Sameday flight-i know i know !!

[Ashland]

Haven't made air reservations yet. What do you think ? RCCL JOS Aug 11,2010 Baltics sailing out of Harwich. Flying direct flight from LAX into LHR looking at arriving approx. 6:00am-9:00am same day of departure (I know I know) but keep with me :rolleyes:. Can we get to ship on time if we use RCCL transfers ? I think ship leaves at 5:00pm. How far from LHR to Harwich ? I'm trusting ya'll will steer me straight.

[vjmatty]

Well, let me put it this way..... a colleague of mine just had an August flight to Copenhagen for a Baltics cruise delayed 26 hours coming out of JFK. Luckily they scheduled their flights a couple of days before their cruise so they didn't miss their ship. Nuff said? ;)

[hubofhockey]

Haven't made air reservations yet. What do you think ? RCCL JOS Aug 11,2010 Baltics sailing out of Harwich. Flying direct flight from LAX into LHR looking at arriving approx. 6:00am-9:00am same day of departure (I know I know) but keep with me :rolleyes:. Can we get to ship on time if we use RCCL transfers ? I think ship leaves at 5:00pm. How far from LHR to Harwich ? I'm trusting ya'll will steer me straight.

115 miles or 2.5 hours LHR to Harwich cruiseport. Good luck living on the edge. :eek:

[cruisemom42]

Just keep in mind there is no margin for error on a same-day flight.

 

When comparing costs, have you priced out the cost of flying to meet the ship in the next port, should you miss it in Harwich?

[SelectSys]

Haven't made air reservations yet. What do you think ? RCCL JOS Aug 11,2010 Baltics sailing out of Harwich. Flying direct flight from LAX into LHR looking at arriving approx. 6:00am-9:00am same day of departure (I know I know) but keep with me :rolleyes:. Can we get to ship on time if we use RCCL transfers ? I think ship leaves at 5:00pm. How far from LHR to Harwich ? I'm trusting ya'll will steer me straight.

 

If everything goes OK, it will be easy. If not, you are going to missing the first two nights and need to join the cruise at its first shore location.

 

If you do this, I would recommend taking the earliest non-stop flight to London I could find. This would better ensure that a minor mechanical delay (1-2 hour variety) doesn't cause you to miss the cruise. A major mechanical problem, especially on a foreign carrier who wouldn't have extra aircraft in LA would likely cause a miss.

 

I have no idea about cruise ship transfers. I would expect the bus from the airport will leave at some scheduled time regardless of whether or not your flight has landed. I would read the fine print to see what happens if you are delayed. A private car/van might be better given your situation.

 

Also, the trip to Harwich is at least 2 hours in the car and you'll need to either skirt through the city or go around on the M25. You should factor this in your planning.

 

BTW - Earliest non stop I saw was on UA arriving into London about 7:30AM.

[paul929207]

Sure you ca make it, but you can also not make it. If everything goes as scheduled you will be fine. If your flight is delayed or canceled, you will need to make arrangements to catch the ship.

[Gardyloo]

Also, the trip to Harwich is at least 2 hours in the car and you'll need to either skirt through the city or go around on the M25. You should factor this in your planning.

It took me almost 90 min. from LHR just to the M11 turnoff a couple of weeks ago. If I'm not mistaken August 11 is a weekday, so the M25 will be completely packed during working hours. Still, if you get to the airport before noon, getting to Harwich by 4 ought to be doable.

 

The UA flight getting in at 7:30 is by far the earliest from LAX; most of the others (American, Virgin, BA and Air NZ) get in at 10:30 - 2 PM.

[6rugrats]

OP - read this poster's experience and then book your flight to arrive at least one day in advance:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1073455

 

Note the very good advice, the author of this post gives near the end of his story:

 

Needless to say that evening included several cocktails and a vow to never, ever fly in on the day of the cruise.

[vivian02]

Yes, it can be done. The only (out of nine cruise) cruise I flew in the day of the cruise was Carnival Freedom out of Rome, Italy in August of 2008. We used the local transportation however we had sailed out to Civitavecchia before and knew just what to do. We made the ship with hours to spare but then the ship did not sail until 7:00 PM. We had a back up plan to head for Naples the ship's first stop if anything went wrong. It was my wife's idea to fly in the day of the cruise and she was the one that was HOT and SWEATY and asking why are we doing this! My recommendation for you would be to think about getting a hotel room at LHR. Try bidding on a room on Priceline and see if you can get a inexpensice room for the night. With a good night's sleep you should have plenty of time to get to the port. Second I would call the cruiseline and check on a ships transfer.

Like I said earlier I have done this but my next cruise is out of Austrailia... I'm flying in a day earlier. I didn't listen to my wife this time. I'm taking no chances on the next cruise. Tim

[celle]

Haven't made air reservations yet. What do you think ? RCCL JOS Aug 11,2010 Baltics sailing out of Harwich. Flying direct flight from LAX into LHR looking at arriving approx. 6:00am-9:00am same day of departure (I know I know) but keep with me :rolleyes:. Can we get to ship on time if we use RCCL transfers ? I think ship leaves at 5:00pm. How far from LHR to Harwich ? I'm trusting ya'll will steer me straight.

 

You need to find out more about the timing of RCCL transfers before deciding. If they will not work, then you will have to find your own way to Harwich.

 

You may be able to do it, and you probably can, but I would not count on it. You could have a perfect journey starting from your home airport, but there are so many things that could delay you - delayed flights, long lines at immigration and baggage reclaim, traffic/ train transfers.

