we have experienced. The BVI is my new favourite place on earth thanks to you guys! Amy you are an amazing chef from fish taco’s to Dave’s B’day cake, it was all superb! Biff, snorkelling at Oil Nut Bay was unforgettable……. Swimming with all the turtles and a shark was AWESOME!
Thanks again for the fabulous week. Good Luck with the rest of your season and boat upgrades, take care
Biff & Amy,
Thank you both for an amazing and exciting vacation. And a special thank you for making Davids Birthday so special, I’m sure he will always remember! You’ve welcomed us and made us feel at home. The food has been wonderful! Thank you again for everything and wishing the very best!
GP Rocks!!
Biff & Amy,
Thank you both for making our vacation amazing! You made every effort to make us feel at home and it is greatly appreciated. Amy, thank you for the great food you prepared all week. Biff thank you for the fantastic snorkelling and for “letting me drive your dinghy” !!!
Best wishes to you.
March 2018
To Biff & Amy
Thanks you so, so, so much for being so nice on the trip. It was amazing. My favourite part was seeing the dolfins.
Sincerely Lauren #bvistrong
To Biff & Amy
Thank you Amy for making such great food and thanks you Biff for teaching me to waterski and wakeboard. I hope you have a great rest of your chartering career.
Cole. #bvistrong
Biff & Amy,
The past week has been tremendously fun & interesting. You both made our trip that much more special because of your enthusiasm. I am sincerely glad to have had such a great crew. Biff you’ve given me a renewed appreciation fir all things seamanship. I can’t wait to get home & practise/pass along some of the information you’ve given me. Amy your knowledge of local history gave character to the islands and was a highlight of mine.Thanks also for accommodating my love for onions and cabbage. To both of you fair winds and following seas, Ben.
Biff & Amy,
Thank you so much for the wonderful vacation. Your hospitality & generosity was greatly appreciated!!
Amy the ‘burnt’ eggs were to die for at every meal. The food & service was exceptional day in and day out. Yum!
Barnacle Biff, the best pirate I have ever met. Hands Down. Thank you for spending so much time with the kids in the water and in the class room.
Gypry Princess is the absolute dream! Good Luck with the rest of your sails and wherever they take you.
Thanks Again!
Amy & Biff,
Well I can’t than kyou both enough for helping create a truly magical family vacation and honeymoon!
The kids were so thrilled to try all the new things I really appreciate Biff taking the time to get the kids comfortable in the water – I never though Lauren would get going as enthusiastically as she did. The dolphins & shark were over the top!
Amy – the kids so enjoyed all your stories, as did I. It’s nice to have a crew with so much local knowledge and makes learning fun & entertaining.
You both are wonderful teachers and a great team. It was such a pleasure to spend the week with you both!
March 2018
AMAZING HONEYMOON!
Huge thanks to Biff and Amy for making our honeymoon so special.
Neither of us are sailors or water babies so the experience for us was very new coming from London.
Biff was incredibly patient and gave us confidence to swim and snorkel at ease. We always felt safe and as a result were able to push our boundaries.
Amy is an absolute angel - kind, gentle and incredibly informative and knowledgeable about local pirate history and wildlife; not to mention her superb abilities as a chef. The quality of food - up there with some of the fine dining we have ever had.
Thank you both a million for surpassing our expectations and giving us the best honeymoon.
Our love and best wishes...
Lisa and Peter
June 2017
We are back from the boat trip:( it was amazing !!! Even better then the last trip. The crew are the best , she is such a great cook and they both were so much fun ! I truly can't say enough about them and the boat!
Till next year...
The best family vacation ever!
Wow! No better words than, WOW! Fantastic! Awesome! The best family vacation ever!
Beautifully presented and the crew very welcoming
<em>What was your first impression of the yacht? </em> We had a great first impression. The yacht was beautifully presented and the crew very welcoming.
<em>Was advertised equipment onboard and in good condition?</em> Yes, it was really good and we used lots of the toys. Brilliant for children and grown ups alike.
<em>Did the skipper/hostess make you feel welcome and comfortable onboard? </em> Emma & Tommy we just exceptional. We warmed to them instantly. They went to such extraordinary lengths to make our charter special and unique. From hand made fish spotting logs ready and waiting for the childrens arrival, to finding the best snorkelling spots, amazing food for both us and our children. Nothing was too much for them. They are a great team and made our holiday one we will never forget, special memories.
