Very nice. Very friendly staff. Good boats. Great service. Superb family holiday. Good value. Dogs welcome.
Absolutely brilliant.
Thank you very much! Recommend to everyone!!!

We (5 of us) have just returned from a magical holiday on the good ship Exeter. The boat was spotless and very well equipped. The booking process and handover very... read moreWe (5 of us) have just returned from a magical holiday on the good ship Exeter. The boat was spotless and very well equipped. The booking process and handover very easy. The staff were extremely helpful and they even organised the weather to be lovely and sunny!
Would highly recommend. read less

A great family bonding event College cruisers are a joy to deal with and the whole experience was made easy. The trip gave my wife and I, daughter and partner the time to see each... read moreCollege cruisers are a joy to deal with and the whole experience was made easy. The trip gave my wife and I, daughter and partner the time to see each other and work as a team. The week flashed by and with great weather, a good boat and friendly stopping points. My wife had a broken ankle and we were promised by Carys that this wouldn't be a problem, in getting on and off or moving around on the boat and it wasn't.
Despite the dry summer, there was no real problems with water levels in the canal, although it did make picking the bountiful blackberries, sloes and wild hops a bit difficult. The wildlife was fantastic. thank you
Thank you College Cruisers and Somerville for an unforgettable week. read less

A Great Holiday Afloat We chose the Oxford Canal because it has a good supply of pubs and locks - both of which make for an interesting trip.

Carys and her team gave... read moreWe chose the Oxford Canal because it has a good supply of pubs and locks - both of which make for an interesting trip.

Carys and her team gave us a warm welcome and provided a well-equipped narrowboat. As reasonably experienced canal boaters, we were given just the right amount of instruction. Handing back the boat was very straightforward. We will use College Cruisers again when the opportunity arises. read less

A get away for parents, with kids joining later Having been on my bucket list, finally getting away for a few days without the kids on a canal boat sounded like bliss. We were fortunate to find the College... read moreHaving been on my bucket list, finally getting away for a few days without the kids on a canal boat sounded like bliss. We were fortunate to find the College Cruisers website and booked a week on Magdalen. Booking was simple and Carys was super helpful. We arrived on Oxford a bit early and left the car at the boatyard for a spot of lunch and to stock up on food and drink. Top tip - take lots of nibbles as it's hungry work! We were shown round the boat what to do in an emergency, how to steer, operating locks, mooring (tieing up!) and generally made to feel very welcome. Then after a little practice, off we headed north out of Oxford. The boat was very well equipped from bedding to cheese graters and more. Our lighter for the wood burner ran out but 57p for a box of matches is nothing for a roaring fire on a cold evening 🙂 We spent three days heading north up to Cropredy, north of Banbury, where we met up with Family, turned the boat round and my 10 and 12 year old joined us. Our dog loved jumping on and off the boat at various locks and bridges, and all of the pubs we stopped at were dog friendly, with great food. There were plenty of places to moor along the canal, and lots of pubs. We did miss one shop... Having been on my bucket list, finally getting away for a few days without the kids on a canal boat sounded like bliss.
We were fortunate to find the College Cruisers website and booked a week on Magdalen. Booking was simple and Carys was super helpful.

We arrived on Oxford a bit early and left the car at the boatyard for a spot of lunch and to stock up on food and drink. Top tip - take lots of nibbles as it's hungry work!

We were shown round the boat what to do in an emergency, how to steer, operating locks, mooring (tieing up!) and generally made to feel very welcome.

Then after a little practice, off we headed north out of Oxford.

The boat was very well equipped from bedding to cheese graters and more. Our lighter for the wood burner ran out but 57p for a box of matches is nothing for a roaring fire on a cold evening 🙂

We spent three days heading north up to Cropredy, north of Banbury, where we met up with Family, turned the boat round and my 10 and 12 year old joined us.

Our dog loved jumping on and off the boat at various locks and bridges, and all of the pubs we stopped at were dog friendly, with great food.

There were plenty of places to moor along the canal, and lots of pubs. We did miss one shop so do make sure you have stocked up well otherwise you 'have' to have another pub meal 🙂

The boat was sturdy enough to withstand the knocks of a novice, but comfortable for an evening of cards, reading and relaxing. There was plenty of room, storage space and even the dogs bed had a choice of spaces.

As first timers we thoroughly loved it and know that we will be back on the canals again soon! More read less

A most excellent adventure for extended family Our extended family of 6 ranging from grandparents (with narrowboat experience) to grandchildren (of 5 and 3) recently completed a delightful 'short break' on the Oxford canal on the "Magdalen'.... read moreOur extended family of 6 ranging from grandparents (with narrowboat experience) to grandchildren (of 5 and 3) recently completed a delightful 'short break' on the Oxford canal on the "Magdalen'. It was great--a perfect family adventure enjoyed by all of us.

From Carys' warm welcome and Michael's instruction and short familiarisation trip through our return checkout the College Cruisers staff was excellent. The boat was well-appointed in the amazingly clever way's that narrowboats can be, and reasonably spacious. Both children were fitted with PFDs for use as needed. As the helmsman I found the boat handled very nicely and in no time at all I was completely comfortable with it.

The charms of the Oxford Canal are well known, but we were particularly interested in family friendly pubs (and all of those we visited were), and places for the children to run off some energy, of which there are enough. We wondered if there would be enough to keep such young ones interested, but that was never a problem. We did bring books and games along, which certainly were handy, but they were happy to spend time just looking at the varied passing scene and shouting 'ahoy' to passing boaters. Also, it seems that boaters have the friendliest dogs and the kids were delighted to make friends with all of the ones we encountered along the towpath.

The CC website has a lot of useful pre-departure information about what to find on your boat and tips for provisioning for your trip. If you are new to canal cruising the Canal and River Trust has lots of useful information that will give you a good idea of what to expect and what to do when you encounter it.

All in all, a wonderful little holiday for our family from an excellent firm. We will certainly be back (and indeed the grandchildren are already lobbying for next year). read less

Lovely trip and excellent service Six friends rented "Balliol" to sail up the Thames from Oxford over a long weekend. The boat was excellent, very well equipped and comfortable. It has been newly refurbished. College... read moreSix friends rented "Balliol" to sail up the Thames from Oxford over a long weekend. The boat was excellent, very well equipped and comfortable. It has been newly refurbished. College Cruisers were very helpful, friendly and gave lots of good advice. Someone came with us for the first half an hour or so, so we felt confident about operating the boat. Heading up the windy twists and turns of a great river like the Thames was a joy. I'd highly recommend College Cruisers. read less

Fabulous holiday! Great company to deal with, very helpful and the boat was fantastic. We enjoyed every moment of our holiday and will definitely be back. Thank you xxx