Sail from Southampton - Return To Heathrow

I've had a look on the Cunard website help pages but I can't find an answer, so hopefully someone here will know the answer to this:

In about 3 months we are on the QV. We sail from Southampton (so we'll park at the port) but we fly back to Heathrow. So how do we get back to Southampton to collect our car ? Do Cunard do a coach transfer, because I assume there must be quite a few people in the same boat ?

Also, I did wonder if something might not appear in the online cruise personaliser, but nothing at all is showing yet from excursions and so on.

If you mean you'll be parking with CPS, they only let you book round trips to Southampton. I just looked at their website for QV cruises and the last booking is for the 8th June cruise and then no more until 13th November.

Costs permitting could you consider parking at Heathrow and taking the Cruise Connect bus to Southampton to meet QV? On the homeward leg you would then collect your car at Heathrow and be on the road home without having to return to Southampton.

http://www.intercruises.com/cruiseconnect/index.php/home

M-AR

I've had a look on the Cunard website help pages but I can't find an answer, so hopefully someone here will know the answer to this:

 

In about 3 months we are on the QV. We sail from Southampton (so we'll park at the port) but we fly back to Heathrow. So how do we get back to Southampton to collect our car ? Do Cunard do a coach transfer, because I assume there must be quite a few people in the same boat ?

 

Also, I did wonder if something might not appear in the online cruise personaliser, but nothing at all is showing yet from excursions and so on.

Check with your TA but

see

https://ask.cunard.com/help/before-you-sail/eavesway_pickup

We would choose a self drive car hire for each journey.

We've done this several times. In our case we always drive to Southampton the day before the ship sails, and stay in a hotel which hasa parking deal (usually the Holiday Inn). We arrange for a car service (we use Smiths for Airports) to pick us up at Heathrow on our return. It's obviously not the cheapest option, but we think it's good value (especially compared to the cost of the cruise/crossing), and to us it's worth it just to have someone waiting for us in the arrivals lounge at Heathrow to whisk us back to Southampton with no fuss, no hassle, no stress.

Anyone know if any of the above options would be cheaper than paying for a coach from Manchester to Southampton and then a supplement to fly home to Manchester rather than London. Flight would be either San Francisco or Las Vegas (not decided which trip yet)

Anyone know if any of the above options would be cheaper than paying for a coach from Manchester to Southampton and then a supplement to fly home to Manchester rather than London. Flight would be either San Francisco or Las Vegas (not decided which trip yet)

If flying into Heathrow then they do a connection flight to Manchester for not much money and the coach is ?57 one way to Southampton, must be cheaper than the Manchester ?160 supplement pp..

We are doing opposite in July but from Gatwick so no connection flight my son is driving us to airport then we get the coach home..

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I've had a look on the Cunard website help pages but I can't find an answer, so hopefully someone here will know the answer to this:

 

In about 3 months we are on the QV. We sail from Southampton (so we'll park at the port) but we fly back to Heathrow. So how do we get back to Southampton to collect our car ? Do Cunard do a coach transfer, because I assume there must be quite a few people in the same boat ?

 

Also, I did wonder if something might not appear in the online cruise personaliser, but nothing at all is showing yet from excursions and so on.

With P&O you park at airport and they put a coach on to port, but only works if you do it on the day you sail.

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I've had a look on the Cunard website help pages but I can't find an answer, so hopefully someone here will know the answer to this:

 

In about 3 months we are on the QV. We sail from Southampton (so we'll park at the port) but we fly back to Heathrow. So how do we get back to Southampton to collect our car ? Do Cunard do a coach transfer, because I assume there must be quite a few people in the same boat ?

 

Also, I did wonder if something might not appear in the online cruise personaliser, but nothing at all is showing yet from excursions and so on.

We've flown from Heathrow and returned to Southampton a couple of times, and Cunard provided a coach transfer to Heathrow for car collection and for those with onward flights. Hopefully if enough passengers are in your position, on a Cunard charter flight for example, a similar service may be provided from Heathrow back to Southampton.

The service may only be for bookings made through Cunard,rather than through an agent, but certainly worth enquiring.

If you mean you'll be parking with CPS, they only let you book round trips to Southampton. I just looked at their website for QV cruises and the last booking is for the 8th June cruise and then no more until 13th November.

That's what I was thinking of doing. I've contacted them via email and I could only book by phone, but I've not done that yet.

Costs permitting could you consider parking at Heathrow and taking the Cruise Connect bus to Southampton to meet QV? On the homeward leg you would then collect your car at Heathrow and be on the road home without having to return to Southampton.

