Frequently Asked Questions
What sort of boat will it be?
Where do I embark and where is the closest parking?
What route do the trips take?
Do I need a ticket for my child / infant?
Can we bring our own food and wine?
Will the cruise go ahead in bad weather?
What about safety?
What should I wear / bring?
Can the boats accommodate wheelchairs ?
Is it necessary to book places on a public cruise in advance?
Can I make changes to my booking after I have booked a cruise / private hire?
I have a gift voucher, how do I redeem it?
Can I bring my pet aboard the vessel?
Private Hire Frequently Asked Questions
Will my cruise go ahead if the river conditions are bad?
When can guests board? Can I come and decorate the boat early?
When do you require numbers for catering to be finalised?
Can we make stops during the cruise?
Rowing Skiff Frequestly Asked Questions
What sort of boat will it be?
Oxford River Cruises operates small fleet of comfortable, well maintained and characterful vessels.
Our smaller boats, which are used for most scheduled trips and private hire for groups of 24 people or less, are electrically powered and so very quiet running. Electric boats were very popular on the Thames at the turn of the century but their numbers declined as diesel engines became more efficient. However they are now enjoying a renaissance as river users seek quieter and less polluting ways to cruise the waterways.
Our larger vessel Serafina II is diesel powered and has a large indoor saloon as well as as outdoor space.
For further details of our fleet please click here.
Where do I embark?
Public Cruises depart from our moorings at 'No. 1 Folly Bridge', Folly Bridge, Oxford, OX1 4LB.
'No.1 Folly Bridge' is a cafe and brasserie which offers Oxford River Cruises customers a discount on various drinks and is an ideal place to meet friends before your cruise.
The closest available parking is at the Westgate multi-story car park (OX1 1NT). Parking is also available at Redbridge Park and Ride (OX1 4XG). Please ensure that you allow adequate travel time and arrive at the departure point before your scheduled cruise time. We can not issue refunds for missed departures.
Self Drive Boat hires depart from our moorings at The Perch Inn, Binsey Lane, Oxford. Parking is available. Alternatively you can take the very pleasant walk across Port Meadow from north Oxford. The moorings are situated at the bottom of The Perch's garden. The post code is OX2 0NG. Please contact us to confirm boat availability before making a special journey.
Private hire boats can depart from either of our moorings at Folly Bridge or The Perch (details above). We can also arrange departure from other locations on the river including The Trout at Godstow, Osney Island (for Oxford train and bus stations), Iffley Village or Sandford-on-Thames. Cruise departures as far afield as Henley and Lechalde are possible but incur additional charges.
What route do the trips take?
Public Cruises
Scheduled trip routes can be found here.
Private Hire
Private Hire cruises can take any route of your choice and can be decided on the day of the cruise in consultation with your skipper (subject to the safe operation of the vessel). Longer trips offer guests the chance to take in the peace and tranquility of the water meadows north of Kings lock where Kingfishers can sometimes be seen.
Self Skipper
When hiring a vessel to skipper yourself you are free to decide your own itinerary. However, we will place some restrictions on the backwaters that you are permitted to navigate which will depend on the type of boat hired.
Do I need a ticket for my child / infant?
Reduced prices are available on our public cruise for children under the age of 16. No charge is made to carry infants under the age of one and they do not require a ticket.
Can we bring our own food and drinks?
Food
Your may only bring your own food aboard if you have privately hired a vessel or if you have tickets on our Alice in Wonderland Cruise. You are not permitted to bring food aboard the vessel if you have any other ticket type or have booked your cruise using a voucher.
Drinks
Generally customers are not permitted to bring their own alcoholic drinks aboard our vessels. We do permit customers to bring a reasonable number of bottles of wine or Champagne aboard vessels subject to a corkage charge of £7 per bottle (750ml). Customers may not bring other alcoholic drinks aboard the vessel. All private hire and public cruise vessels have bar facilities on board.
Customers taking out self drive boats may bring their own drinks with them without charge but the skipper of the vessel must remain sober at all times.
Will the cruise go ahead in bad weather?
Cruises will go ahead in all weather conditions, other than during extreme weather events (storm, flood, etc). Should your public cruise be cancelled we will contact you giving as much notice as possible.
