With the continued growth of the private rental market worldwide, luxury hotel barge cruising specialist European Waterways is reporting an increasing demand for their private whole boat charters. The company’s luxury vessels are often likened to “floating vacation homes”. They cruise the canals and smaller waterways of the European countryside and provide a unique alternative to land-based lodgings. Their routes take guests along the “paths less traveled,” far from the crowded cities and congested tourist sites, immersing them in the history, culture and culinary heritage of the cruise regions.
“In terms of cost and convenience, chartering our hotel barges can be like renting an intimate, luxury country home for a week, but with an attentive crew that caters to all your needs,” said European Waterways’ Managing Director, Derek Banks. “We offer all-inclusive itineraries that include gourmet meals cooked onboard by a master chef and private, often exclusive guided tours, including exquisite wine tasting excursions. There’s also the added bonus of a rural, ever-changing European landscape as the vessels make their way along the waterways.”
Get-A-Ways on the Waterways
“Travelers are willing to spend up to 20% more on private luxury rentals that don’t sacrifice comfort, over booking top hotels,” Banks noted, citing recent surveys. “With health and safety a continuing concern as travelers emerge from months stuck at home, our hotel barges allow guests to cruise together the entire journey in ‘travel bubbles’ that maximize comfort and well-being.”
European Waterways maintains strict health protocols that include regularly disinfecting all of the common areas and frequently used surfaces, such as hand-rails and counter-tops. The boats cruise at a leisurely pace just feet from shore, with the opportunity to ‘hop on, hop off’ at every lock. Every hotel barge includes bicycles free to guests for riding the level towpaths or exploring nearby villages. Or guests can simply take in the fresh countryside air, stretch their legs and perhaps take quiet strolls along the towpaths. Guests will therefore never experience a feeling of being “lost at sea!”
European Waterways’ vessels accommodate just six to 20 passengers. They present an attractive vacation option for families and small groups, which can modify their itineraries to satisfy their special interests, whether it’s sports such as golf, gastronomy, health and well-being, or family-oriented activities.
Book With Confidence
European Waterways’ “Book with Confidence” policy provides flexibility in rescheduling future cruises, should they be impacted by government restrictions. The health and safety of guests are also top priorities, with strict protocols in place that include crew and passenger temperature checks as well as deep cleaning and disinfecting of all cabins and public surfaces on the boats. For more information, visit www.europeanwaterways.com.
