City Cruises’ to Resume Sailings on 4 July 2020

City Cruises’ to Resume Sailings on 4 July 2020

Operations in London, York and Poole will cast off with social distancing measures in place, as well as a selection of new commuter and flexible tickets valid until end of 2021-


London, June 2020 – Following a review in the UK Government’s social distancing guidelines City Cruises, the largest tour boat operator on the River Thames with operations also in Poole and York, will resume sailings from 4th July 2020.

A reduced number of experiences will cast off across London, York and Poole with all sailings operating with social distancing measures in place. City Cruises has significantly reviewed passenger capacities and the customer journey from ticket purchase to boarding and disembarking, to ensure that customers can enjoy a day out.

To give passengers in London greater flexibility and alternative commuter options, City Cruises London will also launch from 4th July 2020 a new weekly and monthly commuter ticket. The Capital’s operations will also introduce an incredible open ticket option for sightseeing, daytime dining, and dinner experiences, with customers able to purchase a ticket today and delay booking a sailing until a future date with tickets valid until the end of 2021.

From 4th July, social distancing will be in operation on all experiences. City Cruises will enable this by reducing the number of passengers admitted on each sailing. Seat capacity has been restricted on all cruises to fall in line with social distancing requirements to allow guests to enjoy a cruise with a select number of guests. Whilst on board, signs will indicate that some seats are not available to sit on to keep distance between passengers.

In addition to the high standard of cleanliness that City Cruises keeps on its boats, the operator has implemented extra measures to make them COVID-secure. All boats will be disinfected every day before going into service and then cleaned every 30 minutes on customer touch points whilst in operation. Hygienic screens will be in place to separate staff and customer interaction, and hand sanitiser will be available on all boats for customer use. City Cruises’ staff will wear masks, gloves and other PPE as required and customers will be asked to wear face masks.  Customers are also asked to consider their health before joining a sailing and if they feel unwell to amend their ticket date.

Kyle Haughton, Managing Director of City Cruises, commented; “Passenger and staff safety is our number one priority and we have reviewed all aspects of our operations and service to offer our customers sailings that they feel safe to book and experience. From reducing sightseeing passenger capacity to increasing contactless payments to £45 per transaction, increased sanitisation of the boats and personal protection wear for all staff, we have put in place measures that allow our trade partners and travel agents to feel confident about selling our cruises to their customers.”

City Cruises’ website will feature an area on being Covid–secure, highlighting the steps City Cruises is taking to ensure passenger safety. Customers will be asked to refer to City Cruises’ website for all company information regarding Covid-19, www.citycruises.com. Agents will continue to earn a pre-agreed standard commission on sales.

City Cruises closed operations on 20th March 2020 and looks forward to welcoming passengers from 4th July 2020 onwards onboard one of the following sailings.

CITY CRUISES LONDON

Commuter Ticket

From 4th July 2020, Londoners can commute on the river onboard City Cruises for the first-time. Providing central London stops at Westminster, Waterloo and Tower of London, commuters will be able to hop on board using either a weekly or monthly ticket. Starting from £29 per person for a weekly ticket the cost to commute with City Cruises is 20 per cent less than the Central Tube Pass, with savings rising to 29 per cent when a monthly ticket is purchased at £99 per person.

Open Tickets

Flexibility of when to travel and experience a day out is a key priority for City Cruises’ customers. Guests can book one of three new Open Tickets, safe in the knowledge that they have until the end of 2021 to book the date and sailing they would like to board.

The new Sightseeing Flexible Open Pass provides customers with a 24-hour ticket, priced from £19 per person. Sightseers can explore the historic landmarks of London with ease boarding any City Cruises’ sightseeing boat from three different piers along the Thames: Westminster, London Eye and Tower of London. Passengers can board boats every 40 minutes allowing plenty of opportunities to discover the variety of attractions along the way whilst taking memorable photos. Each of the boats provide guided commentary allowing passengers to deepen their knowledge about London’s greatest moments of history.

For those looking to dine on the River Thames, City Cruises has two dining passes to choose from. The Daytime Dining Pass, priced from £35 per person, allows guests to book either a Lunch, Afternoon Tea or Evening cruise, whilst the Thames Flexible Dinner Pass provides either Showboat or Jazz entertainment with a sit-down meal – priced from £82 per person.

As the dinner cruises sail along the Thames, guests will be wined, dined, and entertained by a live performer as well as seeing spectacular views of London from the upper deck. Dinner cruises depart on select dates, please view www.citycruises.com.

CITY CRUISES POOLE

Jurassic Circular Cruise

Departing Poole Quay in Poole Harbour, those aboard the Jurassic Coastal Cruise will enjoy a leisurely sailing past the Sandbanks peninsula and the beautiful Brownsea Island, which is a National Trust site and the largest of Poole Harbour’s islands. Guests will also get to see the Isle of Purbeck and Studland Bay whilst the captain gives insightful and informative commentary on the surrounding areas.

Cruise departs daily from 1st April – 31st October 2019 at 10.30am, 1.00pm and 3.45pm.

Priced from £15.00 per adult (17+) and £10.50 per child aged 5 – 16; infants between the ages of 0 – 4 go free. Family Packages comprising one adult and three children are priced from £25.50; two adults with three children is priced from £40.50.

www.citycruisespoole.com/from-poole/jurassic-coastal-cruise-swanage

Sea Train Adventure

Guests can embark on a one-hour relaxing cruise from Poole Quay to the Victorian seaside resort of Swanage, where they will disembark for an exploration of the town on route to the railway station. Step back in time and board the steam train from Swanage to the National Trust’s Corfe Castle to explore the ruins and its history that dates back to 1066.

The cruise departs daily from 1 April – 31st October 2019 at 10.30am from Poole Quay, returning from Swanage Pier on either the 2.30pm or 4.45pm sailing.

Priced from £27.00 per adult and £19.00 per child aged 5-16; infants between the ages of 0 – 4 go free. Family Packages comprising one adult and three children are priced from £46.00; two adults with three children is priced from £73.00.

www.citycruisespoole.com/from-poole/sea-train-adventure

CITY CRUISES YORK

Afternoon Tea Cruise

Tuck in to a freshly prepared afternoon tea whilst cruising along the River Ouse. During the one-and-a-half-hour sailing, families and friends can indulge on a range of homemade sandwiches, including smoked salmon with cream cheese, wensleydale and apple chutney, as well as cakes, scones, raspberry jam, cream and unlimited tea and coffee.

Priced from £28.50 per adult aged 13+ and £20.00 per child. Tickets for children under three are free. Departs King’s Staith Landing every day at 2.45pm returning at 4.15pm.

www.citycruisesyork.com/dining/afternoon-tea-cruise

Evening dinner cruise

For two and half hours guests will be wined and dined with a selection of mouth-watering dishes prepared by local caterers Bradshaws of York. A glass of house wine will accompany the three-course dinner, followed by a selection of chocolates with tea and coffee to bring the evening to a relaxing end. The cruise passes landmarks such as Bishopthorpe Palace, the official residence of His Grace the Archbishop of York, and the villages of Naburn and Acaster Mablis. Sightseeing commentary and background music are included so guests can get the most of their night.

The York Dinner Cruise departs at 7:30pm from King’s Staith Landing. Tickets are priced from £45 per adult and £32.50 per child aged between 3 – 12; children under the age of two sail for free.

www.citycruisesyork.com/evening/evening-dinner