Very disappointing experience with Boat Around We booked a Lagoon 42 catamaran in September 2025 for August 2026 as part of a “Secret Deal”. At the time of booking, we were told that the exact boat and charter company would only be confirmed 2–3 months before the start of the charter. However, the minimum requirements were clearly specified: the boat had to meet certain equipment standards, be based in Trogir, and have a model year of 2022. We were also explicitly assured that these were the minimum requirements and that any alternative would be of equal or better quality. The full amount for the charter was paid in 2025. In May 2026, I contacted Boat Around myself because we had received no information regarding our booking. I was told that it was still too early to know which boat and charter company would be assigned to us. Again, I was assured that the boat we had booked represented the minimum standard and that any alternative would be better, not worse. At the beginning of June, less than two months before our sailing trip, I contacted them again. Only then were we informed that there was no longer a boat available that matched what we had booked and already paid for, because all suitable boats had apparently already been allocated. This raises a very simple question: How can a fully paid booking made many months in advance no longer be available? After several days of phone calls, complaints and lengthy discussions with customer support, we were eventually told that we would simply receive a refund. By that point, however, our accommodation for the arrival day had already been booked and paid for, and nine people had taken time off specifically for this trip. We were then offered a 38-foot catamaran from another manufacturer, which had inferior equipment compared with what we had originally booked. As a final alternative, we were offered a Lagoon 42 that was two years older than promised and had significantly less equipment than the originally booked boat. Despite this, we were initially asked to pay almost €900 extra. Boat Around explained that the charter companies determine the prices and therefore they could not offer an equivalent alternative within the amount we had already paid. Only after further complaints and discussions did we eventually reach an agreement on a lower additional payment, allowing us to proceed with our holiday. Overall, this was a very disappointing experience. The biggest issue for us is not that circumstances can change, but how the situation was handled. We booked and fully paid for a specific minimum standard many months in advance, yet shortly before the trip we were told that this standard could no longer be provided and that we would have to either accept an inferior alternative, pay a significant additional amount, or cancel the trip. We expected much more commitment, transparency and willingness to find a fair solution from Boat Around.