Dover Disembark Plan (Carnival question)

[AlPSUCruiser]

For our outbound, I plan to take the train from the Victoria station to Dover Priory, and then taxi to the port to start our cruise.  I think our kids would enjoy the experience of the train ride, and I see some cheap fares, hopefully they will be available for our July 2022 British Isles cruise.

 

For disembark I have a feeling the $85 Carnival shuttles back to London might be the easiest option given luggage issues and the mass of people.  Am I thinking about that correctly?  Does Carnival take care of your luggage, or do you have to find it and schlepp it to the bus?  Can anyone share their experience / recommendation?

 

For flights home from Heathrow, American has a 12:20pm flight, I suspect that is not manageable - correct?  What is the earliest departure time at Heathrow on disembark day that gives us plenty of slack, or is it just best to fly home the following day?

 

Thanks!

[MeHeartCruising]

For the transportation part of your questions, what you are suggesting is what I did both ways.  The train from central London to Dover Priory was easy and not a long trip.  Kids will consider it a fun part of the trip.  I did, as an adult. 
 

Now, I was not on Carnival.  I was on NCL.  For disembarkation, I used the cruises line’s offering which took me back into London with a stop in Canterbury.  We had a couple hours to walk to the Cathedral and explore the town before getting back on the bus where we were dropped at a central London location (which I can’t remember).  From there I took the Tube to my hotel.  Or you could grab a taxi to a final destination.  I had to get my luggage from the luggage carrousel to the bus where the driver loaded it under the bus.  Then I never touched it again until drop off in London.  I would bet that Carnival may offer this solution just like NCL.  

Edited July 4, 2021 by MeHeartCruising

[CanWeGoYet?]

We disembarked a day early in Dover, after  getting clearance from the dept that handles disembarking early - on Celebrity.  Original booking for transatlantic on Carnival, but when  they cancelled the cruise, I found one on Celebrity that was nearly identical for dates and crucial ports.  To keep the wonderful airfare I had found I just booked with Celebrity.  

 

I would think it's too far a distance & too much could go wrong to try to fly out the same day you disembark.   But I have very limited experience with Heathrow or the journey from Dover to London.  If you are going to try to make the flight the same day you disembark, then by all means the transport by Carnival makes sense.  If you are going to have the buffer of flying out at a later date, at least consider the train.  If you are traveling to London on a weekend or holiday that would mean few to no commuters, then the train might still be an option.  We found one going to Victoria station, direct with no need to transfer and at a fantastic rate.  Just walking up to the window to buy tickets when we were ready to go, no advance registration at all.  The train was so comfortable and modern, we had our own booth so able to stretch out with our ridiculous amount of luggage and bought some of the nice refreshments that came around on a cart.  This was back in 2009.  We've decreased how much we pack a lot since then.  But the train staff were all helpful and no one gave us shade over our many suitcases, not even fellow passengers.  Had this been a commuter train that was packed however, I think it might have been a different experience.

[John Bull]

16 hours ago, AlPSUCruiser said:

For our outbound, I plan to take the train from the Victoria station to Dover Priory, and then taxi to the port to start our cruise.  I think our kids would enjoy the experience of the train ride, and I see some cheap fares, hopefully they will be available for our July 2022 British Isles cruise.

 

For disembark I have a feeling the $85 Carnival shuttles back to London might be the easiest option given luggage issues and the mass of people.  Am I thinking about that correctly?  Does Carnival take care of your luggage, or do you have to find it and schlepp it to the bus?  Can anyone share their experience / recommendation?

 

For flights home from Heathrow, American has a 12:20pm flight, I suspect that is not manageable - correct?  What is the earliest departure time at Heathrow on disembark day that gives us plenty of slack, or is it just best to fly home the following day?

 

Thanks!

 

 

OK, your out-bound plan is sound. 🙂

 

"For disembark I have a feeling the $85 Carnival shuttles back to London might be the easiest option given luggage issues and the mass of people"

Can you just clarify - by "back to London" do you mean central London? Or do you really mean "to Heathrow"?  For Dover to Heathrow you skirt greater London on the M25 orbital road.

For ships' transfer coaches, you schlepp your own luggage from terminal to transfer coach (a few porters are usually available),  the driver loads it & unloads it onto the sidewalk near the entrance to your Heathrow terminal.

 

A 12.20pm flight is on the cusp of sensible. Check with Carnival the earliest recommended flight time for their  transfer buses - the answer is likely to be 12.30 or 1.00 pm.

It's probably wise to pre-book a car for 7am and disembark unassisted (ie haul your luggage from your cabin). That gets you ahead of the herd, and also nullifies the risk of any hold-up (line for the elevators, hunting for luggage, line at immigration etc). That'd put you 30 to 60 minutes ahead of the first transfer coach. The cost of a pre-booked car to Heathrow is around £130 to £140, that's only marginally more than ship's transfer for two - quite possibly cheaper with the kids.

 

Airports recommend arriving 3 hours before your scheduled flight, but that's over-kill. 2 hours is plenty, 90 minutes is do-able but don't dally. On the other hand, don't rely on airlines' latest check-in times, some close their check-in as little as 35 minutes before flight time - but frequently that's insufficient time for the formalities, esp lines at security.

