I went on the London Eye River Cruise with my husband, my sons, my parents, my brother, my sister-in-law, and my niece. I had a hell of a time scheduling our slot through the glitchy website, even after I paid, but we were able to figure things out in person. We showed up around 11:30 on a Friday and got nine seats on the 12:45.
Boarding was fast and easy, and I felt less like a ewe in a herd than on the similarly popular mass Seine cruise we did earlier in our trip. We sat in one of the long rows of plastic chairs, and our three-year-old started throwing a tantrum almost as soon as we started moving. I let his dad and grandma take the lead on that one and enjoyed a peaceful cruise with our six-year-old, who was really taking in all the sights.
We had Mitch as our tour guide, and he was fantastic, funny and charismatic. He must give the same tour, with the same dad jokes and line delivery, fifty times a week, but he managed to do it with fresh energy and apparent delight. Everyone paid attention, including my child, and we all learned a lot about the bridges and buildings along the Thames.
I'd highly recommend this river cruise if it's your first time in London, or you want to entertain children with an educational boat ride. It's a relaxing way to see a whole lot of London in less than an hour, especially if someone else will deal with any accompanying meltdowns. read more