Marine Cruises Reviews

We were greeted by a very friendly team from the boatyard at Swanley Marina. The boat was clean, ready on time, with the pre-departure briefing conducted quickly but professionally. Our boat, Lucy Michelle was perfect for 6. For a 70’ she was easy to steer. In the contract the boatyard requires you to be moored up outside the yard the night before you disembark. However we discussed this with the staff before departure and the requirement was waived. I’m sure most people will head left out of the marina and up the Llangollen but the base is ideally suited for those who want to tackle the four counties ring. In my 49 years of chartering this was one of the best experiences I have had.

Enjoyable Trip We have just returned from a week spent on a Marine Cruises' Debbie class boat cruising the Llangollen canal from their base at Swanley. On the first day we arrived at the marina to a friendly greeting from the team and proceeded to place our things on board. The boat was well equipped and very clean - even the engine compartment was spotless. After getting settled we were conducted on a training trip by Stewart and Gareth whose expert and good humoured tuition gave us every confidence that, even though we had no previous experience, we would be able to make sure that no disasters would befall us! There was a slight issue with the on-board wifi connection but this was resolved efficiently once we contacted the office. All in all a really enjoyable trip on a high quality boat from an enthusiastic and highly professional operator. Highly recommended.

We recently had a four night break on a narrowboat called Debbie, it was our first time was a great experience and highly recommend it, barge was well equipped and the staff were extremely helpful

We had a great holiday on narrow boat Suzanne. She was well-equipped and very clean. The staff at Marine Cruises were very helpful.

The Holiday we had from the Falkirk Wheel was great .Nice boat ,great staff all so helpful. I would urge anyone interested to use this company.

Hired Kimberley for a week. Beautiful and luxurious boat, very well looked after and cleaned to perfection. In the run up to the holiday Hayley was great at getting us prepped and ready and upon arrival we had the warmest welcome from Stuart, along with a driving lesson before we set off. While on our stay, we had everything we needed and heaps of utensils including everything you need to cook and clean. Once we returned Stuart and Co were there to see the boat safely in and offered warm farewells. I would recommend narrowboating and Marine Cruises to anyone and everyone. Thank you Marine Cruises!

We cruised the Union Canal between Falkirk and Edinburgh over the Easter break. It is a trip we have wanted to do for several years, and it didn't disappoint. The Falkirk wheel was an amazing experience. We gently cruised our way to Edinburgh, which was a great destination to explore. We were on the Kimberley, which was a lovely, modern, comfortable boat. As usual, the Marine Cruises staff were helpful and efficient with their handover. We can't wait until our next trip with Marine Cruises in September!

Booked a canal boat trip for myself and 2 friends in April. First time on a canal boat and surprised at how much we all enjoyed it. Staff were all very helpful and friendly and everything was well organised, with lots of information about the boat and Union Canal. The narrow boat, called Debbie, was very comfortable and well maintained. Would recommend and book again.

What an absolute fantastic week we had on Marine Cruise Lucy Boat . The boat was spotlessly clean and well equipped . The decor was beautiful and modern . We picked our boat up from the Swanley Marina ,where we were met by a lovely gentleman who showed us the boat and was extremely helpful. We did the 4 Counties ring high we did comfortably stopping at a few pubs along the way . We have had several holidays on Canal boats over the last 20 years and we have to say that this is the best , cleanest and well equipped boat we have had . Also the layout of the boat totally worked for us Would highly recommend Marine Cruises

Marine Cruises are the best. We did 2 different routes for a week on the Kimberley out of Swanley Bridge back in 2015 and 2017. The staff, boats, location and routes cannot be matched. We were hoping to be back this year (2022), but with things too unsettled, we held off. Hoping for a return in 2023.

We spent a week on Maia over half term, cruising the glorious Llangollen. This boat was perfect for us in every way - 2/4 berth reverse layout which allowed for one of us to be pottering in the galley whilst chatting to the other at the helm. I have always been well-treated by boat hire companies, but Hayley and the team at Marine Cruises went the extra mile. The customer service and the care were as though they were welcoming a friend rather than a client and I can recommend them unreservedly.

