From family tradition to frustration 👎
I've rented houseboats from Egan almost every year since 2012. Our family built many great memories on these trips, and for a long time I happily recommended them to friends. But something has clearly changed under the new management, and my recent attempt to book with them was the breaking point.
I called to book a houseboat and paid in full over the phone. After the payment went through, I mentioned my long history with the company and brought up the issues from last year's trip. I wasn't asking for freebies or upgrades, just some basic consideration. I politely asked if they could make sure we got one of the newer, renovated boats this time. I've seen them in the fleet with fresh paneling, new shower cabins, and better upkeep overall, so I knew they existed. The answer was a firm NO❌
Trying again, I asked if we could at least walk the docks together and choose one of the four boats they said were currently available. Another firm NO❌. In a nutshell, "You'll get whatever we give you, period." That was it. No effort to work with a long-standing customer, no attempt to meet halfway. I said "Okay" because at that point, what else could I do?
Then, less than ten minutes later, they called back. The tone was different - detached, transactional. They said they had spoken with management and decided to cancel my booking altogether. They weren't calling to discuss options or compromises. They were just calling to say my payment had been refunded. In other words, instead of addressing my concerns, they chose to get rid of me as a customer ❌(and they did succeed!)
We'd already seen the decline in smaller ways over the past couple of years. The fleet has always been old - honestly, it was already dated when we first started renting in 2012 - but back then everything was kept in clean, orderly shape. You'd step aboard to find anchor and mooring lines neatly coiled, dust wiped away, and gear put in its place.
Now, attention to detail has vanished. On one trip last season, we boarded the same boat we'd used four months earlier and found the same loose screws still lying on the helm dash, the same aluminum trim piece rattling around on the floor, and the same broken chair backrest I had reported months before. Even the same protruding nail was still sticking out where my child had cut her foot during our last trip. NOTHING had been touched.
Meanwhile, sitting right there at the pier were several boats of the same type that were clearly in better shape - new wall panels, clean finishes, updated shower cabins. Yet despite over a decade of loyalty, we were handed one of the oldest, most neglected vessels in the lot.
It's not just about appearances either. Basic mechanical upkeep is slipping too. Springs and mechanisms in the sleeping areas screech and groan with the slightest movement, making it nearly impossible to get a good night's rest. And even the little things that once made trips easier are disappearing. For years, overnight mooring passes at the locks were included with rentals. Now they cost $48 extra, and no one mentions it until a lock master shows up at your boat in the morning with a credit card reader.
It's death by a thousand cuts. A little more neglect here, a few more surprise fees there, and now this - canceling a loyal customer's booking outright just because they dared to ask for a half-decent boat.
Egan used to feel personal and dependable. Now (new management!) it feels like they just don't care. And that's the saddest part.