In a nod to the growing popularity of the solo traveler, European Waterways announced that it is waiving its single supplement on many of its luxury hotel barge cruises for the remainder of the 2017 season. The promotion is applicable to such popular vessels as Anjodi, L’Art de Vivre, Panache, L’Impressionniste, and Renaissance in France, and La Bella Vita in Italy. It is also being extended to Finesse, one of the company’s newest and most luxurious hotel barges, and Spirit of Scotland, which makes its debut in the Scottish Highlands this month. The promotion cannot be combined with other offers.
Derek Banks, managing director of European Waterways, confirmed that hotel barge cruising is ideal for solo travelers. “It’s easy to get ‘lost in the crowd’ of larger vessels, which typically carry hundreds of passengers,” he said. “But hotel barges carry only a small group of like-minded passengers, so everyone is ‘family.’ The conversation and convivial atmosphere begins from the moment you step onboard, with guests who are eager to share their stories, tell jokes and gather around the table to enjoy freshly prepared gourmet meals and some of the finest wines in the region.”
Banks also noted that on each hotel barge an attentive crew is always ready to cater to every need, giving personal attention to all their guests. Daily excursions are designed to include every member of the small group, with strolls through quaint villages, busy marketplaces and cultural landmarks contributing to shared experiences that further spark conversation and comradery. The group also enjoys exclusive wine tastings, unique sightseeing opportunities and even private performances and demonstrations from local artists and craftsmen.
With the single supplement waiver applying to a wide range of vessels, there are plenty of destinations to choose from, each with its own special charm. France offers Burgundy with its vineyards and gastronomic traditions, as well as the Canal du Midi winding its way past medieval towns frozen in time. Scotland offers the Caledonian Canal, lochs and stunning views of the legendary Scottish Highlands. Italy offers the old-world charm of Venice, the Po Valley, and the Renaissance city of Mantua.
“The social nature of hotel barging is one of its greatest appeals,” said Banks. “Guests come for the experience, but they always remember the friends they make along the way and very often return to do it all over again.”
The hotel barging experience is different from large vessel river cruising. It offers a slower paced, “gentle voyage of discovery” along the more intimate canals and waterways of Europe that are inaccessible to bigger vessels, allowing a small number of guests to become more fully immersed in the culture, history and gastronomy of the region. European Waterways is Europe’s largest all-inclusive luxury hotel barging company, offering vacations in nine countries and carrying around 2,500 passengers a year. Founded nearly 40 years ago, they own, operate and market a private fleet of luxury hotel barges with cruises in France, Italy, Scotland, Ireland, England, Germany, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg. See their Special Offers at http://www.gobarging.com/special-offers.php#offers. For more information, visit www.gobarging.com or call 1-877-879-8808.
