DISABILITY ACCESSIBILITY ONLY FOR OUTWARD JOURNEY!
Took s City Cruise Millennium Pier tea cruise today, in order to treat my sister whose birthday it was. Unfortunately the bread used for the sandwiches was hard because quite obviously they had been left uncovered. There was no alternative milk for vegetarians / vegans and the coffee cup and spoon were dirty. When we asked for them both to replaced. We were told it's just a stain, before they were changed.
Whilst attempting to board the boat, as a wheelchair user, a portable ramp was made available; however when disembarking an Italian ( ? ) looking; and a Chinese looking deckhand, asked me to "stand up" from my wheelchair and walk off the boat on to the deck! I was livid, when l asked where the ramp was. l was told it had been taken away by pier staff. When enquiring why this had been done when the company had advance knowledge a disabled passenger had boarded the boat; was meet by hostility from the ltalian looking deckhand ,who was also very rude answering back instead doing all he could to remedy the situation. The potential tripping hazard and safety of it's passengers, does not appear to be an important cause for concern for City Cruises! It's staff need training. I am so angry! I cannot belive that in the year 2025; especially as a company which advertiises it's boats as fully accessible, is a misrepresentation. To treat disabled passengers in this manner is absolutely disgusting, any proprietor who provides a "service", must provide access to a disabled wheelchair user to use it's service, if is discrimination and it is in breach of the Equality Act 2010 .
Legal action could be taken against the company for this discrimatory tteatment by it's staff! It was a hugely demoralising. belittling, degrading and embarrassing experience.
After all this, the crew stand by the exit with the expectation of collecting 'tips' from the passengers.
A Cautionary Tale from a £5,000…
A Cautionary Tale from a £5,000 Corporate Party Gone Sideways
I hired City Centre Cruises for a private corporate party on one of their boats. While we weren’t sure how many of the 50 available spots we’d fill (this was an informal “invite-on-the-day” event), we paid in full for all 50 places — including the upgraded buffet and welcome drinks — at a staggering £80 per head. That’s £4,000 upfront for a 3-hour cruise, plus an additional £1,000+ in free bar spend.
Let me say upfront: I don’t mind spending money when the experience reflects it — but this absolutely did not.
The Planning
We visited the boat the day before the event. Tired, old, and worn down — not exactly what you expect when you’re investing over five grand — but we’d come too far to back out.
We made it very clear we’d update the final guest count by 3pm on the day of the event (the cruise was at 6.30pm), and this was agreed in person and later confirmed by email. In the end, only around 20 guests attended, and we gave the team plenty of notice so they could scale back on catering. They acknowledged and thanked us for the update.
The Event
The two young women running the bar were the highlight — professional, friendly, and efficient. I personally tipped them £80 at the end of the night. Unfortunately, they were let down by everything else.
The DJ appeared to resent being there, barely said a word and certainly didn’t crack a smile, though I’ll admit the guests did enjoy the karaoke and music despite the vibes. Oddly enough, things took a turn for the downright bizarre — a guest informed me there was a man getting a massage near the ladies’ toilets during the event. Topless. This isn’t a joke. Not sure if he worked there or not, but the fact that this happened at all during a private corporate booking is, frankly, appalling.
The Buffet
To be fair, the food itself was very good — hot, fresh, and tasty. But it was clear the catering was scaled for around 20 guests, not 50. Which was fine — we had informed them. What isn’t fine is what followed after.
After the Event
I reached out to the company, respectfully requesting a conversation about a partial refund — we’d paid for 50 guests, they catered for around 20 (as we requested), and we simply asked to be treated fairly.
We were met with silence. No response. No acknowledgment. Just a complete stonewall.
Final Thoughts
It’s a shame, because I originally booked City Centre Cruises based on their glowing reviews. But underneath the surface, it seems the moment they’ve got your money, any sense of customer care disappears. I’m not sure what’s more disappointing — the dismissive silence post-event, or the fact that someone thought it was acceptable to enjoy a topless massage mid-charter while guests were walking past.
For next year, we’ve already found another operator — one with genuine customer service, transparent planning advice, and a bit of pride in their offering. They were visibly shocked when I told them what we paid for this experience.
With a bit of customer focus and professionalism, City Centre Cruises could run something great. Instead, they’ve chosen the path of profit over service, and silence over accountability.
Buyer beware.
Perfect Friday Lunch
Booked a lunch cruise for myself and my wife for today 4th July 2025 as a treat and added the priority upgrade with a bottle of water as well. On arrival the city cruise team could not have been more welcoming. Everything was explained to us and we were seated on the dock. On the boats arrival we we escorted to our seats right at the front of the mellenium diamond that had uninterrupted views of the river. Our food arrived soon after departure up the river towards Westminster, then down towards Canary wharf and back. The chicken supreme we were served was delicious as was the desert, a cheese cake.
The staff were attentive and polite. The whole experience was wonderful. Fully recommend the lunch cruise but would say add the priority seating for the best views.. Cost wise it's comparable to many London restaurants but with the added bonus of the river cruise... Will definitely book again
Thanks City Cruises for a thoroughly enjoyable time!!!
