Boat Tours
2 hours
Free cancellation
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from
$22.34
per adult
City Cruises Poole
City Cruises Poole
4.5
9:00 AM - 3:45 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 3:45 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 3:45 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 3:45 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 3:45 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 3:45 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 3:45 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 3:45 PM
Full view
About
Dorset's No.1 cruise operator with a wide range of cruises departing from Poole Quay, Swanage Pier, there's something for every taste. For more information please visit our website or our ticket office at Poole Quay pier.
Poole, Dorset, England
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2023
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(28 reviews)
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
833 reviews
Excellent
621
Very good
141
Average
27
Poor
17
Terrible
27
MrsSAJennings
London, UK421 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
We booked the Jurassic cruise online as a last minute thing while in Poole for the weekend and I am so glad we did.
This cruise was one of our highlights of the weekend.
We chose to queue 30 minutes before boarding rather than the recommended 15 minutes as we wanted to sit on the top deck and due to Covid restrictions we knew other cruisers would want to do the same, and I’m glad we did.
Seating was limited on the top deck due to 2m rule but we got excellent seats.
The weather was wonderful and with the sea breeze and wonderful calm waters we had a blast.
Commentary was informative and interesting throughout the who 2 hour cruise.
We went through Poole harbour, past Sandbanks and Studlands, past Old Harry Rocks to Swanage.
The turn around time was quick and we was soon on our way back again.
There is the option to hop off and stay in Swanage and grab a later cruise back.
The water was more choppy out of the harbour and if you are a little susceptible to motion sickness definitely sit up top as the motion is worse lower down.
Refreshments, toilets and hand sanitiser is available throughout the cruise.
The cruise is definitely worth the fee, I would even pay more so we left a generous tip for the crew upon disembarking.
This cruise was one of our highlights of the weekend.
We chose to queue 30 minutes before boarding rather than the recommended 15 minutes as we wanted to sit on the top deck and due to Covid restrictions we knew other cruisers would want to do the same, and I’m glad we did.
Seating was limited on the top deck due to 2m rule but we got excellent seats.
The weather was wonderful and with the sea breeze and wonderful calm waters we had a blast.
Commentary was informative and interesting throughout the who 2 hour cruise.
We went through Poole harbour, past Sandbanks and Studlands, past Old Harry Rocks to Swanage.
The turn around time was quick and we was soon on our way back again.
There is the option to hop off and stay in Swanage and grab a later cruise back.
The water was more choppy out of the harbour and if you are a little susceptible to motion sickness definitely sit up top as the motion is worse lower down.
Refreshments, toilets and hand sanitiser is available throughout the cruise.
The cruise is definitely worth the fee, I would even pay more so we left a generous tip for the crew upon disembarking.
Written August 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jan
Peacehaven, UK37 contributions
Sep 2022 • Couples
Fantastic trip. Boat trip to Swanage and then on the the steam train to Corfe castle. Excellent value for money. Very efficient crew on the boat and steam train staff clearly loving their work.
Could recommend highly enough.
Also I’m sure the captain of the boat to Swanage must be a comedian in his spare time. He was hilarious 😆
Also the trip was completely dog friendly which cost a mere £2 to take her with us.
Could recommend highly enough.
Also I’m sure the captain of the boat to Swanage must be a comedian in his spare time. He was hilarious 😆
Also the trip was completely dog friendly which cost a mere £2 to take her with us.
Written September 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello janh33,
Thank you for taking the time to write your feedback about your time on board! We are glad you thought it was excellent value for money and you liked the commentary!
