Safe Arrival/Departure Times Heathrow

[cruisingdelt]

Booked a cruise for next fall out of Sothampton. We usually come in a day before but are just running out of vacation time next year. What is the latest we should arrive in Heathrow for a 4:45 PM cruise departure. We are looking at arriving 6:30AM - 7AM and having a nice sleep on the bus! What is the earliest departure time from Heathrow. We are looking at a 4:30PM since the earlier ones are before noon and I think that is cutting it close. Yes it is still 11 months away but I can use miles for free tix. These seats always seem to go fast at least when I need them. Thanks!

[sbhdmh]

Not to scare you but our flight last summer was delayed by 6 hours! Instead of 7 am we landed at Gatwick at 1 pm. With retrieving luggage, getting through customs, etc we would have probably had to travel ahead to meet the ship in Amsterdam if we had not flown in a day early. It may be worth the extra vacation day just to be safe. If you really can't do that be sure to fly out of an airport with a lot of alternate flights in case you run into equipment problems... Good luck and have a great trip.

[John Bull]

Always wise to fly a day early, but not always possible.

 

To give you a general idea, the last of the cruise-line coaches generally leaves Heathrow about 1.30 pm, ie flight arrivals about 12.00 to 12.30, for the 80 min drive to Southampton. The route is often subject to long delays on a summer saturday morning as Londoners head for the coast, otherwise it's pretty good.

You've got plenty of choice of flights from NY, so it has to be safer to choose an early one - a 7am arrival would get you to the ship way before 11am if you go by coach or train (involves a coach transfer from Heathrow to rail station), a good margin for delays.

 

Can I suggest perhaps you:

book a National Express coach, under £20 pp - if a flight delay screws things up badly, you can tear up those tickets & grab an expensive cab from the rank

or:

book a car - Southampton cab cos are cheaper than Heathrow cars at about £80

 

For your return, ignoring foul-ups, general disembarkation is around 7.30 to 8.30am & a pre-booked car would comfortably get you to Heathrow before 10am. If you book a 4.30pm flight, perhaps go by car & take in a sight near Heathrow, such as Windsor

 

John Bull

[TedC]

I STRONGLY suggest you fly in at least one day early to avoid all the stress entailed in trying to make close connections - you'll be VERY glad you did.

 

You have almost a year to figure out how to get that extra day of vacation - it will truly be a Mental Health Day!

 

Good luck and have a great cruise.

[MikeKam]

Booked a cruise for next fall out of Sothampton. We usually come in a day before but are just running out of vacation time next year. What is the latest we should arrive in Heathrow for a 4:45 PM cruise departure. We are looking at arriving 6:30AM - 7AM and having a nice sleep on the bus! What is the earliest departure time from Heathrow. We are looking at a 4:30PM since the earlier ones are before noon and I think that is cutting it close. Yes it is still 11 months away but I can use miles for free tix. These seats always seem to go fast at least when I need them. Thanks!

 

If you can change your booking I would book a flight for the day before.

[cruisingdelt]

Thanks to all of you for your replies. We have always arrived for our cruises a day before so arriving the day of the cruise will be a first. I think you are all convincing me to find that extra vacation day.

[John Bull]

Thanks to all of you for your replies. We have always arrived for our cruises a day before so arriving the day of the cruise will be a first. I think you are all convincing me to find that extra vacation day.

 

The timings are such that if you arrived Heathrow same day as your cruise (and many many do) the prospects of missing the sailing are very very slim.

But that day in hand is very very comforting, more to do with peace of mind than practicalities, and I think you'll sleep better in the weeks before your cruise. John Bull

[cruisingdelt]

Thanks again to all of you. We will find the "mental health" days. Just cashed in 125,000 miles for two 1st class tickets to London. We arrive, not the day before but the night before (8:30PM). Soon I'll start looking for a hotel. I have Marriott points:)

[PennyAgain]

Sounds like a MUCH better plan.

 

I've had very good experiences with the National Express Coaches. They are much easier for me than the trains as the driver on the coach loads the luggage and helps this old woman get on the coach. On the train it is all do it yourself.

 

I travel with one small suitcase and a small carry on bag. If you have a great heap of luggage the coach is not for you, but then again neither is the train.

[cruisingdelt]

Sounds like a MUCH better plan.

 

I've had very good experiences with the National Express Coaches. They are much easier for me than the trains as the driver on the coach loads the luggage and helps this old woman get on the coach. On the train it is all do it yourself.

 

I travel with one small suitcase and a small carry on bag. If you have a great heap of luggage the coach is not for you, but then again neither is the train.

 

I need to get you to talk to my DW. On one 7-day cruise she had 9 pairs of shoes/sandles, 3 different hair brushes and what seemed like an infinite variety of shampoos, conditioners and other liquid/cream products. Having learned my lesson in living harmoniously I just grin and bear it!!!

[MikeKam]

Booked a cruise for next fall out of Sothampton. We usually come in a day before but are just running out of vacation time next year. What is the latest we should arrive in Heathrow for a 4:45 PM cruise departure. We are looking at arriving 6:30AM - 7AM and having a nice sleep on the bus! What is the earliest departure time from Heathrow. We are looking at a 4:30PM since the earlier ones are before noon and I think that is cutting it close. Yes it is still 11 months away but I can use miles for free tix. These seats always seem to go fast at least when I need them. Thanks!

