 Who
takes a hotelboat cruise?
A
Hotelboat cruise is ideal if you want a packaged all inclusive holiday
where all the hard work is done for you. It’s ideal if you don’t want to be
physically active, or if you are travelling alone, or if you just like to be
looked after on holidays! It’s not a holiday for family groups since most
don’t accept children, unless you charter the whole hotelboat which can be ideal
for a larger group. Some hotelboats operate in two’s, called a pair of narrowboats, and take up to 9 guests at a time, others may just take 2
guests.
Who
are the Hotelboat cruise firms and how do we pick a cruise?
Nearly all are small independent concerns, usually run by their owners,
often as a husband and wife pair. Our Hotelboats page contains links to
Hotelboat online brochures which give details of routes, boats and in most
cases prices. We also have some
Late Booking Hotelboat Holidays during the
cruising season. You pick the hotelboat cruise and boats that appeal to you most. Your
choice may be limited by the period that you can travel in of course. Most
hotelboats operate a cruising schedule between May and October, which takes them
around the canal network. You can see a
summary of those schedules here. You can normally check that the
hotelboat cruise
you want is available and make a reservation by email. Most will then want a
booking form posted with cheque or faxed with credit card details. You deal
directly with the owner operators and they are also used to entertaining overseas
clients.
What
do we get on a hotelboat cruise?
You get a canal and /or river cruise usually for a minimum of one week. Most
hotelboats cover different routes each week so you will see something different if
you stay 2 or more weeks. You get generous home cooked meals, friendly like
minded fellow travellers on larger boats and private accommodation in compact but cosy 1 or 2
berth cabins, some with en suite facilities. Hotelboats often have small lounges
and libraries. |
Are
there different types of hotelboats?
Yes, hotelboats have been developing to meet the needs of different
customers.
Traditional hotelboats usually work as a 'pair', so they have cabins for up
to 8 or 9 clients, usually with a mix of single, twin and double
accommodation. They have a crew of about 4 and operate to a cruising
schedule. They are a great way to enjoy the canals in pleasant company.
Single narrowboats which take 2 to 4 guests are crewed by the boat owners.
This way it is like almost being part of the family.
Riverboat Hotels like those on the Severn are much larger, taking 20 to 50
passengers.
There are also boats which operate a short break hotelboat cruise, boats which offer
themed cruises and boats which do not have a fixed cruising schedule and can be chartered with a captain
and cook.
Boat crew
The traditional hotelboats work in pairs, normally have a
skipper, partner who runs the galley and two or three crew. Single hotelboats
are often crewed just by the skipper
and partner.
Facilities
on board.
Hotelboat cabins are normally compact but cosy, usually with a choice of
single, twin and double bedded accommodation. Some hotel boats have en-suite
facilities, others have shared showers and toilets. All have hot and cold
running water and flush toilets. They are normally fully centrally heated,
some have mains power, others low voltage power. Hotelboats, like most canal
boats, are powered by diesel engines and are tiller steered
by the skipper from the stern on an exposed rear deck. Many hotel boats have a covered seating area
at the bows where passengers can watch the world slip by and avoid the
occasional shower of rain. Riverboats are different again. |
Fellow
passengers.
On a hotelboat cruise you will find that your
fellow passengers may be couples or singles, some will be
first timers, others will be working their way towards
travelling every canal in England. Some will be tourists,
fitting a hotelboat cruise into a larger UK holiday, others will be
British. So
people come from a wide variety of backgrounds and
lasting friendships are frequently made. Smaller boats may be just you and the
owners.
What to wear.
Canal holidays are casual holidays so best leave the suits and ball gowns
behind! We all know English weather can bring
"four seasons in one day" so remember sweaters
and waterproof coat as well as sunny weather wear.
Stout shoes, gloves and clothes you don’t mind
getting dirty are a good idea if you want to walk and
help with locks. Don’t forget torch, camera, sketch
book and book to read, but remember storage space is
often limited so don’t bring too much. Hotel boats
often have small libraries of books on board.
What to
eat.
Hotel Boats pride themselves on their food, both quality and quantity. They are
skilled in catering for a range of dietary needs but they do need warning in
advance of your requirements. And if you're still hungry, canal side pubs usually do meals, though
some only
serve lunches noon till two or three p.m. and dinners
from seven to nine p.m., and some won’t do any food
on Mondays. Well, this is England!
How much work.
All the steering and lock work is done by the crew who are pleased to let you
help if you wish. The routes are specially picked for their interest and
accessibility. You can walk the towpath whenever you like
rather than ride on the boat. |
