City Centre Cruises is a seasoned operator of passenger boat cruises along Manchester’s canals. In fact, we’re impressed to learn that they have been operating for over 30 years already!

They also boast two luxurious purpose-built barges with a capacity of 50 each and have cruises available every day. 

Due to their popularity, though, we think it’s wise to book at least a month in advance to secure your preferred date.

Another thing we appreciate about City Centre Cruises is they can offer both public cruises and private events. According to our surveys, they’re most popular for events like corporate charters, family celebrations, or even hen parties.

When we took their cruise, we were amazed with their offerings. Here, guests can enjoy their bars, onboard chefs, waiter service, music, karaoke, and central heating.

Their customer service is equally impressive, given their hospitable staff members. During our trip, we noted the warm, polite, and attentive staff, creating an atmosphere as if you’re in a hotel while cruising the waters.

Sadly, booking a cruise with them is quite expensive compared to other boat tours in the area. 

We think that their price for a three-hour private hire cruise is £600, with a required deposit of £200 is pretty steep, especially for those on a budget. We think that’s a reasonable price to pay for a luxurious experience, though.

Manchester River Cruises stands out from the rest because of their spacious vessels. We’re impressed to find that they have boats that can accommodate up to 70 people – a significant capacity compared to other boat rentals in the area.

On top of this, we appreciate that they offer a variety of public tours with themes such as Sunday Sessions, which feature live music.

Another option is their City River Tour, which provides a sightseeing experience of Manchester’s top tourist destinations. We believe that this particular option will be ideal for tourists who want to explore the city by water.

During our trip, we received fantastic treatment from the tour guide and other crew members. We were sad to learn that our surveys revealed some complaints from previous customers who felt that the staff lacked enthusiasm, though.

On the bright side, many customers praise them for their affordability. We were happy to have paid only £12 each for a sweet, chilled canal tour lasting an hour.

Aside from public cruises, we want to highlight that Manchester River Cruises is also popular for private hires for various events. We give them props for providing in-house catering options, servers, and performers for all types of private functions.

Lastly, we like that they offer cruises every day, plus they also accept walk-in passengers as long as there are available slots on deck.

Emerald Cruises is a popular travel company that sets sails around the world. Luckily, their boats also grace Manchester’s waters.

We think that they will be ideal for tourists who don’t like planning since Emerald Cruises offer comprehensive packages that include airport transfers, onboard and onshore gratuities, and all meals.

We must note, however, that the rates vary depending on the trip. And from what we’ve seen, they tend to charge higher than other boat tours.

Upon checking out their cruise, we were impressed by the abundance of crew on deck. This made it easy for us to make requests, all of which were quickly accommodated by pleasant staff members. 

Unfortunately, we learned that they solely focus on public cruises — much to the dismay of guests who want to hire the boats for private events.  Furthermore, we felt iffy about some reports of customers experiencing delayed refunds. 

Their cruise slots also vary depending on the availability of their boats. However, we appreciate that they provide a calendar on their website for prospective guests to check availability.

Speaking of their website, we’re also impressed that they boast an online portal where customers can track and make changes to their bookings — adding convenience and flexibility to the reservation process.

Bridgewater Cruise is a loved family-run company, and for us, this factor speaks a lot about their hospitality and truly local offerings. 

They also stood out to us as they focused on providing captivating cruises along the Historic Bridgewater Canal in Worsley, Manchester. We learned that they showcase the area’s rich heritage and scenic beauty with two boats at their disposal.

The boat that caught our attention first is the luxurious ‘Francis Egerton’. Here, we discovered that guests can embark on memorable journeys aboard through their public cruises.

We like how their diverse calendar includes themed events like Easter Craft Cruises and Afternoon Tea Cruises. For us, this adds an extra layer of excitement to the canal experience.

Alternatively, guests can opt for the second boat called ‘Lady Harriet’. This is a smaller boat that we think is perfect for exclusive cruises for private celebrations.

We also give Bridgewater Cruise props for offering their cruises daily, but we must mention that they require guests to book in advance to secure a spot. We think this is prudent, though, given their popularity among locals and tourists alike.

Another plus in our books is their affordable pricing, with rates starting at just £14.83 per person only. Our experience couldn’t have been less luxurious with that price, though, since their attentive staff made sure we felt comfortable and engaged throughout the trip!

The Liquorists has been operating since 2010 and has been adored by both locals and tourists alike. From our research, we found that they offer three-hour cruises along the River Irwell and around Media City while serving delicious cocktails and food.

What stood out to us about The Liquorists is that they host numerous themed cruises centred around specific drinks—they’re aptly named, yes?

We also appreciate the witty names such as Summer Wines, Spritz and Fizz Cruise, ‘Rum Runners Revenge Rum Cruise, and Cocktails You Love & Pop Queens Cocktail Cruise.

Their cruises are also available everyday, so that’s a plus for accessibility! However, we did notice that it can get a bit crowded on their boats.

With this in mind, we think that they will be ideal for those seeking a lively party atmosphere on a boat rather than a relaxing cruise.

Also, the average price for a cruise with The Liquorists is around £50 — positioning them on the pricier side when compared to other providers. 

However, we believe this is justified considering the unique experience of combining a cruise with a drinking session. Plus, we were pleased with the attentive and polite customer service we received when we tried their services. 

Overall, we love how The Liquorists offers a vibrant experience with an upbeat crowd, refreshing drinks, and the scenic backdrop of Manchester waters.