Princess transfers

[SoBaycruiser]

We are booked on the Ocean next June. We will be staying with friends prior to our cruise so I am not concerned about transportation to the ship upon arrival. However, the ship returns to Dover on July 1 and docks at 5 am. I thought using Princess to transfer to Heathrow would be the least stressful after a long trip. I haven't booked our air travel and prefer not to have hours and hours waiting at the airport. Does Princess run multiple shuttles to the airport at different times? The express bus goes through London and takes about 4 hours. I assume the Princess transfer would be direct to Heathrow.

 

Anyone with experience using Princess' Dover transfer?

[Pam in CA]

You can add the transfer or book it once onboard. They have quite a few buses going to LHR and if you add the transfer before the cruise, there's no set time. A few days before the end of the cruise, a form will be delivered to your cabin. You fill out your flight information and if you haven't already booked the transfer, can check the box on the form for the transfer. You'll be assigned a bus, depending on your flight time. Usually, the bus transfer colors are among the first to leave the ship. It's pretty straightforward. Just make sure you don't book a flight that's too early. Oh, and yes, the bus is direct.

[paul929207]

Princess does have transfers leaving at different times based on the time of your flight. However, they will have you to the airport very early for your flight. Sometimes, for people with late flights, they offer excursions that end at the airport.

[caribill]

Princess does have transfers leaving at different times based on the time of your flight. However, they will have you to the airport very early for your flight. Sometimes, for people with late flights, they offer excursions that end at the airport.

 

 

All passengers will have disembarked by 10 AM, possibly a little earlier. The last of the xfer busses would leave no later than around 10.

 

If your flight is in the late afternoon or evening, you will have a long wait at the airport.

[coo359a2]

Does anyone know what the transfer cost pp would be?

[caribill]

Does anyone know what the transfer cost pp would be?

 

No idea of current cost.

 

Three years ago it was $69 per person from Heathrow to the ship.

[coo359a2]

No idea of current cost.

 

Three years ago it was $69 per person from Heathrow to the ship.

 

Thanks Bill. This gives a ballpark amount.

[SoBaycruiser]

I was the OP and flights have now become available for our Jul 1, 2013 trip home. Since we are going to the west coast, there are no late flights (I wish there were so I could sleep on the plane!) There is are a couple of flights near noon (12 and 12:20pm) and then one at 3:20pm. The last one seems like the best except it isn't non stop and that means changing planes during the middle of the night (body clock time). Yuk! Would the two earlier ones be two close for comfort? Maybe we should spend the night and go the next morning...but I'd prefer not to do that.

[Pia1913]

We just took the Princess transfer from Southampton to Heathrow; July 8th. Cost: $49/pp. Best choice I ever made. We had a 12:15 flight; got to the airport about 10. Definitely not too early for that monster zoo.

[Stevesan]

Last time I reserved a room at the LHR Hilton for disembarkation day. It eliminated stress and allowed for beaucoup flight selections. The hotel is attached to terminal 4 with shuttles to terminal 5.

 

http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/united-kingdom/hilton-london-heathrow-airport-LHRAPTW/index.html?WT.srch=1

 

If that's off the table, an alternative for a late flight could be one of the transfers that offers a sight seeing stop.

[Bowie MeMe]

Princess really does not encourage or allow staying on the ship for a leisurely morning before going to the airport. Remember how you were on the ship BEFORE noon if at all possible:p for your cruise. Does not play both ways early on late off. Late would be 9 AM ish.

 

Dover is a long ways from LHR. When I was last there the docking area was under repair and the whole place for check in (a small hotel ballroom) was a zoo. I was very glad that I was not trying to negotiate that without the transfer. Probably better now. LHR on the other hand probably is as big and confusing as any airport in the world!:eek: I would not consider 2 hours enough time and maybe 3 hours is pushing it depending on the lines and the crowds and the phase of the moon. Traffic around the airport and in approach to airport is also a huge ???. No way to tell ahead of time.

 

Facing the same problems for Diamond cruise in October. For going to port (2 1/2 hours away from Bangkok) after our 12 day land tour before cruise chose to add transfer into tour package. For going to airport at the end of the cruise -- the direct transfer to PEK (Beijing) (2 to 21/2 hours from airport) on a Princess transfer was almost 1/2 the price of anything else I priced *train, cab, car/driver, and private bus transfer* Each trip has a different set of circumstances and you have a different set of needs so have to consider the choices. Sign into your roll call and see what folks are using.

[Mapu]

I was the OP and flights have now become available for our Jul 1, 2013 trip home. Since we are going to the west coast, there are no late flights (I wish there were so I could sleep on the plane!) There is are a couple of flights near noon (12 and 12:20pm) and then one at 3:20pm. The last one seems like the best except it isn't non stop and that means changing planes during the middle of the night (body clock time). Yuk! Would the two earlier ones be two close for comfort? Maybe we should spend the night and go the next morning...but I'd prefer not to do that.

 

I would book the 12 or 12:15 flight. Princess advises to book flights no earlier than noon and with the transfer through Princess you will get there on time. On our last cruise I was happy that we added the transfers on our booking and not on the ship. Those booking their transfers on the ship paid double what we paid. You can always drop them and get the cost credited back if you decide on anther way to the airport.

[Stevesan]

The Princess transfer precruise price was $69 from Southampton to LHR. That was August 2008.

It was very convenient, after I found the correct bus.:rolleyes:

[Pia1913]

The Princess transfer precruise price was $69 from Southampton to LHR. That was August 2008.

It was very convenient, after I found the correct bus.:rolleyes:

 

How about that. Prices actually went down. We just paid $49 last month and never looked for the bus. We, and they, were segregated. I guess procedure, as well as price, has improved.

[SoBaycruiser]

How about that. Prices actually went down. We just paid $49 last month and never looked for the bus. We, and they, were segregated. I guess procedure, as well as price, has improved.

 

Wow I just got the quote for the transfer from Dover and they want $118/person and say book flights after 1pm...there go the 12-1 flights. Sigh. Southhampton IS a lot closer so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.