Channel-4-Four-In-A-Bed-Hotel-Boat-Geanna

Boating Holidays UK- Channel 4 Four-In-A-Bed Boat Geanna Episodes Shown (repeat)

On Sunday 10th March, ‘Four In A Bed’ Channel Four, featuring our hotel boat Geanna was shown. It is hard to believe that this was filmed nearly 3 years ago and the series has now been repeated at least twice in the UK and shown around the world!

It is hard to believe how far we’ve come since starting the business. The guests on the Channel Four TV programme ‘Four In A Bed’ were our very first guests which was filmed and initially shown on TV 3 years ago. It was incredibly nerve wracking to have our very first guests examine the cabins and scrutinise every detail. Needless to say, we had tremendous fun filming the programme and all the contestants were great people. Would we do it all again? Yes!!

Many people would never have considered a boating holiday on the River Thames and so we were delighted to welcome so many first time boaters. We are even more delighted in subsequent years to welcome back guests for a boating holiday on the Thames.

Right now we are extremely busy getting the boats ready for the spring and summer season. Narrow boat Gina has had a complete ‘makeover’ with brand new panelling. beams and a complete fresh look. Boat geanna has had a thorough spring clean and is now sparkling, ready for her guests.

Boating-Holidays-In-UK

We have had many bookings this year for boat Geanna and for Boat Gina and we still have availability. Boating holidays in the UK and canal boat holidays in the UK are an ideal way to perhaps celebrate a 40th birthday party, or a 60th birthday party. This year, several rowing teams have booked Boat Geanna and Boat Gina to accommodate the rowing teams competing in the Royal Henley Regatta this year.

We are thrilled to be working in conjunction with HRA Henley Rowing Association and hope many of our guests will take up the opportuinty of enjoying a day’s rowing experience on the River Thames.

Boat Cruise on the River Thames

Introducing our new boat cruises on the River Thames for 2013

Easter is fast approaching and the daffodils will be out, the sun will start to shine and we will all be outside enjoying the fresh air and warm sunshine…..

So  what better way to spend an afternoon but out on a boat cruise on the River Thames.

Many of our guests are families with children and we know how difficult it can be to entertain children during the school easter holidays. We’ve therefore created a brand new River Thames cruise for families based on the Wind-In-The-Willows famous quote:

“There is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” Quote from The Wind in the Willows

Our new ‘Wind-In-The-Willows’ boat cruises on the Thames capture this feeling. The boat cruise will depart from Sonning and our guests will experience going through a River Thames lock, cruise at a leisurely pace along the Thames, maybe slowing down to take photos of interesting wildlife along the way, spot a kingfisher or simply slow down to say ‘hello’ to the many swans and ducks. During the cruise we drop anchor and explore an island – ideal for children who love to explore and seek adventure on an island. Then after a delicious cream tea with scones, jam and cream and of course a pot of tea or coffee, we set sail again along the meandering river cruising back to Sonning.

River Thames boat trip. Cruising past Sonning Bridge

With there being a maximum of just 12 passengers on anyone boat cruise, this will feel like your own personal river cruise.  All places must be booked in advance for these cruises. Booking a Wind-In-The-Willows River Thames boat cruise is easy. Adult ticket prices are just £20 each, Children £10 each or why not purchase a Family Saver ticket (2 adults 2 children) for just £50. This includes a 2 hour boat cruise and a cream tea on boat GINETTA. Or alternatively why not book the whole boat to celebrate a special occasion with your own personal boat cruise?

We’ve selected a variety of dates and times for these cruises all of which can be viewed on our Wind-In-The-Willows cruise booking page. Simply select and click on the cruise and you’ll see how many spaces are left on that cruise (a maximum of 12 places are available on any one cruise). Then fill in the booking form and you can pay online and immediately reserve your place.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help.

For more information click here Wind-In-The-Willows River Thames Boat Cruises

Narrow-boat-holidays are an ideal way to relax and rewind in the summer

We’re now over half way through the winter and before we know it, spring and summer will be upon us. When the sun shines, we all want to be outside enjoying the sun. What better way is there to escape the crowds than to hire a narrow-boat and cruise on the River Thames or on Britain’s canals. Canal-boating holidays are  very popular with families and couples. Finding something for children to do and sharing family experiences is what  a canal-boat holiday offers.

At myrivercruising, we  provide tuition to all crew members: children and adults. Everyone is assigned a position in the crew and is taught the ropes and how to operate locks. Giving children responsibility and a job to do really helps them enjoy the boating experience and be a part of it.

