Disembarking in La Havre before last stop in Southhampton

[crucero]

Hello, we are considering disembarking from our cruise next year in Le Havre to spend a few days in Paris. The planned itinerary is to get off the ship the next day in Southhampton. I will call the cruise line, but I just wondered if any of you had done this before, and if there were any issues.

 

Thanks!

[waiting2retire]

My daughter and I did this two years ago.  I believe my daughter called Princess to request a route deviation.  We received an email confirmation within a couple of days approving the request.  Easy.  We took a cab from the ship to the train station and then the train from LeHavre into Paris.  Also very easy to do and fun to see some of the countryside.  We did take a cab from the train station in Paris to our hotel since we were not familiar with the city and had luggage.

 

Enjoy Paris!

 

[Turtles06]

6 hours ago, crucero said:

Hello, we are considering disembarking from our cruise next year in Le Havre to spend a few days in Paris. The planned itinerary is to get off the ship the next day in Southhampton. I will call the cruise line, but I just wondered if any of you had done this before, and if there were any issues.

 

Thanks!

 

You will have to get permission from your cruise line.  In terms of finding out about issues, etc., it would be a good idea to post your question in the dedicated forum for your cruise line.

 

P.S. For future reference, it's Southampton.  🙂

[TM]

We're doing this on our Princess British Isles cruise.  As waitingtoretire indicated above, you do need to request permission from your cruise line.  Our TA made the request and it was approved within a few days.

[pizzalady1]

How far in advance should this be requested? How did it work? Did all of the people with this request have to leave the ship at the same time?

[geoherb]

In April 2018, the Royal, on its transatlantic cruise, was scheduled to go to Le Havre but missed the port. That cruise was sold with different options, one of them being ending in Le Havre. Princess did not do much to help those passengers. You can search for threads about their experiences. Here's one thread:
 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2538261-royal-princess-misses-april-30-disembarkation-in-lehavre/

 

 

[John Bull]

Most cruise lines will give permission to disembark in Le Havre,  Some will charge an admin fee for doing so (I don't recall the figure but it wasn't a deal-breaker)

 

But NCL will NOT permit disembarkation there 

There's been a long thread on CC on the subject quite recently - the passenger was advised to take their request further up the command chain but ended up with a very firm NO in writing.

 

So do check with your cruise-line in writing before committing yourselves.

 

Do be aware that sometimes Le Havre is missed.

Weather-wise it's a very reliable port, but
- there's a small risk of industrial action in the port. If there's any grievance the French love to blockade their international ports and road-tunnels.

- if the ship has been delayed during its cruise (weather, mechanical issues etc) they'll miss the last port-of-call in order to arrive at its Southampton turnaround port on time.

Small risks, but be aware.

 

JB 

Edited July 17, 2019 by John Bull

[CarolandNate]

On 7/15/2019 at 8:20 PM, Turtles06 said:

 

You will have to get permission from your cruise line.  In terms of finding out about issues, etc., it would be a good idea to post your question in the dedicated forum for your cruise line.

 

P.S. For future reference, it's Southampton.  🙂

I want to reach a thread on this subject.  You mention posting on the dedicated cruise line forum.  What is the best way to pose a question about disembarking in Le Havre, instead of Southampton on the Princess forum and cut through to the relevant info., meaning to those who have experienced it.

[CarolandNate]

On 7/15/2019 at 2:58 PM, waiting2retire said:

My daughter and I did this two years ago.  I believe my daughter called Princess to request a route deviation.  We received an email confirmation within a couple of days approving the request.  Easy.  We took a cab from the ship to the train station and then the train from LeHavre into Paris.  Also very easy to do and fun to see some of the countryside.  We did take a cab from the train station in Paris to our hotel since we were not familiar with the city and had luggage.

 

Enjoy Paris!

 

I see you took a train from Le Havre and then a cab.  I saw other options like getting a driver or an uber.  We are considering making a detour to Normandy on the way, which would be better with a driver by the hour.  What concerns me is the reviews of some of the places that do this.   Meh !

 

Why did you choose a train as opposed to a driver of some sort? I am curious to find out what issues might have led to that decision.

 

I have been reading that the cruise line will do this, but it is a process.  Apparently lots of people do it.  The idea of going back to Southhampton for one night only to turn around and come back the next morning seems a bit of a waste.  Yes, it appears you lose a night that you paid for, but the additional expense of doubling back and losing all of that time to traveling back and forth seems more han worth it.

 

Did you explore other threads on CC or elsewhere when you were researching.  Any thoughts on your experience would be great. 

