Besides fin cruises for kids the Island Voyage also do a 2 hour coastal adventure or the one I went…read moreon that is a 1 hour coastal cruise. The boats are a lot of fun and can reach up 60mph on a clear day, an adventure all on it's own! The driver also gives a good deal of information on the area and it's transformation, it is really good if your visiting the town or a newbie like myself. I wouldn't suggest going on this if your a bit dodgy on a boat as it can get quite rough. A special mention most be made about the gorgeous Labrador that frequents the stand where you pay. It's such a friendly little thing and is probably the reason I got roped into the trip, clever.

My nephew and I I went on a hour long trip whizzing around the bay with the bay water and the wind…read morerushing through our hair laughing as we went. Whenever you go to the bay you often see these distinctive yellow speedboats hammering it around the bay - it looks like fun because it is! I'd highly recommend it - on a busy bank holiday you're probably better off booking even though they leave pretty regularly. You can do a bay tour or actually go out to the channel through the barrage. The owners are lovely, chatty and full of information too! If I remember correctly it was £10 for an adult and £5 for kids but check the website and give them a call to make sure.

Spending some time on the River Avon via the Bath Boating Station will always be a highlight of my…read moretime in Bath! The Bath Boating Station offers rowing, canoeing, and punting available for 1 or 2 hours (during nicer weather, of course). After your time on the water, you can enjoy their beautiful green grounds which have several picnic tables with shades. The last boat hire is at 4:30pm! Heads-up: also, they have a strict timing policy, so if you return ten minutes late, you will be charged for another hour. Bookings are strongly recommended to guarantee you'll get what you want regarding boat style. We didn't, but it worked out in the end: we originally wanted to go rowing, but they didn't have any available, so we chose canoeing instead (which is something we're actually familiar doing). We felt comfortable in the boat, appreciated their help getting in and out of it, and had - what we thought - was a leisurely row all the way down to the Bathampton Toll Bridge (which is about 2+ miles upstream). Lots of wildlife to look at, including loads of kingfishers and ENORMOUS swans attempting to get on every stand-up paddle board. Beware the Boss Swans, friends! Would recommend; seems like it's super family-friendly, great for hen dos, and a lovely way to spend a sunny couple hours in the area!

Foolishly entered bath boating station today when it was clearly closed. For which I apologise…read more However I was met by an angry response from the owner - I guess this ranting individual was the owner - which was entirely inappropriate, especially as he was shouting right in front of my two young children. Needless to say, he won't be getting any of my money now or in the future. Hope he treats you better.

The Bristol Packet is probably the best boat company to go with if you are looking for a trip up…read morethe Avon. They offer a variety of 'cruises' ranging from a short trip around the floating harbour, a trip under Clifton Suspension Bridge and back, and even all the way to Bath. The trips themselves up and down the river are really very pleasant. It is a very good way (especially for tourists) to get a good view of the slightly nicer parts of Bristol without too much exercise! Prices are fairly reasonable, with a trip to Bath costing £22 for an adult. Each boat offers a full bar and a toilet. Boats only seem to run weather permitting, and once you have arrived at the ferry it is a little unclear when the boats actually run. It would therefore be advisable to ring in advance.

If you want to hire a boat in Bristol, there are two options. Number 7 boats are the cheaper…read morechoice, but if you want a full-scale rave with decks, a bar and a dancefloor, there's only once place to come. These guys know what they're doing and supply the vessels for all the club nights who put on boat parties. If you fancy hiring one for yourself, they have a number of different sized options that come with a soundsystem installed plus they can supply decks too for an extra charge if you can't be bothered to lug yours down. I remember it being a tad pricey, but if you want to rock the boat, the Bristol Packet really is the only option.

We had a delightful afternoon tea cruise (1.5 hours) that was not only scrumptious (best scones I…read morehad this trip), but the guide was quite hilarious. Back to the food for a moment: Finger sandwiches, scones, cake, and tea! AND they had gluten-free option available meaning my spouse could enjoy as well (I did order in advance, but same day). We had a lovely cruise on the river and enjoyed seeing the Christ Church meadows, all the rowing clubs, and going through the Iffley locks. Our boat could accommodate eight people (maybe ten?), so it was a cozy experience. It was the first thing we did when we arrived in Oxford and it was a delight!

