Waterway to travel
Travelling by boat lets you explore an area from a new perspective and with more than 3,000 miles of inland waterways, the UK has endless opportunities for groups wishing to indulge in this pastime. Carrie Drage rounds up a number of options that will keep your group afloat.
A canal or river boat cruise is a great choice for groups wanting to explore a destination at a relaxing pace, whilst also offering the chance to explore an area that is not normally accessible by coach.
Many cruise operators also offer private charters, which means that you can plan your own sailing itineraries, meal options and onboard entertainment.
Offering information about a wide range of UK river boat operators, the Passenger Boat Association is a good place to begin your research. With over 70 boat operator members, the Association can help you search for the most suitable in the area you wish to visit. The Association also publishes a free annual brochure with details of all its members, ‘Boats for All Occasions’, which is available on request.
Cruising the capital
There are many options available for groups wishing to take a cruise on the London stretch of the River Thames, all of them offering a special vantage point for viewing some of the capital’s iconic landmarks.
Promoted as one of the largest riverboat operators on the River Thames, City Cruises has a fleet of nine vessels. The most basic option available is a sightseeing cruise, which journeys between Westminster and Greenwich Piers and includes a ‘riverguide’ audio commentary. Another option is the ‘Cruise and Visit’ package, which combines a river cruise with a visit to one of London’s popular visitor attractions; the London Eye, the Tower of London, Madame Tussauds or the Cabinet War Rooms. Cruises can also include breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea. A 10% discount is available on fares for 20 or more people or a River Red Rover ticket can be purchased, which entitles you to ‘hop on – hop off’ unlimited travel all day. A new package exclusively available for groups includes a sightseeing cruise and a set-menu lunch at Planet Hollywood in Coventry Street.
Running boats from Westminster, St. Katharine’s and Greenwich Piers, cruise company Thames River Services operates sightseeing cruises aboard six different vessels. Groups can enjoy one-way or circular trips at a reduced rate.
For an alternative sightseeing tour, London Ducktours transports passengers around the capital on refurbished World War II amphibious vehicles, known as DUKWs. The 75-minute trip includes a guided tour of the City of Westminster by road, before launching into the River Thames at Vauxhall for a leisurely river cruise. The company has five vessels in operation, which depart daily from Waterloo. Other tours available for groups are the James Bond themed tours, which guide visitors past Bond locations featured in the films and books, and treasure hunt tours, which incorporate cryptic clues, photographic challenges and brainteasers on your quest to win a prize.
Thames Luxury Charters also has a fleet of five vessels that are available for private charter between Putney and the Thames Barrier. Exclusive to groups is the ‘River Thames Murders’ tour, which is a three-hour cruise combining traditional sightseeing with commentary about London’s dismal past, including tales about gangland wars in the 1960s and Victorian opium dens. Included in the price is lunch or afternoon tea. From April, a new cruise known as ‘Hollywood on the Thames’ will be available, which will feature film locations recognisable from the James Bond and Harry Potter series’.
Again with five vessels, Crown River Cruises runs sightseeing tours from six different locations along the River Thames such as Festival, London Bridge City and St Katharine’s Piers. One-way or circular tours are available and groups wishing to explore an area on foot may disembark at any of the locations en-route and re-join a later sailing. Discounts are offered on a sliding scale.
Best known for offering passengers a range of luxury dining options, Bateaux London operates two vessels from Waterloo and Embankment Piers. Dining options range from a commentated Classic two-course Lunch Cruise to an Elite five-course Dinner Cruise and a Sunday Lunch Jazz Cruise, featuring live jazz music from the resident band. Group visitors can also combine one of the lunch cruises with a visit to the London Eye. Groups of 20 or more receive a 10% discount on tickets.
Another option for groups visiting the capital is a cruise along the Regent’s Canal, which provides an interesting insight into the industrial heritage of the city.
Operating trips between Little Venice and Camden Lock, the London Waterbus Company has a fleet of four narrowboats offering discounted travel for groups of 20 or more. To make a day of it, groups can either combine a canal cruise with a visit to London Zoo or stay aboard the boat on one of its three day trips, which explore the features and architecture of the canal in more depth.
