Cruise with Confidence

Cruise with Confidence

There are over 1000 boats in the combined Crown Blue Line, Connoisseur and Emerald Star fleets - giving you the biggest and best choice of boats, as well as flexibility to plan your holiday to suit you.

There is a range of models and styles to suit everyone, but all are comfortable, stylish, well-equipped - and above all, safe. The majority are built by our own boat-building team in the UK to exacting standards.

At every base there is a team of mechanics to maintain the fleet to high standards and who are available to help you should you need it. Every boat is inspected prior to departure to ensure they meet our high standards of cleanliness and mechanical performance.

You’ll soon find out why so many of our customers come back year after year - cruising is easy, it’s as simple as that!

Planning ahead

Once you have booked your holiday, we will send you a DVD and a Captain’s Manual full of practical advice and information about cruising. You can also purchase a Waterways Guide or detailed cruising map of your region to help you plan your holiday. Lots more information can also be found on our websites. You will also be given details about your base and what to expect when you arrive. Why not pre-order a basket of local provisions for your fist night on board!

Help when you arrive

When you arrive at the base you’ll receive a warm welcome from our friendly base team - most of whom speak several languages - and be shown to your boat.

You’ll be taken out onto the waterway for a hands-on demonstration about how to handle your boat and given an in-depth briefing on everything from which knots to use to how the oven works. As a back-up to your briefing, you will find on board a Cruising Companion detailing everything you need to know about your cruising area, including good restaurants, interesting places to visit, shop opening and closing times and contact numbers for doctors and pharmacies in case of emergency. There is also a detailed Technical Guide which shows every technical and mechanical feature on your boat - and instructions on how they work. You can use this as a reference guide while you are cruising.

Rest assured that the team at your base will make sure you are confident about every aspect of your trip before you set off including how to go through locks, tying up at the water’s edge and mooring in a marina.

Locks are all part of the fun!

Going through locks is a fun part of the holiday and gives everyone a chance to be involved. Once you’ve been through your first lock, you’ll soon see they are easy to do. Most locks are automatic and operated by a lockkeeper who will be happy to help you.

Get in the SLOW lane!

The waterways in this brochure are generally wide and non-tidal making them easy to navigate. Relax and enjoy the slow pace of life by keeping to the recommended speed limits of 6-7km/hr which generally means you can enjoy 4-5 hours cruising per day. Slow cruising also reduces fuel consumption and helps to protect the natural habitats at the water’s edge. But don’t feel you have to set yourself rigid targets - the beauty of this type of holiday is that you can stop when you want, where you want and for as long as you want!

Your safety is our concern

Each boat is equipped with a first aid kit, fire blanket and fire extinguishers. Life jackets are supplied for every member of the crew (children are advised to wear them at all times) and a safety ring is attached to every boat. Fenders help to protect the boat from damage while mooring or navigating under bridges and the decks have anti-slip surfaces - but we do recommend wearing rubber-soled shoes as an added safety precaution.