Question about hotel and cruise transportation to port

[FSU Girl]

I'm trying to decide when to book my hotel for my cruise in May leaving from Southampton. I'm going to spend 2 days in London before the cruise. I was thinking about doing a cruise transfer, but the hotels they have listed aren't ones I want to stay at. Is there a way for me to book the hotel I'd like and then go to the hotel they are picking up from? Or go to the airport? Or is it easier to just take a train from London to Southampton on our own? Using the Princess transfer seems like the easiest option, but I've never done any of this before so unsure.

[goofy559]

4 minutes ago, FSU Girl said:

I'm trying to decide when to book my hotel for my cruise in May leaving from Southampton. I'm going to spend 2 days in London before the cruise. I was thinking about doing a cruise transfer, but the hotels they have listed aren't ones I want to stay at. Is there a way for me to book the hotel I'd like and then go to the hotel they are picking up from? Or go to the airport? Or is it easier to just take a train from London to Southampton on our own? Using the Princess transfer seems like the easiest option, but I've never done any of this before so unsure.

 

Book your own hotel and book a transfer with Princess separately.  The have buses that leave from Victoria Coach Station.

 

 

[skynight]

I would investigate a private transfer. We used Smiths for Airports and were very satisfied. You can obtain quotes on line. We transferred from Heathrow to Southampton and it was around GBP 75, which we thought was very reasonable and comparable to the Princess bus service and a lot more convenient and comfortable. 

[Kenswing]

We stayed at a hotel near the Eye then took the train from Waterloo Station to Southampton.  Very easy. 

[AF-1]

Another option is stay at your selected hotel; book a Princess Transfer and take taxi to one of the Princess hotels that is close to your hotel

Edited November 28, 2018 by AF-1
grammer

[vmom]

I also used Smith's car service to get to Southampton from Heathrow and was very happy. As a previous poster suggested you can also pick up the Princess transfer at Victoria station.  I remember it as being around $59.

 

 

[Micahs Grandad]

In August took taxi to train station and than train to Southampton and taxi to port. Worked very well and train station at port was near licquor store.

 

Will do it again next summer.

[Times Prince]

2 hours ago, goofy559 said:

 

Book your own hotel and book a transfer with Princess separately.  The have buses that leave from Victoria Coach Station.

 

 

This is what we did, and it worked fine.  The hotel we stayed at was within walking distance of the station, and we saw other people rolling their luggage to the station as well.  It worked out fine.

[2theship]

More than once, we have used a shared transfer with Woodford Chauffeur Cars. They will pick you at your London hotel and take you directly to the ship. If you book with them and post on your roll call, it will fill quickly! We've had no problem with pickups at different hotels.

[FSU Girl]

Thanks everyone! I wasn't sure you were allowed to book the transfer picking up at a hotel you weren't staying at. It does sound like doing either a train or private transfer is the way to go. For the train is it direct from London to Southampton? 

[Coral]

3 hours ago, FSU Girl said:

Thanks everyone! I wasn't sure you were allowed to book the transfer picking up at a hotel you weren't staying at. It does sound like doing either a train or private transfer is the way to go. For the train is it direct from London to Southampton? 

You are not. They do pick up at Victoria station though.

[Paccruise]

I took Smith a few years ago from airport to hotel in town.  I email them to ask for prices.  I took Smith both ways including early pick up.  No problems with them.  I am sure they take you from London to Southampton.

 

Now you have 3 ways.

[Kenswing]

7 hours ago, FSU Girl said:

Thanks everyone! I wasn't sure you were allowed to book the transfer picking up at a hotel you weren't staying at. It does sound like doing either a train or private transfer is the way to go. For the train is it direct from London to Southampton? 

The train we took from Waterloo Station had a few stops but we didn't have to transfer.

[TheRabbit]

21 hours ago, 2theship said:

More than once, we have used a shared transfer with Woodford Chauffeur Cars. They will pick you at your London hotel and take you directly to the ship. If you book with them and post on your roll call, it will fill quickly! We've had no problem with pickups at different hotels.

We did with friends and added Stonehenge on the way to the port. Was well worth it and we also used them for pickup.

[AF-1]

You can ask this question on the ports of call England boards;  a lot of people who have been there post transfer options.  Good Luck

Edited November 29, 2018 by AF-1
added txt

[rdsqrl]

The train from Waterloo (not from Victoria -- that train takes longer) is direct to Southampton, although there are stops in between.  It's a fairly quick trip. 

 

And I second the recommendations for Smiths.  I used them from Southampton to London and then from London to LHR and was extremely pleased with their service both times.  While the train is cheaper, Smiths is worth the indulgence if you want to splurge a little. 

 

[Micahs Grandad]

13 hours ago, FSU Girl said:

Thanks everyone! I wasn't sure you were allowed to book the transfer picking up at a hotel you weren't staying at. It does sound like doing either a train or private transfer is the way to go. For the train is it direct from London to Southampton? 

Train took about 90 minutes and made about 6 stops from Waterloo.

[geoherb]

We took the National Express coach (bus) from Victoria Coach Station in September. It's the most affordable option. We paid $16.22 for the two of us. Last year we took a train from Paddington. We had to change trains in Reading. It was not that difficult even with our luggage. I booked our hotel near Waterloo this year so that we could take the train. But it turned out that they had planned to do maintenance on the tracks between Romsey and Southampton the weekend we were going. We could have taken the train to Romsey and transferred to a coach to get to Southampton. I decided to go with the cheaper coach ride the whole way.

[FSU Girl]

10 hours ago, geoherb said:

We took the National Express coach (bus) from Victoria Coach Station in September. It's the most affordable option. We paid $16.22 for the two of us. Last year we took a train from Paddington. We had to change trains in Reading. It was not that difficult even with our luggage. I booked our hotel near Waterloo this year so that we could take the train. But it turned out that they had planned to do maintenance on the tracks between Romsey and Southampton the weekend we were going. We could have taken the train to Romsey and transferred to a coach to get to Southampton. I decided to go with the cheaper coach ride the whole way.

Would the website mention when booking tickets if there will be maintenance preventing us from getting there? The train sounds pretty easy to take, but I want to make sure we don't get there and then find out it actually isn't running that day or something.