Also operating between Little Venice and Camden Lock is Jason’s Trip, which transports passengers along the Regents Canal on what is believed to be one of the oldest working narrowboats in the world. GTOs can arrange one-way or circular trips on the 100-year old vessel, which was originally used to transport cargo along the canals. A commentary is provided on the trip informing passengers about the history of the waterway. Reduced fares are available for groups of 10 or more.
Described as the only service that travels through Camden Lock, Jenny Wren Canal Boat Cruises operates from Walker’s Quay and takes passengers on a circular cruise along the Regents Canal towards Little Venice. A sightseeing commentary is provided by the crew. Discounts apply for 25 or more people.
Operating along the same route of the Regents Canal is My Fair Lady, a sailing restaurant boat offering three-course dinner cruises and Sunday lunch cruises. Group of 25 or more receive discounts.
Up the river
Although the London stretch of the Thames is popular for its familiar sights, the river is 215 miles long and therefore sightseeing cruises are not limited to the capital.
Operating a riverboat service from Westminster Pier to Kew, Richmond and Hampton Court in Surrey is Westminster Passenger Service Association. Groups of 20 or more qualify for a 20% discount.
Berkshire-based cruise operator, French Brothers, offers boat trips on the River Thames from Windsor, Runnymede, Maidenhead and Hampton Court aboard its fleet of vessels. Cruises pass popular visitor attractions such as Windsor Castle, Hampton Court Palace and The Savill Garden, and include a sightseeing commentary. A selection of lunch and afternoon tea menus are also available for groups wishing to dine onboard. Group rates are available for 20 or more people and GTOs travel free.
Forming part of the Thames Luxury Charters Group, the Maidenhead Steam Navigation Company in Berkshire runs trips between Windsor and Runnymede, including two themed tours for groups. ‘Homes of the Rich and Famous’ includes lunch or afternoon tea and takes you past homes belonging to – or formerly owned by – famous personalities, including TV presenter Michael Parkinson and comedian Billy Connolly. ‘Lives and Loves of the Royal Family’, meanwhile, focuses on royal gossip and scandal.
Based at Henley-on-Thames, in Oxfordshire, Hobbs of Henley operates vessels along the stretch of river between Marsh Lock and Hambledon Lock with packages available exclusively for groups. The first package, lasting two hours, includes afternoon tea and live commentary from a Blue Badge Guide. The second package combines entry to the River and Rowing Museum with a one-hour cruise on the river. Groups can also take advantage of half price morning sightseeing cruises if you travel before 1pm.
Based in Reading, Thames Rivercruise offers group sightseeing trips of various durations, along with the opportunity to combine a river cruise with entry to visitor attractions such as Beale Park. For GTOs wishing to arrange a full day on the River Thames, a meal or entertainment package can also be added. New for 2008, the company is offering cruises to the Mill at Sonning and excursions to Basildon House, combined with a cruise from Caversham to Beale Park. Group cruises are only available on weekdays for a minimum of 40 people.
In Oxford, Salters Steamers runs scheduled cruises along the Thames between Oxford and Staines aboard its fleet of Edwardian cruise vessels. Groups can pre-book cream teas on the scheduled cruises or choose from a range of catering options, including onboard buffets and barbeques, on a private cruise. Guides are also available on request. A 10% discount is given to groups of 20 or more people on scheduled sailings.
Departing from Folly Bridge, in central Oxford, groups can climb aboard a themed ‘Mad Hatter Tea Party’ boat trip with Oxford River Cruises. Featuring crew dressed as Mad Hatters and ‘Eat Me’ cakes – inspired by Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ – groups can learn more about the history of this literary classic whilst cruising towards the village of Godstow, the same stretch of river that inspired Carroll to write the book. This year, three new themed cruises are being introduced; the ‘Wind in the Willows Adventure’, based on the tale by Kenneth Graham, ‘Adventures in Narnia’, inspired by C.S. Lewis’ fantasy stories, and ‘Lyra’s Oxford Cruise’, themed on the book ‘The Golden Compass’ by Philip Pullman. Discounts are offered for groups of 10 or more.
