Passengers will be able to board the service from central London piers including the Savoy Pier (close to Cleopatra's Needle), Blackfriars Pier (north bank), Bankside (outside the Tate Modern and Globe Theatre), London Bridge (south bank), and St Katherine's Dock. Passengers will disembark at Canary Wharf Pier from where a shuttle coach will take them direct to ExCel.

Thames Clippers' new flag ship Hurricane Clipper , decorated in a polka-dot motif by artist Damien Hirst, is now a familiar sight along the River Thames.

The company's service has expanded rapidly this year, with regular commuter sailings running throughout the day, weekends and public holidays.

Tickets will be priced at £6 single, £9 return and children under 12 go free. The ExCel Express timetable and location of piers can be found at www.thamesclippers.com