What’s better than a cruise along the Thames in the sunshine, looking at the historic buildings lining the banks? A London afternoon tea cruise, where you get the traditional sandwiches, scones and sweet treats as you go.
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So when City Cruises invited me to try out one of their special themed cruises, for this London afternoon tea cruise review, I was ready to board before you could say ‘pass me the jam’.
Because while I’ve cruised along the Thames more times than I can count, whether it’s a quick trip to Greenwich, a family-friendly cruise with my daughter, or a chance to show friends and family some of the sights of London from the river, this was my first time enjoying afternoon tea on a Thames cruise.
London afternoon tea cruise: the essentials
Wondering what a City Cruises afternoon tea cruise involves? Here’s everything you need to know before you board.
How long does the afternoon tea cruise last?
You’ll spend around 90 minutes on board, cruising from the Tower of London down to the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye before turning around to travel east.
The tour almost reaches Canary Wharf – you’ll be able to see the skyscrapers in the Docklands – before returning back to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.
What time does the cruise start?
The cruise sets sail at 3.30pm but you’ll need to be there earlier, in time to board at 3.15pm – City Cruises advises arriving at least 10 minutes before boarding.
If you book the VIP package, you’ll get to skip the queue and board first, with seats in prime viewing position at the front of the boat. The cruise ends at 5pm.
What should I wear?
Anything you like, within reason. The official dress code is casual, but if you want to dress up to celebrate an occasion, go ahead and glam up.
If you’re fitting in the afternoon tea cruise after a day’s sightseeing and want to come in jeans and trainers, that’s fine too.
We saw plenty of people aboard in everyday clothes, and more than a few in slightly fancier outfits. The only thing which is advised against is flip-flops and leisurewear (and I’d add that you want something you can move around the boat comfortably in).
Is it family-friendly?
Absolutely. We were far from the only family on board, including a baby and a few preschool-age children.
Infants aged 0-2 years travel free (unless they need a seat, in which case they do have to have a ticket), while kids aged 3-12 pay child prices (currently from £36). Teens pay adult prices (currently from £44).
There’s no child menu, so everyone gets the same food (barring any dietary requirements – read on for more).
The cakes and scones are likely to appeal to all ages, even if your kids don’t fancy the sandwiches though, and some of the classic afternoon options – such as egg mayonnaise, smoked salmon and cream cheese, and coronation chicken – may well get the thumbs up from younger diners anyway.
There’s fruit juice and soft drinks on the bar menu, as well as peppermint and fruit tea, if your kids want an uncaffeinated alternative.
What if we have special dietary requirements?
No problem. The afternoon tea can be tailored for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free (although it’s not possible to have menus that are both vegan and gluten free).
All the desserts are vegetarian already, and if you have other requirements – for example, if you’re pescatarian – you’ll get a separate set of sandwiches without the standard Coronation Chicken. Or vegetarians can have an option without the smoked salmon sandwiches, while there’s an entirely separate vegan menu.
Both my husband and daughter had a few requirements to cater for, and it couldn’t have been simpler: you just add your dietary requirements when booking (or afterwards in manage your booking, as long as you give sufficient notice).
Is there guided commentary?
You’ll have either recorded commentary by an official guide, or – as most people tend to prefer – live commentary by one of the crew.
Although they’re not official guides, they obviously know their stuff after years working on the river: I learned a couple of new facts, plus you get all the essential information pointed out, and more than a few joky asides thrown in.
You won’t have someone talking throughout the cruise though either. After a brief introduction to start, we sailed from the Tower to Westminster where the commentary started around the Houses of Parliament.
We then had the commentary back along the river to Tower Bridge, before another period where we could enjoy the views in silence, and a few more remarks at the end.
It’s easy enough to hear if you want to listen, as well as to chat in between. While there might not be quite as much detail as a guided cruise, it’s a good balance and you won’t go home wondering what you’ve just seen.
Can you board anywhere along the river?
No. Unlike some of the hop-on hop-off cruise boats, you’ll board at Tower Millennium Pier (right next to the Tower of London) and return there afterwards.
The boat doesn’t stop at any point during the 90-minute journey.
What facilities are there on board?
There are toilets on board, as well as a well-stocked bar if you fancy wine, champagne, prosecco or cocktails with your afternoon tea (as well as other alcoholic drinks and soft drinks).
You can also prebook bottles of prosecco, champagne or wine, as well as buying on board, with some offers if you’re just planning to have a glass or two.
There’s also a viewing platform at the back of the boat if you want to go outside to enjoy the views. It’s also possible to smoke outside, although not in the main cabin.
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London afternoon tea cruise: review
We couldn’t have ordered a better day for a cruise along the Thames if it had been an option at booking – despite being early March, spring had (briefly) come early and there were blue skies and sun shining along the river.
