DaveT65

I'm hoping that some of those who took the time and interest to respond earlier are still lurking here.

It is time to make decisions, and I'd appreciate any comments. I have waited for airline schedules to be posted for July 2014 and here is what I see:

[July 14, 2014 - attempting to get to Dublin as early as possible]

AerLingus has a 9:20 am flight out of Southend, but I'm afraid that is too early to attempt. Too bad!!

After that, other than LGW or LHR, Flybe has a 13:20 out of Eastleigh - too bad my port is Harwich!!

Ryanair has 13:40, then 17:10 out of Stansted, but I have been discouraged from using Ryanair here on this board, and I tend to agree with the actual and potential problems with them.

Air France has 13:45, then 15:15 out of LCY, but they are VERY expensive.

AerLingus [Aer Arann] has 15:20, then 17:10 out of Southend, but I can make earlier flights out of LHR with lots of backup options.

LGW doesn't have options that I consider more attractive overall than LHR.

LHR has AerLingus or BA flights at 11:05, 13:25 [both], 14:05, 14:15, 15:50, 16:50 etc.

So my assessment is that going to LHR, even though on a Monday morning, is the best of bad choices. Based on earlier comments, I think I should make a 13:25 by disembarking early and having a private car service take us to LHR. Or possibly taking the cruise line transfer? I think I feel safer with the car service and it is competitive to the Celebrity transfer [for 2] cost.

Looking at the transfer TO Harwich, recall that we arrive LHR at about 22:00 on July 3, so will be staying at an airport hotel and then taking either a car service or, in this case, the Harwich Cruise Bus [HCB], which picks up at various hotels. I assume the cruise line transfer would leave from LHR Arrivals and I don't want to go back there. HCB is cheaper, too, than either Celebrity or car service. It seems like a good choice for this direction. I looked at HCB for the return to LHR, but it apparently goes through downtown London and London Bridge, not arriving LHR until 12:30-13:00. I don't care for that.

So, sorry for the length of the post, but I have been doing my homework and want to explain what I found.

I will post separately, but am also looking for a recommendation for that overnight only stay [no amenities required, just clean and convenient - we'll be tired] at a LHR Hotel after the late evening arrival [we'll be arriving in the new Terminal 2 with United] and early morning departure for the port. Harwich Cruise Bus picks up at many, though not all, LHR area hotels.

Many, many thanks.

Thanks again to all who contributed comments earlier. I can now report on my experience with ChoiceAir [CA] first hand as I have made air reservations with them.

Route is ROC-LHR day prior, SNN-ROC after Ireland land tour after cruise, so nothing is standard.

I booked the cruise with a TA, and she usually handles air reservations in conjunction with cruises at no added charge. She agreed to do the same checking with, and in the end dealing with, CA.

I had found the specific flights I wanted, including daytime from ROC-IAD-LHR day prior [staying at LHR hotel after 9:55 pm arrival London time]. I found them on Kayak and my TA verified current pricing.

My TA dealt with CA for me. CA matched the pricing almost to the dollar. No great deal as others have reported with one-way flights, but no more, either.

No fees because I used the Pi****urPerk promo which gave me $600/cabin credit [versus $300 OBC] for using CA; I am Select based mainly on RCI cruises.

CA [Plus for my situation, I believe] was able to provide the flights even though they did not show up in CA online web site that I could see beforehand.

CA made the reservation which showed up virtually immediately on united.com, under my FF #, with seats reserved, and 1st bag free for international showing. It looked just like a res booked directly with United as far as I could see EXCEPT the credit card charge was a single charge to Celebrity. The UA summary showed a code of some sort as the payment source. I don't have a UA credit card, so the possible complications that might cause were not a factor for me.

I did not like the seats assigned for me - I gave them choices along with our FF #'s, but for whatever reason, they were close but not what I wanted. For example, I asked for Window+Aisle in a 3-3 hoping that the Middle seat will remain vacant, but was booked Window-Middle. Same day as the res was made, I was able to reselect seats.

