Category: News

We are excited to announce the return of our River Trips, commencing on the 20th July 2020.

Our much loved passenger trips are making a return, which we know will be music to the ears of so many of our long standing customers.

Offering a relaxed way to discover the Norfolk Broads, our trip boats have certainly been missed since we were forced to stop them earlier in the year.

Of course, in order to get them up and running again, some changes have had to be implemented.

How do I book a Broads river trip? 

You will be able to book online on our river trips page or via our phone number, 01603 782207.

Reservations will be made per “social bubble group” which will be available for up to 8, dependant on availability and your chosen vessel.

You can view the new layout plans right here;

Will the onboard experience be very different? 

Naturally, some parts of the trip may feel a little different. There will be social distancing measures in place and it is mandatory to wear face coverings onboard, unless you have a medical condition that prevents you from doing so or are under 11 years old.

Light refreshments will be served on board via table service only. We have also introduced contactless payments on the trips and we actively encourage you to use this method whilst on board.

Whilst we have made adjustments, we have tried to preserve as much of our well loved trips as possible. You will still be able to enjoy a full commentary and our skippers will ensure you don’t miss a thing!  The Broads are full of wildlife right now, so it’s a perfect time to visit.

I use a wheelchair, can this be accommodated?

Due to the governments social distancing requirements which call for additional space, wheelchairs can only be accommodated on The Queen of the Broads and the Belle of the Broads right now. Currently we only have enough capacity for ONE wheelchair party on each scheduled trip. Party sizes are a maximum of 3 people on the Belle of the Broads and 6 people on the Queen of the Broads. These must be pre-booked the day before the trip is due to depart at the latest – please book online or call our team on 01603 782207 to book your place.

How often are your river trips running? 

Initially our trips will be running daily, four times a day. They will be available for 1.5 hour or 2 hour durations.

Can I bring my dog on your River Trips? 

Small well behaved dogs are  more than welcome, for just £2 each. Space restrictions in walkways mean that we can’t accommodate large dogs at this time.

How do boarding times work?

Please do stick to your designated boarding time as displayed at the Passenger Trip Boat boarding area, and follow instructions given by staff members. Social distancing measures will also be in place for your safety.

Our day boats are now back on the water, it certainly has been wonderful to see so many of you enjoying the water again! 

As part of our measures to ensure that we are following the government guidelines surrounding Covid-19 and that we are meeting industry standards, the team have applied for the “We’re Good To Go”, an accreditation created by Visit Britain.

To achieve this trusted mark of confidence, we needed to be able to display that we have taken the necessary measures to operate in line with the guidelines in place.

We are proud to say that we have been approved as a result of the hard work the team have put in place in order to get our boats back in the water.

Here’s hoping for a wonderful season ahead of us, with plenty of families enjoying the Norfolk Broads. Above all thank you to all of our customers for your ongoing support.

We are delighted to announce that Broads Tours has re-commenced day boat hire with effect from 12th June 2020.

We have given much thought into how we will operate our day hire operations once current restrictions have been lifted – what follows is what you might find different on your next visit to Broads Tours.

In general

• We have produced safety videos for hirers to download and view before they arrive at the boatyard; as well as information to keep you safe on the water, the short films also give you a reminder of starting and handling tips for your boat.
• We are also in the process of setting up an online booking process to reduce the need to queue and purchase tickets on site (though this is still possible).
• We have implemented social distancing marks on areas where customers are likely to queue, and we would ask that if you are purchasing tickets from our ticket window, only one member of your party joins the queue.
• While the current Coronavirus restrictions are in place, all hirers should be from the same household or support bubble.
• To reduce the amount of boats needing to be cleaned, for a limited time, the minimum hire period will be 3 hours (or 2 hours after 3pm) – no hires will commence after 4pm.
• Our customer toilets (located in our car park) are cleaned and sanitised regularly, and hand sanitiser is available as you enter the toilet block – it is recommended that you sanitise your hands before and after using the toilet.
• There is also a hand sanitising station on the dayboat quay, and you should sanitise your hands before fitting buoyancy aids to yourself and your family.
• Our friendly staff will still be there to get you on the water and give you instructions on where to go and how to operate your dayboat – though they may be wearing gloves and facemasks if social distancing cannot be maintained.