 

 

[Turtles06]

32 minutes ago, CarolandNate said:

I want to reach a thread on this subject.  You mention posting on the dedicated cruise line forum.  What is the best way to pose a question about disembarking in Le Havre, instead of Southampton on the Princess forum and cut through to the relevant info., meaning to those who have experienced it.

 

I would use a thread title along the lines of: “Has anyone disembarked in Le Havre rather than in final port of Southampton?” and then explain in detail in your first post the information you are seeking. 

 

Good luck! 

[CarolandNate]

32 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

I would use a thread title along the lines of: “Has anyone disembarked in Le Havre rather than in final port of Southampton?” and then explain in detail in your first post the information you are seeking. 

 

Good luck! 

That sounds good.  Would that work as a general topic or should I go specifically to a Princess forum.  I am guessing the general, since the idea is pretty generic.  Thanks.

[gnome12]

31 minutes ago, CarolandNate said:

That sounds good.  Would that work as a general topic or should I go specifically to a Princess forum.  I am guessing the general, since the idea is pretty generic.  Thanks.

There are a number of generic threads here. However, you need to know the Princess rules (which might be different from other cruise lines) so it should be in the Princess forum.

[Turtles06]

43 minutes ago, CarolandNate said:

That sounds good.  Would that work as a general topic or should I go specifically to a Princess forum.  I am guessing the general, since the idea is pretty generic.  Thanks.

 

11 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

There are a number of generic threads here. However, you need to know the Princess rules (which might be different from other cruise lines) so it should be in the Princess forum.

 

Exactly. This is Princess-specific question and should be posted in the Princess forum. 

[waiting2retire]

13 hours ago, CarolandNate said:

I see you took a train from Le Havre and then a cab.  I saw other options like getting a driver or an uber.  We are considering making a detour to Normandy on the way, which would be better with a driver by the hour.  What concerns me is the reviews of some of the places that do this.   Meh !

 

Why did you choose a train as opposed to a driver of some sort? I am curious to find out what issues might have led to that decision.

 

I have been reading that the cruise line will do this, but it is a process.  Apparently lots of people do it.  The idea of going back to Southhampton for one night only to turn around and come back the next morning seems a bit of a waste.  Yes, it appears you lose a night that you paid for, but the additional expense of doubling back and losing all of that time to traveling back and forth seems more han worth it.

 

Did you explore other threads on CC or elsewhere when you were researching.  Any thoughts on your experience would be great. 

 

 

 

We wanted to go directly to Paris, so the train was the most economical transportation available.  We booked in advance and paid 30 Euros for the two of us combined (one senior, one adult).  I really enjoyed the train; found it comfortable and and scenic.  Neither of us had ever been to France, and wanted to maximize our time in Paris rather than using a more expensive driver to sightsee along the way.

 

We were very happy with the experience!

 

Enjoy!

 

[CarolandNate]

51 minutes ago, waiting2retire said:

 

We wanted to go directly to Paris, so the train was the most economical transportation available.  We booked in advance and paid 30 Euros for the two of us combined (one senior, one adult).  I really enjoyed the train; found it comfortable and and scenic.  Neither of us had ever been to France, and wanted to maximize our time in Paris rather than using a more expensive driver to sightsee along the way.

 

We were very happy with the experience!

 

Enjoy!

 

This is good stuff.  30 euros is about $50, right.  That's not bad.  I have heard good things about the train.  Now all I have to do is convince my wife.  Two to three hours Le Havre to Paris ansd with that, you get a good part of the day and night in Paris. 

 

How long did you stay in Paris?  We are thinking two nights.  Did you you stay in the center?  I know it is more more expensive the closer to some of the biggies.  

 

So I assume you got off the ship at Le Havre, rather than go back to Southampton and then double back the next day.  But then you gain the day for spending time in Paris by not staying the day in Le Havre and then the next day when you might have headed back to France from Southampton taking more time, you've already spent a night in Paris and are working on your second day (first full day).

 

How difficult was the process getting the cruise line to let you off early.  Was the a fee involved.  How long in advance did you have to let them know.  Were there a lot of people on your ship doing the same thing.

 

Did you come early and stay in London pre-cruise.  If so, I would like to pick your brain on that.  We are planning to do that and have seen some packages that are pretty straightforward.

[waiting2retire]

1 hour ago, CarolandNate said:

This is good stuff.  30 euros is about $50, right.  That's not bad.  I have heard good things about the train.  Now all I have to do is convince my wife.  Two to three hours Le Havre to Paris ansd with that, you get a good part of the day and night in Paris. 

 

How long did you stay in Paris?  We are thinking two nights.  Did you you stay in the center?  I know it is more more expensive the closer to some of the biggies.  

