STAFF REVIEW - THAMES RIVER RIB RIDE EXPERIENCE

If you’re looking to see London from a new perspective, a RIB ride across the river Thames will show you the city like you’ve never seen it before. From Westminster to Big Ben to London Tower Bridge, you can sightsee from the best seats (or river) in the house. No matter if it’s your first time in London or you’ve lived there your whole life; the Thames RIB ride is a truly unique experience guaranteed to not only teach you but show you something you’ve never seen before. My fellow intern, Millie, and I were lucky enough to experience a River Thames RIB ride for ourselves last week. Read on to see how it went! 

Upon arrival to the dock, we made our way past one of the biggest tourist attractions in the UK, The London Eye. As we stood just metres away from a perfect view of The Eye, we were met with a friendly RIB ride tour guide who waited for all the guests to arrive before giving a detailed demonstration of how to safely wear your lifejacket. As we waited on the rocking dock we were offered a coat as an extra layer of protection from the wind before we secured our jackets. All our lifejackets were checked and adjusted before we proceeded to the edge of the dock, making us feel well looked after. Once we looked the part, we began boarding our speedboat. We recommend wrapping up warm for this one!

The boat seated 12 comfortably with every seat giving a clear view of our surroundings; there was no seat less impressive than the next. Millie and I made ourselves comfortable while our tour guide for the evening, Ross, made his way to the front of the boat. Ross explained that we would be setting off to explore some of the most iconic landmarks London has to offer. He would be providing us with nuggets of unusual, unknown information about these well-known structures. We were given a safety briefing and were told if anyone has an emergency to raise their hand and he would ‘happily ruin everyone’s fun for a minute to tend to us’ his well-natured humour made our evening hilarious. 

As we sped past the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, and The Globe Theatre towards the Thames Barrier, we were quizzed about fun-facts and historical figures. We discovered anecdotes about the City of London that you wouldn’t know from simply walking alongside the Thames. Being onboard a RIB ride with a hilarious history buff tour guide paints you a picture of London that you wouldn’t usually see. 

While Millie and I were feeling both satisfied and intrigued by the stunning architecture that intertwined the paths alongside the Thames, we knew our adventure was only just beginning. 

The tour section of our excursion was over once we crossed under Tower Bridge. Ross announced it would be best for everyone to hold on tight as the 880 horsepower engines revved up to speeds of 35mph, which on a small boat with no shield from nature felt very, very fast. We gripped the handles on our chairs and braced ourselves. Excited yelps began to pick up as the speedboat sped across the Thames. 

As we continued to sore across the water, strategically planned music such as ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ started blasting through the speakers causing onlookers to smile and wave in our direction. Just as we thought things couldn’t become more exhilarating, our boat began to sway side to side, teasing the surface of the water and sending us on a horizontal angle. 

The members on the boat continued to laugh and scream as we pelted our way over the waters, tipping and turning as we went. There were short intervals where Ross would make his way to and from the back of the boat to check if everyone was still having fun (we were) before finally Ross jokingly recommended the skipper (Nathan) performs a few handbrake turns to complete the experience. 

The RIB Ride Boat Tours were an exhilarating way to spend our afternoon exploring London and have so much more to offer than most traditional river cruises. It was the perfect addition to our London day out, and I would absolutely recommend this to everyone!