Can I make a 10:05 flight at Heathrow Jewel of the Seas

[gemcam1]

Hi

 

I am on the 8/11/10 Jewel of the Seas and am wondering if anyone tried to make a 10:05am flight at Heathrow on departure day. The Jewel gets into Harwich port at 4am.

 

I know it is about a 2 hour drive but will we get off by 6am?

 

Thanks

[xpcdoojk]

I have not sailed from Harwich, but I have almost never heard of anyone getting off the ship at 6AM either. Why the big hurry to get home?

 

JC

[AJD]

The car service we are using advised not booking a flight leaving earlier than 12:30.

[madforcruising]

Hi

 

I am on the 8/11/10 Jewel of the Seas and am wondering if anyone tried to make a 10:05am flight at Heathrow on departure day. The Jewel gets into Harwich port at 4am.

 

I know it is about a 2 hour drive but will we get off by 6am?

 

Thanks

 

 

I wouldn´t do it. IMO you are likely going to miss that flight.

 

It´s unlikely you are getting off at 6am, but even if you would that gives you only 4 hours to retrieve your bags, get in the car, make the two hour drive, which would happen to be during rush hour and could delay those 2 hours and check-in for your flight get through security and to the gate.

 

I would say 2 hours at Heathrow might be cutting it close as well.

[boulders]

Here's a thread discussing the distance between Harwich and Heathrow. 2008 thread

 

If the drive takes 2 1/2 hours, you will need to leave at least 4 1/2 hours before your flight's departure which would mean leaving at 5:30 a.m. at the latest. Ships are usually not cleared until sometime between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. I would agree with the previous poster's car service and book something after 12:30 p.m.

[yogimax]

Simple answer - it won't work.

[NorbertsNiece]

Just to throw my two pennyworth in. The M25 circumnavigates London. This motorway is notorious for accidents and congestion. There is no way you could get there in 2 hours within the speed limit and the road is empty let alone during a normal working day.

[Jo and Rob]

Definitely no!

My parents live in Harwich if we were flying at 10.05 we would be staying overnight at Heathrow!

1. The traffic around the M25 is terrible (Rob sat in traffic for one and a half hours on the M25 near Heathrow just last week without moving an inch) The exit for Heathrow is on the other side of the M25 and there are always roadworks. It is known as the largest carpark in the UK.
   
2. The security measures for flights to USA are much more time consuming and you need to check in 3 hours before your flight.
   
3. Although the ship docks ein the early hours it does not mean that you will be able to disembark.
   

Please don't risk it.

[Pencruise]

Hi

 

I am on the 8/11/10 Jewel of the Seas and am wondering if anyone tried to make a 10:05am flight at Heathrow on departure day. The Jewel gets into Harwich port at 4am.

 

I know it is about a 2 hour drive but will we get off by 6am?

 

Thanks

 

Did the same cruise a few years ago and had a two hour bus trip to Gatwick - arrived there after 11am, so I certainly wouldn't risk booking a flight before noon from Heathrow, as another poster said the M25 is notorious for traffic jams and you will be caught right in the middle of the rush hour on a weekday. Try and book a later flight or overnight in London.

[apk1389]

i would suggest not it took me three hours to get to london this past summer after getting off the boat at 9 ish which was pretty early then secruity took a long time id push it back or you will miss your flight

[Grandma Gilly]

Just confirming what has been said previously. Harwich to Heathrow is at least 2 to 3 hours depending on the M25 motorway and you will be on it during the morning rush hour. Plus they suggest being at Heathrow 3 hours before your flight. Sounds far too tight to me.

[Jolimont]

Not a chance in heck.

[scottbee]

Hi

 

I am on the 8/11/10 Jewel of the Seas and am wondering if anyone tried to make a 10:05am flight at Heathrow on departure day. The Jewel gets into Harwich port at 4am.

 

I know it is about a 2 hour drive but will we get off by 6am?

 

Thanks

 

Not a chance. The M25 (London ring road), is one of the busiest, congested roads in Europe.

[Mydnite]

Highly unlikely. You will need to check in for the flight at least 2 hours before. Check in desks at heathrow can be busy, so even if there is time, if you have a desk that has a queue you could still miss it. So the latest you need top be checked in by would be 8.05 am, that would mean being at heathrow by about 7.45 to get the luggage out the car and to the check in desk (it is rush hour there can ber queues even for drop offs) Travelling from Harwich to Heathrow is not a short journey, there are major road works on trhe M25, so the journey could easily be 3 hours. This would mean, with no other delays and if all went totally smoothly that you would need to be in the car travelling from Harwich by 4.45, I don't think that they actually start disembarking that early.

 

Don't do it, you will not make it.

[Addict]

I drive the M25 a lot - and I have sat without moving for 5 hours before! :eek:

 

Personally I would want a late afternoon flight or even the next day. The stress isn't worth it.

