As the demand for river cruises rises, so, too, does interest in the industry's little sister of sorts, barge cruising.
John Wood-Dow, director of luxury hotel barge operator European Waterways, said the company has seen growth every year for the past four years. This year, bookings are up more than 30% over last year.
So how exactly does barge cruising differ from river cruising? For starters, the barges don't cruise rivers like the Rhine and the Danube. They stick to canals where the larger boats can't go, offering access deep into the countryside, he said.
"It's a smaller, more intimate type of cruising," Wood-Dow said. "We only go about 60 or 70 miles in a week. The idea is to really let you understand the food, the gastronomy, the culture, the history of the region you are traveling."
John Wood-Dow
And unlike sailing the bigger rivers, where you can find your ships docked five or six deep in popular European ports, he said the barges largely sail and dock alone.
"You might pass a half a dozen other vessels during the day," he said. "But when you moor up, you have the bank to yourself."
European Waterways, he said, is the "biggest fish" in a small pond of hotel barge operators in Europe, with 17 vessels. Belmond has about a dozen and CroisiEurope has five. Wood-Dow estimated there are only about 40 hotel barges total in Europe; there are some 450 or more traditional river ships.
And because the barges sail on canals controlled by locks, they don't have to worry about water levels.
While some hotel barges can hold up to two dozen passengers, Wood-Dow said European Waterways' barges carry just six to 12 passengers, making them perfect for both full barge sellouts for family or private groups as well as for couples and solo travelers.
"About half our business is what we call whole-boat charters," he said. "The other half is people just booking cabins to be with other fairly like-minded people. Our demographic is age 50-plus, people who enjoy socializing and traveling, people who like good food and wine and a bit of soft adventure."
The sailings are all-inclusive and offer excursions that include things like a visit to a castle or vineyard that includes lunch with a countess or a winemaker. Custom itineraries that include things like golf are also easily developed, he said.
The company has also seen a rise in interest from solo travelers, he said, because everyone dines at the same table and the social nature of a small group makes it easier to interact.
In the past year, the company has seen a 50% increase in solo passengers, prompting it this month to waive the single supplement on 40 sailings between April and July.
Cruise regions include Burgundy and the Canal du Midi in France, Venice and the Po Valley in Italy, the Netherlands and the Highlands of Scotland. For more information, visit www.europeanwaterways.com.