From available date to paid booking, one connected flow.
A custom WordPress booking system for Galleon Marine with live availability, party rules, automatic pricing, secure online payment, fleet scheduling, and instant confirmation.
Project overview
Galleon Marine needed an online booking system that could reflect the real operational rules behind boat hire, not just collect a contact form. Availability, party size, pricing, deposits, payment, and confirmation all had to work together.
We built a connected booking journey that gives customers a clear path to payment while giving the team reliable, structured booking data and a simpler view of fleet availability.
The brief
Galleon Marine operates narrowboat holidays, day boat hire, and small boat experiences on the Basingstoke Canal. Every booking depends on the correct vessel, date, party size, pricing rule, payment, and crew requirements. Managing those details through phone calls and separate messages created unnecessary work for the team and slowed down the customer journey.
The goal was to let customers check real availability and complete a booking online while keeping the important rules clear, including the minimum adult crew, children, dogs, weekday and weekend pricing, operating hours, and refundable deposit.
The solution
We built a custom booking and payment flow that connects availability, party details, pricing, customer information, secure card payment, and confirmation. Customers can select an open date, adjust the number of adults, children, and dogs, review the correct price, and complete the booking without waiting for the office to respond.
A booking journey designed around real hire rules
- The availability calendar shows only dates that can be booked for the selected boat.
- Party controls account for adults, children under ten, and dogs before checkout.
- The correct weekday or weekend rate is calculated automatically.
- Customers enter their details, pay securely online, and receive a booking reference immediately.
- A confirmation email sends the date, hire time, boat, party information, payment status, and arrival instructions.
The operations side
The same system gives the Galleon Marine team one structured view of fleet availability and upcoming bookings. Staff can review boat schedules, identify paid and provisional reservations, block maintenance periods, update pricing rules, and understand party requirements without checking multiple inboxes or spreadsheets.
The outcome
The finished booking system turns a detailed hire process into one clear online journey. Customers receive an immediate answer on availability and price, then complete payment with confidence. The team receives complete booking information in a consistent format, which reduces manual entry, prevents avoidable booking errors, and keeps every boat schedule easier to manage.
Most importantly, the personal service Galleon Marine is known for remains intact. The system handles repetitive administration so the team can spend more time helping guests enjoy their day on the canal.