 

I would contact the your travel agent or even the cruise line and try to book an extra night before the cruise.

[Globaliser]

We arrive, not the day before but the night before (8:30PM). Soon I'll start looking for a hotel.

That's a good plan if it enables you to fly in comfort and/or you don't mind treating that day flight as part of your holiday - which, in first class, it will be.

 

When picking a hotel, don't forget to factor in the ways in which you might get from London to Southampton.

 

One possibility is to stay at the airport and get the coach the next day. However, you should bear in mind that almost all the hotels at Heathrow are off-airport and require a road transfer - and there are no traditional hotel shuttles to those hotels. You would then have to transfer back to Heathrow the next day to get the coach. So, for most Heathrow hotels, it is a lot more hassle than "airport hotel" might make it sound.

 

The other alternative is to head in to central London when you arrive. Although it'll be relatively late by local time, your body clock will still be mid-afternoon so this won't be particularly onerous on you personally. If you choose a hotel somewhere close to Waterloo station, it could be a very easy transfer over to the station the next day for a fast train to Southampton.

 

Alternatively, if you want to take the coach, you might want a hotel very close to Victoria coach station (not railway station). You may find that the coach calls at Heathrow en route to Southampton, but when you ponder the irony of it, that is the time to remember the hassle that you would have had to put up with to stay at an airport hotel.

[cruisingdelt]

That's a good plan if it enables you to fly in comfort and/or you don't mind treating that day flight as part of your holiday - which, in first class, it will be.

 

When picking a hotel, don't forget to factor in the ways in which you might get from London to Southampton.

 

One possibility is to stay at the airport and get the coach the next day. However, you should bear in mind that almost all the hotels at Heathrow are off-airport and require a road transfer - and there are no traditional hotel shuttles to those hotels. You would then have to transfer back to Heathrow the next day to get the coach. So, for most Heathrow hotels, it is a lot more hassle than "airport hotel" might make it sound.

 

The other alternative is to head in to central London when you arrive. Although it'll be relatively late by local time, your body clock will still be mid-afternoon so this won't be particularly onerous on you personally. If you choose a hotel somewhere close to Waterloo station, it could be a very easy transfer over to the station the next day for a fast train to Southampton.

 

Alternatively, if you want to take the coach, you might want a hotel very close to Victoria coach station (not railway station). You may find that the coach calls at Heathrow en route to Southampton, but when you ponder the irony of it, that is the time to remember the hassle that you would have had to put up with to stay at an airport hotel.

 

Many thanks for the advice. I think we will be staying in central London. I have Marriott points and can use them at a hotel Celebrity uses for their day ahead program. Celebrity then provides a transfer to Southampton from the hotel. Pricey, yes but I am not paying for the air or hotel. I still have time for this detail. Again, thank you!

[scrozuk]

Glad you've got something sorted for your pre-cruise stay.

 

Would always recommend arriving the day before, as you can get held up at any point or all the points between arriving at LHR, and getting on the ship.

 

The sod's law could be that your plane is late, your bags are the last ones off the plane, you get pulled by customs, the cabs are all gone, there's a jam on M25, M3 and main roads into Southampton city.

 

But, yeah, if you're transferring down to Southampton, your best bet is to book a cab from Southampton, as they would know all the little rat-runs on the way down if there's an issue.

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise.

 

ScrozUK

[rts211]

We are on the Crown Princess on July 17th returning to Southampton. Does anyone know what time the Crown Princess disembarks and can we make a 1200 flt out of Heathrow. Thanks

 

Carnival X 3

Royal caribbean 8

Princess x 3

Celebrity x 13

[John Bull]

We are on the Crown Princess on July 17th returning to Southampton. Does anyone know what time the Crown Princess disembarks and can we make a 1200 flt out of Heathrow. Thanks

 

Carnival X 3

Royal caribbean 8

Princess x 3

Celebrity x 13

 

I'd rate your chances of a noon flight not much better than 75%, even if you cut the corners.

Princess' general disembarkation at Southampton usually starts around 7.45am but you can ask for unassisted early disembarkation, which would be around 7am.

You can arrange a car to be quayside waiting for you, that's the only way to stand any chance of making the flight.

Your drive is a saturday morning, way way better than a weekday to head for Heathrow, but the minimum drive time is 75 minutes.

That puts you at Heathrow by 8.15 earliest, so theoretically up to 45 mins to spare for a 3-hour check-in. But that time in hand can quickly evaporate for a whole stack of reasons

And the worry of whether you'll make it can play on your mind for the next 6 months.

 

Do you risk it ? Depends whether there's a later flight same-day. Whether you can simply re-book for next day with little or no penalty if you miss it. Whether you feel lucky.

John Bull

[phabric]

We were on the Grand July 2009 out of Southampton. Self disembarkment was to start at 7:15 then 7:30am, it did not start until 7:45am as were late coming into Southampton.