All About Hotel Barge Charters

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Barge EMMA - Happy St Patrick's Day 2015

We received St Patrick's Day greetings from Liz & Rene, owner-operators of the French Hotel Barge Emma that cruises the canal du midi in the south of France.

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!

Welcome, come aboard...

"Hello from your Irish Coleen, exiled voluntarily in the sunny South of France. I wish you all a very happy St Patrick's Day. To celebrate this auspicious day apart from the usual downing excessive pints of Guinness, wearing of the green and talking with a funny begorrah accent, we are offering a whopping 20% discount on highlighted weeks left on the 2015 planning. This is our equivalent of the crock of gold at the end of the rainbow! Us Irish are renowned for a little exaggeration but what is not exaggerated is the fabulous holiday we offer to all our guests aboard..."

SPECIAL OFFER: 20% off standard rates for the following weeks in 2015:

May 9-15: One cabin open
May 16-22: Three cabins open. Available for private charter or cabin cruise
May 23-29: One cabin open
June 20-26: Two cabins open
June 27 - July 3: Three cabins open. Available for private charter or cabin cruise
July 4-10: Two cabins open

We hope that this special offer will be an incentive to those who are still on the fence considering a barging cruise this year.

EMMA

The French Hotel Barge EMMA is owned and operated by Liz and René Jacquot and are assisted by two additional crew members. They cruise along the Canal du Midi in the south of France between Beziers & Carcassonne and Carcassonne & Toulouse.

EMMA is fully air conditioned and also has central heating, if needed. There are three guest cabins; one has a queen bed, while the other two can be configured as either queens or twins. Beautiful handmade Irish quilts from Oonagh Morisson add that extra touch of luxury.

Emma is available for private charters and individual cabin bookings for shared charter weeks. They also offer 5-night charters if that works better for your vacation plans and budget.

Here's a bit of Irish culture for you :)

Wondering what that phrase at the top of this post means?

Beannachtaí na Féile Páraic oraibh! : St. Patrick's Day blessing upon you. Click HERE to listen (ban-ock-tee na fay-lah paw-rig ur-iv)

Here's another useful saying when you visit Ireland:

Pionta Guinness, le do thoil. A pint of Guiness, please. Click HERE to listen (pyunta Guinness leh duh hull)

(Thanks to http://www.irish-sayings.com for these sound bytes!)

Erin go Bragh !

Enjoy a bit of the Irish on your French barging cruise with the Hotel Barge Emma

Contact Paradise Connections to book EMMA
View Emma's online brochure

Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

IRISH HOTEL BARGE SHANNON PRINCESS: St Patrick's Day is coming!

Here's some news from Ruairi and Olivia of the Irish Hotel Barge Shannon Princess.

After a stormy winter at last spring has arrived. And with spring here – St. Patrick’s Day is only around the corner.

St Patrick’s Day on 17th March is the biggest day in Ireland’s cultural calendar and a national holiday with a host of events throughout Ireland in celebration of our national festival. This year the holiday falls on a Tuesday making it a long weekend of celebrations! For us, it is a day to celebrate with family and friends. Time to take a few minutes away from the dry dock and dust off our rusty musical skills !

St. Patrick’s Day is also a huge sports day, with many of our biggest sporting festivals happening over the long weekend

Among them are National Hunt Horse Racing, Point to Points, the Six Nations Rugby Internationals – Ireland takes on France on Saturday 15 March, and All Ireland Inter Club Gaelic Football and Hurling Club Finals.

Every Parish will have pastoral church services, followed by a parade.

And also A Fleadh Ceoil – a competition of traditional music and dancing (think River Dance performed by determined 8-year old girls!), larger towns will also have street theatre and exhibitions.

We will have family, sport and traditional food as the focal points of our day. We like to have family & friends visit for an evening meal.

– Ruairi and Olivia

Irish Hotel Barge Shannon Princess - Barging cruises in Ireland

Irish Hotel Barge Shannon Princess

The barge accommodates up to 10 guests in 5 cabins which can be configured as either doubles or twins, as you prefer. Shannon Princess is available for private charters and individual cabin booking for shared charter weeks. CLICK HERE to learn more about the layout and amenities of the barge Shannon Princess.

Owner-Operated, Ruairi & Olivia

On board, Ruairi is Barge skipper and enthusiastic tour guide with an unsurpassed knowledge of the river and its loughs. Olivia is master chef and serves up exquisite cuisine throughout the day that never fails to elicit gasps of delight from guests. Together they lead a professional crew providing excellent and friendly service.

