Shannon Cruise - where to go and with who...

BobbyBingo

Looking for some advice. We did the Shannon last year for the first time with the children for 4 days. Great fun and really gave us all an appetite to do it again but for longer.

We are looking at perhaps renting for a week in August and last time out we went out from Carrick On Shannon. Any advice as to
(a) who we should rent with (last time was Emerald Star and we found the boat a bit tired)
(b) for spending a week, what'd be a good journey or route that'd best capture the experience with young children in tow (we did Lough Key last year and it was great)

A total newbie, so appreciate any advice or insights you can offer..

Cheers
Bobby

pH

i think the joy of the shannon and inland cruising is that it's all there waiting to be discovered for yourself. A trip up the shannon-erne is great fun, another option would be to head down from Carrick to see lough Ree, I personally love the inner lakes at Killglass and Grange, but there's no villages or anything really to do.

With that in mind, I'm not sure you're going to find anything like the children's facilities you found at lough Key anywhere else that close to the Shannon (Hudson bay at the bottom of Ree has a 'waterpark' i think). L.Key is unique in that respect, and much of the rest of the Shannon may be a massive disappointment if you're expecting to be within walking distance of zip-lines and activity centres.

All hirers tend to have a mix of newer and older boats, priced accordingly! Emerald Star have some very fancy modern looking boats cruising the Shannon, but also try Carrick Craft/Waveline, or have a look a Locaboat's penichettes which look spacious and very different.

BobbyBingo

Great advice there pH, most appreciated. I hadn't actually heard of Locaboat before. I wonder if there are others...

B