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.”