 

http://www.intercruises.com/cruiseconnect/index.php/home

 

M-AR

Thanks. I looked at that option as well. It might well be a good idea, because, as you say, you are off and away on your way home.

Thanks all for the replies. There seems to be a few options then.

You would think Cunard would sort this out, because this must be a problem all the time. This is the first time we have done it like this, before we flew and returned to Manchester and the next 3 have been Southampton to Southampton.

Thanks. I looked at that option as well. It might well be a good idea, because, as you say, you are off and away on your way home.

If you opt for parking at Heathrow, have a look at Reeds Service Park, offsite but we've found them friendly and efficient.

Twice recently we have sailed from Southampton returning to Heathrow. We chose to valet park our car at T5 with Stress Free Parking then use National Express just outside T5 to Southampton. Coach Station. West Quay cars were there to take us to the port having been pre booked. Worked very well and it meant after a long flight we were soon on the way home.

On QM2 again in April Dubai to Southampton, this time leaving the car at Southampton with Parking4 cruises, coach to Heathrow when we disembark we can pick the car up very quickly from the car park at the port.

Twice recently we have sailed from Southampton returning to Heathrow. We chose to valet park our car at T5 with Stress Free Parking then use National Express just outside T5 to Southampton. Coach Station. West Quay cars were there to take us to the port having been pre booked. Worked very well and it meant after a long flight we were soon on the way home.

I think that idea is looking like the best option by far. The coach is £30 for 2 and takes 1 hour 45 minutes and they are quite regular. I'd already looked at the T5 option and it's no more than parking at the docks with CPS. As you say, you can get off the plane and be on your way. I may even stay somewhere near Heathrow the night before as it's about 4 hours to there for us and it makes it a long day of travel.

Thanks for all the advice, which I've taken !

I've booked T5 Meet & Greet for the afternoon before we sail. Then Smiths For Airports taxi (very good price I have to say) to take us to the hotel in Southampton (which I booked using my reward points, so no cost).

Then we just need a taxi in the morning/lunchtime to pop us over to the ship.

Now all I have to do is pay the final balance of the cruise !

Thanks for all the advice, which I've taken !

 

I've booked T5 Meet & Greet for the afternoon before we sail. Then Smiths For Airports taxi (very good price I have to say) to take us to the hotel in Southampton (which I booked using my reward points, so no cost).

 

Then we just need a taxi in the morning/lunchtime to pop us over to the ship.

 

Now all I have to do is pay the final balance of the cruise !

The power of Cruise Critic! It's threads like these l enjoy when the knowledge of the collective combines to point you towards a good solution.

Have great voyage when it comes.

M-AR

I just thought I'd update people with the experience of using the option we ended up doing.

It all worked exceptionally well indeed !!

Parking at the M&G at Heathrow works very well indeed. It's very simple to find on the way in, but not quite so easy when you return since the levels are actually numbered differently (staggering stupidity). Also arrivals at Heathrow are an utter shambles - it's as if they are not expecting planes to land, people to get off and bags to be collected. Really, if I had a business that was that shambolic I'd go bust ! But Heathrow knows it can be as abusive as it likes, treat people with contempt and be as shockingly useless as it likes because the people in charge know full well you can't take your business elsewhere.

Smith's for Airports Taxis were very good. They met us at Arrivals (ground floor, T5) when they said they would, and it then took around 70 minutes to get to the Holiday Inn in Southampton. I'd paid over the phone but no money was taken until the day we sailed.

It was £67 plus £7 extra for parking at Heathrow. c.f. National express (£50 for two) and takes just over 2 hours. The train is even worse ! It costs more and takes even longer. So it's by far the best option, both in terms of costs and time.

So I would highly recommend this option if you are sailing from Southampton and flying back. And also Smith's for Airports I would also highly recommend.

Thanks for the update. We looked at all possible permutations for our upcoming trip but have decided to take the coach from Manchester to Southampton and then pay a supplement of £70 pp for the flight back to Manchester from Heathrow.

DH didn't fancy driving home after having had a long flight from San Francisco.

Toad, can you please clarify how much it cost.

Toad, can you please clarify how much it cost.

2 people in a normal taxi, with 1 suitcase each and a bit of hand luggage was £67 from Terminal 5 to the Holiday Inn at Southampton (the one next to the Mayflower Terminal). They charged an additional £7 parking (i.e. just the cost price) at T5 so the driver could come into the Terminal to find us.

You can pay cash on the day or by card behand, but they only debit your card after the journey is complete.