<em>Did you feel free to choose activities?</em> Totally, Emma and Tommy were happy to take us where we wanted and get any toys out at anytime for us to use. They were most accommodating.
<em>Please provide specific comments regarding your skipper and hostess.</em> As above, both Tommy and Emma were the perfect Hosts. Tommy is an excellent skipper, in calm control of the boat, we felt very confident in his care. He absolutely knows the waters and all the best spots to anchor He was always polite and seemingly unflappable. He went to extra effort to get the children interested in the workings of the boat. He was also always very attentive to our needs, offering drinks and activities all the time. Emma, similarly is a super hostess. She equally handled all boat activities in a calm and efficient manner. With the children she was amazing, creating all sorts of activities for them and visiting lots of lovely spots that she knew they would really like.
All the food she prepared was an excellent standard and we were especially grateful that she was happy to cook a separate meal for the children early each evening.
I honestly could not think of a single negative point with this crew, having done several charters in the past, I realise that this is a rare thing.
<em>Were the meals and beverages as you expected?</em> Above our expectations, just great.
<em>If you made any special requests were they </em> Yes. An example was Valentines, we had specified and a special evening. Emma and Tommy made it a whole special day. They gave us a lie in while they took care of the children. Emma got them helping her in making a special breakfast for us and cards, it was so sweet. The children were so excited to be included in spoiling us. The boat was decorated, we enjoyed Mimosas on our morning sail, a lovely lunch and romantic evening meal, after dinner they had set out blankets and cushions on deck for us to star gaze with a bottle of champagne.
They really went above and beyond.
<em>Was this your first visit to the BVI?</em> No it was our 4th visit.
<em>Would you recommend this yacht for a charter vacation?</em> 100% Yes
Garlick family
A very memorable vacation
Having taken a few charters before, we could truly appreciate the experience, and excellent service that the crew provided us.
They are a great team and were attentive to our every question and need. We would highly recommend them to provide you a very memorable vacation.
Andrew and Claudia Zullo
Ranks at the top of our favorite vacations
Over the summer, my husband and I took a catamaran trip in the BVI's. We had a fabulous week, in large part due to the good fortune of having Tommy and Emma as our captain and first mate/chef. We enjoyed smooth sailing, delicious meals, and had our every need attended to. They went out of their way to tailor the trip to their guests preferences, including finding the best snorkeling spots and planning two special birthday celebrations!
In addition to being very professional, they were also extremely personable and a delight to be around. Tommy's good nature and dry humor kept us smiling, as well as his talent on the ukulele! Emma is not only a terrific cook, she's also an expert diver who gave us great snorkeling tips, and even dove to take pictures we could not get.
Our vacation was not only beautiful sailing, great snorkeling and fabulous food, it was full of fun and laughter and ranks at the top of our favorite vacations.
Thanks Tommy and Emma for a fantastic week!
Fred and Galen Hurt
Cincinnati, Ohio
Thrilled with the trip
I am very tardy in communicating back to you after our brilliant trip in the BVI�s in mid February�.
We could not have had a better time, and this was largely due to your role(s) as: Captain, Chief Safety Officer, Lead Bartender, Event Coordinator, Watersports Director, and Court Jester.
You were terrific each day, planning out the route, activities, etc. The girls particularly enjoyed the evening dance party on the flybridge � never to be forgotten:-) We still laugh and joke about some of our escapades on the trip, with you as a frequently mentioned source of entertainment.
You have clearly found your calling in life - when we return for another crewed charter in the BVIs, we will definitely be looking you up.
Cheers
Greg Why
Wellesley, MA
PS Please pass this note on to the folks at The Moorings and to the owner of M/V Roxanne � they should know how thrilled we were with the trip overall and with you in particular
Emma is an absolute gem
I had the pleasure of spending a week on a mono-hull sailboat in the British Virgin Islands during February of 2016. That, in and of itself, would be enough good fortune for one person! However, I was doubly blessed to have Emma Clark aboard as Cook, and First Mate (I may have invented that title, but it sounded rather official, and nautical! She did help with all aspects of docking, mooring, and general sailboaty type activities, such that my group was able to simply relax on the charter As well as making excellent meals!)