All our public cruise and private hire boats can be fully enclosed in the event of bad weather. Serafina II is also centrally heated.
Self skipper vessels are open to the elements so please take note of the weather forecast and dress appropriately.
In the very unlikely event that the skipper of your private hire vessel determines that river conditions make it unsafe to sail, the vessel will remain tied up for the duration of the booking and a 50% refund of the boat hire fee will be made.
What about safety?
Our vessels meet the highest modern safety standards and your skipper is a trained helmsman who holds qualifications appropriate to the size and type of vessel.
Our largest vessel, Serafina II, is currently (March 11) the only passenger vessel in Oxford that has been demonstrated to meet the latest safety regulations for vessel design laid down by the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MSN1823).
A safety briefing will be given at the start of each trip. Buoyancy aids are available for those that would like to wear them and are recommended for non-swimmers and children.
At all times we reserve the right to take any reasonable action to maintain safety. This includes the refusal of carriage to anyone who may pose a risk to the safety of the vessel or to the safety or enjoyment of other passengers.
What should I wear / bring?
Even on the sunniest days it’s a good idea to bring something warm to wear in case of a cold change.
This is particularly important in the evening when temperatures can drop substantially as the sun goes down.
On cooler days make sure you are dressed very warmly, the river is still a beautiful place but your enjoyment will be impaired if you are not comfortable.
Please avoid wearing very high healed shoes as these can cause a risk to your safety and damage decks.
Make sure to bring a camera. There are some truly stunning scenes to capture on our trips that you won’t want to miss.
On particularly sunny days hats, sun glasses and sun cream are a good idea.
Can the boats accommodate wheelchairs?
Unfortunately none of our vessels have level access for wheelchairs. However, we will always do everything that we can to assist passengers with limited mobility to embark and disembark our vessels. Should you wish to discuss access options before your cruise please don't hesitate to contact us.
Is it necessary to book places on a public cruise in advance?
Oxford River Cruises utilises small, environmentally friendly craft for all public cruises. Space is limited and the cruises are very popular so advance booking is recommended.
Can I make changes to my booking after I have booked a cruise / private hire?
Public Cruise tickets can be changed after they have been booked but a fee will apply.
We will always try to accommodate changes to Private Hire bookings but changes will be subject to the availability of the vessel, crew, catering, entertainment and our operational requirements.
I have a gift voucher, how do I redeem it?
If you have a gift voucher issued by Oxford River Cruises you can redeem it online. If you have a voucher issued by a third party you will need to contact us on 08452 269396 to book your river cruise. If you have a gift voucher issued by 
you can only redeem it online.
Can I bring my pet aboard the vessel?
We allow well behaved dogs on our private hire vessels. We do not allow pets on our public cruises.
Private Hire Frequently Asked Questions
Will my cruise go ahead if the river conditions are bad?
The cruise will go ahead in all but the most exceptional circumstances. If the river is in high flood, and it is unsafe to sail, the vessel will remain tied up for the duration of the booking and a 50% refund of the boat hire fee will be made.
What are the payment terms?
A deposit equal to 25% of total boat hire fee is payable at the time of booking. Balance payments are due 14 days before the date of the cruise. If the booking is made within 14 days of the cruise full payment must be made.
If you have an account with us we can accept a purchase order at the time of booking and issue an invoice on 30 day terms.
When can guests board? Can I come and decorate the boat early?
Boarding is permitted 15 minutes before the scheduled start time of your booking. Earlier access for organisers may be possible but must be arranged well in advance and is not guarenteed.
When do you require numbers for catering to be finalised?
You should advise us of your estimated numbers for catering at the time of booking and confirm this number two weeks before the date of your cruise. Upwards alterations can be made until 24 hours before your cruise.
Is there a bar on board?
All our vessels have bar facilities on board serving wine, beer and soft drinks. Champagne, spirits, cocktails, tea and coffee and not available as standard but can arranged if ordered in advance.
Can we make stops during the cruise?
Yes, you may make stops during your private cruise. Popular stops include river side pubs and restaurants but games of rounders, boat races and walking tours can be organised.
