Barge cruises are available on most of rivers and canals in Europe. You can experience up-close beauty and cultural sites of Belgium, England, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, or Scotland. The pace of a barge cruise is leisurely. The itinerary includes stopping at historic and cultural places of interest along cruising route. You can sightsee on foot or on bicycles that are available onboard. On barge cruise operator even provides an air-conditioned touring bus to takes passengers to local points of interest at each stop along way. What a change of pace from hotel hopping of a bus trip! Just depart from barge in morning, enjoy a day of sightseeing and return to quiet of a private dining room where a gourmet meal is waiting.

The price of a European barge cruise, like all other cruises, varies based upon cruise line, accommodations selected, area visited, and season (high or low). However, a quiet and personal barge cruise can be had for a price competitive with a Caribbean cruise, without airfare of course. The barge cruise price usually includes accommodations, 3 meals a day, beverage service that includes wines and spirits, and pre-arranged sightseeing tours. And these barge cruises cater to American tourist by providing English speaking crew members.

For those who lack skills to man their own vessels, many boat timeshares will provide a crew including a captain, instructor, and/or cook at a small additional cost. One company in particular, Trade Winds Cruise Club, offers all-inclusive cabin rentals and is RCI’s (Resorts Condominiums International) only Caribbean yachting affiliate. As an RCI Member, you have option of exchanging your timeshare week for a cabin space onboard crewed catamaran charters.

So, what is pricing like for these nautical adventures? Not bad considering a luxury boat can cost thousands and thousands of dollars. And even better when you consider buying your own boat doesn’t include fuel, maintenance, licensing and insurance costs and so on! A timeshare that covers an entire boating season can cost upwards of $7,000, a reasonable expense considering headaches removed by taking part in such a venture.

To learn more about boat timeshares and unique vacation opportunities they provide, just log on to Internet and visit locations such as http://www.atimesharesz.com/boattimeshare to do a thorough search. A variety of companies with different programs and options are operating in a bevy of locations around world.