Strolling down the gangplank, our VIP booking meant we skipped to the head of the queue, and were among the first to board after enjoying a few views of Tower Bridge, and seagulls paddling just off the tiny beach by the Tower of London.
There’s no squabbling for tables either, everything is assigned before you get on – with the VIP package, four tables had been set up at the front of the boat, giving us a fantastic view through the wide glass windows.
If you’re travelling in a group of two, you can also upgrade to a table by the side windows, but even if you’re sitting at the central tables, you can still get up and wander around inside (and outside) to enjoy the riverside views.
Within moments of sitting down, staff bearing hot water and tea bags had come to check on our tea preference, with green tea, lemon & ginger, peppermint and super fruit alongside Earl Grey, Decaf English breakfast and City Cruises’ own signature blend, ‘everyday brew’.
You get unlimited tea during the cruise, and with individual little teapots, you can switch options part-way if you want to try a couple. There’s also unlimited coffee, as well as alcoholic and soft drinks to buy – the Chapel Down sparkling wine was sadly unavailable, but I consoled myself very happily with a glass of Prosecco.
And before we knew it, we were off, cruising west along the river towards the Palace of Westminster and the London Eye as our three-tier cake stand was brought out – and a separate plate of sandwiches for my husband, to suit his dietary requirements.
Egg mayonnaise on basil and spinach bread was one of my favourites, a definitely step up from your average egg mayo, along with smoked salmon and cream cheese on caraway.
But as well as the classics, including Coronation Chicken, there was a more quirky Chipotle Sandwich, on beetroot and dill bread, while the vegan menu had a spiced avocado option as well as baba ganoush sandwich as some of the more unusual alternatives.
My 12-year-old was eyeing up the two higher tiers though; scones with jam and cream at the top, and a selection of little cakes and pastries in the middle, including an eye-catching mango pebble.
Set on a shortbread-style biscuit, the glossy round orange mango centre made it look unexpectedly like a fried egg, but far more fun to eat.
Sitting alongside was chocolate fudge cake, a vibrant pink macaron (a little more like a meringue than your average macaron but also twice the size), and mini lemon meringue tarts which turned out to be my favourite.
And while you don’t get additional food, we didn’t even have space to finish the three tiers, let alone anything else.
Plus, of course, while we were enjoying the food, we also got to drink in the views, passing a whole string of sights including the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, the Globe Theatre, St Paul’s, Tate Modern, the Shard, a whole string of bridges, historic pubs and plenty of converted wharfs as we headed east towards Canary Wharf.
While we had plenty of time to eat and chat amongst ourselves, we also had live commentary from one of the members of the crew as we travelled from Westminster to Tower Bridge – and a few other sections.
It’s not only the major riverside sights which get picked out either – we had tales of Shakespeare and The Anchor pub, the only river tavern to survive since Tudor times (admittedly rebuilt after the Great Fire and looking rather different today).
Our ‘guide’ also pointed out The Monument to the Great Fire, its Golden Flame peeking out above the surrounding buildings and the silver dragons which still stand at the old gates into the City of London.
We also heard the story behind Waterloo Bridge, and its nickname the Ladies’ Bridge, a story I hadn’t heard before. With work underway to replace the old bridge in 1939, as men headed to the Second World War battlefields, women were responsible for much of the work of creating the new bridge.
And while some of the tales which are often told on the river – that the entire workforce was female, and that it’s the only bridge in London which was completed to deadline and under budget – may not be 100% true, it was one of the fascinating little nuggets to take away. And got a smug smirk from my daughter and me!
Book your City Cruises afternoon tea cruise in London here
City Cruises Afternoon tea cruise: The verdict
All too soon, our 90-minute trip was up and we were cruising gently back into Tower Millennium Pier once more, feeling very full and just as relaxed.
So how does the afternoon tea cruise measure up? An unqualified thumbs up to the staff who were lovely, and if anything seemed to have forgotten or needed checking, hurried off to sort things out for us.
The same goes for the views: we were certainly lucky with the weather, but I think the VIP tables are really worth the extra to be able to gaze out without moving from your seat.
And as a lovely extra to a river cruise, it’s hard to beat. You might get a bit less information than a specific sightseeing cruise, but I felt we had lots of detail and you wouldn’t come away disappointed with that.
If you’re looking for London’s most unusual gourmet afternoon tea, you can certainly find some quirky themes and inventive creations back on land, but then again, they don’t come with such good views – and if you’re looking for a classic afternoon tea, this ticks plenty of those boxes.
Should you book the London afternoon tea cruise with kids? Again, I think it depends on your kids – if you have picky eaters who won’t care about the scenery, this might be something to put off until they’re older, but as a family treat, it’s a lovely option.
After all, it’s hard to go wrong when you’ve got scones, scenery and some fascinating facts about London.
Disclosure: My family afternoon tea cruise in London was free for the purposes of review – all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission
Images copyright MummyTravels
