More than 400 people boarded a Sydney Harbour cruise on Saturday night looking forward to a nine-course vegan feast, dance party and ‘awesome’ wine and beer.
But expectations were quickly crushed when, despite paying $60 a ticket, all that was on offer was a ‘dismal’ amount of finger food.
Hundreds of hungry guests claimed they were so ‘starving’ they ‘sea gulled’ next to the kitchen doors, while others begged waiters to bring food to their tables.
Measly amounts of snack food and ‘non-vegan wine’ disappointed guests at Saturday night’s Habour Cruise Party – where a nine course plant based feast was promised
Hundreds of hungry guests were so ‘starving’ they ‘sea gulled’ next to the kitchen doors, while others begged waiters to bring food to their tables
Jenna Seage (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia the entire event was a complete ‘flop’
Disappointed guests took to social media the next morning slamming the event as a ‘major fail’ and taking aim at its organiser – a veteran event planner.
Despite having run the Sydney Vegan Club Harbour Cruise Party in previous years, the organiser blamed the food shortage on ‘greedy’ guests and miscalculating the amount of food required.
‘One of the factors on the night that caused the food to run out and not be evenly distributed was that about 25% of the guests greedily ate 50% of the food which is unfortunate,’ he wrote in a Facebook post.
Patrons were left wondering what the money from their ticket went towards, as the event was sponsored by Syndian Natural Food and staff worked for free.
Guests were lucky if they could get their hands on anything to eat at all – with many having to settle for cold sausages and patties
The Sydney Vegan Club Harbour Cruise Party organiser blamed the food shortage on ‘greedy’ guests and miscalculating the amount of food required
Another issue that disappointed guests was ‘overpriced’ beverages, which failed to meet the advertised vegan brief.
A frustrated cruise-goer said the entire event was a complete ‘flop’, and she questioned where $24,000 worth of ticket funds went.
‘It was $49 (early bird pricing), for a Harbour cruise, with entertainment, vegan bar menu and a nine course meal (from the original advertisement). I got two out of the nine courses. Also, the white wine we got wasn’t vegan,’ Jenna Seage told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I have since learned that all the food was donated, people working at the cruise were volunteers. So our ticket price went to the boat hire, some of the entertainers and to Kym who is the admin for SVC.’
Another issue that disappointed guests was ‘overpriced’ beverages, and some of the wine offered was not vegan (pictured)
A frustrated cruise-goer said the entire event was a complete ‘flop’, with questions over where about $24,000 worth of ticket funds went adding to her disappointment
‘He took a profit from the event, that was a total flop and left 400 vegans starving and tipsy.’
The organiser admitted he did profit from the cruise, stating that funds from such events went towards personal living expenses, as it was his ‘full time job’.
An ad for the cruise-liner used for the event stated the maximum capacity for sightseeing alone was 400 people, and for a la carte seating, there was room for 300.
Many complained about the poorly organised catering, which saw guests on the top deck go hungry as waiters rarely made it upstairs with any food left on their trays.
An ad for the cruise-liner used for the event stated the maximum capacity for sightseeing alone was 400 people, and for a la carte seating, there was room for 300
The cruise was originally advertised to feature a nine course meal, but was later altered to seven
‘We didn’t even see the vegetables or the dips. All we got was a sausage (cold and unsure of which one of the three flavours it was), about the size of my thumb,’ someone wrote.
‘When the food came out you would have been lucky to see it and if you were lucky enough to grab a small piece of falafel the size of a lychee fruit,’ another person added.
Others were confused at why such major shortfalls occurred, given the planner’s extensive event organising experience and it being his ‘full time’ gig.
‘If he does this full time….. then why wasn’t it catered properly?,’ one guest said.
The organiser revealed he did in fact profit from the cruise, stating that funds from such events went towards personal living expenses, as it was his ‘full time job’
‘Some friends and I were on it in 2016 and it was exactly the same then. Not enough food, everything was delayed, the people working for free in the kitchen eating the food and had no gloves on their hands, touched the food and put it back, touch their hair and then the food etc.,’ someone else added.
‘It’s all about the money. If he made a mistake, he needs to man up at the time and be honest to everyone.’
A large amount of vegans left the cruise feeling so hungry, they resorted to eating McDonald’s afterwards, according to one cruise-goer.
‘Lots of people going to Maccas last night after the boat docked,’ they wrote online.