Current 2015 availability as of March 20th

April 12-18: 10 cabins open, private charter or cabin cruise
April 19-25: 10 cabins open, private charter or cabin cruise
May 17-23: 1 cabin open, 4 booked - 20% OFF if booked before April 7
June 21-27: 1 cabin open, 4 booked
June 28-July 4: 10 cabins open, private charter or cabin cruise
July 5-11: 10 cabins open, private charter or cabin cruise
July 12-18: 1 cabin open, 4 booked
July 19-25: 10 cabins open, private charter or cabin cruise
August 16-22: 3 cabins open, 2 booked
August 23-29: 3 cabins open, 2 booked
September 13-19: 1 cabin open, 4 booked
Sept 27-October 3: 10 cabins open, private charter or cabin cruise

Don't put it off any longer... Go barging in Ireland !

Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book SHANNON PRINCESS
View Shannon Princess's online brochure
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com

Sunday, March 01, 2015

BARGING CHARTERS VACATION CRUISES: 2015 SPECIAL OFFERS and DISCOUNTS

Book Now and Save

Special Offers for 2015 Barging Cruises / Barge Vacations

(UPDATED: March 1, 2015 - expired)

> > > CLICK HERE FOR CURRENT SPECIAL OFFERS < < <

Want to go cruising on a luxury crewed hotel barge? We have some great special offers for you.

Contact Paradise Connections for both cabin bookings or private charters.

Looking forward to your inquiries

Contact Paradise Connections to book your barging holiday
For more information on our barges and barging, visit our website : www.BargeCharters.com

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Bigger is not always better... Take a barge cruise

Bigger is not always better...

Oasis of the Seas docked in

St. Thomas, USVI

Max Passengers: 6,296

French Hotel Enchante moored at

Le Somail, France (canal du midi)

Max Passengers: 8

Which cruise vacation appeals to you? Spending your precious vacation days on a busy cruiseship with 6,000 other people waiting in crowded lines, or relaxing and enjoying your chartered barge that accommodates a maximum of 12 guests?

The pace of a barging cruise is slow and easy. Watch the passing scenery glide by from the large, comfortable salon or up on the sundeck enjoying the life that surrounds you. Enhance your culinary skills with tips from your chef. Take a dip in the hot tub.

Try a turn at the wheel. Walk or bike along the canal and meet up with the barge farther along the way while passing through a lock or at their lunchtime mooring.

There's no need to rush off into a cruiseship's or river cruiser's crowded lobby to line up for excursions.

Plus you have 4 to 6 crew members to attend to the needs of you and your small group of fellow travellers. Relax and enjoy.

We represent a variety of barges that cruise the European Waterways of France, Ireland, Scotland, England, Holland, Belgium, Germany, and Italy. The maximum number of passengers they accommodate range from 4 to 12, with La Bella Vita in Italy taking up to 20 guests. If you are a larger group wanting a barging trip, we can arrange a tandem charter for you.

Paradise Connections represents all-inclusive, crewed, hotel barges that accommodate groups from 2 to 12 guests (La Bella Vita in Italy can take 20). If you have a larger group, we can arrange a tandem charter for you. Barging cruises can be either a private charter where your party has the entire barge to themselves for the week, or you can book an individual cabin and share the barge with others.

Life from a different point of view...

Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book your barging holiday
For more information on our barges and barging, visit our website : www.BargeCharters.com

Monday, February 23, 2015

Cheese: Spotlight on Coulommiers

Today, we will be featuring a cheese that is not widely known outside of France, Coulommiers. This cheese is named after the town where it originated in the French department of Seine-et-Marne, which is about an hour's drive east of Paris.

Coulommiers cheese is made either with unpasteurized cow's milk on a farm as a "fermier" version, or with pasteurized milk at a dairy, then aged for up to eight weeks before being sold. It is often called le Petit Brie de Coulommiers, as it comes in a round about 5 inches across, as opposed to the 14-inch round of a Brie from Meaux or Melun, for example.

Coulommiers is often mistaken for the more famous Brie as it has the similar snow-white rind and a slightly salty, nutty flavor and should be eaten at room temperature. A young Coulommiers is perfect with a glass of champagne, while a more unctuous, mature one is delicious accompanied by a glass of Pinot Noir. Coulommiers an excellent choice to be served with apples, pears or fresh berries at the end of the meal. It is also a great hors d'oeuvre cheese with sliced crusty french bread.

Try some on your barge cruise

Contact Paradise Connections to book your barging holiday
For more information on our barges and barging, visit our website : www.BargeCharters.com

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Celebrate St Patrick's Day 2015 - Free Gift: Kindles

St Patrick's Day is coming so we are celebrating our Irish roots by offering a FREE GIFT of an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite to those booking a trip aboard either Shannon Princess or Emma.

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!