In Gloucestershire’s Lechlade-on-Thames, Cotswold River Cruises runs group travel packages aboard its 68-seater vessel, ‘Adventuress’. The ‘Cruise to Swan Hotel Radcot’ includes lunch at the Oxfordshire hotel, in addition to a commentary and afternoon tea aboard the boat. ‘Cruise to Kelmscott Manor’, meanwhile, features lunch and afternoon tea on the ‘Adventuress’ and a guided tour of William Morris’ house. Groups of 25 or more qualify for a discounted rate.
Meanwhile, Gloucester-based English River Cruises offers two to six night cruises of waterways including the Severn and Avon between Gloucester and Worcester aboard its two river vessels; the paddle steamer, ‘Oliver Cromwell’, and the river-cruiser, ‘Elgar’. Discounts are offered on a sliding scale.
Downstream, in Kent, the MV Princess Pocahontas was named after the famous Indian princess buried at Gravesend. It provides commentated river trips from Gravesend and Tilbury to Greenwich and Southend, with the opportunity to disembark at your chosen destination for a few hours of sightseeing by foot. Groups can also choose to stay aboard the vessel for a river sightseeing tour through London. Groups of 20 or more get a 10% discount on fares.
Docks and locks
In addition to the River Thames, the UK has a number of other rivers, canals and lakes offering cruising opportunities.
In Northumberland, groups can board a River Escapes commentated river cruise, which takes in NewcastleGatehead’s famous riverside scenery. The Morpeth-based cruise company offers three main options for groups; the three-hour ‘Quay to Sea’ cruise takes passengers downstream towards the Tyne Gorge, the two-hour ‘Quayside to Countryside’ cruise travels up the River Tyne to Ryton Willows Nature Reserve, and the ‘One Hour Sightseeing Cruise’ also sails to the Tyne Gorge. Discounts are offered for groups of 15 or more and GTOs travel free.
Meanwhile, in Cumbria, Coniston Launch operates sightseeing cruises on Coniston Lake, which range in duration from 50 to 80 minutes. Groups can also arrange exclusive sailings for 15 or more people on three of its themed tours. The ‘Swallows and Amazons’ tour visits some of the locations that children’s author Arthur Ransome wrote about in his Swallows & Amazons series of books. ‘Campbells on Coniston’ identifies the locations associated with Donald Campbell’s world speed attempts on the lake. The ‘Sundowner Cruise’, meanwhile, is a one-hour evening cruise. Group rates are available.
Also in the Lake District, Windermere Lake Cruises operates sightseeing cruises from Bowness, Lakeside and Ambleside on Windermere. Savings can be made for groups who wish to combine a cruise with a visit to one of the area’s visitor attractions including Holker Hall and Gardens, The World of Beatrix Potter and The Lakes Aquarium. A ‘Lunch and Cruise’ package can also be arranged, which includes lunch or afternoon tea at a selection of nearby hotels. Group rates are available and GTOs travel free. A 20% discount is offered on early morning and evening sailings.
Running cruises on the River Tees and Trent is Princess River Cruises. Its ‘Teesside Princess’ vessel departs from Castlegate Quay, in Stockton-on-Tees, and takes passengers past a replica of Captain Cook’s HM Bark Endeavour. Its sister vessel ‘Nottingham Princess’ sails the River Trent on two and three-hour cruises that take in the sights of the city of Nottingham. A free place is offered for every tenth passenger.
Operating on the River Ouse, Yorkboat has introduced several new cruises for groups this year. ‘Time Tour’ is an hour-long evening cruise recalling stories of York’s history, past and present. ‘Lunch Cruises’ and ‘Dinner Cruises’ are also available, which sail to the Ship Inn at Acaster Malbis. Group discounts apply for 20 or more people.
Groups wishing to travel along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal – Britain’s longest canal system – can take a trip with Pennine Boat Trips. The Skipton-based cruise operator offers ‘Day Out Packages’ that can be tailor-made for your group – at a discounted price – and can include the chance to dine in its new cafe, ‘The Quay Cafe & Bar’. Groups also benefit from shopping discount vouchers, which can be redeemed against the cost of a canal cruise, at the cafe or in the shops on Skipton’s Coach Street.
