Kelly

City Cruises York - Seeing York from a Different Viewpoint.

Updated: Sep 13, 2020

*We were gifted tickets in return for this review*

We, as a family, have always preferred the countryside to cities but, if we fancy a change of scenery, then our must visit city has always been York, so when we were invited to take a ride with City Cruises York, we couldn't turn it down! A great opportunity to see this beautiful city from a new angle and have a good old nose around some of our favourite shops and attractions.

City Cruises York offer a wide range of cruises, as well as self drive hire, including the daytime cruise that we were booked onto.

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We had tickets for the 10:40 sailing, departing from the Lendal Bridge landing, which is located right next to the beautiful Museum Gardens. We were greeted by a friendly member of staff who checked our booking an advised us on where to wait. When the boat arrived, we instantly noticed that there were plenty of seats to choose from, even with the new social distancing measures in place, though we visited at a quieter time, so this may well be different in peak times. We were welcomed on board by another friendly staff member and took our seats on the upper deck, for the best view and photo opportunities. From the upper deck you get a great view along the river and across the surrounding area, though we would have probably stayed on the lower deck if the weather had been bad, where we could have made the most of the on board bar. Serving Hot and Cold drinks.

Before setting off, there was a safety briefing from the skipper, which gives all the information you will need, but without being boring. Speaking of the skipper, he gave a great commentary of all the sites we could see from the boat, along with some great historical gems. We have been on other tours like this, in other areas, and the commentary can sometimes be a little dull, but this is not the case here. The skipper was very knowledgeable and seemed like he actually enjoyed his job, as well as being able to occasionally add a little humour, without seeming like he was trying too hard.

At the end of the cruise, you have the choice of leaving the boat at either of the 2 landings the company operate from. Lendal Bridge, where we boarded, or King's Staith, which is slightly closer to most of the main City Centre attractions.

Overall, we found the whole experience very enjoyable and would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting the City. Friendly staff, a knowledgeable skipper, a well stocked bar and plenty of Covid precautions in place. A great way to see some of the sights, without the crowds.

Other cruises offered include evening sightseeing and private hire options are also available.

Next time we visit York, we are planning on hiring one of the small self drive boats, which are suitable for up to 8 people (under normal circumstances) and start from just £30 for one hour. Please note; due to the new "Rule of 6", bookings are currently being restricted to a maximum of 6 people per boat.