🏴‍☠️ PUFFIN CRUISES LYMINGTON FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Welcome aboard Puffin Cruises Lymington!

Below you will find answers to some of our most frequently asked questions. Please read carefully before travelling to the quay, particularly if you are hoping to sail aboard our Black Puffin Pirate Ship.

📞 07850 947618
📧 puffincruises@hotmail.com
📍 Lymington Town Quay, Hampshire

🏴‍☠️ THE BLACK PUFFIN PIRATE SHIP

When does the Black Puffin Pirate Ship run?

The Black Puffin does NOT have fixed running days or times.

Please DO NOT assume that the pirate ship will be running on a particular day.

The Black Puffin's operating schedule can change depending on a number of factors, including:

• Weather and wind conditions

• Staffing

• Private hire bookings

• Mechanical issues

• How busy we are

• Other circumstances outside of our control

PLEASE ALWAYS CHECK BEFORE TRAVELLING.

The best way to find out if the Black Puffin is running is to:

📞 Call or WhatsApp us on 07850 947618

You can also check our Facebook and Instagram pages, particularly our stories, where we regularly post updates.

Please do not tell the children they are going on the pirate ship until you have confirmed with us that it is running. We would hate for anyone to make a journey and be disappointed.

What is the last sailing time?

We do not have a fixed closing time for the Black Puffin.

Our final sailing can change from day to day depending on weather, staffing and how busy we are.

We recommend arriving before 3:00pm if you want to maximise your chances of getting a trip.

If you are travelling to us later in the day, please call us first on 07850 947618 to check that we are still operating.

How can I get the most up-to-date information?

The quickest and most reliable way is to call or WhatsApp us on 07850 947618.

We also update our:

📱 Facebook
📱 Instagram

We particularly recommend checking our social media stories, as these are updated regularly during busy periods.

We will post updates if, for example:

• We have a private hire booking

• Weather conditions affect sailing

• We experience an unexpected mechanical issue

• Running times change

We are a small family-run business and unfortunately cannot predict every situation in advance.

Emails and social media direct messages are not always monitored immediately.

If you need an urgent answer, please call us. We would much rather answer your call than have you make a wasted journey.

🎟️ BOARDING INSTRUCTIONS – PLEASE READ

To help us keep everyone on schedule, please follow these instructions:

• Your trip time is printed on the back of your ticket.

• Do not go through the boarding gate until you are called by a member of staff using the microphone.

• Please be at the gate at least 5 minutes before your departure time.

• Allow plenty of time for toilets, drinks, coffees and parking. Queues can be long during busy periods.

• Please do not be late. Other guests may also be booked onto your sailing.

MISS YOUR TRIP?

Unfortunately, we cannot offer refunds for missed trips.

We also cannot guarantee a space on the next sailing, as this may already be full.

Please allow plenty of time to get to the quay.

🌧️ DO YOU RUN IN THE RAIN?

We aim to operate as much as possible throughout the season.

Rain does not necessarily stop us from sailing. Wind is generally our biggest concern, as we cannot operate safely in stormy or unsuitable conditions.

Weather conditions can change quickly, so please always check with us before travelling.

📞 07850 947618

You can also WhatsApp or message us via Facebook.

We would genuinely rather have the phone ringing off the hook than have customers travel to Lymington and be disappointed.

Occasionally, unexpected mechanical problems can also occur. Unfortunately, these cannot always be predicted.

Please check before travelling.

⏰ OPENING TIMES

We open the kiosk from approximately 10:30am, with the first trips starting from 11:00am.

The boats generally operate approximately every 30 minutes, but this can change depending on the day.

There is no fixed closing time.

Our operating times can change depending on:

• Weather

• Staffing

• How busy we are

• Private hire bookings

• Other operational factors

We recommend coming between 10:00am and 3:00pm to give yourself the best chance of getting a trip.

If you are arriving later in the day, please call us first to check.

Want to maximise your chances of getting on?

Earlier in the day is always best.

👨‍👩‍👧 MINIMUM NUMBER OF PASSENGERS

Yes, we do have minimum passenger requirements.

Puffin Billi Guided River Cruise

Minimum of 2 adults.

Black Puffin Pirate Experience

Minimum of 2 adults + 1 child.

Unfortunately, we cannot operate the Black Puffin Pirate Experience with:

• 1 adult + 1 child

• 1 adult + 2 children

This is due to our operating requirements.

📱 SOCIAL MEDIA

We absolutely love seeing our customers enjoying themselves on the water!

Please feel free to share your photos and videos on Facebook or Instagram and tag us:

@puffincruiseslymington

We love seeing your adventures and sharing them too!

🚤 DO YOU OFFER PRIVATE CHARTER?

Yes!

We offer private boat hire and charters for a variety of occasions.

