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This website has no connection with any shipping company, cruise line, boat operator or other commercial organisation
City Cruises
City Cruises Page 1: Millennium Riverliners & ex-Hydrospace Boats
This
Simplon Postcards
page is one of a series devoted to
River Thames
excursion boats - it is not connected with the boat operator. This page shows photographs of the Millennium Riverliners in the City Cruises fleet of
Thames
excursion vessels, plus the Hydrospace boats bought from
Catamaran Cruisers
in 2007. There is a list of
individual boat pages
. Other vessels are shown on
City Cruises Page 2
. For details of cruises or charters contact:
www.citycruises.com
City Cruises plc is the leading operator of passenger services on the River Thames between Greenwich, the Tower of London and Westminster, carrying some 750,000 people annually on its extensive sightseeing, ferry, entertainment and charter services. The company was formed in the early 1990s when it acquired the interests of most of the operators between Westminster and the Tower, which were then brought together under the City Cruises umbrella. Until this time, every boat was owned independently. The amalgamation into a single large concern has allowed for the generation of investment funds for the development and building of the new Riverliners of the Millennium Class. The first of these,
Millennium of London
, was the first purpose-built sightseeing vessel on the River Thames for 25 years, and to mark the occasion she was named by The Queen at Tower Pier in 1996. She was followed by four further vessels of the slightly modified M2 design, which form the backbone of the primary services between Westminster, The Tower of London and Greenwich. however, an interesting fleet of
10 smaller vessels
is available to provide additional services between the Tower of London and Westminster. The company also markets the moored restaurant ship
Hispaniola
, originally the Caledonian Steam Packet Company's
Maid of Ashton
.
Contact:-
www.citycruises.com
Ships on This Page:-
Hydrospace Alpha
- (2007- ) ex-Catamaran Cruisers
Hydrospace Delta
- (2007- ) ex-Catamaran Cruisers
Hydrospace Gamma
- (2007- ) ex-Catamaran Cruisers
Millennium City
- Millennium Class M2 Riverliner
Millennium Dawn
- Millennium Class M2 Riverliner
Millennium of London
- Millennium Class M1 Riverliner
Millennium of Peace
- Millennium Class M2 Riverliner
Millennium Time
- Millennium Class M2 Riverliner
Boats on
Page 2
:-
Bertram Rose
- built 1966 - sold 2005
Delta Rose
- built 1964 - sold 2005
Eleanor Rose
- built 1971
Eltham
- built 1978
Ferry Queen
- built 1959 - withdrawn and for sale 2006
Hispaniola
- moored restaurant ship
Mayflower Garden
- built 1978
Princess Rose
- built 1978
Vita
- built 1959
Westminster
- built 1971
Witheycombe
- built 1970
City Cruises Pages:-
City Cruises Page 1
- Millennium Riverliners
- this page!
City Cruises Page 2
- Other vessels
City Cruises Page 3
- Greenwich-Tower Pier Cruise
City Cruises Page 4
- Tower Pier-Westminster Cruise
www.citycruises.com
- City Cruises official website
Other Thames Passenger Boat Pages:-
Thames Boats - Header Page
Catamaran Cruisers
Crown River Cruises
Thames Clippers
Thames Passenger Boat Cruise Pages:-
River Thames - Harwich-Southend-Tilbury-Tower Pier
- on
Waverley
River Thames - Gravesend-Chelsea
- on
Princess Pocahontas
River Thames - Greenwich-Tower Pier
- with
Catamaran Cruisers
River Thames - Greenwich-Tower Pier
- with
City Cruises
River Thames - Tower Pier-Westminster
- with
City Cruises
Associated Pages:-
UK Excursion Ships
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards
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Recent Updates
Simplon Postcards
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Home Page
References:-
Royal River Highway:
Written by Frank L. Dix -
published David & Charles 1984
Trip Out Guides
- Written and published by G.P.Hamer
- various editions from 1977 to 2005 consulted
Trip Out Guides are available from Geoffrey Hamer, PO Box 485, Southall, UB1 9BH
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Table of Boat Histories
Name
Other names
Built
City Alpha
Regine, Hydrospace Alpha
1982
City Delta
Hydrospace Delta
2002
City Gamma
Charles Tenet, Hydrospace Gamma
1982
Eleanor Rose
1971
Eltham
1978
Ferry Queen
1959
Hydrospace Alpha
Regine, City Alpha
1982
Hydrospace Delta
City Delta
2002
Hydrospace Gamma
Charles Tenet, City Gamma
1982
Mayflower Garden
1978
Millennium City
1999
Millennium Dawn
1999
Millennium of London
1996
Millennium of Peace
1999
Millennium Time
1999
Princess Rose
1978
Vita
1959
Westminster
1971
Witheycombe
1970
Millennium Class Riverliners
The Riverliners were designed by Eddie Woods of Anglia Design and built by Vosper Thornycroft UK at Woolston, Southampton. The initial vessel
Millennium of London
is a trimaran, and entered service in 1996. Its design, specification and fit-out were the result of more than five years of technical studies, market research and development undertaken by City Cruises.
