Having London on my doorstep it’s true that I’ve never taken full advantage of the proximity, before I lived here, I wanted to do all the touristy things, and yet it’s taken me nine years to get on a city cruise up the River Thames!

And what a joy it was!

I will admit, only recently coming out of shielding, my heart thundered as I stressed about being at a tourist attraction full of potentially infected humans. But really I had absolutely nothing to worry about! Social distancing, hand sanitiser, track and trace and protective material to partition everyone not only put me at ease but didn’t even spoil the attraction. Just a few minutes walk from Tower Hill tube station Grant, Ida and I were treated to a warm and bright autumnal day. Reaching the pier we were given simple directions to head towards our city cruises boat tour. Each staff member wore masks and greeted us cheerfully, radioing ahead to the next.

Accessibility

When we reached the queue to get on the city cruises river boat tour cruise staff asked if we would like to go straight to the front and step aboard first. We were more than happy to queue like everyone else, it was barely 2 minutes before we were at the front and I was given verbal instructions of the ramp access and being told another member of staff was going to take our name and number once we got on the boat.

Being seated at a table of 4 with very cosy chairs, Grant described our surroundings and the measures in place to protect passengers aboard the city cruises ship. I was extremely happy to notice that everything seemed very accessible for wheelchair users and persons with limited mobility. Even the accessible bathroom had plenty of turning space and grab rails. Unfortunately this is not a changing places toilet but it certainly was accessible to many. The cruise itself was fantastic; an audio guided tour as you cruise the Thames, allowed me to appreciate the landmarks we were passing as well as soak up some of London’s history that I had never known before.

Tasty Afternoon Tea

The food was super tasty: as we opted for the afternoon Tour, our package included a 2 course meal with tea/coffee served with desert. Optional extras of fruit juices, fizzy drinks, beer, wine, cocktails and even champagne were very reasonably priced. A set menu of chicken in a white cream mushroom sauce, seasonal veg and potatoes was hearty, delicious and filling! Although I couldn’t stop banging on about the potatoes, the triple chocolate desert blew me away and I haven’t stopped fantasising about it since! If you have dietary requirements, this must be given ahead of time :at least 24 hours before your city boat cruise.