City CentreCruises

City Centre Cruises departs from Liverpool Road in Castlefield aboard the purpose-built barge Emmeline Pankhurst, named after the Manchester-born suffragette. The family-run company, registered in 2009, is the only canal boat operator in Manchester that travels through Pomona Lock, giving passengers access to stretches of the Manchester Ship Canal, the River Irwell and Salford Quays that other city-centre cruise operators cannot reach. The barge seats up to 50 people for lunch or dinner cruises, with a licensed bar, onboard galley and full-time chefs cooking during the trip. Cruises run set daytime and evening routes rather than a fixed schedule of stops, and the boat can also be chartered privately for groups. The business runs from a single Castlefield departure point rather than a fleet spread across several city moorings.