Exploring the River-Thames can be a fun experience. one of our favourite mooring places is outside Hampton Court Palace. This was a free 24hr mooring and had magnificent views of Hampton Court Palace. Our kids loved mooring here and wandering into the palace – a great way to combine history in the holiday.

Boating holidays are also ideal for all dog owners as your dog can come too. Our special offer in January and February is that your dog can come for free. Normally the price is £55 . Having had to put our dog into kennels when we went abroad over Christmas, we know it can be very expensive and the guilt we felt when we had to leave our dog was enormous! So, free dog places for all and loads of excellent places to go walkies too!

Our boating tuition is thorough and we only allow our guests to take boats  out if  they are happy and are confident in their driving and crewing. We are always close on hand for any advice,  should you need us. Most of our guests have never driven a boat before and so therefore we offer a comprehensive tuition service and go out with you on the river giving driving instruction and crew instruction.

Our boats are fitted out to the highest standards offering comfort and space as you cruise yourRiver-Thames-boating-holiday

There are loads of cruising places along the Thames. Re-live the famous ‘Three men In A Boat‘ journey  and cruise from Marlow up to the White swan pub in Pangbourne, which is where Jerome K Jerome‘s famous journey ended. Intended as a travel guide for fellow boaters on the River Thames, Jerome K Jeromes’s book ended up being a classic piece of English literature. Equally famous is Kenneth Grahame‘s Wind In The Willows . Follow the River Thames as it winds its way past Mapledurham House (considered to be the inspiration for Toad Hall) and see the river bank, home to abundant wildlife. Also at Mapledurham Mill is the film setting for the film ‘Where eagles dare.’

Alternatively, why not cruise down stream to Windsor and visit Windsor castle. There are many places to moor in Windsor and on a weeks cruise or longer, this is an ideal destination point , passing through delightful Henley-On-Thames and Marlow en route.

Click here to see our special Offers

Hen party weekend on boat Geanna

Planning a hen party and coming up with hen party ideas can be a daunting task. We have the solution! Why not book a hen party boating holiday on Boat Geanna? This is the ideal venue on the River Thames, moored in Henley-on-Thames. The boat accommodates up to 11 people and the boat is exclusively yours for your hen party weekend. The boat is only a 5 minute walk away from restaurants, pubs and amenities. The spacious interior, unlike narrow boats, is perfect for parties and entertaining. No washing up afterwards as this boat comes with a dishwasher and all mod cons. And to make your hen party weekend that extra bit special, we will cruise your party for a 2 hour river boat cruise in Boat Geanna along some of the most picturesque parts of the River Thames. We drive the boat for you and then leave you safely moored up to enjoy your hen party. This is included in the cruise price. A perfect way to enjoy your hen party, sipping champagne on the deck whilst taking in the breath taking scenery of the River Thames. We are currently doing a special offer on hen party weekends. If booked by February 14th, you only pay for the weekend price based on 6 person* (applies to specific dates and for bookings minimum price £750 for 6 persons) – this means that up to 4 people go free (saving £200) for parties of 11 people. And this also includes your boat cruise*There is free car parking in Henley and the train station is only a 6 minute walk from the boat. Why not combine your accommodation on boat Geanna with a visit to Ascot Races? or a visit to Windsor Castle? Henley is ideally situated within a 45 minute journey to many Berkshire and Oxfordshire Attractions. Whatever the weather, you will have a different hen party weekend on Boat Geanna. The boat is centrally heated and also has a fuel burner to keep you snug and warm in the cooler months. There is ample space outside on deck to sit and sip cocktails or why not eat breakfast out on deck? There is an iPod dock on board with speakers for music. The boat is moored in parkland and in the summer months, why not have a BBQ on the river bank alongside the boat?

Boat Geanna information – click here  

With Christmas and New Year’s Eve just around the corner, what better way is there to unwind from the stress of the Christmas buildup but by escaping on a last minute holiday? Or maybe you need accommodation for family or friends over the Festive Period? Maybe you are looking for an unusual venue for new years Eve parties where accommodation is thrown in?

We have the answer! Boat Geanna, winner of Channel 4′s ‘Four In A Bed’ is currently moored outside the Bel And The Dragon pub in Reading. This might seem an unusual holiday destination, but in the Winter period this is ideal. Why?

