La Bella Vita is a beautiful 20-passenger hotel barge sailing between iconic Venice and the captivating Renaissance city of Mantua. A cruise aboard this stylish passenger vessel is ideal for travelers who want to witness the beauty of Italian waterways away from the rush of crowds.
This elegant 140-foot ship boasts a long history on the waterways of Italy. Constructed in 1960, La Bella Vita spent 50 years as a cargo barge before European Waterways got a hold of her in 2010 and transformed her into a luxury hotel barge fit for cruises on Venetian Lagoon, River Po, and Canal Bianco. The vessel features comfortable common areas, air-conditioning, and modern Italian interiors.
Travel to authentic Italian villages and iconic monuments, stately palaces and Renaissance masterpieces, idyllic lagoons and lush gardens—a journey where you’ll discover why the boat is named La Bella Vita or “the beautiful life.”
105 sq. ft. twin/double stateroom including en suite facilities. Private bathroom, shower, wardrobe, small tables, desk and a chair. Located at the Lower Deck
Junior Suite
110 sq. ft. twin/double junior suites including en suite facilities. Private bathroom, shower, wardrobe, small tables, single couch, desk and a chair. Located at the Upper Deck
Deckplan
Staterooms & Suites
The fully air-conditioned accommodations aboard the hotel barge La Bella Vita are comfortable and well-appointed. Guests can take their pick between two Junior Suites on the Upper Deck and eight Staterooms on the Lower Deck.
While the suites offer a little more space than the staterooms, all feature ensuite facilities, a closet, and a hairdryer. Staterooms are fitted with windows, while suites have double doors opening to a charming French balcony.
Amenities
Public spaces aboard La Bella Vita barge are brightly colored and spacious, with plush furniture that keeps passengers hanging out for hours at a time.
Lounge Bar: Head to the warmly designed and inviting bar, the perfect spot for mingling with fellow passengers and enjoying a glass of wine.
Dining Room: Savor well-prepared meals at the spacious dining area featuring comfy chairs and an expansive table. The room is lovely for enjoying the regional cuisine and fine Italian wines served aboard the canal barge. Louver doors open to spectacular views of the Italian waterways outside.
Sun Deck: Travelers who want to spend time outside beyond the shore excursions can chill out on the sun deck. With a large canopy, comfortable loungers, and a table for alfresco meals, it’s a laidback spot to watch the delightful Italian scenery drift by.
Navigating delightful waterways in Italy, La Bella Vita travels the Venice to Mantua route to pass by the region’s most beautiful landscapes and historic cities. Private charters of the La Bella Vita barge are also available.
Enjoy cruising through stunning waters on the way to the Po Valley, passing by idyllic lagoon islands. Fantastic tours are included in the itinerary, as La Bella Vita docks at Ferrara, Chioggia, and Mantua. Guests can also indulge in wine tasting, local cuisine, and sightseeing, or take one of the bicycles on board for a quick ride on picturesque towns.
Ship Specifications
Year built: 1960
Class: Hotel barge
Length: 140 feet
Speed: 10 kn
Decks: 2
Passengers: 20
Crew: 7
About European Waterways
Based in England, the European Waterways tour company has been creating hotel barge cruises for over 35 years. The company builds luxury cruise ships out of old cruise liners, developing an impressive fleet that consists of gems like Anjodi, L’Impressionniste, La Nouvelle Etoile, Renaissance, and Shannon Princess. Each one is built to accommodate only six to 20 passengers, promising a relaxing and intimate cruise experience on Europe’s most spectacular waterways.
European Waterways’ smaller ships favor sailing narrow channels and shallower docks, giving passengers a chance to delight in small yet scenic areas. Cruise destinations include Bordeaux, Luxembourg, and Scotland.
Reach out to our Adventure Life travel experts for an upcoming La Bella Vita Italy cruise or for comparisons to other European barges that ply the waterways of Italy.
The trip was terrific with great planning on your part. Most of the adventures were not mainstream and somewhat off the beaten path which made it especially enjoyable!! We felt taken care of and you all were readily available to respond to questions and issues. I would highly recommend your company and friends have already expressed interest based on our pictures and excitement.
Gale Cantor
TrustScore 4.8 | 254 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 254 reviews on
2 days ago
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
2 days ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
2 days ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
1 week ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
1 week ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.