[negc]

The car service we are using advised not booking a flight leaving earlier than 12:30.

 

That seems like a very good source and good advice since they probably do such transfers regularly during the cruise season and understand the difficulties that making such an early flight would entail. It would be extremely difficult if not impossible to make a 10:05 am flight and definitely, IMO, not worth the stress involved. Better that you should book a later flight and take a more relaxed trip to the airport for your flight home. :)

[Stevesan]

Apparently, not a good idea! :p

[Brunelphil]

To add to what has already been written there are about 10-15 miles of roadworks on the stretch of the M25 before you reach Heathrow. The maximum speed through the roadworks is 50 mph, and during the rush hour people I know who travel this route have taken anything up to 2 hours just to get through the roadworks.

 

I would definitely look into booking a late-afternoon/early evening flight, and if you do have a smooth journey you could always pop in for a drink, I only live about 10 minutes from Junction 16 of the M25, this is the junction before Heathrow. :)

[Garyorient]

Hi

 

I am on the 8/11/10 Jewel of the Seas and am wondering if anyone tried to make a 10:05am flight at Heathrow on departure day. The Jewel gets into Harwich port at 4am.

 

I know it is about a 2 hour drive but will we get off by 6am?

 

Thanks

 

NO NO NO NO NO

Never, no way no how not possible.

 

Traffic wise everything would have to be in your favour and I still would question a 2 hour drive. 2.1/2 - 3 BEST CASE SCENARIO.

 

Never off the ship before 7.

 

Forget it.

 

I live bang in between Harwich and Heathrow (equi distance) and it ain't going to happen.

 

Please think again.

[NYC cruiser lady]

NO NO NO NO NO

Never, no way no how not possible.

 

Traffic wise everything would have to be in your favour and I still would question a 2 hour drive. 2.1/2 - 3 BEST CASE SCENARIO.

 

Never off the ship before 7.

 

Forget it.

 

I live bang in between Harwich and Heathrow (equi distance) and it ain't going to happen.

 

Please think again.

 

Even if you take the train to Liverpool St. Station and then take the train to Heathrow, you won't make it. Find an inexpensive hotel near the airport and take the same flight the following morning.

Good luck.

[Cruising50's]

We were on Jewel last July.............fabulous cruise, but I was worried the whole time because we were booked on a 12:45pm flight home out of Heathrow. I took the advice of many people that had cruised on Jewel before...........booked the flight.........but, still worried that we would make it.

 

I hired a private driver from Heathrow Chauffeurs to pick us up at 7am. He was there and waiting as promised, but they had warned me that the drive from Harwich to Heathrow could possibly be delayed due to construction, traffic, etc. We requested to get off the ship as early as possible and we were allowed off right at 7am. We did encounter heavy traffic and arrived at Heathrow one hour before our flight. We were literally in panic mode by then and barely made the flight. We will NEVER do that again. Next time, we will stay in London and fly out the next day. The only reason we couldn't do it this time was because we had someone traveling with us in the military and they had to report for duty the next day. I will say that the only reason we made the 12:45pm flight was due to our driver. I don't think that we would have made it had we traveled by the cruiseline buses. They were still loading the buses when we left. The driver did everything he could to get us to the airport as soon as he could. It is just not worth ruining your vacation by worrying about missing the flight the whole time.

[EGG]

Or another idea - find a medium priced hotel in a convenient section of London. Spend the day touring. Return to your hotel to rest for an hour or two. Enjoy dinner and a show. Then take the same flight the following morning.

 

Or if there is a later flight the next day, do some touring or a museum the next morning and head to the airport with plenty of time and no stress before your flight. You've now had 2 days of touring with 1 hotel night and a convenient timed wait at the airport.

[Stevesan]

Or another idea - find a medium priced hotel in a convenient section of London. Spend the day touring. Return to your hotel to rest for an hour or two. Enjoy dinner and a show. Then take the same flight the following morning.

 

Or if there is a later flight the next day, do some touring or a museum the next morning and head to the airport with plenty of time and no stress before your flight. You've now had 2 days of touring with 1 hotel night and a convenient timed wait at the airport.

 

 

An even better plan: Spend 3 or 4 days in London! :p

The use your 3 day Travelcard to take the tube to Heathrow! :)

[octagonmike]

I live 40 miles closer to Heathrow than Harwich and I can almost Guarantee with the M25 morning rush hour and the dreaded A12 morning Rush Hour you need to be allowing more like 3 hours to get to Heathrow comfortably.

 

Some mornings it can take me an hour to get from my home in Braintree Essex to Sawbridgeworth Hertfordshire and that is only 30 miles. Harwich to Heathrow must be about 110 miles and the only route you can use is Europes biggest slow moving car park my friend.