This was a nice float down the river, but not much more than that. I was looking forward to…read morelearning more about...anything really. The river itself, the wildlife, the connection to classic literary works, etc. Instead, the guide seemed to have limited information and only spoke about licensing on the river, the poor conditions of many of the boats, and the names of the colleges associated with the rowing houses (only some, though). He admitted hadn't been living there long and didn't know very much. He also let one group member dominate the trip, and spent most of the time answering his questions, which were completely unrelated to the river and really only related to himself. The trip started late because we were waiting for a group of seven, which was annoying. We had literally run from the train station to be there on time. The tour therefore felt rushed and still got back late, which made us late for our next event. Overall, I would not recommend as it is not worth the cost.

Just got back from a narrowboat holiday on the Kennet & Avon canal. We chartered the narrowboat…read morefrom Nikki at Moonraker Narrowboats. I cannot say enough good about how hard Nikki worked to make sure we were comfortable with our arrangements and with the boat. All my previous experience had been with sailboats (max 52ft) and a 65ft long wide-beam narrowboat was a bit intimidating to say the least. Nikki stayed with us for a bit while I got the hang of steering the boat and my crew passed us through one lock. Then it was off to Bath for a few days (Bonfire Night) and afterwards we worked our way back to Cain Hill Flight. Being in the center of Bath on the river Avon was a wonderful experience. Nikki currently has a fleet of 4 narrowboats. Ours for the week was Moondance. No issues with the boat at all. Being a sailboat owner I know how hard you must work to keep everything working on a boat. The only issue we had was a fuel gauge that doesn't like cold weather. Nikki arranged for a marina on our route to add an additional 100 liters of fuel and naturally the gauge worked perfectly after that. Moondance has a very open feel to her and the cabins are all very large for someone coming from sailboats. In spite of being about the size of "Rubeus Hagrid", I never found the space cramped or claustrophobic. The coal stove keeps the galley and living area nice and warm and there is always central heat if you need it. We were out during November, so at night we just snuggled in under the down comforters and enjoyed a peaceful sleep. I highly recommend Nikki and Moonraker! Cheers

We recently completed a week long narrow boat holiday on the Kennet & Avon canal. There were a…read moretotal of 14 of us...three generations, from age 7 to 84! After considering all the narrow boat rental companies, we chose Moonraker Canalboats. We are SO glad we did! Their boats are 10 feet wide (3' more than most) which makes a big difference in spaciousness. It also allows you to go through the locks alone (rather than pairing with another narrow boat) which is a big benefit. We rented two boats--each one was luxurious from stem to stern...very modern fully-equipped kitchens, fluffy linens, jacuzzi tubs, satellite television...all the amenities of a luxury hotel. I can tell you with great candor that, during the entire week, we never saw a boat that was superior to the ones we were on! Also, the staff could not be more helpful or accommodating. They made sure we were fully trained and comfortable with boat operation before we set off. Even when we experienced an unrelated family emergency, they stopped what they were doing and spent time with us to make sure we got the help we needed. Genuinely wonderful folks! If you decide on a K&A canalboat holiday, you will not regret choosing Moonraker.

A lovely way to spend an afternoon after a tour of the countryside as we had the wrong postcode. We…read morewere going to celebrate a friend's 70th birthday and were given the post code from website but this is the website for their office. We called and were given an alternative post code which took us to the centre of Evesham by the river. There is a small car park just at the edge of the park next to the river. We boarded the boat and greeted by the crew. It is a large barge with tables and seats for 24. Our party was 19 so we had the boat to ourselves. We had a quick safety briefing we set off. The skipper commentated as we cruised the Avon. We were served our food. There was a choice of fish & chips, chicken & chips & pie & chips which was preordered. I opted for fish & chips. It came in a box with mushy peas and there were sachets of tartare sauce on the table. The fish and chips were lovely with the scenery going past. We bought drinks at the bar they sold alcohol, soft drinks and hot drinks. £2 for a Coke and £2.10 for a J2O- I was drinking. £3.00 for a cuppa tea. The cruise last 2 hours and cost £16.50. It was a lovely few hours.