Emma exudes a wonderful warmth, and personality. She is a pleasure to be around. A natural conversationalist, with much to add to any discussion However, (and this is very important in close quarters), she also has the ability to somehow make her self scarce when required. Our group felt very looked after, but didnt feel like there was a stranger in our midst, or that we were being tripped over constantly.
I would not hesitate to recommend Emma. She would be a great addition to any crew. She is confident, competent, personable, and kind.
In closing, Emma is an absolute gem. I hope to sail with her again.
Sincerely
Ed Robertson
Lead Singer-Barenaked Ladies
Fantastic Captain
We had terrific family vacation in January 2016 with Captain Tommy Hemsley aboard Yacht Roxanne of Moorings in the British Virgin Islands.
Captain Tommy Hemsley is a great boat professional, honest, discrete and humble and he quickly earned the respect of all the members of our Family. He was a dependable and conscientious operator of our yacht.
He is extremely hardworking and determined to get the job done being day or night. He is very patient. He is a first-rate boat handler, and always operates in a safe and professional manner.
But also Captain Tommy Hemsley pays close attention to detail and to his guests including and he has an incredible amount of talent and skill including as a hors pair barman in the preparation of fantastic cocktails!
No doubt that Captain Tommy Hemsley is or would be a great asset to any vessel. He is demonstrating always good initiative. He is always pleasant with guests and crew.
It has been a personal and family pleasure to navigate under his responsibility as a Captain. HOUSSE HERVE
Most incredible trip!
My husband and I enjoyed the most incredible trip with friends to the BVI last January. While the scenery, itinerary, and sparkling clean, beautiful yacht were fantastic, what made the trip truly special was the attention to detail, attentiveness and creativity of our crew. Emmas sweet, hard working and friendly demeanor was just as appreciated as her (seriously!) delicious meals. While the kitchen was quite small, youd never guess it with the inventiveness and quality of each dish she prepared. Every meal was well thought out and far beyond what was expected. We also really appreciated the professionalism that Emma and our captain provided. They completely respected our space and privacy but were such lovely people that we really enjoyed spending time with- which led to some really fun dinners and outings with our group. Oh, and did I mention that shes an amazing diver and snorkeler and will share lots of helpful tips with you??? I highly recommend hiring Emma for your next trip. She truly is such a gem.
~ Holly and Matt Turville
May 2105
Thank you so much for making this the best vacation we've EVER HAD ! Best friends , the best week, best boat, best captain, best islands, best chef : ) You both exceeded all of our expectations and gave us a week that we will never forget. We can only hope to join you again soon !!
Highlights of the trip : Anegada Cow Wreck, Willie T (twice but once remembered) Jenn and Matt up the mast , Banana Boat/Catamaran/Parasailing, Mustaches, The Hammock
Lots of love and Good Wishes,
Matt, Murphy, mike and Jenn
April 2015
What was going to be our trip of a lifetime is now our..."when can we sail again" vacation. Ellen was spot on when she recommended that we book Gypsy Princess and this crew. The fact that we didn't have to make a decision for 7 straight days and we were taken to a more beautiful place each day was certainly the highlight. This yacht is perfect for couples or a family...is spacious, comfortable, and sails beautifully. We asked for an active vacation and were given the perfect balance of activity and relaxation. We would recommend the Gypsy Princess to the most discerning guests. It was an absolutely PERFECT experience from start to finish!! We left with great tans, fabulous pictures, a lifetime of memories and 2 new, dear friends!
(Matt & Shelley, Jared & Heather)...until we can sail again!!!!
January 2015
Thank you is such a small few words to express the memories you have offered Donovan and I as well as our friends. What was a "Bucket List" trip is now an annual one soley due to both of you and the GP. Your knowledge and kindness truly make a difference and we thank you for that! Always keeping in touch until 2016 when we meet again!
If you find yourselves in Northern Cal you always have a place to stay with us. Thank you for sharing your passion with us.
Sincerely, Suzi and Donovan
December 2014
Where do we even begin...Laughter is good for the soul & there certainly was no shortage of that. We came here for a trip of a lifetime & left with just that. We feel so lucky to have made lifetime friends in the two of you. Thank you for being so wonderful. The food, the scenery, the company & the memories were nothing short of perfect. You might have 2 babies made on this trip - we will make sure their names are Anne & Shane:)
Cheers-Until next time...
