Here is a selection of the reviews written by many of our happy guests who have stayed with us aboard one of our narrowboats throughout the years. To see a larger selection of reviews then please visit our reviews page.
Reviews here are automatically imported to our website from verified sources such as Google, Trip Advisor and Airbnb. Because of this level of transparancy and automation you can be confident that these are written by verified guests in their own words.
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Absolutely incredible customer service!We had a fantastic holiday with Floating Holidays. From the very first handover at Middlewich Wharf, the team were incredibly welcoming, supportive, and professional. The narrowboat was immaculate, perfectly prepared, and very well-equipped. What really set them apart was how genuinely helpful, reassuring, and accommodating the team are to their guests. They truly go above and beyond to make sure you have a stress-free trip. We cannot recommend them highly enough and will definitely be booking with them again
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From the moment we arrived, Chris at Floating Holidays Middlewich was fantastic. His knowledge and experience really showed, and he took the time to make sure we were completely confident before setting off. He thoroughly explained how to operate the boat, demonstrated how to work the locks, and provided us with a map showing different routes we could take, which made planning our trip so easy.We stayed on Lady Isabella, and it was an absolutely beautiful boat. It was spotlessly clean, well-equipped, and incredibly comfortable. The king-size bed was amazing, and having a TV in the bedroom was a lovely added bonus. We also loved the beautiful starlight ceiling lights, which gave the boat such a cosy and luxurious feel.This has genuinely been the best holiday weโve ever experienced. Cruising the canals was so relaxing, peaceful and tranquil, and we canโt wait to do it all again. Thank you, Chris, for making our first canal boating holiday such a memorable one. We wouldnโt hesitate to recommend Floating Holidays Middlewich to anyone.
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We just had our first canal boat holiday, 4 nights/5 days on the Lady Isabella. Chris was fantastic at answering our questions and coaching us through our first lock. The boat was very clean and comfortable... especially the king size bed! The little kitchen was well equipped and we cooked most of our meals on board. Highly recommend!!
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Fantastic people to do business with, we hired a narrow boat from them which was well equipped and lovely and clean, Chris is an excellent teacher ,after showing us round the narrow boat then explaining how to work it, then taking us through our first lock once we we're all happy we were off on our own. He even gave me his glasses after I lost mine in the canal.
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Great week on a narrowboat - very relaxing
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My wife and I have just done a 7 day trip along the Shropshire and Llangollen canals with Lady Silvia. Comfortable, well set up and easy to manoeuvre, it was a thoroughly enjoyable week. Would donโt all again
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Great service lovely boat thanks again p greaves
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Hired Golden Princess for five days, 3 adults and a four year old child, excellent service throughout, great instruction, lovely boat, nice scenery, helpful staff, well equipped boat. Great experience for all involved,
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Couldnโt recommend Floating Holidays enough! Friendly and welcoming team, excellent boats, and excellent service!
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Great canal holiday. Would highly recommend. Managed by Paul and Chris who were very friendly and helpful. Will be booking next year great location too.
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Mark Hutton-Burgwin
Aug 2025
We rented Raki Raki from Floating Holidays for a trip up to Daresbury festival and the boat and company were great!Very friendly, helpful with info on important bits and the boat was exactly what we needed to have a great weekend!Would happily rent again in the future
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An amazing canal boat break, on a fantastic boat with all the basics you need. Very comfortable and clean. Would definitely do again.
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Paul, Chris and their team were very welcoming and incredibly good at their job. We booked the Ankka, one of their smaller narrow boat, from Monday to Friday, for the first time ever, with no experience of boating on canals whatsoever. Unloading our car and getting our stuff on the boat was a breeze (a short 10-20 m trip from boot to cabin) and we could park our car in a secured car park nearby at no extra cost. After going through a number of security briefings, we were then showed how to "drive" the boat and practice a 90 degree turn, going under a bridge and operating a lock, all within 100 meter from our departure point under supervision by a member of staff, Chris in our case. He made us feel at ease and that we could manage it all on our own (and we did). I could not have wished for a better experience (both the rental and the trip overall). The boat was in perfect condition and very comfortable to live and sleep in. Our dining table transformed into a second double bed for our daughter in less than 5 minutes. Make sure to be shown how to operate (1) the water pump for the shower, (2) the central heating system and (3) how to fill the water tank (as they vary slightly from boat to boat). There are extensive instructions on the boat as well just in case. All considered: Highly recommended experience and great people.
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We have just had a fabulous day on the day boat. The staff were amazing at helping us at the start and end of our journey. They made the experience so special for our 2 boys and now they can't wait to go again and sleep overnight! The boat had everything we could need, including a well stocked fridge and copious amounts of complimentary tea and coffee. There were even folding chairs in case you needed to take any to sit out of the barge. Thank you floating holidays!
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Absolutely amazing experience!!We hired Lady Isabella for a week . Fabulous boat with everything you need. Paul was super friendly, knowledgeable and hilariously funny.Weโll be booking again in autumn!Would highly recommend.