Millennium of London
was the first purpose-built sightseeing vessel on the River Thames for 25 years and to mark the occasion she was named by The Queen at Tower Pier. The design was further refined in the light of operational experience and strategic decisions on the future of passenger services on the tidal Thames, resulting in a new M2 series with twin hulls designed to offer low drag, a stable ride and low wash. Windows in the new boats are larger, contributing to a greater sense of light and space. The open top decks allow unrivalled views.
The M2 class Riverliners are named
Millennium City
,
Millennium Dawn
,
Millennium of Peace
and
Millennium Time
, and all were delivered in 1999. These vessels, built at a total cost of £6m, provide the backbone of the City Cruises sightseeing service.
Millennium of London
is now used for "London Showboat" dinner and cabaret cruises.
Technical Details of M2 Class
Open top deck, enclosed lower salon with panoramic windows
Wheelchair accessible toilets
Two bars
500 seats (up to 240 around tables)
Twin hulls of welded steel construction
Length 29.2m
Depth 2.85m
Beam l O.9m
Tonnage 270grt
Twin Cummins 6-cylinder turbocharged diesel engines (350hp) with advanced design of injectors, piston and cylinder head to optimise fuel burn and offer greater fuel efficiency
Fuel capacity 14,000 litres
Water capacity 8,000 litres
Fuel Consumption 100 litres/hr approx.
Electric power 50kVA diesel generators
Postcard of a Millennium Class Riverliner catamaran.
Enlarged image from the postcard above of a Millennium Class Riverliner.
Millennium of London
Photograph of
Millennium of London
supplied by City Cruises.
Millennium of London
approaching Gravesend.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 12th March 2006.
Click to open larger image in new window
Millennium of London
approaching Gravesend.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 12th March 2006.
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Millennium of London
passing Tilbury container cranes.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 12th March 2006.
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Millennium of London
passing Tilbury Cruise Terminal.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 12th March 2006.
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Millennium of London
passing Tilbury Cruise Terminal.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 12th March 2006.
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Millennium of London
moored against
Lighter No.3
at Gravesend.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 12th March 2006.
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Millennium of London
moored against
Lighter No.3
at Gravesend.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 12th March 2006.
Click to open larger image in new window
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 20th January 2007
Click to open larger image in new window
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 20th January 2007
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Photo: © Ian Boyle, 20th January 2007
Click to open larger image in new window
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 20th January 2007
Click to open larger image in new window
Millennium City
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th May 2003.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th May 2003.
Millennium City
and
Millennium of Peace
.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th May 2003.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th May 2003.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th May 2003.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 5th July 2003.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 5th July 2003.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 9th October 2004.
Millennium City aground after an incident with Westminster Bridge
Photo: © Ben Mann, 26th January 2008
Click to open larger image in new window
Millennium Dawn
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th May 2003.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th May 2003.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th May 2003.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th May 2003.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 26th May 2003.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 5th July 2003.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 9th October 2004.