Staying in London after a cruise - Should I plan it ?

[schattenfell71]

Hello from Germany!

I know that it is quite some time but I am in my holiday planning for 2022 and I need your help.

My wife and myself are fully vaccinated and we have some future credit points to spend in 2022.

We have choosen the Norwegian trip (V215D) from Kiel (Germany) to Southampton. This would be the only time we can travel.

My plan was to go to London after embarking in Southampton on Sunday and stay there for 2 more days until Tuesday.

Then we have planned to take the Eurostar via Brussels back to Germany.

It sounds like a hell of a journey but the connections seems to be good.

But I am very anxcoius now regarding all of the gouverment restrictions. If I do understand it right, I need the following

S    Staying in London: COVID-Test on the 2nd day and an online form

T    Travelling through Belgium: Another online form for Belgium

 

Perhaps it will be better to fly back home with Cunard on the day of embarking. But I would love to spend some times in London.

Will it be too difficult in these times (resuming that it will be the same in 2022)?

What do you thing or should do?

Thanks and as always….sorry for my horrible English.

Take care

Thorsten

[exlondoner]

You have taken into account the reduced nature of Eurostar services at present? No doubt it will improve soon.

[Megabear2]

You are correct that currently you have to take a day 2 test.  However hopefully by the end of this month it will be a lateral flow test so far easier to deal with. The forms for the UK would be needed on arrival into Southampton anyway so nothing to worry about there as the UK formalities would have been completed onboard.  You would simply need to complete your pre purchased Covid test on the Tuesday, Sunday being day zero, Monday being day 1. 

 

Transfer through Belgium for you as a Schengen traveller would at present be as you say an online form.  

 

There are some really good deals to be had in London on hotels at present and all of the theatres and museums etc are reopening and planning their next year.  Having just spent the past 7 days in London catching up on cancelled arrangements I can honestly say that unless you are planning on cramming into pubs and nightclub venues with the young people it is as safe as you could hope.  The tubes and buses are busy but not overcrowded and the frequency means that if you feel a little uncomfortable theres another one minutes behind.

 

It might be a good idea to reserve accommodation on a fully cancellable tariff so that if things change you will not lose money and have the comfort to change your mind. Currently there isnt that much difference in the prices for paying up front or paying later.

 

Regarding Eurostar, again could you book a refundable fare? You are too far away from June to check the timetable but Eurostar are currently running an advertising campaign about their services to Germany so they clearly are intending to publish it early in the new year. 

 

By way of an aside, their is a frequent train service from Southampton Central railway station direct into central London.  If you take a taxi from the dock to the station it is about 10 minutes.  The trains take about 1 hour 20 min to London Waterloo, although some other trains operate into London Victoria but take longer.  If purchased in advance these tickets can cost as little as £5.00.

 

I hope this helps.

[lissie]

Hasn't the UK just dropped day 2 tests? https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/Fully-vaccinated-travellers-to-England-from-non-red-list-countries-can-swap-PCR-test-for-lateral-flow-from-end-of-October Assuming your cruise is about 6 months at least away - almost anything could happen between now and then - its not worth worrying about. 

 

We have a cruise booked for next July and currently  are not allowed to t leave the country and there are no flights -but I expect we have a good chance of doing the cruise depending on what happens in the next few months. I expect most of the restrictions left by next year will have to do with Brexit not Covid 

[schattenfell71]

First let me say thanks for all of your answers and opinions. It helps a lot because I am a little bit confused and the more I think about it it become more worse.

 

I could fill out an British form and/or an Belgium form...that´s not the problem but we would leave from London at 11.40 a.m. with the Eurostar at day 2. When/Where do I have to do the test then? I will leave the UK on day 2. Is it a test which I can make by myself? Where do I have to sent the result of it? Very complex to me.

 

Maybe it will be better to book a package (Hotel/Flight) with Cunard and let them do all of this stuff?

 

It is a lot of time until June/July 2022 and I hope that everything will be easier until then. But we are glad to be vaccinated and that life and travelling begins to get normal for us.

 

By the way: Thanks for the compliments about my English. I am getting red.

[sandancer]

Firstly I am not familiar with Cunard hotel/flight arrangements but have used this on other cruise lines and have been successful in adding on extra days at the end of the cruise before flying home. It would be so much easier than Eurostar. 

