Bridgewater Cruises
WHERE
Manchester
What it’s like
A slow boat along the Bridgewater Canal with seasonal cruises built around Santa or Easter crafts.
The pull here isn't speed, it's the canal itself. A leisurely cruise along the Bridgewater Canal is the year-round option, but the ones worth planning around are the seasonal cruises. At Christmas there's a Santa cruise with letter writing, festive crafts, a stop to meet the man himself, a pick from his toyshop and even reindeer food to make, which is a lot to pack into one boat trip. At Easter half-term there's a similar setup, arts and crafts plus decorating an egg or a card, scaled down but still enough to keep small hands busy while the boat chugs along.
There's on-site food, so you're not relying on a flask and biscuits from home, and they take bookings for birthdays and groups if you fancy doing something a bit different for a party. It's card only, which is worth knowing before you turn up with a pocketful of coins for the gift shop or snacks.
Parking is one thing they've clearly thought about. There's free parking inside and outside the marina, and if that's full the Moorings pub three minutes away lets you park free too, you just need to register your car on the tablet there. Pay and display is the backup if all else fails.
Because the seasonal cruises are built around a specific theme, a Christmas or Easter sailing is going to feel different from the standard canal cruise. If you've got a toddler who just wants boats and water, the plain cruise probably holds their attention on its own without needing Santa to show up.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- Free parking inside and outside marina
- It's card only on board, so leave the cash at home
- The seasonal cruises (Santa, Easter) are themed and different from the standard canal cruise
- Moorings pub parking is free but you need to register your car reg on their tablet
- Group bookings and birthday parties are both options if you want to make an occasion of it
Plan your visit
What can we contact them about, and when?
Their contact hours are 10am to 5.30pm, so that's your window for questions or booking a group or party.
Is there food on board?
Yes, on-site food is available, so you don't need to bring your own.
Can we book a birthday party?
They do birthday parties and group bookings, worth getting in touch to sort details.
Where do we park?
Free parking in and around the marina. If that's full, the Moorings pub nearby lets you park free too, just register your car on their tablet, or there's pay and display as a backup.
What's different about the Santa and Easter cruises?
The Santa cruise has letter writing, festive crafts, a meet with Santa, a toyshop pick and reindeer food making. The Easter one is arts and crafts with an egg or card to decorate, a smaller version of the same idea.
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