FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
Which piers do you operate from?
Our scheduled sightseeing services operate between Westminster Pier, London Eye Pier, Tower Pier and Greenwich pier.
Where can I find the timetable online?
Click here for timetable
How long is the journey time?
Westminster/ London Eye – Tower/ Tower – Westminster / London Eye
Duration (single/return): 40 minutes / 80 minutes
Westminster/London Eye – Greenwich | Greenwich – Westminster/London Eye
Duration (single/return): 70 minutes / 180 minutes
Tower – Greenwich | Greenwich - Tower
Duration (single/return): 30 minutes/80 minutes
How much is a Sightseeing Cruise ticket?
Click here to view all Sightseeing cruise prices.
You can save 10% off your all day hop-on, hop-off River Red Rover sightseeing ticket if you book your ticket online.
What are the qualifying ages for tickets for infants, children and adults?
For sightseeing cruises
Infant: 0 - 4 years travel for free
Child: 5 - 15 years
Adults:16+
For lunch and afternoon tea (and some other dining cruises) the ages are as follows.
Infant: 0 - 4 years travel for free – unless they require a seat in which case a child ticket must be bought
Child: 5 - 12 years
Adults:13+
For dinner cruises (e.g. The London Showboat)
All tickets are charged at adult prices. We suggest that the whole party should be aged over 18.
Are you able to accommodate large groups?
We are able to accommodate public groups up to 250 on most of our boats. We ask that you book groups over 20 directly with the reservations office by telephoning +44 (0)20 77 400 400.
Are there any group discounts available?
We offer a sightseeing group discount. The 21st passenger goes free for sightseeing (same ticket type) with a maximum of up to 5 free tickets per group booking.
If you frequently book in groups with us, it may be worth setting up an account with us.
You can book up to 21 persons online on our website. If you have a larger group please call +44 (0)20 77 400 400 or fill in our contact form.
Can I book a School group? Is there any discount?
School groups receive free adult tickets in proportion to the number of child tickets purchased. The discount is based on full retails price and is not available online or at the pier.
School groups free places
1 Adult free for every 8 children (5-11 years)
1 Adult free for every 12 children (12-16 years)
You can book up 21 persons online on our website. If you have a larger group please call +44 (0)20 77 400 400 or fill in our contact form.
All our sightseeing cruises offer a live guided commentary in English that provides an engaging insight into the history of the river.
To avoid disappointment we advise school groups to book in advance as summer is an extremely busy period for us.
Are there are any discounts available for people with disabilities?
We offer a 50% discount on the normal fare for wheelchair users and 50% discount for one companion per wheelchair user. We also offer 50% discount to Freedom Pass holders. This 50% discount applies only to tickets purchased at the pier and isn’t available online.
Are there any discounts for Carers?
We offer a 50% discount for one carer per disabled person or blind person. This 50% discount applies only to tickets purchased at the pier and isn’t available online.
What is a Freedom pass?
A Freedom Pass is issued by local councils to London residents, who are either over 60 years old or disabled. It entitles the holder to a 50% discount on sightseeing tickets.
Can I use any other pass that’s like a “Freedom Pass”?
We don’t accept travel passes from outside London.
How can I do a sightseeing cruise with the London Pass?
If you are the holder of a London Pass our sightseeing cruise is included in your Pass. You have to show it at one of our ticket offices (Westminster Pier, London Eye Pier, Tower Pier, Greenwich Pier). You will get a 24-hour Hop-on and Hop-off ticket.
Do you accept Oyster card on a pay as you go basis?
No, we don’t accept Oyster cards as payment.
What discount do you offer for travel card holders?
Holders of valid Travelcards get a third off all our sightseeing tickets. You may present your Travelcard either on paper or on an Oystercard.You have to purchase your ticket at one of our ticket offices at a pier (Westminster Pier, London Eye Pier, Tower Pier and Greenwich Pier).
Can I buy ticket on the day? Do I need to book tickets in advance?
You do not need to book sightseeing tickets in advance. These can be purchased at any City Cruises piers (Westminster Pier, London Eye Pier, Tower Pier, Greenwich Pier) on the day of travel. We request that groups of 20+ are book in advance with the reservations department prior to travel. London Showboat, Lunch cruises, Afternoon Tea cruises and other special event products must be booked in advance either online or through our Reservation department phone number +44 (0)20 77 400 400.
Can I book my tickets online?
Yes, you can purchase all our ticket types on the City Cruises website www.citycruises.com.
How do I get the tickets I booked online?
You will receive a printable e-ticket after email with an attached pdf. Additionally please write down your booking reference number, which starts with ‘W…’. If you don’t receive the email or have a query about your booking, please call our reservation department on 020 77 400 400.
Do I have to print out my ticket?
Passengers have to bring their printed ticket to board the cruise.
I didn’t receive my e-ticket. Can you email my e-ticket?
We can resend your e-ticket. Please phone our reservation department +44 (0)20 77 400 400 or fill in our contact form with your booking reference number and your name.
If I buy a return ticket do I need to stay on the boat or can I disembark and catch a later return service?
When you have purchased a return ticket you do not need to stay on the boat. You may disembark at the destination pier, spend some time looking at local attractions, then re-embark on a later return journey. Please ensure you check the times of the last return journey with pier staff before embarking.
Can I change the time and the date of my booking?
Only subject to availability and with 72 hours notice. Please call our reservation department +44 (0)20 77 400 400 or fill in our contact form.
Are your services wheelchair accessible?
