Promenades en Mer Corse Adrénaline — Attraction in Metropolitan France

I advise against taking this boat tour.

Arnaud, the captain, is antagonistic and hostile to English-speaking tourists and those who suffer from motion sickness. Despite this, we still managed to enjoy the natural beauty of Corsica.

We booked the 3.5 hour Calanque boat tour for a 10:30am departure. We were asked if we could change the time to 9:45am meet-up with a 10am departure time - to which we agreed. On the day of the tour, at 9:30am Arnaud called us asking where we were, as if already late. Half of our group then arrived at the designated 9:45am, after which a small group of French tourists also arrived to board the boat. Arnaud then made rude jokes in French to the group of French people about him having to speak English to the foreigners. Half of our group arrived at 9:55, but we were still able to depart the port at 10am as scheduled. Despite this, the captain gave us a stern reprimand: because of the ‘late arrival’ we would not be able to enjoy the full experience, and that we should have arrived 15 minutes early instead, thus creating an atmosphere of disappointment before the tour even began.

It was advertised as having opportunities for swimming at an additional cost, however Arnaud told us we had ten minutes to get in and out and then we would continue the tour.

Later, during a 30 minute break in Girolata, Arnaud threatened that if we arrived one minute late back to the boat, he would leave us stranded. Five minutes before the scheduled departure, he stormed into the restaurant to order us back on to the boat, something he didn’t do to the French group.

We were also not expecting the captain to play blaring pop music throughout as he did sporty driving, causing two of our party to be sick over the side of the boat. We politely requested he turn the music down a bit, and he took offence. He proceeded to accuse us of insulting Corsican culture – something that could not be further from the truth!

At another stopover, we asked if we would get to go swimming again. He then upbraided us once more for being late, ‘disrespecting his music’, and said we would only swim if we all chanted that we loved Corsican music, which we did. When we got in the sea, he started throwing fish food at me, repeatedly shouting “you will like my music!”

We dismissed this rude behaviour until the end of the tour, when Arnaud told us he had 15 minutes to spare to 'play with the boat' - rage in circles and swerve over the waves - something that had not been advertised. He asked us if we would consent, to which we replied no, explaining that would trigger a new bout of sea-sickness. We offered as an alternative that we could swim while he could 'play' as he desired. At this his expression grew dark, and he complained about us being sick, told us to get over it, and explained that usually he has a ‘good feeling’ with customers and lets them swim four or five times - but because he did not like us, and because we did not “understand each other”, our experience had been curtailed throughout. We were shocked by the relish with which he made this cruel admission.

When we arrived back on land, 15 minutes earlier than expected, despite the constant haranguing about being late and ruining the trip - we were immediately met by another member of staff who was waiting with the card machine as we had only so far paid the deposit. There was no ‘how was your ride’ or anything, just a clear intention to treat us like cash cows. When we began to explain that whilst we loved the experience in the calanques there were some serious issues about the captain’s aggressive manner with us, he rushed over and started intimidating me and my friends and pressuring his colleague to take his side. He then accused us of making him ‘late’ for his next group - even though his presence was not required in this conversation with his colleague.

Overall, unless you wish to pay to have a rushed tour whilst being berated by an antagonistic captain with no concern for your welfare, avoid Corse Adrenaline. There are much better...

Previous reviews have outlined a negative experience, but after receiving a response from the company, I want to clarify the unprofessional and factually incorrect response, while also being fair to both parties.

Everyone had arrived by 9:58. The scheduled departure time was 10am. One of our friends needed the toilet desperately and no nearby hotels would enable him to go. Anyone in that situation, (with the lack of hospitality!) would appreciate empathy being extended to them - and despite this - he, and our group were NOT late.

As a lady I quietly observed Arnaud’s conduct - he seemed to have a slight chip on his shoulder, as he said: "If you had come earlier; we could have had more time for swimming. But that's fine." (Ironic given that he later said swimming time would be capped as the French tourists were mainly senior and hence did not participate). Also, the departure was 10am, on time!

However - saying the above - when no one was late, I wondered: why add to the tension and try and attempt to foster division between a young group of tourists? As a tour guide you should be doing the opposite - as some of our group were feeling tense due to him making remarks - prior to the rest of us arriving.

Following this, the scenery was beautiful- and the music is a matter of preference. We felt it was too loud, so we asked him to turn it down. This had nothing to do with the genre of music being played/anything cultural. In fact, it was a mix of pop/classical. But I don't really want Rihanna to be blaring when I've come to visit a UNESCO heritage site.

The most pressing issue however, is the mention of drink in the company’s response. Both myself and my friend, who got sick, are not drinkers, so this is factually untrue. The wider group, like the French, can appreciate a glass of wine but are not heavy on the 'booze' either. Our conduct was polite and professional, and laying this claim is simply grasping at straws. Sea sickness and alcohol consumption are not mutually exclusive. You can of course experience motion sickness without having had anything to drink, as was the case for me. This claim is inappropriate and below the belt!

At the end I can understand wanting to have ‘fun’ with the boat - but when Arnaud asked the group, they said they would rather not - taking into account the sickness the ladies had experienced. This was kind of the wider group, and while I can understand it is frustrating to be denied of an experience for ALL parties (my friends included!) - because someone else is sick/allergic etc - it is not professional to respond with frustration. The fact that a group of young adults had more consideration for those who got sick than the captain himself speaks volumes.

As for your wife - in the spirit of fairness - I can understand the situation she was in upon collecting payment given that Arnauds account of events may differ from what the group expressed. My apologies if she felt under pressure etc, but our response to her after leaving the boat was simply a product of our experience. I did relay that she should respond in accordance with what she deemed fair, as there were also nice parts of the tour, and we appreciate that. It's just that the behavioural hostility which we experienced - was...

Vindictive and unprofessional staff. Extremely loud music spoiled the tranquility of the natural landscapes, and when we politely requested the captain to turn it down a bit, he became angry and later gleefully admitted to curtailing our tour and reducing the amount of time we could swim in the turquoise waters, purely because we “didn’t like his Corsican music” (even though we just asked for it to be a bit quieter - the music itself was fine, although nothing special). Shocked is an understatement. He also showed no duty of care towards two of our group who had been seasick after we hurtled across the water at speed. Would have given 5 stars if not for the hostility and pettiness we were subjected to by the captain and staff on land, and the abusive replies to the reviews we’ve written since. It’s a shame. Evidently they have no idea how to deal with tourists from another country. The captain insulted a group of 7 respectful tourists (who spent a significant amount of money in their small town and showed genuine interest in Corsican culture), and the company seems to be surprised we’re not happy about this. The captain had to insist “I’m nice” over and over again. On the plus side, the whole saga has given us something to laugh about - truly a unique experience. I hope the staff can reflect on this and improve the service...