Staying on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, groups of 30 or more people can arrange ‘The Ultimate Day Out’ package with Foulridge Canal Cruises, in Lancashire. It combines a canal cruise on the ‘Marton Emperor’ with admission to the nearby Rourke’s Forge blacksmith demonstration and Barden Mill. The company also offers catering packages for groups, which include a ‘Cream Scone Cruise’ and a ‘Pie Lunch Cruise’.
Operating from three terminals – Seacombe, Woodside and Pier Head, Liverpool – Mersey Ferries offers hourly ‘River Explorer Cruises’, which can also be combined with a visit to the space-themed attraction Spaceport, based at Seacombe ferry terminal. A ‘Manchester Ship Canal Cruise’ is also available – a six-hour cruise departing from Manchester’s Salford Quays or one of Mersey Ferries’ two terminals – which gives you an insight into the history of the waterway in its commentary. A 10% discount is offered for groups of 20 or more.
Moving eastwards, the Rutland Belle offers sightseeing trips around Rutland Water, which is most renowned for its birdlife. Groups can enjoy a 45-minute cruise on the lake or can purchase a combined ticket that also enables entry to Normanton Church Museum. Discounts are offered on a sliding scale.
Further south in Birmingham, Second City Canal Cruises operates canal trips along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal on two vessels; ‘Europe’ and ‘Dragonfly’. Catering ranges from tea and cakes to fish and chip suppers. Group rates are available.
In Worcestershire, GTOs can arrange a ‘Four Star Day Out’ package with The Handsam Boat Co., which includes tea and coffee on arrival in Evesham, a guided tour of the Almonry Museum and Heritage Centre and a 45-minute cruise on the River Avon, taking in views of Evesham Lock and Hampton Ferry – an old chain ferry linking Evesham with the village of Hampton. Group rates are offered for bookings of 25 or more.
Boat trips on the historic Grand Union Canal, meanwhile, can be arranged through Cosgrove Narrowboat Company, based at Milton Keynes. Groups can enjoy various routes along the canal onboard the ‘Elizabeth of Glamis’ narrowboat.
Moving to Hertfordshire, Lee Valley Cruises offers catered lunchtime and evening cruises along the River Lee, which meanders its way through the picturesque Lee Valley Park. Group rates are available.
For groups looking for a slightly longer boating holiday, Richardson’s of Norwich in Norfolk operates over 100 vessels on the Norfolk Broads. Groups of up to 12 can cruise the broads independently, whilst larger groups are invited to book two or more of the 12-capacity vessels simultaneously.
Operating a fleet of five historic Thames barges, Essex-based company Topsail Charters, in Maldon, offers cruises ranging in duration from two hours to full-day excursions. Cruises take place on the Thames, Orwell, Stour, Colne and Blackwater Rivers, and include birdwatching cruises and historical trips themed on a particular place. A 10% discount is given for groups of 10 or more.
Further south, in Kent, Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle offers inclusive rates for groups wishing to combine a cruise on the Medway with admission to Rochester Cathedral, The Historic Dockyard Chatham or Dickens World. Groups can also book a ploughman’s lunch or afternoon tea aboard the 1920s coal-fired paddle steamer, which operates from The Historic Dockyard Chatham. Special group rates are available for 10 or more.
Groups wishing to enjoy the beauty of the Kennet and Avon Canal can book a cruise with the Kennet Horse Boat Company, based in Berkshire. The company has a motorised barge, which operates from Newbury, and a horse-drawn barge, which runs from the village of Kintbury. Group rates are available.
Operating out of Bristol’s historic harbour is the Bristol Ferry Boat Co., which arranges one to four-hour sightseeing trips along the River Avon. Groups can also arrange a ‘Beese’s Tea Gardens’ cruise, which includes cream tea at the riverside venue of the same name, or ‘Gorgeous Gorge’ cruises, which travel through the Avon Gorge towards Portishead, and feature a wildlife commentary. Groups of 12 or more qualify for discounts.
