Marine Cruises

Marine Cruises: narrowboat hire on the UK's canals

Marine Cruises is a British family-run company dedicated to hiring narrowboats for canal holidays. It was founded by Arthur Rudland and is now run by his daughters. The company operates from two hire bases: Swanley, in the Llangollen Canal area, and Falkirk, near the Forth & Clyde Canal. The company presents itself as a family-oriented firm whose staff advise customers on how to make the most of their boating holiday.

Two bases from which to explore iconic routes

The Swanley base (Llangollen) gives access to the Llangollen Canal, which the company describes as probably the most beautiful canal in Britain, with its aqueducts and tunnels. From there, several cruising rings can be undertaken. The Falkirk base, in Scotland, allows you to cross the country from coast to coast and includes passage through the Falkirk Wheel.

The company offers one-week, two-week and three-week holidays as well as short breaks. Weekly departures start on Saturday, while short breaks start on Friday, Saturday or Monday.

Routes and canals available

The route catalogue includes the Caldon, Llangollen, Macclesfield, Montgomery, Shropshire Union, Staffs & Worcs, Trent & Mersey and Coventry canals, as well as the River Trent. Cruising rings include the Four Counties Ring, the Cheshire Ring, the Black Country Ring, the Warwickshire Ring and the Stourport Ring. In Scotland, the Forth & Clyde Canal and the Falkirk Wheel are offered. Other points of interest mentioned are the Black Country Museum and Gas Street Basin.

Narrowboat fleet

The fleet consists of boats built specifically for hire and equipped with everything needed for the journey. All have a bathroom with shower and a galley with a full-size cooker. The boat names listed on the website are Ada, Maia, Debbie, Kimberley, Suzanne, Wren and Lucy. The company also offers boats for sale.

Customer profile and type of experience

Marine Cruises caters to couples, families and beginners. The offering combines cruising at your own pace with the option to alternate steering the boat, working the locks and chatting with other boaters. The company emphasises that the experience allows each group to adapt the level of activity and enjoy tunnels, castles, villages, pubs and countryside.

Bookings and customer service

Bookings can be made online or via an availability form stating the base, boat, dates, duration and number of people. The company reminds customers that weekly departures are on Saturdays and short breaks on Fridays, Saturdays or Mondays. The website also offers an area to manage the booking balance and a booking pack.

Promotions available at the time of analysis

The website showed a summer promotion with discounts for 2026: up to 30% off online bookings, up to 20% off 10- and 11-night holidays and 25% off 14-night breaks. Additional discounts, if applicable, were applied at checkout. The company also indicated a 4.9-star rating on Trustpilot.