4 August 2023
Dear Emma! On behalf of the tour group who used the Emma Jane as a private charter from August 4th to August 14th, 2023 from Oban for 10 days, I would like to write you a few lines. All 10 fellow travelers agree that the trip is one of the most beautiful experiences of our lives. These include the highly interesting destinations such as St Kilda, Mingulay and Canna, which were headed for. This includes the ship Emma Jane, which we really liked with its facilities such as the hot tube, the observation deck and the common rooms. However, we found the crew of the Emma Jane to be particularly positive. The captain performed his duties in an exemplary manner. A daily highlight was the daily joint evening meeting with him. Our marine biologist gave us a competent explanation of the animal world we had experienced. In addition, he was a very pleasant companion on our group's excursions. The steward was not only extremely polite, but always made sure that we lacked nothing. It was often his inquiries as to whether we weren't missing something that made the day even more pleasant. If perhaps one or the other guest had doubts about the quality and taste of the Scottish cuisine before the trip, these concerns were quickly obsolete. The daily meal was an absolute highlight of each day. The performance of the chef cannot be overestimated. As the person who initiated the trip in Berlin, who is a lifetime member of Historic Scotland and a lifetime member of the National Trust, I am very glad that the other traveling companions thanked me several times for taking the initiative for the trip together have. I hereby pass on my thanks to Hebrides Cruises and the crew of the Emma Jane.
Andreas Statzkowski
We know nothing of Scotland. It’s time for us to see why people like this area of the world so much. We book a tour found on the internet. The dates are right. We travel to Oban and find the pre-trip information sent to us invaluable. We wait at the dock for the crew to meet us and take our soft-sided luggage to our cabin. The other guests are prompt and the crew is timely too. We marvel at the amazing cameras and the experiences of other passengers. Two have traveled with the ship multiple times. We are focused on where we are and the journey ahead of us. Our luggage is delivered to our ensuite cabin. There is plenty of space to store our gear and thoughtfully placed shelves for items, such as cameras and binoculars we might need without digging through our bags. The double bed has a portal window and well placed reading lamps. Our cabin and the public areas were impeccably cleaned each morning while we are off to shore with naturalist, Alexa. There is a library selection of literature and guide books to help identify what we saw on walks. I noticed a scrabble game, which we never found time to play. The chef, Mags, works in a tiny galley and turns out the most amazing meals. Giving people a choice between vegetarian and non vegetarian entrees, wine is included with the dinners. A breakfast buffet is laid out and there is always a hot breakfast available. There are 8 of us on this voyage. We all eat together and take excursions in the morning and afternoon. Craig is calm and also assists the chef and helps Chris, the Captain, anchor the boat when we stop for the night. Weather and sea conditions are the great unknown in the Hebrides. The deciding factor to where we will go. Chris lets us know the itinerary will be flexible. He picks amazing calm spots to anchor each night. He is very good at communicating why we are going or not going to an island and invites us up to see the bridge. We travel to amazing sites, such as the island Inch Kenneth and Ulva, and learn the history of eac
Greg and Bobbie Hobbs: 27 April 2019Idyllic Islands: Mull, Iona, Staffa & the Treshnish Isles