London Thames River Lunch Cruise

We are not visitors to our lovely country but have never actually been up the river Thames before. Were very disappointed as did not see any of the famous buildings - guess we went the wrong way for the Houses of Parliament and didn't get as far as the London Barrier. Did we really want to see all the modern glass structures!!! Or London Bridge painted blue - and not even a matching blue!!! The food was excellent, but would not recommend this trip to foreigners who would expect to see more of our historical buildings. A few small, original, pubs were pointed out - but not of any great interest. Visitors would probably be better off on the London Eye - but as I have not done this either then am not sure.

The overall experience was ok, but the biggest complaint was that the boat was HOT and not ventilated very well - every other customer was fanning themselves with menus because they were so hot, and staff said there was nothing they could do. Even the drinks that were brought out were all room temperature, and we had to specifically ask for ice just to get a reprieve from the heat. The tour itself was decent, though it was very difficult to see what the pre-recorded audio recording was actually referencing, and there was no real life guide to ask questions to. The restaurant part was ok - the meals were good quality though small portions, but the service speed was very slow. Also the times provided by Viator were way off - they had us arrive an hour before the boat actually boarded, well ahead of the times that were actually posted by the tour operator when we got there.

This was one of the last items on my itinerary before leaving London and I was really looking forward to it. Upon arriving at the pier, they had a nice sitting area for you to wait before docking the boat. The dress code is smart and it was nice to see everyone really abiding by it. Made the experience feel really classy. The weather on this day was windy so the boat was rocky, which would have been fine because the boat travels so slow, but unfortunately it was also quite sunny on this day and the all glass boat became uncomfortably hot and stuffy. The mix of the rocking and the heat made the ride uncomfortable for me and others on the trip. The plus side was that the food was delicious!! The wait staff were all very polite and the pre-recorded tour guide speaks to you over the loud speaker and it is perfectly timed so that you can enjoy your meal while also enjoying the sights. I never felt rushed or like I was missing anything. I would suggest this tour to others but with the warning to wear proper layers so that you may be comfortable incase you are hot natured like I am. The company also offers dinner cruises, a Sunday jazz brunch and even afternoon tea on the same boat.