River Cruise filming/photography guidelines

Background

The London Eye River Cruise has been running since summer 2002 and has carried over 750,000 passengers. The London Eye boat, the Silver Bonito is operated by Woods river cruises on behalf of the London Eye and is one of the most successful river cruises operating on the Thames. The circular cruise departs from the London Eye Millennium pier directly underneath the London Eye, goes as far as Tower Bridge and returns 40 minutes later. The cruise takes in the landmarks on the river such as the Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s Cathedral, The Tower of London as well as Westminster and Tower Bridges.

The Silver Bonito can carry up to 170 passengers at any one time, and has an upper deck and a lower deck meaning it is suitable in all weather conditions. The Silver Bonito is one of the few fully accessible boats on the river, with full disabled access to both decks.

Operational notes

The London Eye river cruise has a live host who provides detailed commentary about the landmarks and life on the river. The London Eye needs a minimum of five working days notice for all filming projects on the boat in order to ensure we are able to supply a staff member who is willing to be filmed. The London Eye river cruise is one of the few cruises with a live host so therefore recording of the commentary is restricted. Whilst it is possible to broadcast snippets of commentary, lengthy reproduction of the commentary is prohibited.

As a working visitor attraction the London Eye’s number one priority is to ensure that visitors enjoy the experience. With this in mind we have allocated positions for film cameras which enable crews to capture great views with minimal disturbance to guests and staff, crews will not be able to roam freely on the boat. Please note that if at any point a member of London Eye staff thinks that filming is compromising a guest’s experience, we will reserve the right to cease filming.

The boat is available for private hire outside of normal operational hours, please contact the London Eye press office on 0870 220 2777 for further details and a bespoke quote.

Documentation

All crews should to complete a River Cruise filming/photography request. Dependent on the nature of the filming it may be subject to a location fee.

Any filming that takes place on the river is subject to Port of London Authority (POLA) approval. All crews will need to gain this independently of the London Eye by contacting their media office on pressenquiry@pola.co.uk or by calling +44(0)1474 562366.

The London Eye will need to receive a copy of your Public Liability Insurance for filming on the boat. Reciprocal documentation is available on request.