Many thanks
City Cruises
Written October 5, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Brian W
Pershore117 contributions
Jun 2022
I had bought my wife a Red Letter Day experience a couple of years ago - City Cruise from Poole to Swanage, a trip on the steam railway from Swanage to Corfe Castle and back, then return boat to Poole. When we booked it last year, together with a couple of nights B & B locally in Poole, it was cancelled at the last minute due to bad weather. So we had another try this year, in June rather than October, and luckily the weather was good, and the trip went ahead. We had a great day, and spent some time in Swanage which is where we had our honeymoon 13 years ago - we got back to Poole around 5pm, just as the weather was starting to change, so we were happy that it turned out so well. Highly recommended, but just be aware it is dependent on the weather on the day!
Written June 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Brian,
Thank you for taking the time to write your 5 star review! We are glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise from Poole to Swanage and hope that is was worht the wait! Sorry about the previous attempt but we can't always rely on the weather, but glad you got the sun in the end.
It's lovely to hear you had a great day in Swange and hope it brought back a few good memories!
Thanks again, and we hope to see you on board again soon!
City Cruises
Written July 4, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Makitten
Bournemouth, UK83 contributions
Jun 2022
What an utter disappointment. My adult niece booked tickets online several weeks earlier and the City Cruises website asks do you wish to be seated together so the 'Yes' box was ticked. We duly received the e-tickets with information including the vessel name "Island Scene". So us five adults turned up and waited by the "Island Scene" vessel on the Quay well before allocated boarding time but nothing happened. I ended up hot footing it along the Quay to the kiosk where I explained where the five of us were waiting. "Oh" says the woman in the kiosk, "We're using that boat today" pointing one directly opposite the kiosk. This was another company's vessel in orange & white not the blue & white of City Cruises.
The vessel was jam packed on the top with it being such a lovely day so there was no room for us to sit except downstairs with diesel fumes; no thank you. I said to the woman at the kiosk we'd ticked 'yes' to sitting together and she said "We don't do that" so I asked why the website says it can and she didn't reply.
I asked for our money back and she offered us another cruise nearly two hours later which we had to refuse and I explained my sister is terminally ill with pancreatic cancer and has weeks to live, she cannot hang about for hours on the Quay/anywhere waiting. The woman refunded us our money.
It was so, so very disappointing not to do the cruise but it's even more disappointing that we were not emailed with the vessel change nor emailed with the information we cannot be sat together. Why have an inaccurate website for goodness sake?!
The vessel was jam packed on the top with it being such a lovely day so there was no room for us to sit except downstairs with diesel fumes; no thank you. I said to the woman at the kiosk we'd ticked 'yes' to sitting together and she said "We don't do that" so I asked why the website says it can and she didn't reply.
I asked for our money back and she offered us another cruise nearly two hours later which we had to refuse and I explained my sister is terminally ill with pancreatic cancer and has weeks to live, she cannot hang about for hours on the Quay/anywhere waiting. The woman refunded us our money.
It was so, so very disappointing not to do the cruise but it's even more disappointing that we were not emailed with the vessel change nor emailed with the information we cannot be sat together. Why have an inaccurate website for goodness sake?!
Written June 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Makitten,
Thank you for your feedback and I do apologise for the inconveniences you experienced during your cruise. Unfortunately the boat you were allocated on had to be taken out of service due to a maintenance issue and I apologise you were not notified of this. I understand how this frustrating this would be.
The boat that was allocated to you was a new addition to our fleet, hence the colour so is due for a re-paint to bring it online with our corporate colours.
We do not allocate seating and I have asked for this to be taken off the website. Again apologies for this.
Again my sincere apologies for the problems you encountered and I do hope you will take advantage of our offer and come and enjoy the cruise.
Thank you
City Cruises
Written July 4, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Emily
Farnborough, UK32 contributions
Sep 2020 • Family
The company has loosely placed string on some of the chairs, and posters on some to encourage social distancing. Social distancing is not encouraged at all. They didn’t even encourage the use of hand sanitiser. Nor did they clean the boat between uses.
We sat at the back away from others, and a young couple decided to sit directly in front of us and refused to move when we mentioned social distancing. They only finally moved when we actively had to seek and ask a member of staff to enforce rules.
