The timetable of cruises from Clacton for the world’s last seagoing passenger carrying paddle steamer has been announced.
Tickets are now on sale for Waverley with five trips leaving the town’s pier in September and October.
Three of the voyages involve the ever popular River Thames sailings passing under a floodlit Tower Bridge and two other offer live entertainment on the way to their destinations.
The vessel, which was built in 1947, has undergone a £1 million refit in Scotland following a record 2024 season.
This year’s programme sets sail on Wednesday September 24 with a cruise along the coast and round the Principality of Sealand. Musical duo Eclipse will perform hits from the Sixties and there will be a special commentary on the Sealand story.
The next day Waverley heads off along the coast and down the Thames for the first of its trips to Tower Bridge.
On Tuesday September 30 the ship will cruise the River Blackwater and round MV Ross Revenge. There will be a chance to meet Radio Caroline DJs and DJ Ray Clarke will provide a running commentary.
Musical duo Eclipse will be on board with hits of the Sixties.
The final cruises will be on Wednesday October 1 and then Friday October 10 – both of which takes passengers along the coast, and up the Thames to a floodlit Tower Bridge.
Nigel Brown, Clacton Pier’s communications manager said the attraction always looks forward to Waverley docking at its berthing arm.
“It is a privilege to host this iconic vessel so that it can provide passengers from the area with a true experience of the past on the seas around our coast,” he added.
“It is an arrangement we have offered to the charity that operates Waverley for many years and we hope it will continue for many more.
“The pier was built in 1871 to accept paddle steamers to the new town of Clacton and seeing this vessel arrive and depart is a nod to our past history.”
Tim Wardley, Waverley’s piers liaison officer, said that the Thames and East Coast leg of its annual programme always proves a huge success.
“The cruises are extremely well supported and the trips to Tower Bridge sell out very quickly,” he explained.
“We are very grateful to the Clacton Pier team for its ongoing efforts to back our visits to the town along with the residents who flood aboard.”
Last year Waverley completed almost 158,000 passenger journeys over 125 days which was its most ever.
Book online at waverleyexcursions.co.uk or call 0141 243 2224.
