Terms and Conditions

Dragonfly Hotel Boat is run by Happy Days Cruises, Ltd, registered in England, company number 14668231. We are a narrowboat cruising company that provides catering and skippering services to visitors who want to experience the British Canals without the hassle.

Our service is offered for an all-inclusive price which includes reasonable pickup / dropoff, skippering services, and onboard catering. It is our intention to delight with friendly service while providing you an enjoyable, safe experience on the canals. No contract can specify everything, so this should be taken as a guide to what you can expect, so please ask if you have any questions or special requests. Our goal is to make your experience unforgettable.

Skippering Services

We provide a skipper for your boat for the duration of your trip. The skipper will steer the boat and be responsible for all operations on board the boat. The skipper is in charge of the boat at all times and is ultimately responsible for the safety and wellbeing of all passengers and crew. All boat services such as water filling, chemical toilet emptying, fuelling and other operational aspects of the boat will be undertaken by the skipper. 

Guests are expected to help with operating the locks where safe and practical as this speeds up the process enormously, and is part of the enjoyment of the canals. The locks on the canals are a rare example of centuries old technology that is still very much in use today. From time to time, and at the sole discretion of the skipper, guests may be permitted to help steer the boat under supervision, should they so wish.

Catering Services

Your skipper will also double as your personal chef for the duration of your trip. Paul is Le Cordon Bleu trained, and we aim to provide a dining experience of a high standard, using fresh and premium ingredients. Our goal is to provide a standard equivalent to a good bistro or higher, but not necessarily fine dining.

All practical efforts will be made to ensure that dietary and other restrictions are taken into account, but we reserve the right to refuse guests on the basis of serious allergies to common products used in food and food preparation.

On-board drinks, including wine, beer, and spirits, are included in the trip price. We endeavour to stock the bar with guests preferred drink choices, subject to reasonable restrictions. We reserve the right to refuse service and / or to terminate the trip for anyone showing signs of inebriation and/or is demonstrating aggressive or dangerous behaviour towards themselves or others.  In these cases no refunds will be given.

Accommodation Services

Our boat, “Dragonfly”, is a 54 foot narrowboat with a single cabin in the rear that sleeps two people on a UK Double mattress (4 ft 6 inches). In addition the sofa in the saloon converts to a bed which can be used as an alternative second. Narrowboats are, by their nature, small, and are limited in their utilities. Expect small, shared toilet and showering arrangements, and reduced privacy. All parts of the boat need to be accessible to the skipper / crew at all times, so guests should plan accordingly. Generally clothes washing facilities are extremely limited or non-existent on the boat, so bring spares and do not expect linens to be changed regularly. Changes of linen and towels are available upon request.

Pickup / Dropoff

We can arrange pick-up and drop-off from the railway station at Market Harborough, or if you are staying locally, from a hotel or accommodation within a 10-mile radius of North Kilworth Marina. Market Harborough is one hour from London by train.

Excluded Services

Outside Food. There are pubs and restaurants along the canals that guests may wish to experience at their own expense, but meals missed will not affect the price of the trip, and will not be refunded by Dragonfly Hotel Boat.

Airport Transfers. Many clients would prefer to have an airport-to-dockside service, and we can arrange this for you if you wish. We work with several local taxi and long-distance car services.   For comparison, a taxi from the Marina to Birmingham Airport is about £125-£150.

Cancellation and Termination Policies

The cost for the trip is all inclusive of the above services, fees, and taxes.  Narrowboat holidays are popular and book up well ahead. In order to protect your booking, as is standard in the industry, we require payment in advance.  Fees are generally non-refundable unless the booking slot can be re-let to another party.

For Over-Night Trips:

• A non-refundable £50 deposit / booking fee is required at the time of booking.
• The balance is two weeks prior to the trip date.

For Three or Six-Night Trips:

• A non-refundable £500 deposit / booking fee is required at the time of booking.
• 50% of the balance is due twelve weeks before your trip.
• The remainder of the balance is required four weeks prior to departure.

All efforts will be made to honour your trip dates. However, if we need to cancel owing to illness or other unforeseen circumstances, and we cannot find a replacement to skipper and cater your trip, you will get a full refund or a trip credit. On rare occasion, especially over winter, trips may be rescheduled owing to bad weather and in that case we will work with you to find a mutually acceptable alternative date.

Please note that narrowboating on the canals is not overly arduous, but neither is it accessible. All guests are required to be mobile, capable of looking after themselves, and to be able to climb on to and off, boat. It may be occasionally necessary for guests to assist in operating the locks or helping out handling the boat. By entering into this agreement you are attesting that you are able to meet these criteria. Hotel Boats are not care homes, and you will be refused on the trip, and the fee will not be refunded, at the sole discretion of the skipper, if you or any of your party, do not meet the above criteria.

Unruly, rude, or unsafe behaviour is also grounds for termination without refund, at the sole discretion of the skipper.

Damages

We do not charge a security deposit, however guests are liable for any damages caused by wilfulness, extreme carelessness, or failure to comply with instructions. 

Payment Information

Payments accepted via BACS (in the UK), PayPal / Credit Card (paypal@dragonflyhotelboat.co.uk) or international wire transfer. Please note that all wire / transfer fees are to be paid by the client. PayPal charges about 5% which is added to our invoice, so in many cases you may find an international wire to be the cheaper option