Well’

1) Reading has excellent train connections from London (only a 28 minute journey), Birmingham and most major cities in the UK. There is also a direct train from London Gatwick Airport and a regular coach service Railair Link from London Heathrow Airport. The boat is moored within walking distance from Reading Train Station. This makes it ideal for family or friends meeting up from all parts of the UK.

2) The mooring is right outside the Bel And the Dragon restaurant. This is a superb restaurant and pub with a high standard of interior furnishing and we ca’nt recommend the food highly enough. It has a great ambience and provides an excellent choice for socialising with friends and family.

3) Why not enjoy the hospitality of the Bel And The Dragon with a fantastic meal and party on New year’s Eve and then walk back the yards to the boat. No need to find taxis or drive.

3) No need to get bored over the Christmas period. By just walking along the towpath, discover the old Abbey ruins and Reading’s history. After a short 10 minute walk you’ll arrive in the thriving Oracle Shopping Centre and its cafes and restaurants that line the canal front. The Vue cinema is also located on the canal side.

4) Free car parking. This is a real bonus. No need to pay expensive car park charges in Reading town centre. Ideal if you want to hit the January sales or do last minute Christmas shopping!

5) Only a short car journey away, you can visit Windsor, Legoland, Ascot and London.

Admittedly, Reading is not a rural location, but it is on the River Thames and the walk on the River Thames Tow path makes a perfect Boxing Day activity with the family, ideal for feeding the swans and ducks and of course great for burning off the excesses after Christmas Dinner.

Boating holidays on the River Thames are seasonal and largely weather dependent. This holiday is an all weather holiday as Boat Geanna remains moored up throughout your stay. No need to worry about the boat being cold, the fuel burner on board and the central heating make this a very cosy warm boat.

As a cheap holiday break this works out as great value for money, whether you are a couple or even more so if there more of you. The boat can sleep up to 11 people but can also quite easily accommodate a family. The beds are comfy too and the kitchen is more than big enough to cope with the biggest of Christmas Turkeys. The dishwasher on board means no washing up either.

To book a Christmas break click on this link which will take you to our live calender and online booking. GO TO BOAT GEANNA AVAILABILITY & BOOKING

or to just find out more contact us. CONTACT US

Having just been on line searching for a ‘cheap holiday break’ for our family, we couldn’t believe how expensive it was to go abroad this Christmas period. As we are working during the summer months with river cruises and our boating holidays on the Thames, the winter time is the only time we can take our annual holiday. Having made a few enquiries as to why the prices per person to go on a package holiday were so high, it transpires it is largely due to Air passenger Duty (APD) and other related airport taxes.

So, may be a holiday in the UK is the best idea for our family holiday this year.

We are fortunate to operate our cruises in some of the most stunning countryside in England which provide the perfect holiday setting for our boat trips on the Thames.

Henley-On-Thames is an idyllic town combining a market town full of cafes, restaurants and pubs with countryside setting and an abundance of festivals such as the Henley 80′s Rewind Festival, Henley-On-Thames Royal Regatta, Henley Music Festival and many more. This makes our cruise destination Henley a popular choice with our guests. Henley is also close to Windsor and many guests use this as a base to visit Windsor castle, Legoland, Ascot Races as these places are only 25 minutes or so away by car or by train from Henley Train station.

Each week, we are featuring another video which we had made this summer to give our potential guests more of an idea of what our boat cruises and boating holidays. This week, the video is of Boat Geanna.

Hotel Boat Geanna is a skippered hire boat on the River Thames. We drive the boat and then having arrived at the destination, we moor up safely and leave guests to enjoy their holiday, whilst being only a few minutes away by car should they need us. Boat Geanna is 4 star rated with visitengland.com. The aim is to provide a comfortable, luxury boat with all the facilities one would expect from a 4 star holiday cottage, but on water. This is an ideal way for holiday makers to experience a boating holiday without all the stress of having to drive the boat. As the boat can accommodate up to 11 people, it is the perfect venue for hen parties, get-togethers, family holidays and other social events. Everyone under one roof, but with seperate cabins for privacy etc.

This boat has already been featured in the channel 4 programme ‘Four In A Bed’ which is a programme where B&B owners and hoteliers stay in each other’s establishment and then rate their stay. We were delighted to have won this competition and if you would like to watch it, here is the link to view it http://www.channel4.com/programmes/four-in-a-bed/episode-guide/series-2/episode-53

Alternatively why not have a look at our own video of boat Geanna. We’ve thought outside the box for our video’s and this one is no exception. Guess which advert on TV inspired this one! here’s the link to our Geanna boating holiday page where the video is located.

