"Carefully created cruises, just for you"™

Cruise with Emma

Hi, I’m Emma James-Aldridge, and my company is dedicated to organising hotel barge and self-drive boat cruises on the inland waterways, canals and rivers of France, other European countries and Canada, for clients from across the globe. If you're a family, group of friends, couples or individuals, I have the perfect cruise for you.

Why choose us
Self-drivesHotel barges

Our clients have awarded Hotels Afloat
★★★★★ (4.9) stars

Discover rivers and canals

Top cruise destinations

Shannon

Shannon

Ireland

Loire Valley

Loire Valley

France

Bodrag River

Bodrag River

Hungary

Friesland

Friesland

Holland

Canal du Midi

Canal du Midi

France

Selected of hotel barge trips

Check out the best hotel barges

Last-minute
2027 offers!
Panache barge cruise

Panache

Holland & Alsace
12 guests
★★★★★
France
Holland
Alsace
Dutch Waterways
2027 offers!
La Bella Vita barge cruise

La Bella Vita

Venetian lagoon
20 guests
★★★★
Italy
Venice Lagoon
2027 offers!
Rosa barge cruise

Rosa

Aquitaine
8 guests
★★★★
France
Aquitaine & Bordeaux
2027 offers!
Anjodi barge cruise

Anjodi

Midi Canal
8 guests
★★★★
France
Canal du Midi
Magna Carta barge cruise

Magna Carta

Tested by Jane McDonald
8 guests
★★★★★
England
River Thames
Maïtena barge cruise

Maïtena

4 guests
★★★★★
France
Burgundy Canal
2027 offers!
L'Impressionniste barge cruise

L'Impressionniste

Burgundy Canal
12 guests
★★★★★
France
Burgundy Canal
Prosperite barge cruise

Prosperite

Burgundy Canal
8 guests
★★★★★★
France
Burgundy Canal

A selection of self-drive boat rentals

Discover the offers and discounts

The price shown is based on a 7-day cruise and indicates the lowest starting price, and excluding any special offer or discount.

2027
N1100 Self-drive rental boat

Cruise Comfort 6 to 9 people

N1100

9 guests maximum
3 cabins
Ideal for 6 adults
3 bathrooms
★★★★
From 1470€/7 nights
Haines Rive 34 Self-drive rental boat

Haines Rive 34

6 guests maximum
2 cabins
Ideal for 4 adults
and 2 children
2 bathrooms
★★★
From 1457€/7 nights
Tarpon 37 Self-drive rental boat

Tarpon 37

9 guests maximum
3 cabins
Ideal for 4 adults
and 3 children
2 bathrooms
★★★
From 1250€/7 nights
2027
N1310 Self-drive rental boat

Cruiser Comfort XL 10 to 12 people

N1310

12 guests maximum
5 cabins
Ideal for 6 adults
and 4 children
2 bathrooms
★★★
From 1995€/7 nights
Horizon 1 Self-drive rental boat

Horizon 1

5 guests maximum
2 cabins
Ideal for 2 adults
and 2 children
1 bathroom
Premier
From 1359€/7 nights
Royal Mystique A Self-drive rental boat

Royal Mystique A

6 guests maximum
2 cabins
Ideal for 4 adults
2 bathrooms
Comfort
From 1179€/7 nights
2027!
Europa 600 Self-drive rental boat

Cruiser Premium 6 people

Europa 600

6 guests maximum
3 cabins
Ideal for 6 adults
3 bathrooms
★★★★★
From 2058€/7 nights
Tarpon 42 TP Self-drive rental boat

Tarpon 42 TP

8 guests maximum
3 cabins
Ideal for 6 adults
3 bathrooms
★★★★★
From 1400€/7 nights

Testimonials

Guests have said...

The cruise was so wonderful, got to see some places that have been on our “bucket list” for years! Emma was a dream to coordinate our trip,...

Our experience could not have been better. Everything was perfect!

Rated barge 5/5

Dear Emma, The boat was very comfortable and in first class shape. The rental agency was very helpful.
All-in-all very satisfactory. Kind regards, Bob

Roomy cabins, nice outside deck space  (Renior Junior suite & Sisley Stateroom)
Beautiful countryside on the Burgundy Canal


We rate Hotels Afloat a...

The layout was very practical and well appointed with everything needed for a week aboard supplied and in very good condition. We were also given a...

Hotel afloat and Emma were fantastic. They gave great service with no hassle booking and very quick response to any queries. Highly recommend and...

Fabulous cruise on board the Grand Victoria

Hello Emma,

We have been home almost a week now and today is my day to sit down and write to everyone that we want to thank for our FABULOUS
trip....

The perfect present at any time of year
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