European Waterways offers an escape from the “hustle and bustle” of the hectic shopping season with the gift of travel: A chartered cruise for the entire family aboard the company’s Scottish Highlander or Magna Carta luxury hotel barge. Families can enjoy the sites along England’s historic River Thames or cruise through the beautiful, scenic backdrop of Scotland while spending quality time enjoying each other’s company during Christmas week or over the New Year’s holiday.
Holidays in the Highlands
Enjoy a relaxing 4-night hotel barge cruise aboard the Scottish Highlander, exploring the natural beauty of the Scottish Highlands. Families aboard this luxury hotel barge will dine on home-cooked holiday meals paired with seasonal wines – or hot cocoa for the young ones – prepared and served by the on-board master chef and crew.
Planned excursions such as exploring the breathtaking Falls of Foyers or a trip to the Loch Ness Visitor Center, where the myth of the infamous Loch Ness monster lives on – all are memories the entire family can enjoy together. Families will also have the option to attend a Christmas Eve service at a local church as well have a traditional Christmas Eve dinner and entertainment while presents are shared around the barge’s Christmas tree.
The 8-passenger Scottish Highlander makes you feel right at home, with décor that conveys the feel of a tradition Scottish Country House, and the addition of the natural and majestic scenery of the Highlands complete the scene. The knowledgeable, English speaking crew caters to everyone’s desire, making sure that the time on and off the ship is one of the most delightful holiday experiences the family will ever share.
New Year’s Eve cruises are also available on the Scottish Highlander. Cruise rates are all-inclusive, and include transportation to and from the cruising destination. The price is as low as $3,500 per person, based on a whole boat chartered for 8 passengers. There are four departure dates to choose from in December, including a Christmas and a New Year’s Eve cruise.
Christmas and New Year’s
“Home for the Holidays” on a luxury hotel barge cruise with friends and family aboard one of the finest, most luxurious vessels navigating the British Isles, the Magna Carta. The vessel offers two, all-inclusive cruises for Christmas and New Year’s. The 4-night Christmas cruise features a festive champagne welcome and Christmas Eve dinner on-board, as well as readings from “A Christmas Carol” by a guest actor.
The 5-night New Year’s cruise is just as memorable, with the family watching dazzling fireworks over the English countryside. During the cruise, guests will enjoy modern amenities that include under-floor heating, color TVs and DVD players in each room. They will also be treated to mouth-watering dishes prepared by the on-board master chef as they take in the sights of the River Thames from their floating “country inn.”
Along with traditional Christmas and New Year’s festivities, the Magna Carta cruise incorporates tours of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Hampton Court Palace and Runnymede, as well as the additional pleasure of the ever-changing scenery of the English countryside. Rates begin as low as $4,325 per person, based on a full-chartered cruise for 8 passengers, and includes transportation to and from port of departure.
About European Waterways
European Waterways is Europe’s largest all-inclusive luxury hotel barging company, offering vacations in nine countries and carrying thousands of passengers a year. Founded nearly 40 years ago, the company designs, builds, owns and operates a private fleet of luxury barges with exclusive cruises in France, Italy, Scotland, Ireland, England, Germany, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg. Pioneers in hotel barging, they were the first company to operate a hotel barge on the Upper Nivernais in Burgundy, and the “real” Loire Valley. They are also the only cruise company offering barge cruises in Scotland and in the Venetian lagoon and River Po valley, as well as the first company to offer an Avignon-to-Amsterdam 6-week trans-Europe cruise, a 1,000 mile journey along Western Europe’s inland waterways.