Offering similar cruises is The Bristol Packet, which has five itineraries to choose from; ‘City Dock Tour’, ‘Afternoon River Cruise to Beese’s Tea Gardens’, ‘Avon Gorge Cruise’, ‘Lunchtime River Trip to Chequers Inn and Lock & Weir Pub’ and ‘Day Trip To Bath’. Discounts are offered to groups of 20 or more.
Meanwhile, wildlife cruises along the Devonshire coastline, Dartmouth Harbour cruises, lunch cruises along the River Dart and murder mystery cruises are just a sample of some of the trips offered by pleasure boat operator River Link. Groups of 20 or more receive a 10% discount on selected sailings.
Celtic Cruises
Scotland has some of the most beautiful scenery in the UK and cruising is a great way to explore some of its more remote areas.
Providing opportunities to spot Golden Eagles and Red Deer, Loch Shiel Cruises, based in Glenfinnan, offers a variety of cruises along the 18-mile freshwater loch, giving visitors access to this isolated and unspoiled area of the Scottish Highlands. A 10% discount is offered for groups of 10 or more.
For a chance to witness the infamous Loch Ness Monster, groups can head to the Inverness-based company Jacobite – Experience Loch Ness. Cruises range from half an hour to three hours in duration and sail the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness. Combined tickets can be purchased for those wishing to visit two of the area’s visitor attractions; Urquhart Castle and the Loch Ness Exhibition Centre, near Drumnadrochit. Discounts apply for groups of 10 or more.
Meanwhile, a ‘One Hour Cruise’ past six of Loch Lomond’s stately homes, a ‘Two Hour Round The Islands Cruise’ towards Luss and a ‘Sunset Cruise’ around the largest lake on Loch Lomond – Inchmurrin – are the offerings from Dunbartonshire-based cruise operator Sweeney’s Cruises. Reduced rates are available for groups of 20 or more.
To enjoy the beauty of Loch Katrine, in the district of Stirling, groups can set sail on The Steamship Sir Walter Scott, which has been cruising the waters for more than a century. GTOs can arrange a sailing from Trossachs Pier to Stronachlachar or a shorter scenic cruise, which takes in the surroundings that inspired Sir Walter Scott’s poem, ‘The Lady of the Lake’. Tales and legends of the Loch are narrated by the ship’s crew. A 10% discount is offered for groups of 25 or more.
Coastal cruises
Groups wishing to cruise Britain’s coastline also have a number of options available.
Offering the chance to view the wildlife both above and below the water is Seaprobe Atlantis, which operates a semi-submersible glass-bottomed boat from its base at Kyle of Lochalsh, in Scotland. Seabirds, seals, otters and dolphins are just some of the creatures that can be spotted on one of these cruises, which range from one to two hours in duration and include an onboard wildlife guide. Passengers can also view the World War II shipwreck ‘HMS Port Napier’ from the underwater viewing gallery. Group rates are available.
On England’s southern coastline, Southampton-based Blue Funnel Cruises operates a selection of cruises around the Solent area to Portsmouth, Southampton’s docks and the rivers Hamble, Beaulieu, Itchen and Test. Three-hour lunch cruises are also available, which include a three-course meal. Discounts are offered for groups of 40 or more people.
Meanwhile, a short distance away in Portsmouth, groups can take a 45-minute Harbour Tour – which departs from Hampshire’s popular visitor attraction Portsmouth Historic Dockyard – for a better view of some of the vessels belonging to the Royal Navy. Discounts are offered for groups of 15 or more.
In the west country, Stuart Line Cruises operates two-hour trips from Exmouth along the World Heritage-listed Jurassic coastline. Groups can also opt for a cruise along the River Exe from the Devonshire towns of Exmouth, Topsham and Sidmouth, or enjoy a day trip to Torquay or Brixham. Due to popular demand, the company has also increased its number of ‘Exeter Canal Cruises’, which depart from Exmouth and Exeter. Discounts are offered for groups of 10 or more.