How paying in cash on arrival works
On many HopABoat trips you book online and pay the boat owner in cash when you meet. No card details, no deposit. Here is what happens at each step and how to make it go smoothly.
HopABoat TeamGuest support
Most booking sites ask for your card before anything else. Many trips on HopABoat work differently: you reserve your place online and pay the boat owner in cash when you arrive for the trip. Nothing is charged in advance.
Some trips also accept card payment online when you book, and each listing shows which methods apply. This article is about paying in cash.
It is a simple arrangement, and a few small habits make it work well for everyone.
The short version
- You choose a trip, a date and the number of guests, and send the booking.
- The booking is confirmed, either immediately or after the owner accepts it.
- You come to the meeting point at the agreed time.
- You pay the owner the amount shown in your booking, in cash, in euros.
That is all. There is no deposit and no card to enter.
What the price includes
The price you see on the listing is the price you pay. It already includes HopABoat's fee, so there is nothing to add on top and nothing to calculate at the dock. Prices are in whole euros to keep cash simple.
Listings are priced in one of two ways:
- Per person: common for shared tours. The total is the price multiplied by the number of guests.
- Per boat: common for private trips. You pay one amount for the boat, up to the number of guests the listing allows.
Your booking confirmation shows the exact total. That is the number to bring.
What may not be included
Each listing says what is included and what is not. Things such as lunch at a restaurant stop or entry to a museum are sometimes extra and are paid on the spot to whoever provides them. If something is unclear, ask the owner before the trip rather than at the dock.
Instant booking and booking on request
Some trips are confirmed the moment you book. Others are on request: the owner checks the calendar and accepts or declines. You will get an email either way. Until a request is accepted it is not a confirmed booking, so wait for the confirmation before planning your day around it.
On the day
Arrive a little early. The listing shows the meeting point, and the confirmation repeats it. Owners usually take payment before departure, so have the money ready.
A few things make this easier:
- Bring the exact amount if you can. A skipper on a pier at eight in the morning rarely has change for large notes.
- Bring euros. The euro is the currency used in Montenegro, and owners do not accept other currencies.
- Withdraw cash the day before. There are cash machines in every coastal town, but not necessarily next to the pier, and not on the islands or beaches you will stop at.
- Keep it dry. A zip bag or an inside pocket is enough.
Treat a booking like a table reserved at a small family restaurant: nobody took your card, but somebody is holding the place for you and turning others away.
If your plans change
Because you have not paid anything, cancelling costs you nothing as long as you do it in time. Each listing states its free-cancellation period. Cancel from your bookings page, not by simply not showing up.
This matters more than it may seem. Most owners run one boat. A place held for you is a place they could not offer to someone else, and a no-show on a summer morning is income they cannot recover. Guests who repeatedly do not show up may lose the ability to book.
If the owner cancels
Trips at sea depend on the weather, and the skipper is responsible for everyone on board. If conditions are unsafe, the owner may cancel or suggest another time. Since you have not paid in advance, there is nothing to refund. You can simply book another date or another trip.
Why we do it this way
Paying on arrival keeps things straightforward. You do not hand over card details for a trip that depends on tomorrow's wind, and owners, many of them small family businesses, are paid in full on the day. You meet the person, see the boat, and then pay.
Quick checklist
- Check the total in your confirmation.
- Withdraw that amount in euros the day before.
- Be at the meeting point a little early.
- Plans changed? Cancel in your bookings as soon as you know.