 

What day of the week are you flying home? Makes a difference with the traffic. 

 

JB 🙂

[phabric]

If you have not purchased your flights yet and stay at a hotel near Heathrow and fly the next day.

 

Check out -

www.internationalfriends.co.uk (Cheaper to book through www.londontoolkit.com)

 

They go on embarkment and disembarkment days from Dover.  I took this all day Coach tour stopping at Canterbury and Leeds Castle then we were dropped off at my London hotel (around 6pm).  They drop off at certain London hotel, Heathrow hotels and Heathrow.

 

American fly from Terminal 5.  There are hotels near the terminal. I am not sure any attached to the terminal?

 

Hilton Garden Terminal 2 & 3 is attached to Terminal 2.  You can take Inter-Terminal Transfer to your terminal.

[AlPSUCruiser]

Thank you all for the ideas, they are very helpful.  Yes, "getting back to London" means for a flight from Heathrow, and it will be Sunday morning, so that's a plus without commuter traffic. I completely forgot about the disembark unassisted option, which we did last time.  Since we have 13 in our party a private coach will probably be cheaper, I'll search the forums for companies familiar with the Dover port.

[John Bull]

4 hours ago, AlPSUCruiser said:

  Yes, "getting back to London" means for a flight from Heathrow, and it will be Sunday morning, so that's a plus without commuter traffic.

 

Yee-haw, Whoooppeeee 🙂🙃 🙂

No commuters, few trucks, traffic will be a doddle.

I'd still suggest unassisted disembarkation, to give you that bigger window.

And yes, either a mid-size coach or two vans.

But don't ask for "vans" 'cos in the UK a "van" is what you call a panel van - great for parcels, not so great for peoples ☹️. Ask instead for "minibuses".

16 seats is usually the maximum for minibuses, but  maximising the number of seats minimises the capacity for luggage, so one 16-seat van won't suit.

When seeking a quote, make clear the approx number / sizes of your bags.

Larger vehicles (usually called coaches) are subject to more regulation of both vehicle and driver, so two vans might cost less than one mid-size coach. 

 

My experience, and the experience of most folk that I know, is that locally-based operators are more amenable, personal and reliable than airport-based outfits, and usually a little cheaper. And an operator close to the port isn't likely to be delayed en-route to the pick-up.  

Here are a few operators based in / near Dover. 

https://britannia-coaches.co.uk/

https://www.doverparking.com/minibus-hire.html

https://djcoaches.co.uk/dover-coach-hire

 

BTW, if your Victoria to Dover is also a sunday, be aware that there are usually fewer trains on sundays. 

 

JB 🙂

 

[AlPSUCruiser]

Thanks John - the quote of $650 I received from First Choice Bus is for a 32 seater minibus, so it should be more than adequate.  They knew 13 people and 13+ suitcases would not fit in a van.  That comes out to $50/person, cheaper and expectedly faster departure than Carnival's $85 shuttle which probably has multiple stops in London.

 

I appreciate the links to other operators, I was planning on getting multiple quotes, so that helps.

 

I'll also keep the 2 van approach in mind, since the 13 of us may be headed to different airlines/terminals at Heathrow.

 

Cheers

Allen

[John Bull]

2 hours ago, AlPSUCruiser said:

Thanks John - the quote of $650 I received from First Choice Bus is for a 32 seater minibus, so it should be more than adequate.  They knew 13 people and 13+ suitcases would not fit in a van.  That comes out to $50/person, cheaper and expectedly faster departure than Carnival's $85 shuttle which probably has multiple stops in London.

 

I appreciate the links to other operators, I was planning on getting multiple quotes, so that helps.

 

I'll also keep the 2 van approach in mind, since the 13 of us may be headed to different airlines/terminals at Heathrow.

 

Cheers

Allen

 

Hi again, Allen,

 

There are a lot of travel operators with names like First / First Choice etc., I'll hazard a guess that the operator you mention is https://www.firstchoicebus.com/private-hire-1

They're based near Heathrow.

I don't know them, and there's very limited info on them on the 'web - but nothing negative. Annoyingly, photos of their minibuses but couldn't find any photos/details of their 32-seater/s.

 

Different terminals at Heathrow shouldn't be a problem, the perimeter road doesn't get clogged & I don't think there's an airport charge for drop-off, though they're creeping in at other airports - just agree with the driver the order of drop-off (perhaps starting with the terminal with the earliest flight-time?) before he loads luggage, so that he can stow bags appropriately. 

 

Did they quote in USD ($650) or GBP (£650, which would be about £900) ?

 

JB 🙂

 

 

 

[AlPSUCruiser]

Hey John - all of the quotes I received were in GBP and I converted to USD.  I like your idea of using services located closer to Dover, so I requested quotes from the companies you suggested.  So far DJ Coaches is the cheapest at $580 USD ($45/person).  They are all saying allow 2 hours for the drive to Heathrow on a Sunday morning.  Even if we are delayed until 8am leaving the port we should be at the airport by 10am, which is great.