JULY 2014
We hope your charter lived up to your expectations. We would love to know some of your impressions about your yachting vacation. Please answer the following questions and add any comments you may have.
1. Was the crew friendly and accommodating?
Very much so, exceeded our expectations.
2. Was the yacht comfortable and clean?
Yes, clean and super comfortable and spacious.
3. Was the yacht well ventilated?
Yes, and A/C worked perfectly.
4. Was the food good and well presented?
Yes! Anna did a great job! We enjoyed everything she prepared for us.
5. Did you like the area you sailed?
We loved it.
6. May we post this review on our website?
Yes
7. Additional comments on your charter?
We loved having Shane and Anna as our crew, thanks to them this trip was so incredible. Shane is an excellent captain, knowledgeable, always willing to please, responsible, smart, good conversationalist and he prepares the best drinks! Anna delighted us with all her dishes, always catering to our tastes and needs; she is the sweetest. Despite their young age, they are very mature and we couldn't have chosen a better crew for this trip. We would hire them again without doubt!
June 2014
To Gypsy Princess - best trip ever! Thanks to Shane and Anne for an amazing week in the Caribbean.
Thank you for making this the best trip ever! -Jack
This was the best vacation I have ever been on! Thank you so much for everything and I will never forget it. Thanks again -Katie
We will never forget you and this vacation. -The Beercrofts
May 2014
This was a wonderful family vacation! As Shane as our captain and Anne our chef, we couldn't have been in better hands! Shane and Anne were both very knowledgeable about the different areas we saw each day. In addition, Shane made sure our boys were very busy with fun-filled activities....the Gypsy Princess is well-equipped with various water "toys". Anne was a great chef and made sure there were always snacks available after each one of our excursions. Her dishes were not only delicious, but the presentation each and every meal was quite impressive. I would recommend this trip to anyone!
May 2014
Dear Anne & Shane,
What an amazing voyage you have given us - a trip of a lifetime...and one we will always remember!
Thank you for all the adventures shells, snorkeling, sailing and fantastic food! happy sailing together in life. You two are the best crew!
Love, Pat & Mike
APRIL 2014
We hope your charter lived up to your expectations. We would love to know some of your impressions about your yachting vacation. Please answer the following questions and add any comments you may have.
1. Was the crew friendly and accommodating?
They were fantastic
2. Was the yacht comfortable and clean?
Always. The crew worked nonstop to keep it that way
3. Was the yacht well ventilated?
Yes we were always comfortable
4. Was the food good and well presented?
It was excellent
5. Did you like the area you sailed?
Yes
6. Could we at Virgin Island Sailing, Ltd. have helped you further in any way?
No it was great
7. May we post this review on our website?
Yes
8. Additional comments on your charter?
Our crew were a lot of fun. They waited on us hand and foot and were always prepared for whatever we needed. This was our first charter experience and the crew made us wanted to do it again.
February Charter 2014
We had the most fabulous time on our Charter with the Gypsy Princess! It was a trip of a lifetime
for us. We were greeted in St. Thomas and immediately made us feel comfortable.
Anne had previously sent us the menus and asked for our suggestions and comments- she did
a fabulous job in light of our preferences we sent in to you. What an extraordinary couple they
are- maturity beyond their years and their desire to make our time beyond amazing. We love
that they not only took us to amazing places but also showed us more than we would have been
able to discover on our own! We all loved them so much and would totally recommend them to
anyone without any reservation.
I think the best compliment we can pay them is that we now consider them as friends that we want to keep up with forever!
~Sonja R.
New Years 2013-2014
We got back late last night and I just wanted to communicate to you that we had an amazing time. The boat was terrific, despite a few mechanical issues. It�s layout was so perfect for three couples. The itinerary was fabulous and we got to direct our progress with the captain�s blessing. Most importantly, the new captain and cook were incredible. We were so lucky that there was a recent change. Their spirit and desire to serve was incomparable. We were just amazed at their hospitality and they really made it a fantastic trip for us. I will certainly follow their progress and would want to charter with them again. In fact, we are already talking about late-winter or early spring of 2015. You can count on us getting in touch with you first. We certainly appreciated all your help and hope that your medical issues resolved themselves.
Thank you for everything, and I will tell everyone I know about you guys.
Dave