We also offer birthday parties and private experiences on request.

To enquire or make a booking:

📞 07850 947618
📧 puffincruises@hotmail.com

🏝️ DO YOU GO TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT?

Unfortunately, we do not operate trips to the Isle of Wight.

For Isle of Wight trips and water taxi services, you may wish to contact other local operators such as:

• Quay2Quay

• Kraken

• South Coast Water Taxi

• All Decked Out Charter

• Double Six Charters

🎟️ CAN I BUY TICKETS ONLINE?

No.

Our standard tickets are purchased at our kiosk on Lymington Town Quay on the day.

Private hire bookings can be arranged in advance by telephone or email.

📅 CAN I PRE-BOOK A STANDARD TRIP?

Unfortunately, we do not take advance bookings for our standard public trips.

We operate to a tight schedule and boats generally leave approximately every 30 minutes, so we do not hold tickets back.

If one sailing is full, you can join the next available sailing.

Private hire

Private charters can be booked in advance.

Please contact us:

📞 07850 947618
📧 puffincruises@hotmail.com

⏰ WHAT HAPPENS IF I MISS MY TIME SLOT?

Please make sure you are at the boarding gate at least 5 minutes before your departure time.

During busy periods, boats can be completely full.

If you miss your sailing:

• We cannot guarantee a place on the next trip.

• We do not offer refunds for missed trips.

Please allow plenty of time for parking, toilets and refreshments before your trip.

⛵ HOW LONG ARE THE TRIPS?

Our standard trips are approximately 30 minutes.

Private charters can be arranged for up to approximately one hour, depending on your requirements.

🚤 DOES PUFFIN BILLI RUN EVERY DAY?

Yes!

The Puffin Billi Guided River Tour operates 7 days a week from 1st April until 30th September, weather permitting.

We may also operate during March and October at our discretion.

Please always call before travelling to double-check that we are operating.

We are a very small family-run business and, although we do everything possible to remain open, occasionally we may need to close due to circumstances outside of our control.

We always aim to keep closures to an absolute minimum.

💷 CAN I TIP THE SKIPPER?

Yes!

Tips are always very gratefully received and are a lovely way to show your appreciation to our skippers.

Please note that tips can only be accepted in cash.

Thank you! ❤️

🚻 ARE THERE TOILETS ON BOARD?

No, our boats do not have toilets on board.

However, public toilets are located on the quay, close to our kiosk.

We strongly recommend using the facilities before boarding, particularly if you are travelling with young children.

🚗 IS THERE PARKING?

Yes.

There is pay-and-display parking at Lymington Town Quay.

Parking can become extremely busy during the summer and school holidays, so please allow plenty of time.

An alternative is Bath Road Car Park, near the Royal Lymington Yacht Club.

Please allow plenty of time for parking!

We cannot delay a sailing because guests are still looking for a parking space.

📆 DO YOU RUN ALL YEAR ROUND?

Our main season runs from:

1st April – 30th September

There may occasionally be opportunities to operate outside these dates depending on weather, conditions and other factors.

If you are visiting outside our main season, please contact us before travelling.

🛟 DO I NEED TO WEAR A LIFE JACKET?

No.

Life-saving appliances are carried on board for use in an emergency.

🐶 CAN I BRING MY DOG?

Yes!

Dogs are welcome on board. 🐶❤️

🥤 CAN I EAT AND DRINK ON BOARD?

For the comfort of all our guests, we prefer no eating on board.

Water and soft drinks are welcome.

For safety reasons, please do not bring hot drinks on board.

⚓ DO YOU GO FAST?

No.

The speed limit on the river is 4 knots.

Our trips are about enjoying the scenery, wildlife and experience rather than speed!

🐧 DO YOU SEE ANY PUFFINS?

Unfortunately, no! 😂

Despite the name Puffin Cruises, we do not actually see puffins on our trips.

The company has been called Puffin Cruises for over 40 years.

However, you may see lots of other wildlife along the Lymington River, including:

🦆 Ducks
🦢 Swans
🐦 Seabirds
🪿 Waders
🐟 Other wildlife around the river and salt marshes

Keep your eyes peeled and your camera ready!

We regularly share photographs and videos of the wildlife our customers spot, so make sure you follow us on social media.

❤️ A FINAL NOTE FROM PUFFIN CRUISES

We are a small, family-run business, and we genuinely want every customer to have a fantastic day out with us.

Because we operate on the water, some things are simply outside of our control. Weather, wind, staffing and unexpected mechanical problems can all affect our operation.

The single best thing you can do before travelling is CALL US.

📞 07850 947618

We would much rather answer your call than have you make a wasted journey.

Thank you for choosing to sail with Puffin Cruises Lymington. ⚓️🩵

We look forward to welcoming you aboard!