City Cruises Lunch Cruise Review
Reviewed by Debbie Talbot
I recently enjoyed a weekend in London with a friend and we went for a City Cruises Lunch Cruise on the River Thames. We travelled from Leagrave to London on the Thameslink trains, getting off at London Blackfriars and then travelling via tube to Tower Pier (Tower Hill tube station). We arrived at the pier specified on our tickets and there was a large seating area where you could wait until boarding the boat. There was then a short queue to board. The captain was on hand to greet all the passengers. That was a lovely touch. We were shown to a table by the window. The front part of the boat downstairs was tables and chairs. The rear had a bar area and toilets. Upstairs was a large passenger deck and the captain’s area.
Shortly after being seated, staff came around to take our drinks order. I opted for a tap water and my friend had an alcohol drink priced at around £4. We had a roll and butter, followed by a chicken, potato and vegetable dish. The presentation of our meal was stunning. Our dessert was a chocolate mousse. This tasted delicious, not too sickly like some chocolate based desserts can be. our plates were quickly cleared away between courses.
Staff were attentive, but not too intrusive. We had plenty of time to enjoy each other’s company and take in the view while we had our food and drink.
After the meal came the sightseeing part of the lunch cruise. We went up onto the passenger deck for part of this. The captain was very knowledgeable during the sightseeing part of our cruise. I learnt some really interesting facts about various landmarks and historic events. I think this cruise would be great for families too. There were several on our boat.
The toilets and bar area were spotlessly clean and clearly well maintained.
After a lovely couple of hours, the boat boarded at Tower Pier and we had a short walk back to our hotel. I would recommend the City Cruises lunch cruise to anyone. I fancy trying their hop on hop off day tickets soon too.
A wonderful experience not to be forgotten. The lunch cruise is a 1 hour 45 minutes river cruise with live commentary and a 2-course meal.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from (online prices): Adult (13+) £32, Child (5-12) £22
For more information or to book a cruise visit www.citycruises.com.
Thameslink Factbox
Thameslink and Southern run frequent services between London and Brighton including journeys that cross the capital from Bedford, Luton and St Albans. Super Off-Peak tickets, valid at weekends and on bank holidays, give discounts of at least 20% and kids go for just £2 each when travelling with an adult. visit www.thameslinkrailway.com and www.southernrailway.com.