Boat Geanna river cruise video

We wanted to give a clearer picture of what actually happens on one of our River Thames boat cruises to help people decide whether it’s for them. Each week on this blog, we will give the link to one of these videos and we really would welcome your comments, especially if you’ve experienced one of our boat cruises on the Thames.

Our aim was to create a video that was different and ‘thinking outside the box‘ so that viewers wouldn’t automatically tune out. The key element is comedy and entertainment. For those of you who have been on one of our River Thames boating holidays or a day boat trip on the Thames, this will be a souvenir to remind you of your  boat cruise. Maybe you even star in one of the videos (don’t worry – we did seek permission first)

So here is the first video, aimed at parents of teenagers, teenagers, families and anyone who enjoys humour!

It’s about teenager ‘Kevin’ who doesn’t ‘do’ boating holidays and his reaction when his parents take him on a canal boating holiday on boat GINA.  Enjoy!! and please do comment on this blog

Boating holidays on the River Thames – kevin

Within 2 days of posting this video on youtube, it received 5200 views. That was totally unexpected and ‘wow’ were we amazed by the response. We really do want feed back as to why and how this spread so quickly.

Next week, we will link to the next video entitled ‘The cream Tea cruise.’ For all David Attenborough fans and those who enjoy nature programmes – combined with a subtle humour, this one is a must.

Our boat cruises on the Thames have been exciting and relaxing and we have had a busy season. The Groupon promotion has been successful this year and it was great to see many faces from last year’s Groupon. For people seeking a 2 hour boat trip on the River Thames with a glass of bubbly and a cream tea with scones and jam and cream at a hugely discounted price, do seek out our Groupon promotions (next one will be April 2013)

Just a reminder that we are doing last minute deals for our winter breaks and if you subscribe to our newsletter, there are exclusive offers just for our customers and subscribers.

So, now we’re in the ‘movie business’ – well definitely on youtube. We hope that this venture into the realms of film will help spread the word that boating is fun and for everyone – complete with cinematic colouring and music.

The box office has opened and we look forward to your feedback soon!

To watch the kevin video click on this link:

Kevin takes a boating Holiday

Other links

Narrow boat holidays on boat Gina – as seen in Kevin

This week has been the busiest week on the River Thames – all thanks to the glorious sunshine we’ve been having. All our cruises on the Thames have been in hot summer sunshine this week. Our guests always say we must have arranged the weather just for them as it really has been lovely out on the River.

One of our crew members, featured in the photo, is very popular with our guests on boat GINETTA. This is Toffee and he has been with the company for 5 years with the very important post of Head of Security. As our guests will testify, he is very hardworking and spends his time sunbathing on the back deck. When we have Children’s Birthday Parties, he assumes the role of ‘Old Sea Dog’ especially in our children’s pirate parties. The children and adults seem to love him and Toffee certainly enjoys the fuss they make of him.

This summer has been a difficult one for everyone in the British tourist industry but we are pleased to say we have managed to overcome the challenges thrown at us by the weather and rising river currents that have prevented many River Thames cruises from occurring, due to the fast stream conditions. We certainly did our best to ensure everyone still had a boating holiday. As you can see from the photo, the river was quite fast, unusual for June and July.

Our narrow boat holiday hire boat GINA spent the first part of the summer season on the kennet and Avon Canal. We are particularly grateful to the Canal and Tipee Experience Company for all their assistance during this time. Our day cruise boat GINETTA suffered a broken propellor when she struck an under water log. Ginetta had to be towed all the way from Henley-On-Thames to Caversham by her sister boat, GEANNA. This was a difficult tow and again, we are in debted to our new friends at Canal and Tipee experience in coming out to help us with this. Ginetta was crane lifted out of the water to have a new propeller fitted.

We’d also like to thank all our guests who’s cruise dates had to be moved due to the weather this summer. Everyone affected understood the conditions we faced and we are delighted that when they did have their cruise on the new dates, the weather was perfect!

Boat GEANNA has had an exceptionally busy summer with many guest bookings coming from overseas. Several guests booked boat Geanna for the Olympics and Paralympics games. Staying on Hotel boat Geanna were the families and friends of some of the Olympic competitors. We also had hen parties staying on the boat and school reunion parties. We even had a jazz band stay!