There is no member of staff directing people where to sit. Most grown adults kick up a fuss that they can’t sit on all the chairs.
The boat ride itself I cannot really fault as it’s a nice day out. But not a thing to do if you’re worried about corona/covid.
We sat at the back away from others, and a young couple decided to sit directly in front of us and refused to move when we mentioned social distancing. They only finally moved when we actively had to seek and ask a member of staff to enforce rules.
There is no member of staff directing people where to sit. Most grown adults kick up a fuss that they can’t sit on all the chairs.
The boat ride itself I cannot really fault as it’s a nice day out. But not a thing to do if you’re worried about corona/covid.
Written September 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dan W
Cambridge, UK54 contributions
Nov 2022
Despite having been to Bournemouth quite a few times in the past we had never done a cruise around Pool Harbour, so this time we took advantage of the unseasonably good weather and booked with City Cruises. The cruise itself was 1 hr 15 mins and was thoroughly enjoyable. All of the staff were pleasant and helpful and the commentary was informative and amusing. I’d definitely recommend it.
Written November 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello DanW805,
Thank you for taking the time to write about your cruise, we love hearing how much you enjoyed your time on board and how our crew were pleasant and helpful and that you liked the commentary finding it informative and amusing!
Many thanks, and we hope to see you on board again soon!
City Cruises
Written November 29, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alec W
2 contributions
Jul 2022 • Friends
We organised a work event with City Cruises Poole for approximately 65 people to go on an evening boat cruise for 3 hours taking in the sights of Poole Harbour and Old Harry’s Rock. Organised through Helen at city cruises who was always just an email away, very helpful in organising the trip and giving us plenty of options when planning. Always punctual with emails and made the organisation of the event extremely smooth.
The day of the event we were met at the city cruises kiosk by an extremely accommodating and hospitable crew. The boat was perfect, well stocked bar and very clean. Everyone was happy to help with anything we needed and continually checked in throughout the trip to ensure we had everything. The crew were really amazing, answering questions about the boat and the surrounding area and making us feel incredibly welcome and at home on the vessel.
Particular shout-out has to go to Stuart who was always with a smile. Happy to assist in anyway he could and cracking some jokes along the way. Really made everyone feel welcome and was a standout part of the trip.
Overall, a fantastic experience and I would recommend to anybody planning a celebration, work do or corporate event! Excellent!
The day of the event we were met at the city cruises kiosk by an extremely accommodating and hospitable crew. The boat was perfect, well stocked bar and very clean. Everyone was happy to help with anything we needed and continually checked in throughout the trip to ensure we had everything. The crew were really amazing, answering questions about the boat and the surrounding area and making us feel incredibly welcome and at home on the vessel.
Particular shout-out has to go to Stuart who was always with a smile. Happy to assist in anyway he could and cracking some jokes along the way. Really made everyone feel welcome and was a standout part of the trip.
Overall, a fantastic experience and I would recommend to anybody planning a celebration, work do or corporate event! Excellent!
Written August 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello alecw461,
Thank you for taking the time to write about your Private Hire, we love to hear how much you enjoyed your time on board!
We are delighted to know the booking process and the cruise was smooth and efficient! Thank you for all the shoutouts who made it possible and made such a great experience!
Many thanks, and we hope to see you on board again soon!
City Cruises
Written August 25, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Julie
7 contributions
Aug 2023
We booked our boat trip with City Cruises online which was very easy to do. The staff were friendly, the boat was clean, tidy and very comfortable. We could sit on the lower deck where there was a bar and tables and chairs and seating along both sides where you could look out of the windows. There was a middle deck which also had tables and chairs and window seating along both sides and then the top deck which was outside with seating in rows. We sat inside on the way to Poole and sat on the top deck outside in the way back.
