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City Cruises to resume sailings on July 4

Tour boat operator City Cruises is to resume sailings on July 4 following the easing of the national lockdown.

A reduced number of sailings will start from July 4 in London, Poole and York.

Extra Covid-secure measures will be in place to ensure all sailings operate with social distancing in place and meet high hygiene standards.

Following a review of passenger capacity, there will be a reduction in the number of passengers admitted on each sailing, with some seats unavailable to allow social distancing.

All boats will be disinfected every day before they go into service and cleaned every 30 minutes on customer touch points while in operation. Screens will be in place to separate staff and customer interaction and hand sanitiser will be available for customers on board.

City Cruises staff will wear masks, gloves and other personal protection equipment as required and customers will be required to wear face masks and amend their ticket date if they feel unwell.

The tour boat operator, the largest on the River Thames, has also announced plans to launch weekly and monthly passes for commuting through central London as well as an open ticket for sightseeing, daytime dining and dinner experiences.

Customers will be able to buy a ticket from today, but delay booking a specific sailing until a later date. Tickets will be valid until the end of 2021 and travel agents will continue to earn a pre-agreed rate of standard commission on sales.

Managing director Kyle Haughton said: “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.”

From July 4 the following trips and tickets will be available with City Cruises in London: commuter tickets with stops at Westminster, Waterloo and the Tower of London from £29 for a weekly pass; open tickets for days out including the Sightseeing Flexible Open Pass from £19 for a 24-hour ticket to see London landmarks; Daytime Dining Pass from £35 for lunch, afternoon tea or an evening cruise; and the Thames Flexible Dinner Pass for showboat or jazz entertainment with a sit down meal from £82.

In Poole, there will be a Jurassic Circular Cruise from Poole Harbour April 1 from £15 per adult; and the Sea Train Adventure from Poole Quay to Swanage from £27 per adult.

In York there will be an afternoon tea cruise from £28.50 and an evening dinner cruise from £45 per adult.

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