 

Read this thread for a similar discussion:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1041970&highlight=

 

You need to understand that LHR is some distance west of London and Harwich is north-east of London. Get a map and look at what I mean.

 

Any journey from LHR to Harwich will involve going through or around London, either:

 

• By road - travelling east towards London and then skirting London on the M25 (which is sometimes called "the biggest parking lot in Europe" - it is very congested). then you will need to travel NE to Harwich. Arriving between 6 and 9 AM, you will also be tied up in rush-hour traffic. We once spent 2+ hours on the M25 and only covered 10 miles (until we reached the next off-ramp). Allow a minimum of 2.5 hours, and expect to take longer.
  
• By train - Heathrow Express which arrives at Paddington station; cross London by tube (subway) from Paddington to Liverpool Street station (allow about an hour, not easy in rush hour with baggage); train from Liverpool Street to Harwich International (train departs at 18 minutes past each hour and the journey takes almost 1.5 hours.
  

Travelling light and being familiar with LHR, trains and tube, I would choose that option. But, to anyone not so familiar, I would recommend pre-booking a car to meet you at LHR and asking in advance for a route planned to avoid the M25.

 

Also, being me, and having had international flights delayed by more than 12 hours on several occasions, I would never, ever, plan to arrive on the day the cruise departs.

 

if at all possible, fly in the day before, and stay overnight either in London or in Harwich.

[celle]

Yes, it can be done. The only (out of nine cruise) cruise I flew in the day of the cruise was Carnival Freedom out of Rome, Italy in August of 2008. We used the local transportation however we had sailed out to Civitavecchia before and knew just what to do. We made the ship with hours to spare but then the ship did not sail until 7:00 PM. We had a back up plan to head for Naples the ship's first stop if anything went wrong. It was my wife's idea to fly in the day of the cruise and she was the one that was HOT and SWEATY and asking why are we doing this! My recommendation for you would be to think about getting a hotel room at LHR. Try bidding on a room on Priceline and see if you can get a inexpensice room for the night. With a good night's sleep you should have plenty of time to get to the port. Second I would call the cruiseline and check on a ships transfer.

Like I said earlier I have done this but my next cruise is out of Austrailia... I'm flying in a day earlier. I didn't listen to my wife this time. I'm taking no chances on the next cruise. Tim

 

Rome to Civitavecchia is an easier transfer than LHR to Harwich.

 

A hotel at LHR will not help, because of the time and distance it takes to travel from LHR to Harwich. Better to get a hotel in central London (half the journey completed) or in Harwich itself.

[scottbee]

Haven't made air reservations yet. What do you think ? RCCL JOS Aug 11,2010 Baltics sailing out of Harwich. Flying direct flight from LAX into LHR looking at arriving approx. 6:00am-9:00am same day of departure (I know I know) but keep with me :rolleyes:. Can we get to ship on time if we use RCCL transfers ? I think ship leaves at 5:00pm. How far from LHR to Harwich ? I'm trusting ya'll will steer me straight.

 

Id go in the day before, and get a hotel in eastern london (near Liverpool Stree Station). They on cruise day, ride the train which drops you right AT the cruise dock from Liverpool St Station to Harwich International station.

[Globaliser]

A hotel at LHR will not help, because of the time and distance it takes to travel from LHR to Harwich. Better to get a hotel in central London (half the journey completed) or in Harwich itself.

Id go in the day before, and get a hotel in eastern london (near Liverpool Stree Station). They on cruise day, ride the train which drops you right AT the cruise dock from Liverpool St Station to Harwich International station.

I agree whole-heartedly with both of these observations.

[es_2009]

We are on the same cruise two months earlier... decided to fly in the day before the cruise and take the train to Harwich to stay the night before. HOWEVER, we are flying home on the day of disembarkation... 1:40pm flight booked out of LHR with RCCL's Choice Air, they said that they recommend flights anytime after 1pm and that their transfers will be leaving starting at 6 or 7am... I think it will be alright, fingers are crossed!! What do you guys think?

[Jade13]

My comment which is not mentioned is that you could make the ship but what about your luggage?

 

We flew Lufthansa to Rome last year which is (usually) always on time. We took off 1.5 hours late but still made our flight out of Frankfurt to Rome. Our luggage did not make it and it took a couple of hours inline at the airport to put in the report. Lufthansa delivered our luggage to our hotel sometime in the middle of the night. Luckily we had 2 nights in Rome pre-cruise.

[es_2009]

My comment which is not mentioned is that you could make the ship but what about your luggage?

 

We flew Lufthansa to Rome last year which is (usually) always on time. We took off 1.5 hours late but still made our flight out of Frankfurt to Rome. Our luggage did not make it and it took a couple of hours inline at the airport to put in the report. Lufthansa delivered our luggage to our hotel sometime in the middle of the night. Luckily we had 2 nights in Rome pre-cruise.

 

We actually arrive at LHR at 10am the day before the cruise departs Harwich... I think if we have a problem with Luggage we will end up waiting around (or staying at an airport hotel) and then heading to Harwich in the morning. Luckily we have a direct flight from Toronto to Heathrow, so that ought to reduce the chances of the luggage going astray...

 

Our itinerary has the Jewel returning to Harwich at 4am the day of disembarkation. I am curious as to what time we will be able to get off the ship. I think if we can get going by 7am that should give us plenty of time... Has anyone had experience with disembarkation at Harwich with RCCL?