The weather the day we went was hot and the sky was clear so the scenery was very visible which was perfect. I will say that although it was a hit day it was very cool on the too deck and many of us were putting cardigans and jumpers on as the sea breeze was very cool. If you are someone that feels the cold more I advise you to take a jumper or light coat with you if you do want to sit outside.
The only slight issue we had was that the guided commentary was not very loud inside and we struggled to hear what was being said. It was not noisy from other people either so that was not the problem. When we sat outside on the way back the commentary coming through the speakers was loud and we heard everything clearly which was great!
We highly recommend doing a boat trip with City Cruises.
The weather the day we went was hot and the sky was clear so the scenery was very visible which was perfect. I will say that although it was a hit day it was very cool on the too deck and many of us were putting cardigans and jumpers on as the sea breeze was very cool. If you are someone that feels the cold more I advise you to take a jumper or light coat with you if you do want to sit outside.
The only slight issue we had was that the guided commentary was not very loud inside and we struggled to hear what was being said. It was not noisy from other people either so that was not the problem. When we sat outside on the way back the commentary coming through the speakers was loud and we heard everything clearly which was great!
We highly recommend doing a boat trip with City Cruises.
Written August 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Traveller31B
The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, UK133 contributions
Oct 2020
We never expected to be cruising around Poole harbour in October, but this 70 minute trip on a sunny afternoon was perfect. 70 minutes, with excellent commentary, viewing Brownsea Island, Sandbanks, and other interesting views. Recommended, but wrap up warm in the Autumn if sitting on the top deck. Plenty of fresh sea air!
Written October 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rosalyn G
1 contribution
Sep 2022
We took the 3.15 trip from Poole Harbour on Friday 2nd to see the Red Arrows at Bournemouth. We had our elderly parents with us who both have mobility issues, dad being 92 and was using a wheelchair and mum with a walker. The staff could not have been more helpful from the gentleman in the box office through to the two crew members who showed us the boat, how our parents could get on and where the facilities were (it was nearly a 3 hour cruise so essential) through to the captain and his very interesting yet very funny commentary. They were all extremely friendly and more than helpful throughout the trip (which we were very grateful for) and all contributed towards making an amazing outing. We would thoroughly recommend these trips to anyone.
Written September 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello rosalyng113,
Thank you for taking the time to write your feedback on your cruise and we are so happy to hear that you enjoyed your time on board! We are glad that our crew were so helpful with your parents and you enjoyed the commentary as well.
Many thanks
City Cruises
Written September 6, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alan
1 contribution
going on a cruise on 10th march from poole for 13 days is there plenty of parking and is it secure
Philippa C
Swanage, UK81 contributions
Multi storey near the quay has quite a lot of space
norkie14
Leek, UK1 contribution
My question is what are the car parking charges for cruise passengers?
Philippa C
Swanage, UK81 contributions
Hi. I parked in Poole Quay multi storey car park and cannot remember what I paid I'm afraid
GrannyDidda
Bridport, UK538 contributions
Hi, please can you tell me the kinds of birds that you got to see?
Im particually interested if you saw Puffins?
Thank you
Nicola
Philippa C
Swanage, UK81 contributions
Yes we did see Puffins on our cruise from Swanage past Tilly Whim caves and along that coast although not many they were nesting in the cliffs and diving for fish. Delightful
Carlyanne S
1 contribution
Are dogs allowed on the boats?
Bertiestravels
South Queensferry, UK44 contributions
Yes, I saw a couple of spaniels😊
Brian C
Altrincham, UK13 contributions
Where would we park the car and are there parking deals if buying a cruise ticket
SriLatha A
Haddenham, UK50 contributions
No.. cruise ticket is not included with parking. We parked in the town centre parking place, which isn't too far.
terence w
Brough, UK22 contributions
do you send tickets or do we have to print them off,im sorry we dont have a printer. ty
City Cruises Poole - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
City Cruises Poole Information
Excellent Reviews | 196 |
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Very Good Reviews | 64 |
City Cruises Poole Photos | 245 |