City Cruises is a leading provider of sightseeing, dining, and boat tour experiences in various cities across the globe. Catering to tourists and locals alike, the company offers a diverse range of cruises that include scenic sightseeing tours, elegant dining experiences, thrill rides, and live entertainment events on the water. With options for group and private charters, City Cruises aims to create memorable experiences for all guests, whether they are celebrating special occasions or simply enjoying a day out on the water.
The company's offerings are designed to showcase iconic landmarks and beautiful waterfront views, making it an attractive choice for those looking to explore cities from a unique perspective. Customers can easily book their tickets through the City Cruises website, where they can also find seasonal promotions and special events tailored to enhance their cruising experience.
City Cruises receives mixed feedback from customers, reflecting both enjoyable experiences and significant frustrations. Many reviewers praise the scenic views and enjoyable atmosphere during their cruises, highlighting memorable moments like the dinner cruise on the Thames and the helpfulness of staff, particularly Natasha at the booking office.
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However, numerous complaints arise regarding service issues, such as long wait times for food and drinks, inflexible customer service policies, and concerns about cleanliness and accessibility. Some customers express disappointment over the value for money, citing instances where the experience did not meet expectations, including broken boats and overcrowded conditions.
Each source counts by its number of reviews. Only reviews written by people are scored.
Rating, volume, share of the score, six-month trend and fake-review risk for each source
Source
Rating
Reviews
Weight
6-mo
Fake risk
★
Trustpilot
Imported Trustpilot reviews
3.1
69
100%
● Low
3.1 / 5 overall
=
69 reviews across 1 scored source
How fake risk works ⓘ
Reputation trend
Monthly average rating from reviews written by people · latest review Jul 2025.
Last 3 months
2.8▲ 1.8
12-month avg
2.8
All-time
3.1
Category avg
4.0
Monthly averageCategory average
Monthly average rating and review count
Month
Average
Reviews
Aug 24
3.0
7
Sep 24
3.0
4
Oct 24
—
0
Nov 24
—
0
Dec 24
—
0
Jan 25
—
0
Feb 25
—
0
Mar 25
1.0
1
Apr 25
—
0
May 25
3.4
5
Jun 25
2.0
2
Jul 25
2.3
3
What people praise & complain about
Share of positive (4–5★) and negative (1–2★) reviews mentioning each topic · based on the 69 most recent reviews.
Top praiseof 35 positive reviews
Friendly staff26%
9 mentions
Prices & value14%
5 mentions
Customer service11%
4 mentions
Helpful support11%
4 mentions
“Booked a lunch cruise for myself and my wife for today 4th July 2025 as a treat and added the priority upgrade with a...”
On “Friendly staff” · Jul 4, 2025
Top complaintsof 30 negative reviews
Customer service37%
11 mentions
Payment issues27%
8 mentions
Refund27%
8 mentions
Cancellation23%
7 mentions
“Took s City Cruise Millennium Pier tea cruise today, in order to treat my sister whose birthday it was”
On “Customer service” · Jul 14, 2025
How it compares
Same method for every company: overall rating, legitimacy checks, the average rating of reviews mentioning each area and the 6-month trend · Cruise Lines.
Overall rating and review count for this company and similar companies
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... See more
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... See more
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... See more
We booked a Father's Day Brunch Cruise. VIP tickets! Service on the event was non-existent. Fully 30 minutes into the 2-hour cruise before server arrived at the table. Only came once to our table! Eve... See more
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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 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.
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!!!
We booked a Father's Day Brunch Cruise. VIP tickets! Service on the event was non-existent. Fully 30 minutes into the 2-hour cruise before server arrived at the table. Only came once to our table! Even then there was no offer of the appetizers we were told about on boarding. Had to track people down to clear the table. At one point the Host Manager had to clear our plates away! No offer to get drinks for us. All very disappointing. Entertainment was distinctly average Not good value. at all!
I went to the Niagara Falls on the city cruises boat, just as a tour of the falls. Honestly, the boat was all wet on the floor, which concerned me. Also, I don’t know why they have to give us a PLASTIC PONCHO WHICH IS HARD TO BREATHE IN. And that impact got worse, as the boat got SOAKED BY NIAGARA WATER, which made it INSANELY DIFFICULT TO BREATHE. However, the only thing mesmerising was the views of the waterfalls. Overall, it was not a good experience.
I wanted to change the date of a booked cruise as one of the party had to attend a funeral. City cruises wanted to charge another £40 for the trip, there was no flexibility even for that kind of situation. So now City Cruises have lost my business as they need to refund all my money and I won’t be recommending their customer service department.
We really enjoyed the City Cruises Experience Dinner on the Thames. I paid a little extra for a table for two by the window and was so glad I did. The whole experience was just so much fun that the 3 hours went by in a flash.
The food is a set menu and perfect, the drinks are at pub prices, the views of London as the night wore on were awesome and the staff on the boat couldn't have been nicer. Even Holly the singer was spot on.
Awesome and highly recommended, would 100% do it again.