In summary, I am pleased so far. I hope the promised follow-up does, indeed, occur.

scottbee,

I wish Southend would work as I can see how close [relatively] it is to Harwich. The problem is there are only 2 flights per day to Dublin - 09:15 and 15:10. Based on what I have read here, I don't think I can make the morning flight [can't self-disembark], and the afternoon flight as alternative or backup is later than the LHR [or LGW] flights I could make.

I will keep watch on schedules before committing, though. Including LCY, which doesn't have complete schedules from AF commuter posted yet.

Thanks for you interest.

nojoke -

Thanks for sharing your experience. That helps.

Holly g -

I can help with your question based on my experience to date. I have not booked yet, but am looking at both DIY w/TA and ChoiceAir, and my TA is willing to deal with CA for me - as part of the cruise package as I stated in my original post. I looked online @ ChoiceAir and saw the flights offered, and they were not what I wanted. I'm going 1 day early, then doing an Ireland Land Tour after the cruise and departing from Shannon, Ireland, not Heathrow; so NOTHING is standard. My TA called CA and I believe is dealing with the CA Plus office. They are able to offer flights NOT shown on the web site, and are able to give me exactly what I want. The pricing appears to be the same as on the UA website +$25 service fee, but since I booked under the Pi****urPerk promo, I can save $300 over and above the $300 OBC if I book with CA. That makes them attractive.

I did search this thread, and read the sticky, but am still confused. Hopefully someone can clarify.

When air flights are booked with ChoiceAir , when are seat selections made? At time of booking, or afterwards via carriers website?

Does ChoiceAir put in Frequent Flyer account numbers?

After the initial arrangements, it appears that one normally deals directly with the carrier rather than through ChoiceAir unless there is a problem? If so, however, why are there so many complaints of not being notified by either ChoiceAir or carrier in the case of schedule changes?

You still get the first bag [normally] free on international flights booked with ChoiceAir?

I read somewhere - sorry, can't recall where - that using ChoiceAir includes airport/port transfers? Is that still in effect? What about LHR <-> Harwich?

They are essentially replacing your TA booking your flights for you, unless your TA volunteers to work with them as part of the cruise package?

Thanks in advance for the help.

[infinity July 04, 2014 Norway]

Simon,

I should have asked, but forgot:

Though I said I would not be interested in going to LGW for a 1330 flight to DUB by train, would it be worthwhile to consider coach, or private, transfer to LGW? Is the traffic situation better to LGW?

I am still reluctant because the backup flight out of LGW is not until 1730 [on AerLingus - there are a couple of RyanAir flights between]. It is also cheaper to use LGW on AerLingus versus LHR on either AerLingus or British Air.

Once again, thanks for sharing your experience.

Thanks very much. Makes sense to me.

Simon,

When you read my comment, you will surely think I have rejected all of your suggestions, but that isn't true. Your comments have really helped me to evaluate all of the possibilities. Many thanks.

My wife and I would have problems doing a walk-off, dealing with our large luggage [we will be gone for more than 2 weeks total and we are not light packers, so 2 large cases + 2 carry-ons], and even negotiating what sounds like a very reasonable train plan would be problematic for us. Since even that has me missing my target of getting to Dublin in the early afternoon, it seems to me that just biting the bullet and getting a bus transfer [via Celebrity or on our own] to LHR is just the "easiest".

What would be a reasonable earliest time to schedule the flight to Dublin out of Heathrow, given that it is a Monday morning for travel? Would allowing 3 hrs travel + 2 hours check-in be enough? We would still request the earliest regular disembarkation. Seems like 1:00 or 2:00 would be doable? And as I stated earlier, at least LHR offers plenty of back-up options, assuming space is available but I suspect it would be on such a "commuter" route.

Thanks again to all who offered help. It really allows me to make an informed choice.