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deborah freestone
Apr 2025
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My wife and I had a lovely stay onboard the cosy Colombian narrow boat. It was great to get an experience of life on the canal and Middlewich is a nice little town with some get pubs and restaurants. We did have an issue getting the gas and heating going one day but this was quickly rectified by Chris who showed us the ropes with everything we needed to know for our stay, having never stay on a narrow boat before. Would recommend if you want to experience a different type of accommodation.
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Great place to stay, lovely area with pubs, restaurants and takeaways nearby. Great place for plenty of walking too.Paul was helpful and showed us all we needed to know for our stay on the boat.
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We hired Lady Sylvia, suitable for 2 people. There was plenty of room, the boat is relatively new from around 2020. Paul and his colleagues were very helpful, what little things we needed they sorted immediately for us. The winter weather was certainly embracing but the heating was very impressive. The boat is very well appointed with everything you could need for your time on board. The king size bed in the bow was very comfy. We were given full instructions in a jovial friendly manner with plenty of jokes thrown in to lighten the mood in the cold climate, however we were warm on board and had a nice cup of tea whilst instructions were given. We had a great week full of adventure with various encouragement from other canal users ! One of which made quite a bit of noise when we passed his boat returning to Middlewich, however no lasting effect ! People suggest you should try a narrowboat in winter before you decide if the cut is suitable for you, floating holidays is one of only a few hire companies offering winter cruising. We would certainly recommend them. This helped us to make the decision to purchase in a few years time, no doubt we will hire agin before then. Thanks Paul and the team.
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first time on a canal boat, and during a wind storm too! having never been on a canal boat before I hadn't realised it is not as straightforward as collecting the keys and getting aboard. Paul showed us around and fixed up a couple of surprise issues which he couldnt have anticipated and got to work on straight away. Paul was very friendly and happy to help out and have a good chat whilst getting things ready for us. I hadn't realised how smelly canal boat toilets are when you flush, but I think that's a city person problem more than a issue with this venue. it was a little chilly (being winter...) and the heating plus our own heated blanket kept us toasty warm through the night. I would definitely stay again, it was quiet and calm even with the wind and rain.
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Had a great stay , we chose a stationary holiday but going back next year for the full barge experience, they give you lock tuition as there are locks just around the corner. The people in the town are very friendly, had such a great time!
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canal boat was lovely and homely only down side is the TVs didn't tune in but over all a good experience.
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Floating Holidays are 5 star First time on a narrow boat and had a fantastic weekend with my Brother and my 3 adult nephews.Staff guided us through the boat operating and mooring procedures in a thorough but interesting manner.Advice on canal ettiqutte and do's and don'ts. Walked through lock operating duties at first lock which is close to departure point and waved goodbye with the knowledge if something goes wrong they are just a phone call away.Travelling along at just over 1mph is so relaxing and the boat was a fully equiped home from home. Took advantage of canal side Pubs for meals and the odd drink or two and found canal boat people are incredibly friendly quick to help and offer advice and information to Newbees we are already planning our next trip for the Spring or early summer.
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Had a brilliant week cruising from Middlewich Wharf on Casanova. The Floating Holidays team were fantastic and supported us through the whole process from booking to training to being just a phone call away should we need them. As novice boaters we were a little apprehensive but we neednโt have worried. The boat and her facilities were everything we needed for a first class experience. Weโre already plotting another trip next year.
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We hired a boat for two weeks from Sam and Paul and had a ball, everything was excellent, from the free advice from Paul on routes to the fabulous hidden English countryside, weโre home two weeks and still smiling.
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We thoroughly enjoyed our first holiday on the canals on Lady Isabella. Paul taught us the basics, which was welcomed, very informative and friendly, then off we went. Lovely family business to deal with. It was an Amazing experience which we're looking forward to repeating as soon as possible.
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really enjoyed the stay, good price and friendly host.. peaceful nights sleep and the bed was super comfortable, simple clear instructions sent before we arrived, really nice pub a few minutes up the road as well 5/5 would stay again in the future
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everything was as advertised. quiet location excellent for walks along the cannal.
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Fabulous week rental. Great family fun.
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After a 4 year delay due to Covid we were able to fulfill a bucket list wish & spend 4 days on Casanova. Paul & his team were especially patient with us Aussie first timers & we had a wonderful time.The bed was so comfortable & everything else was cosy & accessible.Basing ourselves backwards & forwards around Middlewhich gave us easy access to shops for our supplies & the pub at the Big Lock had great meals & service.
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After a 4 year delay due to Covid we were able to fulfill a bucket list wish & spend 4 days on Casanova. Paul & his team were especially patient with us Aussie first timers & we had a wonderful time.The bed was so comfortable & everything else was cosy & accessible.Basing ourselves backwards & forwards around Middlewhich gave us easy access to shops for our supplies & the pub at the Big Lock had great meals & service.