We took a trip from Westminster to London Bridge on Saturday 10th May. Just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to Natasha at the booking office. She went above and beyond to help us with our Red Letter day booking and saved the day. We are truly grateful to you. The trip was very enjoyable and the commentary was interesting, educational and very amusing. Great fun, thank you - Glen and Lynn
Book a self drive City Cruise in York on the morning of arrival was told a small section of the cruise was closed. It was not a small section most of the cruise including all the City section was closed. We were told we could only go in the opposite direction away from the city of York. That was to a bridge just 7 minutes away. No views nothing to see and we had booked a full hour done in 15 mins. How is this a City cruise?
City Cruises are not interested.
The boat broke down whilst we were on the Afternoon Tea trip on the Thames. We had to stop for 30minutes and the trip wasn't extended to give us this time back. We didn't have any commentary until the last 10 minutes of the trip and that was by someone who said she didn't normally do it. No apology since, no discount or offer of refund. NO Value for money, i shall be complaining
No order on board, people standing in front you and you look at their butt for 3 hours. Waste of money. The crew are not helpful and told us it’s company policy to sell more than ship capacity and they can’t do anything.
Boston City Cruises
Im so excited to Celebrate my 15 years anniversary. Cavan Elstun he is the travel agent who helped me on the phone to make my reservation.
He did a great job Explaining everything.
He helped me setting up the Luxury Odyssey dinner cruise for my wife and I
Harbor city Cruise is a dream come true!
I can’t not recommend them enough.
Cavan attention to details is astounding.
Big shout to David Odiaz the manager for being so nice. Thank you guys. Keep up the good work.
City Cruises is the bes!!!
Booked a cruise on the river Ouse in York as part of our week long holiday. Booked tickets online, tried to tick box for accessibility as we would have a folding mobility scooter but box would not accept me clicking on it. So checked the site and found that the boats were accessible by wheelchair users, Great I thought, only to receive an email saying that the boat could not accept us, by then we were already at Kings Staith waiting to board. We spoke to Julie the rep who told us that we would be able to go on the cruise and we enjoyed every minute of it.
A lot of confusion caused because head office don't know how their cruses operate. Just as well staff onsite do.
Booked with Groupon . Even though I had proof of tickets etc , they refused to let me on . So I had to buy another 2 tickets there and then . They purposely make it really awkward to book through Groupon , so u have to buy there tickets.
Feel ripped off . I won’t be travelling with them again
Excellent experience on the Poole Harbour and islands cruise - the vessel is very comfortable and the crew very welcoming. Fortunately we had great weather for it but even in inclement weather the vessel has two interior lounges with good views and facilities. Overall good value for money. We will do this again I am sure.
We were given a virgin experience day city cruises poole as a thankyou present ,
We live on the isle of wight surrounded by water and are aware of the dangers of the sea, so before we booked we checked the weather for poole just over a week before then booked ferry (£150) plus hotel (£150). Knowing how weather can change we checked again before we left the island because we could change boat / hotel at that point. Arrived at poole Quay about 45 minutes before trip, sun shining and no wind to be told trip cancelled because sea around jurassic coast was bad. My argument is if that coast is so unpredictable ( we did not know that, but the owners of city cruises did) they should not be selling it on virgin experience days, people who are going on holiday to poole anyway can phone and book , or buy ticket on the day.But it's being sold to people all over the country as a day trip. We never had any intention of going to poole other than this experience day, So way out of pocket. Just to mention the man at the kiosk was really nice and understanding, a credit to city cruises..
Excellent cruise. Set meal was served hot and was delicious. All the staff were very friendly including the check in staff by the gate. My daughter and I had a great time. It made our short stay in London very enjoyable.
Great Dinner Cruise, ruined only by 2 horrendous woman
We had a lovely Dinner Cruise on 3rd August.
However, ruined by 2 spoilt woman. They were vile towards the staff.
The menu is set and they were demanding things that they do not do and going on.
It ruined everyones night, they were truly horrendous and I have a feeling the Henry Hardoon review below is them.
Over their language, shouting and general bad behaviour, we did enjoy the cruise itself.
Please need to learn where they are and their behaviour. Its a set menu not the QE2.
Booked a month in advance for 60th birthday celebrations. It was cancelled 1.5 hours before due to leave by email. I didn't see the email we travelled to the pier and were told there.
I did get an apology and prompt refund but was obviously disappointed it was an evening dinner cruise so supposedly the main event of the birthday. A mechanical fault apparently. Very disappointed. They are a big company but couldn't sort anything out. Travelled from Wales to London...big disappointment.
City Cruises is a leading provider of sightseeing, dining, and boat tour experiences in various cities across the globe. Catering to tourists and locals alike, the company offers a diverse range of cruises that include scenic sightseeing tours, elegant dining experiences, thrill rides, and live entertainment events on the water. With options for group and private charters, City Cruises aims to create memorable experiences for all guests, whether they are celebrating special occasions or simply enjoying a day out on the water.
The company's offerings are designed to showcase iconic landmarks and beautiful waterfront views, making it an attractive choice for those looking to explore cities from a unique perspective. Customers can easily book their tickets through the City Cruises website, where they can also find seasonal promotions and special events tailored to enhance their cruising experience.