I've hired out boats for two different parties over the years and after doing my research, found…read morethat No 7 are cheaper than their bigger rivals. They have less choice but if the number of attendees suits their slightly smaller capacity, No 7 offer the best value. Be warned, however, that if you want something that can take decks and a provide a dancefloor, you need to speak to the Bristol Packet company. The on boat booze (cans of cider and lager) are cheap, allowing you to fuel up as you cruise from pub to pub in the Hotwells area, and the young staff are friendly, though the old guy who runs the show is a bit of a mentalist. When we turned up for our tour, he started shouting at me that he didn't take all male parties. I responded that he hadn't mentioned this at any point during the booking process, but he was insistent that it should have occurred to me to know this and tell him - even though it didn't occur to him to ask! We got our tour in the end when the staff intervened on our behalf, but I'm not sure I'd want to give him my business again.

well what can I say, excellent boat, fantastic trip. it…read morehappened that the driver was the owner, Richard who we all found to be the most charmng person you could ever hope to meet. Would I use No 7 again yes!!!

Universal Yachting are a first class organisation. We have borrowed boats for now 4 week-end trips…read more A couple with a skipper, a couple without. The boats have always been spotless. If only Universal could organise the weather we'd of had some perfect trips.

From the owner: Universal Yacht Charter specialises in Bareboat, Skippered & Corporate Yacht Charter in The Solent…read morearea. We have a select fleet of non branded privately owned sailing yachts for private and corporate charter and other sailing events. Based from Hamble near Southampton and Port Solent in Portsmouth Harbour, our yachts are available for charter within the Solent and surrounding waters of the Isle of Wight. We are also an RYA yacht sailing school offering the full syllabus of RYA sailing courses and own boat or informal tuition. Currently our charter fleet includes:- * Holman 26 * Beneteau Oceanis 343 * Hallberg Rassy 36 * Dufour 365 * Dufour 385 * Oceanis 37 * Bavaria 39 * Sun Odyssey 40.3 * Southerly 42 * Beneteau Oceanis 50 Our yachts are available for:- * Bareboat & Skippered Charter * Private & Corporate Events * Multi-yacht events * RYA Sailing Courses & tuition So whether you are looking to own or charter a yacht, learn or improve your sailing skills, please contact us.

I've taken the cruise from Bath Weir up to Pulteney Weir on many occasions and, having passed many…read morepeople messing around on the river, have been intending to go to the Bath Boating Station for years. I finally took a punt (sorry!) and drove over there a few weeks ago. They have a variety of vessels to choose from but as the punt looked way too easy to fall off, I opted for a rowing boat. Only once I was on the water did I discover that these require the gent to do all the rowing while their partner sits back and relaxes! Although there isn't an abundance of obvious wildlife, the river is very peaceful and the human inhabitants are all very friendly. We took a three hour round trip up to the Pulteney Weir and back, which included stopping for a picnic on the field next to the pub (you can also eat there). This was all very pleasant and not too much effort, the only drawback was that when we returned to the station, we found that the prices on the website are per person, which isn't particularly clear, so three hours cost us £13 each, not £13 in total. Still, it's something everyone should try and it's certainly worth splashing out on at least once. WARNING: OPENING TIMES ONLY APPLY FROM EASTER UNTIL LATE SEPTEMBER.

So this guy who's dressed like Willy Wonka had ripped off late-period Elvis' sideburns, lets you…read morefollow him around Bath for a couple of hours. And he's a good magician and an even better comedian. And he walks you around to see all the major town center sights, without ever discussing what they are, who built them, or how they used them. And he locks up one of your group in a stockade...and drowns a stuffed animal. And you pay him for that. That would be bizarre. In fact that is bizarre bath. And it's a hilariously good time. I highly recommend you spend an evening getting bizarre with them By the way, it's completely okay for pre-teens, which was a key question we had before going. A few racier jokes, still pretty tame, went over their heads.

The best English tour I've taken! The "Comedy Tour Walk" is an excellent description because he was…read morethe most hilarious tour guide ever! I can't write a detailed review because I feel it would give spoilers for the show. What I can do is give you peace of mind if it's worth going---IT IS! Is it hilarious? YES! Is it a breath of fresh air from the oppressive stuffiness of formal tours? YES! Will you leave happier and with good memories? YES! The guide basically took us around the historic area and just made fun of everything and included a lot of extremely over-the-top magic tricks as well! Is the finale of the show so incredible your jaw will drop? YES!