Luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent is enhancing its European canal cruising program for 2010 with a new barge as well as several new food and wine-themed sailings.

Barging or canal cruising is the more intimate alternative to river cruising. Depending on the barge, they can accommodate anywhere between four and 18 passengers, and the number of crew vary according to the size of the barge. The barges, charming sailing vessels with cabins and cozy common spaces, are intended to travel along the calmer canals of Europe, namely in France, Belgium, Holland, Ireland and the U.K.

With a newly added eight-passenger barge, Enchanté, A&K has 23 barge ships on offer for 2010. The Enchante was refurbished in 2009 and will sail the Canal du Midi in the South of France next year. It has Internet connection and a guest computer on board, as well as air conditioning. An on-board chef will prepare gourmet meals in a demonstration kitchen, and meals can be served al fresco on the deck. For larger groups of up to 16, Enchanté can be chartered in tandem with the eight-passenger barge Anjodi. Six-night canal cruises start at $5,890, per person, cruise only. Private charters start at $45,000 for up to eight guests.

Additionally, A&K has introduced several new themed canal cruises for 2010.

A new culinary cruise is being introduced on the four-passenger Alouette (pictured below), which also sales on the Canal de Midi. The itinerary includes cooking lessons as well as accompanying the chef to local markets. Six-night charters start at $25,000.

A Wines of Burgundy (Grand Cru) cruise is being offered on the eight-passenger Amaryllis barge, part of the Orient-Express collection of cruises. The wine cruise includes tastings of 33 Grand Crus of Burgundy, including Bonne Mares, Montrachet and Romanée Conti during France’s “Semaine des Grands Crus.” The cruise takes place July 18 to 24, and starts at $9,800 per person.

Additionally, a chocolate and wine cruise is being offered on the six-passenger Elisabeth, which sails the Canal du Nivernais in Burgundy. Included in the cruise are wine tastings and dessert-making demonstrations. Six nights start at $4,300 per person.

Lastly, a bike and barge charter is being offered on the 18-passenger Le Phenicien. The summertime itinerary along the Canal du Nivernais includes a different bike ride each day, ranging from 19-mile to 32-mile rides, with the assistance of a cycling specialist. The Bike & Barge itinerary is only available by charter. Six-night charters start at $54,460.

For additional information visit Abercrombie & Kent.

That’s what European Waterways is proposing: a 1,000-mile, 6-week, culinary and cultural adventure aboard its 8-passenger barge, Anjodi, from Provence to Amsterdam, a trip not unlike the one taken by accomplished chef Rick Stein. Stein filmed aboard the barge for his BBC TV series “Rick Stein’s French Odyssey,” a 400-mile culinary tour of Southwestern France.

The Anjodi cruise is along the Rhone, Seine and Rhine rivers, as well as along smaller waterways such as the Canal de Bourgogne. It is a mixture of sightseeing and city stays combined with an exploration of regional cultures, cuisine and wines of Provence, Beaujolais, Burgundy, Champagne, Alsace and the Moselle and Rhine valleys.

Anjodi is a classic Dutch-design hotel barge of classic Dutch design. The barge incorporates Africa hardwoods, hand-crafted paneling and brass, for a classic yacht feel. There are four air-conditioned twin/double staterooms onboard, each with full bathrooms. The barge also features a shaded sun deck with a heated sunken jacuzzi and teak deck furniture.

As with all European Waterways’ cruises, all meals will be prepared by the onboard chef, complimented by regional wines and an open bar. The majority of meals are taken aboard, but at least once a week passengers dine ashore.

This cruise is $25,000 per person, based on a minimum of 6 passengers, or as a whole barge charter for $185,000. Rates include all meals, wine, open bar, excursions, admittance fees and transfers.

Founded more than 35 years ago, Go Barging designs, builds, owns and operates a private fleet of luxury barges with exclusive cruises in France, Scotland, England, Ireland, Holland, Belgium and Italy.
The company’s hotel barges accommodate between 4 and 12 passengers and are ideal for people looking for either an individual cruise with other like-minded people, or for those wanting a whole barge charter for a family or group of friends.

Go Barging’s hotel barge cruises include accommodation in air-conditioned, ensuite cabins, gourmet meals, fine wines, an open bar and all excursions.

All vessels are fully crewed with a Captain, gourmet chef, hostess and tour guide, with a private air-conditioned mini-bus taking passengers on excursions.

The company offers daily itineraries that give passengers the opportunity to visit cultural and historical places of interest, vineyards and markets in each region.

Also offered are tandem cruises for larger parties and a wide selection of themed cruises, such as wine appreciation, golf and even honeymoon charters on three barges.

Go Barging was the first company to put a barge on the Upper Nivernais Canal in Burgundy, and in the “real” Loire Valley. It also is the only company with barges in Scotland and in the Venetian lagoon, as well as the first to offer an Avignon-to-Amsterdam six-week trans-Europe cruise.

First, some information on Enchanté, which was completely rebuilt in Amsterdam and is currently winding her way south to her eventual home in the south of France. Enchanté is the latest addition to join European Waterways’ 17-barge fleet of luxury hotels, and she will begin cruising on the Canal du Midi at the end of August.

She provides luxurious accommodation for up to 8 guests in 4 equal double suites of about 200 square feet each, with well-appointed bathrooms featuring showers and luxurious bath products. The barge is tastefully furnished in exotic hardwoods. She has a large, spacious saloon where and a demonstration galley for guests to view the chef.

The ship provides guests with internet connections and a guest computer, television with DVD player and air conditioning throughout. There is also a spacious sun deck, with al fresco dining, gorgeous hot tub and luxurious sun loungers. Enchanté will alternate between two cruise itineraries that will highlight the most delightful parts of the Languedoc, Camargue and Midi regions of Southern France.

Enchanté’s crew of four is comprised of a master chef, tour guide and stewardess, led by a knowledgeable and experienced captain.

Eight guests, four crew! Obviously, we are not talking about a major cruise ship here. No, river barging, where you can walk or cycle along the side of the river and keep pace with your barge, is a far more intimate travel experience, providing up-close access to the smaller communities of Europe. Consider that over the course of a year, European Waterways carries about 2,000 guests, which is about the weekly capacity of a typical ocean cruise ship.

River barging is a calm, peaceful and luxurious experience, not a rock-and-roll presentation with another new thrill around every corner. The barge moves slowly down the river, slips into a new town, allowing guests to poke around before moving on. The menus are sublime, and passengers frequently spend the day looking forward to the evening meal.

The cruise fare includes all meals, wines, open bar, excursions, admittance fees and transfers. Of course, couples can book a cruise on a barge, but groups may choose to charter the small vessels for a week or more.

Let us know if you’d like more information about river barging. It is a special experience.