It’s Never Too Late for a Hotel Barge Cruise

If you’re an older passenger who appreciates the finer things – whether you’re enjoying your retirement or just taking a few days away from work and family life – you may be interested in one of our themed hotel barge cruises. Whether you’re a lover of wine, whisky, opera, horticulture or something else, European Waterways offer a number of perfect holidays for seniors aboard one of our many beautifully appointed vessels.

For Aficionados of Italian Opera

If you’re an opera enthusiast, consider taking a trip aboard La Bella Vita. One of her itineraries is a magnificent cruise from the iconic city of Venice to Mantua, with a focus on opera. The experience begins with a visit to Verona’s world-renowned opera museum, the Arena Museo Opera, and a meal in the museum’s courtyard. After this, you’ll be brought to the historic theatre that is the Arena di Verona, where, from perfect seats in the front stalls, you’ll enjoy a performance of one of the most respected works of the operatic canon in the stunning surroundings of a Roman amphitheatre.

The following day, after a tour of Verona, you’ll travel to Venice where you’ll embark La Bella Vita, which will be your home for the rest of the week. While aboard you’ll be catered to by our highly-trained crew while relaxing above or below deck. The itinerary also includes wine tasting and a meal at the house where Lord Byron wrote, as well as trips to historic theatres and palaces.

Holidays for Seniors Who Love Whisky

If whisky is more your area of interest, we suggest our Whisky Trail aboard the Scottish Highlander. This vessel has been designed to put forward the comforting yet tasteful atmosphere of a highland country house, making it a perfect match to the cruise, which has been tailored to guide you through a fantastic exploration of whisky’s place in Scotland’s history, landscape and, of course, palate.

The Whisky Trail’s itinerary comprises trips to a minimum of three famous distilleries, each including a guided tour and a tasting. The distilleries visited are Benromach, Glen Ord, and Dalwhinnie. The Dalwhinnie tasting, taking place in the rugged setting of the Caingorms, explores matching various drams with particular chocolates, and must be tasted to be believed.

Cruises for Keen Horticulturists

Our Flower Show cruises are ideal holidays for seniors who love gardening. European Waterways offer itineraries for springtime visits to Dutch tulip fields, as well as English cruises either at the same time as the Chelsea Flower Show in mid-spring, or at the height of summer.

Our Dutch cruises see you taking a trip aboard Panache or La Nouvelle Etoile, appreciating the sprawling majesty of the bulb fields (where the famous Dutch tulips are grown) as well as the Netherlands’ highly regarded formal gardens. Our English cruises, meanwhile, take place along the Thames and offer plenty of opportunities to visit royal castles and palaces, as well as to take in the fruit of England’s gardening tradition at this time of year.

Barging for Wine Enthusiasts

We also offer a number of tours through some of Europe’s premier grape-growing regions. Many of these travel through the iconic Burgundy region, but there are also cruises that will take you through Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon, and the Route des Vins d’Alsace, and cruises through Italy’s most beautiful and famous viniculture regions.

All of our wine tours include visits to various vineyards, chateaux and wineries, as well as exclusive private tastings: throughout the past few decades, we’ve been building connections with producers as well as equipping our captains and crew with a rich education in the various vintages available in the regions through which we cruise. In light of this, our tours offer a unique chance to take advantage of exclusive tasting and touring opportunities; being aboard a vessel with a crew (and, in some cases, one of our wine guides) knowledgeable enough to guide you through the region as well as the ship’s own, well-stocked cellar is a real treat. If you’re on the hunt for holidays for seniors with an appreciation for the grape, look no further than our tours.

European Waterways’ cruises have something to offer older as well as younger passengers, so if you’re looking for holidays for seniors alone or for an unforgettable experience for the whole family, keep in mind that European Waterways offer a number of hotel barge holidays to suit people of all tastes.

Author Plate

Paul Newman is the Marketing and E-Systems Executive for European Waterways, the UK's most respected provider of all-inclusive, luxury barge holidays. Travelling through France, Italy and other great destinations, itineraries include those suitable for holidays for seniors as well as wine tours and other cultural and themed activities. Part of a team of experienced barging aficionados, Paul is first in line to endorse the perks of a slow-paced barge cruise to anyone looking for a unique holiday experience.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.