September is normally a month when River Thames boat cruises start to wind down. However, the Indian Summer we seem to be having now has made September one of the busiest months of the year.

However, in the back of our minds was, is this a holiday /lifestyle that would appeal to our family including 3 ‘dis-interested’ teenagers, a cat and a dog?! The image we were left with, having watched all these programmes was that boating on the river and canals was something one did if you were of an older generation or a past time enjoyed by ‘boating types’ that have done boating all their lives and you also had to know a lot about boats, be an accomplished boat handler and know how to fix engines etc. Could we do all this?

So, anyway, we took the plunge and had our first boat built and moved on, 6 months later. The verdict? we’ll never go back on land!

Now myrivercruising is growing as a business, we are accomplished boat handlers and our thoughts are returning to how we first thought about boating holidays and what might our potential guests be thinking before embarking on a river thames boat cruise of their own.

So firstly, we would like to alleviate all fears about boating holidays in the UK and to  tell everyone, give it a go! Teenagers love it (yes really – especially if there is an iPod dock, 240v sockets to charge phones, Ipads etc,  TV with PS3 connection and your own private cabin (space) all found in our narrow baot GINA and in our hotel boat GEANNA).

We have just finished filming a set of short videos which hopefully will give our potential guests an insight into River boat holidays. These videos will show that a boating holiday in the uk is for all the family, especially for kids and of course for your dog. We provide training for all our narrow boat holidays so that guests have confidence in driving the boat and knowledge of how to navigate the upper River Thames.

Most of our guests are families with children enjoying cheap boating holidays (our prices are very competitive). We have also had professional people escaping the stress of work. A river thames boating holiday is the best way to completely unwind and forget about work life and deadlines. The other advantage boatings holiday on the River Thames is that you don’t have to physically ‘do’ locks. Unlike canal boat holidays in UK, the locks on the River Thames are manned by friendly lock keepers who do it all for you.

Those of you who watch Channel 4 ‘Four In A Bed’ may have seen us with Hotel boat Geanna. people who saw this and who have subsequently booked, have all said they would never have thought of  booking a UK boating holiday had it not been for this programme and the fact that they saw that boating isn’t just for those few who ‘did’ boating, but was in fact a holiday for everyone. http://www.channel4.com/programmes/four-in-a-bed/episode-guide/series-2/episode-53

So, have we tempted you yet?

See our special offers – book now before our last minute deals are all gone!

Special offers

With the Olympics over and the Paralympics about to begin, life is returning to normal and people have started to enquire about holidays. We have particularly seen an increase in last minute booking requests this month. However, we have been fully booked from January and so have had to turn away bookings.

Our advice is to book early for next year, especially if you are looking for a weekend break or a week’s holiday on the River Thames. As an incentive, we are now offering next year’s holiday dates at this year’s prices based on the Summer prices shown for 2012.

This offer will last until 28th September 2012 ending at 12.00pm (excludes Henley Royal Regatta week 03/07/13 and 80′s Rewind Festival Weekend in Henley 16th  - 19th August 2013)

Accommodation in Henley-On-Thames is in high demand and our guests have commented on how unusual it was to stay on a boat, rather than in a holiday cottage. We have tried to make life as easy as possible on our hotel boat Geanna, a bit of ‘luxury on water’. With all the mod cons and features one would expect from a self catering apartment or holiday villa, Geanna is the perfect introduction to anyone who has never experienced a boating holiday before.

Our narrow boat holidays on boat Gina again offer a fresh look at life on a boat. Our boats are finished to a high standard with a modern design, comfy beds and all the features one would expect from accommodation in a B&B or holiday apartment. Our aim is to provide a high standard in all our boats with attention to detail. as we are a small company, we can offer a service that ensures your holiday runs smoothly and not only meets all your requirements, but hopefully exceeds them.

We will shortly be broadcasting some videos on YouTube of our boating holidays… watch this space for their release. these are not your usual ‘boating holiday’ type of videos and we hope you’ll find them very entertaining. We certainly had a giggle when we saw the initial clips!

So….. before Christmas comes, start planning your break for next year while this year’s prices are still being offered.

Our river cruises in Caversham this week have been busy….and we’ve been so lucky with the weather! we’ve still cruises available if you want to grab a day out on the Thames, or fancy an afternoon cream tea on boat Ginetta whilst cruising on the River Thames.

Self drive Narrow Boat holidays

Hotel Boat Geanna Holidays