 

You've been very helpful, thanks 

 

Do you also know hotels in London?  At first my my search was focused on location, close to the Victoria station.  The more I search, the more I would like a historic, grand architecture hotel like St Pancras, but that location is not optimal for sightseeing - correct?  I think the train to Dover from St Pancras would require at least 1 transfer, which is doable, although boarding once with all our luggage would be awesome.  Are there any other hotels like St Pancras that come to mind?  We may end up there, as a few of our group are going early for a day trip to Paris, and I think the St Pancras train is a good starting point to Paris from what I've read so far.

 

Allen

[Cotswold Eagle]

15 hours ago, AlPSUCruiser said:

I think the train to Dover from St Pancras would require at least 1 transfer, which is doable, although boarding once with all our luggage would be awesome. 

There are regular and fast direct trains from St Pancras to Dover. 

[John Bull]

19 hours ago, AlPSUCruiser said:

Hey John - all of the quotes I received were in GBP and I converted to USD.  I like your idea of using services located closer to Dover, so I requested quotes from the companies you suggested.  So far DJ Coaches is the cheapest at $580 USD ($45/person).  They are all saying allow 2 hours for the drive to Heathrow on a Sunday morning.  Even if we are delayed until 8am leaving the port we should be at the airport by 10am, which is great.

 

You've been very helpful, thanks 

 

Do you also know hotels in London?  At first my my search was focused on location, close to the Victoria station.  The more I search, the more I would like a historic, grand architecture hotel like St Pancras, but that location is not optimal for sightseeing - correct?  I think the train to Dover from St Pancras would require at least 1 transfer, which is doable, although boarding once with all our luggage would be awesome.  Are there any other hotels like St Pancras that come to mind?  We may end up there, as a few of our group are going early for a day trip to Paris, and I think the St Pancras train is a good starting point to Paris from what I've read so far.

 

Allen

 

 

In no particular order.....

 

DJ Coaches (Kent) is a long-established coach operator, they're based in the northern part of Kent / South-east London so about an hour from Dover.

Again only a few reviews.

Their website majors on their full-size coaches, which provide the vast bulk of their turnover - plenty of photos of them, but few of the 19-seater and no inside photos of the 29-seater. 

Which vehicle have they quoted for?

The 19-seater is a bit cramped and I don't know how big the trunk area at the back.

I suspect the 29-seater will also be a bit cramped, and no mention of recline-able seats - it's more of a maxi-van rather than a mini-coach. Luggage space on it is very limited but plenty of spare seats altho regulations (frequently broken by multiple operators) don't allow luggage to travel in the passenger cab.

First and DJ would be OK - it's only a two hour journey - and the ballpark prices make sense, but I'd be inclined to wait for all quotes before choosing. Bear in mind that an extra £100 is less than £10 per person.

 

There are direct trains to Dover from termini at St Pancras, and Charing Cross (also pick up at London Bridge and Waterloo East), and Victoria - that's five options. Journey times and fares vary quite significantly.

 

Yes, Googlemaps and I agree with the coach operators - 2 hours should be fine on a sunday morning.

But hanging around in a bar at Heathrow is preferable to the quayside at Dover, and there's always the possibility of the motorway being closed by a jack-knifed 18-wheeler shedding its load or a fatal accident, esp. after a saturday night. So I'd still be inclined to keep that window as wide as possible.  

 

You're right, St Pancras isn't an optimum location for sight-seeing, it's on the northern fringe of central London.

But by tube is the quickest and (once you've got the hang of it) easiest way to get around central London, and FIVE tube lines serve St Pancras, so you're no more than 10 to 15 minutes from most sights.

I don't think it's near any of the ho-ho sight-seeing routes, but it's on the operators feeder route - so it will cost you some time.

Also not optimum for nightlife.

But your friends who're planning a day-trip to Paris would be very happy with a St Pancras location - it's the terminus (and there are no other London stops) for Eurostar. A long long day and quite rushed in Paris but plenty do it, and if your friends haven't visited Paris & don't expect to be able in the future then a rushed visit is infinitely better than no visit.  

 

I don't know London hotels well, especially the historic ones. But if St Pancras appeals, then the Clermont is part of historic Charing Cross station and might also suit. You can't really get much more central than Charing Cross - it's the point where distances to London are measured, just around the corner from Trafalgar Square, The Strand, etc ad infinitum

Or St Ermin's near Buckingham Palace with a long history and WW2 connections, & only a 10 - 15 minute stroll from Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Churchill's War Rooms, Whitehall, 10 Downing Street and multiple other sights. A 15 minute walk or short taxi hop to Victoria train station. 

But there are plenty more.

 

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

https://tfl.gov.uk/tfl/syndication/widgets/tubemap/default-search.html

https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/the-clermont-charing-cross.en-gb.html?aid=304142;label=gen173nr-1FCAEoggI46AdIM1gEaFCIAQGYAQm4ARfIAQzYAQHoAQH4AQuIAgGoAgO4AoCKq4EGwAIB0gIkZTYzOD

https://www.sterminshotel.co.uk/about/our-history/

 

JB 🙂