Getting ready for your Le Boat cruise

AS SOON AS YOU CAN

Take out personal travel insurance

Travel Insurance is an important part of every holiday and we strongly recommend that you take out adequate cover, preferably from the moment of booking to ensure cancellation is covered. Cover should be obtained whether holidaying abroad or at home.

Time to start getting ready!

PRE-DEPARTURE INFORMATION

It's not long now until you'll be enjoying the beautiful waterways on board your very own Le Boat cruiser - we hope that you and your party are looking forward to enjoying fun-filled days afloat.
Before you go, there are a number of things you need to do, to help us prepare for your arrival and for you to make the most of your time on the water.

Complete a Guest Information Form

There’s some important information about you and your crew that we need to know before you arrive. This allows us to prepare your boat correctly and helps us to provide a quick and hassle-free start to your vacation. It is vital this online form is submitted at least 7 days before your departure - you will not be allowed to board your boat if not completed.

Please note: you must nominate a Captain and 2nd-in-charge and indicate on the form who you have chosen. These people will be in charge of your boat while cruising and responsible for the safety of everyone on board.

Complete a ‘Guest Information’ form NOW

Watch our safety video

We take your safety very seriously and ALL members of your party must watch our safety video. It is very important that everyone watches the video before you arrive otherwise you will not be able to board your boat. You will be asked to sign to confirm this as part of your pre-departure briefing. We thank you in advance for your help.

Watch our Safety Video NOW

Be aware of additional costs, payable locally

At the start of your vacation, you must leave a Fuel Deposit in local currency. At the end of your cruise, your Fuel charge (which covers diesel, gas, engine wear and tear) will be calculated based on the number of hours your engine has been running, and you will be refunded the difference or pay for any excess hours used. You will also need to leave a refundable Damage Deposit.

See our 'compulsory costs' page for more details

Start getting ready!

The 'Getting Ready' section of our website is packed full of pre-departure and other useful information, from planning advice to things you should pack, all to help you have a hassle-free and enjoyable boating vacation.

Visit our ‘Getting Ready’ pages

Download a PDF Guide for your region

What time should you arrive?

Standard check-ins will be arranged between 3pm-5pm. For early check-ins (if prebooked) you should arrive from 11am.

To minimize waiting times as much as possible, we arrange staggered arrivals so we are able to check you in as quickly as possible after you arrive. Our base team will try to call you sometime in the 7 days prior to your arrival and, during this call, we’ll confirm when you should aim to get to your departure base.

Find out more about your arrival

What will happen on arrival?

After you arrive and we’ve checked you in, your boat might not be ready immediately, but we will get you settled on board as soon as possible. We’ll also let you know on the day what time you can then expect your pre-departure boat briefing so that you’re set up for a safe enjoyable cruise. You won’t be able to leave the dockside until you’ve received this briefing. In fact, most customers will be unable to leave until early evening or, in some cases, the following morning.

Find out more about your arrival

Do you know how to find us?

We have a web page about each of our bases, which gives you lots of travel advice and information about how to find it (particularly important if you're driving yourself), as well as what facilities and local amenities are available when you get there. And if you have trouble finding your base, please call the local base team - they're best placed to guide you. Their number is on the base page.

Visit our base pages

Any more questions?

Check out these helpful web pages, bursting with answers to any questions you might have about your vacation.

FAQs

For queries about your booking please contact Emma at Hotels Afloat

V. 08-04-2025

Start packing

Things to take with you:

• Bedding is provided, but if you are driving to the base, you are welcome to bring your own bedding if you would prefer.
• Credit/debit cards - to pay deposits required at base. (Visa or Mastercard please.)
• Soft bags which can fold away are much better than suitcases as boats have limited storage space
• Non-slip rubber-soled shoes
• Leather or gardening gloves are useful when holding the ropes in the locks. (Available to purchase at the base)
• Binoculars for bird and wildlife watching
• A flashlight* for walking along towpaths at night
• Comfortable clothes to suit all weather conditions
• Suncream, sun hats and sunglasses are essential - you can burn easily by the water
• Mosquito repellent
• Large beach towels for sunbathing
• Extra 1-ply biodegradable toilet paper (1 roll provided per toilet on board)
• Environmentally-friendly hand soap, bathroom soap and shampoo
• Kitchen rubbish/waste bags
• Worktop and dish-cleaning products
• Food, snacks (salt & pepper, cooking oil, etc) - all drinks including your own drinking water
• A travel SIM Card in case you need to make local calls while travelling abroad

What's provided on board:

• Bed linen.
• Duvets and pillows.
• Small bathroom towels and tea towels (not beach towels).
• Fridge (with a small freezer compartment for ice), burners and gas oven. The size of the fridge depends of the boat model, please refer to boat feature specifics located on individual boat pages for more technical details.
• Kitchen utensils, cutlery, pots and pans.
• Electronics and power: All boats have 12-volt power sockets (as you would use in a car) which can be used to plug in your adapter lead for a mobile phone or any other low-power equipment. Some models also have 110/210V/220V plug sockets (you will need a plug adaptor suitable for the country you are visiting). On most boats, these sockets only provide power when cruising or when 'hooked-up' to a shore power supply. Our new Horizon boats also have USB sockets in the saloon and all cabins.
• Safety equipment (inc. life jackets)

Download a detailed inventory of equipment supplied on all of our boats