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Stephanie and I had booked three mights on a narrowboat from Floating Holidays and I can honestly say the whole experience was wonderful. Floating Holidays staff were easy to deal with right from the initial contact through booking and then throughout our holiday. We hired Lady Isabella. What a lovely boat. Well laid out and definitely well equipped. The hand over was easy and Paul helped us through the first 3 locks then waved us good bye.I can recommend both Floating Holidays and narrowboating as a great holiday.Thank you Floating Holidays. We will return for another trip.
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Having booked this only a week before hand was not sure what to expect as we had little time to look things up etc, but was not disappointed at all. The boat was beautiful and had everything you could possibly want in it. On arrival we loaded our bags onto the boat and then had tuition from Paul who was very good and patient with me as I started to steer the boat into the locks I was a bit nervous but I think Paul realised this and after the second lock he left us in control and we continued on our holiday and to be honest Brian and I soon mastered it and my nerves were gone . Thankyou Paul for your patience and great customer service .
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I have always wanted to try canal boating. We came from New Zealand on a 9 week european holiday, and started with 4 night trip with 3 people. Great responce to all queries.All staff very helpful and considerate .A family run business. Will recommend to all my friends. Great experience all around.
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Excellent service from the canal boat hire company. Everyone we dealt with was helpful and cheerful! We loved our experience and would certainly hire from this company again.
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Me and my husband spent Easter weekend on Golden Princess. It was our first time on a barge. The boat was beautiful and throughly enjoyed the experience. Paul and the staff were very helpful and welcoming. Would definitely recommend ๐
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Little Lisa Pole Dancer
Apr 2024
10 days on the four counties ring, great service and handover, well laid out craft, and even after a minor fault on the first night โimmediatelyโ rectified by the amazing owner Paul coming out to fix in the dark on a Sunday night !! These guys deserve every praise and great success
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We hired the RakiRaki boat from Floating Holidays. There were 5 adults hiring.Was a great 4 days away. We took plenty of provisions with us but still went to the Big Lock for dinner on the first night.Ate FAR TOO much over the weekend.Anyway, the team from checking-in through to the end were fab. We had a great tour showing us around the boat and what to do at the end of each day etc. Each of them had a great sense of humour and the dogs were even weighing us well.Good tuition through the first three locks. One guy showing us the locks and another guy helping the skipper to drive.Then we were on our own. It was all good. All took turns driving the boat, and if we can do it, anyone can.Really relaxing weekend.Got back on time and greeted again by the team and the dogs, pretty sure one of the dogs was more excited about seeing us than anyone else...Yep, highly recommend for anyone.
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This company is exceptional. I rented a large canal barge for several days with a group of friends and we had an awesome weekend. The chap who showed us the ropes was a true gent and very professional, showing us how to operate the barge and use the locks etc and because it was our first time he put us at ease. We had such a great time that we're considering doing it again next summer. Highly recommended. Thank you folks so much!
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We had a fabulous weekend on Ankka, loved every minute. Paul was very helpful and friendly when we arrived to pick the boat up, neither me or my husband had been on a canal boat before but had always wanted to try it. We were not disappointed, we enjoyed the boat, the peace & quiet and got to actually relax ๐ The boat was very clean, comfortable and enough space for the 2 of us plus a Pug ๐ The only down side, was handing it back ๐
We will definitely be doing this again...only next time, it'll be for longer than a weekend ๐
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First rate canal boat hire! This was our first (but certainly not last) canal boat holiday and Paul and Samantha made it great. They worked with us in the months before our vacation (from across The Pond) and answered all of our many questions. When we arrived, we were warmly greeted and checked out on the boat, then sent on our way. Even though we got one of their smaller boats (Lady Sophia), it was was comfortable, easy to maneuver and well equipped for a two week trip. We had a blast and will be returning customers.
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Great first time on a canal boat! The boat was lovely and just as described on the website. The was plenty of room for the 2 of us and would be for 4. The staff at floating holidays were extremely helpful and gave clear instruction regarding the operation and safety of the boat. Paul also lent me his hat as I'd fogotten mine so the customer service really is outstanding! It felt a bit intimidating going through the 3 locks of middlewich but it was a great way to learn the locks and how to manoeuvre the boat (you can go the other way, less locks in one go). That said, it was one of the most relaxing holidays we've ever had and we are definitely going back. We wanted to stay for another week but due to other commitments we were unable. Highly recommend, such a great way to completely unwind.
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Amazing service. Would 100% use them again. Would recommend especially if you are doing a canal holiday for the first time.
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Great boat, great service (courtesy phone call before we arrived to see if we had any questions - nice touch), comprehensive safety chat and info about the boat before leaving. Boat developed a fault and we had someone out to rescue us mega quickly.
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We had our NB for 12 days. Paul was easy to keep in touch with and the boat had everything we needed. Alex was a great asset to Paulโs business. Would highly recommend renting
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A wonderful boat, the steering was good and a very nice shower. The beds are nice soft and firm.The owner is easy going and very helpfull.
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