Book a barging cruise for 2015 with Paradise Connections on either Shannon Princess (cruise the Shannon in Ireland) or Emma (French Canal du Midi but Liz is Irish) and we will give a Kindle Paperwhite for each cabin you've booked. Bookings must be made by the end of March 2015 but may be for anytime during the 2015 season.

SHANNON PRINCESS

Visit Ireland and enjoy seeing the sights and soaking up the Irish culture while cruising along the River Shannon with Ruairi & Olivia, owner-operators of the Irish Hotel Barge Shannon Princess, along with their attentive crew.

The barge accommodates up to 10 guests in 5 cabins which can be configured as either doubles or twins, as you prefer. Throughout the barge, you will find antiquities, crafts, and art with many works by Irish & local artists.

Shannon Princess is available for private charters and individual cabin bookings for shared charter weeks.

EMMA

Here's a bit of Irish culture for you :)

Wondering what that phrase at the top of this post means?

Beannachtaí na Féile Páraic oraibh! : St. Patrick's Day blessing upon you
Click HERE to listen (ban-ock-tee na fay-lah paw-rig ur-iv)

Here's another useful saying when you visit Ireland:

Pionta Guinness, le do thoil. A pint of Guiness, please.
Click HERE to listen (pyunta Guinness leh duh hull)

(Thanks to http://www.irish-sayings.com for these sound bytes!)

Erin go Bragh !

Contact Paradise Connections to book your barging holiday
For more information on our barges and barging, visit our website : www.BargeCharters.com

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

French Hotel Barge Savoir Vivre: 20% off remaining 2015 charters

The luxury crewed French Hotel Barge SAVOIR VIVRE offers both cabin cruises and private barge charters along the Canal de Bourgogne in the Burgundy region of France. They have just announced a 20% discount off all private charters for the remaining open weeks of the 2015 barge cruising season.

French Hotel Barge Savoir Vivre - Barging Cruise in Burgundy France

SPECIAL RATES for remaining charter weeks in 2015:

These weeks are also available for cabin bookings, but the discount is only for private charters

PRIVATE CHARTER, Value Season:

April 12-18, 2015
October 18-24, 2015
October 25-31, 2015

up to 6 guests: $20,800 (normally $26,000)

7 guests: $21,600 (normally $27,000)

8 guests: $22,400 (normally $28,000)

PRIVATE CHARTER, Regular Season:

April 26-May 2, 2015
May 17-23, 2015
June 28-July 4, 2015
July 5-11, 2015
July 26-August 1, 2015
August 2-8, 2015

up to 6 guests: $22,400 (normally $28,000)

7 guests: $23,200 (normally $29,000)

8 guests: $24,000 (normally $30,000)

RATES & AVAILABILITY FOR 2015 CABIN CRUISES

CABIN CRUISES: Value & Regular Season

April 5-11: 2 cabins open, 2 cabins booked

Special rate of $3500/person, double occupancy

May 5-9: 1 cabin open, 3 cabins booked
May 10-16: 1 cabin open, 3 cabins booked
June 14-20: 1 cabin open, 3 cabins booked
August 9-15: 1 cabin open 3 cabins booked

Standard rate of $3750/person, double occupancy (ie $7500/cabin)

The French Hotel Barge Savoir Vivre has become a very popular barge for cruising the canals of Burgundy as you can tell by their calendar. The 2015 barging season hasn't even started and they only have nine open weeks left.

French Hotel Barge Savoir Vivre - Barging in France - Barge Cruises in Burgundy

Savoir Vivre offers both cabin cruises and private charters. They currently have 9 weeks which can be for private charters or individual cabin bookings as all cabins are open and 5 cabin cruise weeks which have one or two cabins available.

Hotel Barge Savoir Vivre moored for the night on the Burgundy Canal, France

Savoir Vivre is a bit different to the other hotel barges that we represent as they do not have an onboard chef. Pastries for the continental breakfast are supplied by the local baker. Lunch is catered by professional chefs who meet up with the boat with their prepared meal. Dinners are off the boat in locally selected restaurants (included in charter fee).

Lunch is catered by local professional chefs

Dinners are ashore at interesting local restaurants

Savoir Vivre is 80 feet long, air conditioned (and has central heat, too), 4 identical guest cabins which can be configured with a queen or two twin beds, each having ensuite private bathrooms, flat screen TV, internet where available, 8 bicycles, etc...

SAVOIR VIVRE: Ability to live life well and with intelligent enjoyment, meeting every situation with poise, good manners, and elegance. Etymology: French, to know (how) to live.

Looking forward to your inquiries

Contact Paradise Connections to book SAVOIR VIVRE
View Savoir Vivre's online brochure
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com