News

All is calm, all is bright: Christmas shoppers set sail for Trafford Centre via ‘stress-free’ canal cruises

By Tim Hyde

Instead of elbowing your way through hordes of Christmas shoppers to get the last taxi, why not try the alternative stress-free transport for Manchester commuters this Christmas and go by boat?

Shoppers can enjoy a leisurely roundtrip canal cruise to the Trafford Centre taking in the historic sights from the Manchester waterways while leaving the hassle of the dreaded Christmas traffic behind.

Gordon McKinnon, Director of Operations at the Trafford Centre, said that the cruise will add an extra special element to people’s trips.

He said: “We can’t think of a more novel way to enjoy your Christmas shopping than via an historic canal cruise to the shops.

“The festive fun has truly begun here, and whether you come by narrow-boat or unicycle, a trip to us is a great way to get into the festive mood.”

After enjoying the first cruise of the season yesterday Simon Benjamin, 33, a plasterer from Worsley, said: “The cruise is a care-free way of getting out and about without the hassle of queuing for a stuffy taxi.


“I enjoyed the short cruise – we took a nice scenic route to the shops and got there before we would have done if I drove.”

Thomas Porter, 38, a managing director from Salford Quays, said: “The cruise was a quick and easy way to see and learn more about some of the city’s landmarks.

“It was also great to get the Christmas shopping underway without having to queue in hours of traffic.”

While journeying through Salford’s traffic-free canals shoppers can admire historic sites such as the Barton Swing Aqueduct.

Cruises depart from Worsley at 10.30am every Sunday, tickets are £9.

For more information click here

For more on this story and many others, follow Mancunian Matters on Twitter and Facebook.

Related Articles