Absolutely fantastic holiday with an amazing friendly company. Extremely helpful and Hayley and Stuart couldn’t do enough for us. Had an amazing holiday and the canal boat was extremely clean. Would highly recommend them and this type of holiday

Wonderful holiday and a great company to deal with

We had a fabulous week on the Kimberly boat provided by marine cruises. This company has exceptional communication both before and during the holiday and we would definitely recommend using them. Our boat was perfect for us and much better equipped than we had expected. The training provided meant we could confidently sail the boat despite not having done this before. When there was a problem with a broken lock on the last day they communicated well and sent a taxi to collect us instead. A really good family run business. Thank you for giving us such a special holiday to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. They even provided Prosecco so we could celebrate!

Excellent communication; wonderful boat (clean, modern, very well maintained, spacious) and just a lovely experience going from the Falkirk base. Can't fault it; thank you Marine Cruises

We had a wonderful holiday and agreed you unanimously that it was a 5* experience. Despite having had to postpone the holiday by a year due to the pandemic, the Marine Cruises Team were ever helpful and friendly and made the entire process easy. Whether by Email or on the phone, the staff went out of their way to try and smooth the process and make us feel genuinely welcome guests. The local Team at Falkirk were equally impressive, both front of house in the Marina Office and boat side. Nothing was too much trouble, we received lots of great advice and people went out of their way to be helpful. Everywhere we went we were met by smiling, friendly people who took the time, despite being busy, to pass the time of day as well as attend to whatever ‘daft’ question we threw at them. The Boat was well equipped, spick and span and well maintained. She handled well, was warm and comfy and never let us down. We were so impressed that we are already planning a new holiday for next Summer departing from the Swanley Bridge Marina and very much look forward to enjoying another superb holiday. Thank you for a great experience.

Absolutely fantastic experience with Marine Cruises, starting from Falkirk Wheel Base. Admin and paperwork pre-arrival was friendly, informative and helpful. The narrowboat itself (Suzanne Marie II) was absolutely beautiful - pictures on the web do not do it justice. It was clean, modern, fresh, well-equipped and had a clever layout which worked well for our family of two adults and four teens. Loads of storage, shelves, drawers etc. Galley was brilliant - had everything I needed to cook for the six of us. Full size under counter fridge. All the technical stuff (engine, water, pumps, showers, etc) worked well and was simple to understand and use. The canal experience was also awesome - Scottish Canals staff and volunteers are friendly and efficient and helped to make it a lovely wee holiday.

Another brilliant holiday with Marine Cruises on Kimberley, this time. The team who greeted us were friendly, accommodating & welcoming & the boat was immaculately presented with beautifully made up beds (additional bedding & towels for our second week) & loads of little extras like lovely smelling eco hand wash & shower gel & a bottle of cava & biscuits (perfect to grab with the first morning’s coffee). We had a great time on the Four Counties Ring, caught fish for the first time on the canal & basically can’t wait to come back. Thanks Marine Cruises, you have it all ‘spot on’ 😃

For anyone wanting to hire a narrow boat, especially for someone like myself who had never attempted it before, I can totally recommend 'Marine Cruises'. I booked the 8 berth boat 'Suzanne' with Hayley who was very helpful and gave some wonderful advice to us novices to help us with our way. When taking over the boat we found it to be absolutely immaculate. We had a very comprehensive hand over by Dave explaining everything about the boat, handling it on the canal and even helping us through the first lock. I felt very reassured if we needed help on our adventure that it would be only a phone call away. The boat turned out to be very comfortable, clean and well equipped, in fact, it felt almost new. We made our way to Llangollen, stopping at places recommended by Hayley and Dave. It is a beautiful canal with a good mixture of locks, tunnels and Aqueducts. Great pubs on the way with Tesco half way on the route to stock up on onboard drinking. Great canal, Great Boat and thank you Hayley and Dave helping us with a great holiday with Marine Cruises. James Ellis Somerset

We are just back from our first canal holiday and we all had a brilliant time on the Lucy Michelle boat. The boat was immaculate, perfect handover from the excellent Stuart who gave us lots of top tips. The customer service from Hayley and the team has been amazing. We'll definitely be back.