Water Sports · Ontario
Houseboat Holidays Ltd
A long-running, family-operated houseboat rental company near Gananoque in the Thousand Islands, ON, praised for patient orientation and friendly staff; boats are older but clean and roomy.
What visitors say
Houseboat Holidays rents houseboats for cruising the Thousand Islands section of the St. Lawrence, from a base in the Gananoque area. It's a multigenerational business, and some reviewers have been renting from them for decades, including one couple who honeymooned on one of their boats and keeps coming back.
Staff are the most common point of praise. First-timers say the orientation left them confident even though none of them had driven a boat before, and the team offers directions, island suggestions and a chart for the trip. Renters describe the boats as basic but comfortable, a sort of floating camper with plenty of room to sleep six, and supplied with dishes, cutlery and linens. When a group needed a stronger battery for a CPAP machine, staff sorted it out, and help arrives quickly if you struggle with docking.
Groups spend their days island-hopping, swimming and kayaking around the islands staff recommend. Families and friends make up most of the reviewers, and the company is described as dog-friendly.
Several renters mention the boats are dated and not very responsive to steer, and docking takes some practice. Finding an open dock on summer weekends can be hard, so plan to cruise around a bit. Expect to be stopped by officials on the water as a rental boat, and follow the briefing on how to handle it. Bring your own towels, and switch off the lights at night to avoid midges.
Summarised from visitor reviews on Google Maps. Based on 62 Google reviews. Details change — confirm hours, prices and bookings with Houseboat Holidays Ltd directly.