Some of our boats are wheelchair accessible. We ask you to contact the reservations team to discuss which boat is the best for you. All passengers on dining cruises must be physically able to walk on to the boats with an able bodied helper and unfortunately no electronic wheelchairs are permitted. Unfortunately there is no disabled access for the Riverlights and Sundowner cruises.
How many wheelchair spaces are available on each boat?
We have maximum two spaces per boat available. We ask you to contact the reservations team to discuss which boat is the best for you. Please phone our reservation department on +44 (0)20 77 400 400 or fill in our contact form.
I want to bring my dog on board with me - is this possible?
Dogs are allowed on all Sightseeing cruises at the Captain's discretion. Dogs are not allowed on dining cruises except for guide dogs accompanying blind passengers. We ask you to contact the reservations team to discuss which boat is the best for you. Contact form is here.
How do I use my Tesco vouchers with City Cruises?
You simply need to take your vouchers and present them to the ticket office at the pier. You do not need to book in advance. Your Tesco voucher is only valid for sightseeing cruises.
Before you travel with City Cruises
How much in advance I should arrive at the pier?
You should arrive at least 15 minutes before departure time. If you are buying tickets at the ticket office, please allow some more time. Tickets bought online include recommended boarding and departure times.
How long the queues are on the day?
We cannot predict passenger numbers for each day, which vary on account of public holidays, weather conditions, events, etc. We don’t guarantee that you will be able to get on the sightseeing sailing that you booked – but you so long as you turn up in reasonable time you will get on a boat.
On board City Cruises
What facilities are available aboard your boats?
Some of our boats are fully accessible to wheelchair users – ring Reservations to find out more. Our boats also provide a comprehensive range of drinks, snacks and sandwiches. Toilet facilities are available.
Can I bring my own food and drinks?
Please only buy your hot, cold drinks and snacks from our bars on board. We can’t warm up baby food.
Are the boats heated?
All our boats have inside seating and are fully heated.
Do the boats have open deck areas?
All our boats offer open space areas with great views. Many have upper open decks offering an elevated view.
Are bikes allowed on-board?
We don’t allow bikes on board, tho’ kids’ scooters are allowed.
Do you provide a free commentary on the cruise?
We provide a free live commentary in English on each Sightseeing cruise.
Do your cruises have foreign language audio-commentary available?
We provide a free audio guide commentary in 8 languages: Italian, French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, English and Japanese. You get your free audio guide at the bar.
If you have group of more than 20 we ask you to contact our reservation department to reserve the audio guides in advance. Please phone our reservation department on +44 (0)20 77 400 400 or info@citycruises.com.
Is it possible to claim a refund?
If your ticket is lost, damaged or can no longer be read, we may, at our discretion, replace it free of charge, provided we can confirm that it is valid. In order to verify your purchase we will need your City Cruises booking reference which is contained in your confirmation e-mail and shown on the original ticket page. Please note that it is not possible to verify your ticket purchase with your credit or debit card reference because this does not contain the details of the ticket(s) purchased.
We do not accept liability for any loss resulting from our failure to provide an advertised service, or where delay occurs to those services, for any reason. We may, however, at our discretion, consider a refund on any ticket which is unused or only partially used as a direct result of a failure on our part to provide the advertised service for which the ticket was purchased.
Refunds will not be granted other than in the circumstances described above.
No refunds are possible after the valid date of the ticket has passed. All requests for refund or replacement ticket(s) must be made in writing to The Reservations Manager, City Cruises Plc, Unit 6, 1 Mill Street, Scotts Sufference Wharf, London, SE1 2DF, England and be accompanied by the relevant tickets purchased, your City Cruises booking reference (contained in your confirmation e-mail and on the original ticket page) and any payment reference issued when your purchase was confirmed. Refunds cannot be authorised or transacted at any other location or by any other means.
Any refunds agreed will be made entirely at our discretion and without prejudice.
We reserve the right to withdraw any ticket at any time although we will not do this without good reason.
We do not refund sightseeing tickets that have not been used. We do not refund tickets if you arrive late for a cruise.
How do I make a customer comment?
Any passenger complaints should be made within fourteen days of the event.
Should you need to discuss any elements of your cruise, please send a detailed written account to our Customer Service Team including your booking reference number
To contact City Cruises Customer Service Team:
By email:
customercomments@citycruises.com
By post:
City Cruises PLC
Customer Service Team
Unit 6, 1 Mill Street, Scott’s Sufferance Wharf
London
SE1 2DF
What to expect
You should expect an acknowledgement within three to five working days of receiving your complaint.
A full investigation will then take within 10 to 14 working days. Please note that special events may take up to 28 working days.
If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, include their written consent with your email as this will speed up the process.
The Customer Service Team will aim to respond in full to your complaint within the agreed time, however, if the issue is complicated, any delay will be explained and you will be kept informed of progress.
Do you have a lost property department?
If you think you have lost an item of property aboard one of our services you should fill in our contact form. Please provide full descriptive details of your item, details of when and where it was lost, and full contact information so that we can get back in touch.
City Cruises Reservations Department
If your question is not answered here or you require further information, please contact our reservations department on + 44 (0)207 7400 400. The reservations office is open as follows.
The reservations office is open as follows.
Monday to Friday: 09.00 am to 7.00pm
Saturdays: 09.00 am to 5.00 pm
Sundays and Bank Holidays: 10.00 am to 4.00 pm
Alternatively you can send an email to info@citycruises.com.