Standard dayboats

• All hard surfaces on board will be cleaned and sanitised with a suitable anti-viral disinfectant conforming to EN14476, with particular attention paid to ‘high-touch’ areas such as steering wheels, throttle controls, seat backs, and seat cushions.

Day Cruisers

• Following guidance, we have been asked to remove all crockery and cutlery from our day cruisers, so if hiring such a vessel, please bring your own plates and mugs with you. We will continue to supply you with a kettle so you can make that all important hot drink!
• In addition to the control measures on the standard dayboats, the sink and hob area will also be sanitised, and the toilet will also be cleaned and sprayed with an anti-viral disinfectant.
• The fabric upholstery in the seating area will be sanitised with a formulated fabric disinfectant.

Your return to the boatyard

• Our staff will instruct you on where to moor, and disembark your boat.
• All day hire vessels will be cleaned and re-sanitised after each hire.
• Our buoyancy aids, provided free to all customers will also be treated with a suitable anti-viral disinfectant after each hire period.

These additional measures have been introduced to keep you, and our staff, safe during your visit to Broads Tours.

For more information, please see the full Government guidance.

Passenger boats remain closed pending further easing of the restrictions, but rest assured that we are working diligently to ensure your safety when trips are permitted once again.

At Broads Tours, the health and welfare of our guests and staff is paramount – and we continue to follow government guidelines regarding the Covid-19 virus. As this situation is completely unprecedented our advice and procedures are likely to change regularly.

On March 23rd 2020 we closed our business to customers, inline with Government guidance and that continues to be the case until at least May 10th. Once we have more information from the Government about a partial return to normality, we will update this page.

We are continuing to contact guests due to arrive in the next 7 days, in order to find alternative dates for travel. Please do not contact us unless your trip is due to start in the next 7 days. You will appreciate that our team will have their hands full so please do bear with us.

We will continue to monitor the scientific and Government advice over the coming weeks and will publish updates on our website and social media accounts as the situation develops.

Please understand that this decision has been made as an absolute last resort in the public interest, and the effect on our staff as well as our suppliers is considerable. We thank them all for their efforts and will do all that we can to restore normal service as soon as it is safe to do so so that we can start allowing you to escape to the Broads again.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding at this unprecedented and traumatic time for our business and our country.

Stay safe, and we look forward to seeing you on the other side…

One of the questions we are often asked by our customers is what do you do in the winter?

Of course, many of the boats are lifted from the water during the winter months, but that doesn’t mean our staff don’t have plenty to do.

Far from a restful time for us, the cooler months signal that it is time for us to pop on our overalls and get started with our winter maintenance and get up to date with our annual trading and vessel inspections.

Trip boat winterisation

Our large trips each have their turn out of the water, and their annual inspections. This year the Vintage Broadsman has enjoyed a fresh lick of paint and some general winter maintenance, so she is looking her best in advance of the many private events we already have booked for 2020.

The Cordon Rouge and the Queen of The Broads have also been craned out of the water and have enjoyed their annual spruce up, carried out within our onsite boat shed, although we do have to take an office window out in order to fit the Queen of the Broads in!

The hulls of the trip boats have been cleaned and painted with antifouling, which will prevent weeds from growing on the as the season progresses and are now back in the water ready for February half term fun! Did you know that “children go free” between Monday 17th February 2019 and Sunday 23rd February 2020 on our river trips? You can read more on our Broads events page.

Day boat winterisation

The day boats have also lifted from the water and given some much needed TLC following a successful season. They have been cleaned, sanded and re-painted and have also been treated with anti-slip deck paint. Limited day boat hire is currently available but from the end of March, all of our day boats will be back in the water ready to welcome in the new season.

*Please be aware due to Storm Dennis we may have to reluctantly decide to not run boat trips on Monday, safety always comes first. If you’re planning a visit, we recommend checking our Facebook page first.