Book your tickets as the world-famous Mersey Ferry River Explorer Cruises are due to set sail once again from 17 May.

Mersey Ferries are gearing up to welcome people back on board the cruises, following the latest Government announcement regarding a further relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions.

With a Visit England ‘We’re Good To Go’ certification secured in recognition of the safety and hygiene measures that have been put in place to help keep everyone safe, passengers can travel on the ferries with confidence.

Taking in the best views of Liverpool, the Wirral, and the UNESCO World Heritage Waterfront, the 50-minute cruises will operate round trips between Liverpool, Pier Head and Woodside, Wirral terminals between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday and 10am and 5pm Saturday and Sunday.

For the time being, the number of passengers travelling on each River Explorer Cruise will be limited due to continuing Government Covid-19 guidelines.

Timed tickets have been introduced to make it easier for people to guarantee their place on board and these should be booked online before arriving at the terminal.

Gary Evans, Assistant Director for Customer Delivery for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, said:

“Bringing back our River Explorer Cruises is a big moment for us and represents a significant step up in service – we’re certainly looking forward to sailing once again.

“Mersey Ferries has played a key role in the city region’s response to the pandemic, providing cross river services for key workers. Now, we’re ready to continue to support the recovery of the city region and boost the visitor and leisure economy by welcoming more people back on board our day time cruises.”

To help keep everyone safe, passengers are reminded to bring their face coverings and observe social distancing during their journey.

They will also be encouraged to check in via the NHS Covid-19 app or complete a paper form at one of the terminals, as part of the NHS Track and Trace service.

This is the first time the River Explorer Cruises will be back on the river since March last year. The commuter services, which have been running throughout the pandemic to support key, workers will continue to run on weekday mornings and early evenings.

Another award-winning city region attraction, The Beatles Story exhibition, is also set to open its doors once again on the same day.