I hope that some who responded previously are still lurking, as I appreciate your comments.

I haven't posted in more than a month, but in that time DID book the cruise. In addition, I have been studying flight/airport options as we have been discussing. My goal in looking at these options was to get to Dublin by Noon or 1:00 pm. It really appears that that is not realistic. The only possible combo that works is to get to Stansted for a 9:55 am RyanAir flight, and several have cautioned against RyanAir with cruise luggage. The AirFrance schedules out of London City are still not out for July, but the only non-stops that show now leave at 12:25 and then 3:10. Southend has AerLingus at 9:15 am, but that looks too early even for Southend. Would be great if it was 10:15!

I guess what I am saying is that Heathrow looks like the safest alternative, with MANY flights; problem, of course, is getting there and not being able to leave until probably Noon at the very earliest. But there are flights at Noon, 1:30, 2:05, 2:15, 3:50. So once I get there, I have lots of backup. Gatwick does have AerLingus at 1:30, but the next one, should there be a problem, is 5:30. Is the "simpler" trip to LGW as opposed to LHR worth it? LGW is cheaper. LHR has lots of transfer options, including the cruise line's.

So, I appreciate, and thank you for, any and all comments.

Simon,

I checked flights from London City to Dublin, and there are a couple of AirFrance possibilities listed for 6 months out, but not yet posted for July 2014. I would not consider anything but nonstop because of the risk of connection problems. I would just bite the bullet and go to LHR.

Thanks again for your suggestions.

I will keep this possibility in mind.

I like your idea, but we will be arriving at Heathrow around 10 PM London time, not in the afternoon.

Since the drive to Harwich on embarkation day morning would be outbound from London, I'm guessing that the traffic concern is less? Would you suggest getting a car and going to Harwich to stay overnight rather than stay at Heathrow and going to Harwich in the morning?

Thanks for the tips, both pro and con, for these new-to-me options. I did read up on RyanAir Baggage policy, and it does sound problematic.

I found the train based route to London City, but it looks like it involves two transfers; am I correct? I'm not sure that would work with two 70's people with cruise luggage. Otherwise, using City sounds attractive.

Thanks for the suggestion.

I found Southend suggested for Harwich on a Bulletin Board, and didn't realize Stansted, which I had heard of but didn't check out, was a better choice. Plus, I was looking at Aer Lingus routes and didn't check out Ryanair.

Ryanair schedules aren't out yet for July 2014, but based on Summer 2013 and Spring 2014 schedules, the choices aren't optimum, but still may be a good solution for me. 09:55 departure is a bit early to make comfortably [sTN suggests 2 hour check-in], and 13:45 later than I'd like. But after reading MANY concerns about Monday a.m. traffic from Harwich to LHR, I just may do STN anyway. It would apparently make for a much less stressful morning.

One downside is the few flights out of STN. There are flights every hour from LHR to DUB. I assume Ryanair is an OK airline?

I will certainly pursue this. Thanks again.

I am considering Celebrity Infinity Norwegian Fjords out of Harwich NEXT July 4, 2014, and am looking for transfer - and hotel - suggestions.

We plan to arrive day early into LHR on a daytime flight from the USA, arriving 10 pm London time on a Thursday. Since we have been to London, I would just book an LHR hotel for the night and get a transfer to Harwich the next morning from the hotel. The cruise returns on Monday, July 14, 2014, and we are going to Ireland for a land tour starting Monday afternoon [or at dinner if we miss a city tour in the afternoon] out of Dublin. The obvious route is a return transfer to LHR, but I suspect we shouldn't book a flight to Dublin before Noon. Is there a better way? I see there is Southend Airport relatively close to Harwich, but current schedules [they don't go to July 14, 2013 yet] shows an AerLingus flight at 09:15, which unfortunately is too early I'm guessing, and the only other one at 15:10, later than I'd like and later than using LHR.

I appreciate any and all suggestions and comments. And thanks in advance.