 

So I assume you got off the ship at Le Havre, rather than go back to Southampton and then double back the next day.  But then you gain the day for spending time in Paris by not staying the day in Le Havre and then the next day when you might have headed back to France from Southampton taking more time, you've already spent a night in Paris and are working on your second day (first full day).

 

How difficult was the process getting the cruise line to let you off early.  Was the a fee involved.  How long in advance did you have to let them know.  Were there a lot of people on your ship doing the same thing.

 

Did you come early and stay in London pre-cruise.  If so, I would like to pick your brain on that.  We are planning to do that and have seen some packages that are pretty straightforward.

 

We stayed 4 nights in Paris at Les Tournelles in Le Marais section of Paris.  It is a small boutique hotel but in a pretty good location.  Paris has a great underground transportation system and is also very walkable.  We hit most of the highlights and even got out to Versailles for a day!  

 

We did get off the ship in Le Havre, along with many others who were doing the same.  We booked directly through Princess, so my daughter called the consultant we were working with a couple of months prior to departure and requested the route deviation.  We got the confirmed approval by email within 48 hours.  No cost involved.

 

We also stayed in London for 3 nights pre-cruise at the Hub by Premier Inn in Westminster.  Great location, lots of great stuff to do in London, depending on your interests.  We had a lot of pre-planning time, having booked almost a year in advance, so we booked most things we wanted to do and pre-paid online.  Again, walked a lot and took the Tube when needed.  We took a transfer to Southampton that included a visit to Stonehenge.

 

Had a great time researching and planning everything!!

 

 

 

[CarolandNate]

2 hours ago, waiting2retire said:

 

We stayed 4 nights in Paris at Les Tournelles in Le Marais section of Paris.  It is a small boutique hotel but in a pretty good location.  Paris has a great underground transportation system and is also very walkable.  We hit most of the highlights and even got out to Versailles for a day!  

 

We did get off the ship in Le Havre, along with many others who were doing the same.  We booked directly through Princess, so my daughter called the consultant we were working with a couple of months prior to departure and requested the route deviation.  We got the confirmed approval by email within 48 hours.  No cost involved.

 

We also stayed in London for 3 nights pre-cruise at the Hub by Premier Inn in Westminster.  Great location, lots of great stuff to do in London, depending on your interests.  We had a lot of pre-planning time, having booked almost a year in advance, so we booked most things we wanted to do and pre-paid online.  Again, walked a lot and took the Tube when needed.  We took a transfer to Southampton that included a visit to Stonehenge.

 

Had a great time researching and planning everything!!

 

 

 

This is exactly what I wanted to hear.  it sounds like this was not all that difficult to pull together.  My wife and I are looking at the British Isles Tour in the spring or summer of 2021 and want to do the the one that goes through Liverpool (for obvious reasons given our age.)  While I know it is early and 2021 cruises aren't even available yet, some general ideas have kind of cropped up, like adding on at the beginning and end.

 

I have found there are several ways to do London, possibly through something like International Friends or London Toolkit.  They have some interesting packages for three nights, which include transfer from Heathrow, hotel, a day of touring, a discount on a hop on/hop off for the free day and a transfer including Stonehenge (which is really important) to Southampton.  Seems like you did an a la carte approach, which is what we do pretty much anytime we do a vacation.  When we did Alaska two years ago, we cruised and then built our own for five days on land to Denali.

 

BTW.  On this Southampton via Stonehenge, was that private?  How long di you visit Stonehenge.  Most places seem to be 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  I assume that ius enough to make it worthwhile..

 

The France end seems a little bit more on one's own.  But what you have said just makes me that much more interested in making it work. 

 

We live in Western Mass, so we are close to Hartford for flying.  We can also do Boston or New York.  We did EZ Air for Alaska and were pleased.  If the EZ Air works better for Europe, we are all in.  We were even going to use it for a leg of our upcoming Panama Canal cruise in December, but points at Southwest and American prevailed.

 

Like I said, it's early, but not crazy early.  We booked the PC a year and a half in advance.  We plan to take advatage of the early booking on board when we do the PC in December.  By that time it will be about a year and a half away from our projected BI.  It would be good to have some ideas.

 

I am going to explore what you have told me over the next couple of months.  Like the hotels.  We have points at Choice and Marriott and probabdly get a credit card to get something for Hiltons, but that's down the line.

 

I would like to get back to you at some point when I have more information and when we get a bit closer to make making definitive plans.  If you don't mind, I would like to do so by email.  Mine is ncrose   at    comcast    dot   net.

 

Thanks again for your time.  Look forward to reaching out again.

 

Nate