[ew101]

21 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

I can honestly say that unless you are planning on cramming into pubs and nightclub venues with the young people it is as safe as you could hope. 

Lovely advice here.  And avoid the "save money with nonrefundable fares" button.  

[Megabear2]

15 hours ago, lissie said:

Hasn't the UK just dropped day 2 tests? https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/Fully-vaccinated-travellers-to-England-from-non-red-list-countries-can-swap-PCR-test-for-lateral-flow-from-end-of-October Assuming your cruise is about 6 months at least away - almost anything could happen between now and then - its not worth worrying about. 

 

We have a cruise booked for next July and currently  are not allowed to t leave the country and there are no flights -but I expect we have a good chance of doing the cruise depending on what happens in the next few months. I expect most of the restrictions left by next year will have to do with Brexit not Covid 

The PCR test on day 2 is being removed at the end of October, however it is being replaced by a lateral flow test. No one is currently sure how this will work but a test of some sort will be required until the next rule change.

[Megabear2]

7 hours ago, schattenfell71 said:

First let me say thanks for all of your answers and opinions. It helps a lot because I am a little bit confused and the more I think about it it become more worse.

 

I could fill out an British form and/or an Belgium form...that´s not the problem but we would leave from London at 11.40 a.m. with the Eurostar at day 2. When/Where do I have to do the test then? I will leave the UK on day 2. Is it a test which I can make by myself? Where do I have to sent the result of it? Very complex to me.

 

Maybe it will be better to book a package (Hotel/Flight) with Cunard and let them do all of this stuff?

 

It is a lot of time until June/July 2022 and I hope that everything will be easier until then. But we are glad to be vaccinated and that life and travelling begins to get normal for us.

 

By the way: Thanks for the compliments about my English. I am getting red.

At the moment unfortunately the position on taking your test on day 2 is unknown. The UK are removing the need for a PCR test on day 2 and replacing it with a lateral flow test.  No one at this point is sure of the logistics of doint this.  The chances are it would indeed be do it yourself but until the Government issues directions we are all equally in the dark.

 

The fly cruise extension would seem to be a very good idea, much better than taking the train and presumably offering more timing options.

 

Bear in mind, however, that you will still need under current rules to fill in the UK Government passenger locator form to actually set foot in the UK and one section of this requires in advance the code from a pre purchased test.  Currently there is no way round this, no test purchased no way to complete the form and be allowed entry to the UK.

 

Of course all of this may well change but the general feeling is that the Passenger Locator Form may be with us for quite a while.

 

I hope this helps.

[carlmm]

17 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

 

Bear in mind, however, that you will still need under current rules to fill in the UK Government passenger locator form to actually set foot in the UK and one section of this requires in advance the code from a pre purchased test.  Currently there is no way round this, no test purchased no way to complete the form and be allowed entry to the UK.

How is one supposed to handle this when one flies to the UK and embarks a Cunard ship the same day?

 

I am booked on the Queen Elizabeth in February, plan to go directly from LHR to the cruise terminal and will disembark in a different country.

Edited October 6, 2021 by carlmm

[Megabear2]

This would assumedly by a transit and come under the rules here:

 

https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control/layovers-and-transiting

 

You would not be required to take a day 2 test under your circumstances and would fill in the form accordingly. You should double check the requirements if in doubt.

 

Schattenfell on the other hand intends to remain in the UK and is not intending to leave the same day so would need to register a Day 2 test.

[Windsurfboy]

Back to orginal  question.  Some great bargins available for hotels on a fully  cancellable basis up till a few days before you come . Grab one now .

 

Don't worry about covid testing for 2022 things will change  for the better (for the fully vaccinated)

 

[schattenfell71]

I can book the Eurostar from London to Brussels for 50 Euro each right now.

 

Will do it anyway because I guess this is a bargin price and even if I will not go with it I will not getting it for this price later.

 

 

Edited October 8, 2021 by schattenfell71

[Bigmike911]

Perhaps, you should consider flying from London Heathrow to your home in Germany. That way you would have to deal only with the UK and German Covid Rules which are in place at the time. That eliminates putting Belgium rules in the middle of your journey. There is direct service to Heathrow by rail from Paddington, and If the Elizabeth Line ever opens, more of London. 

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

…There is direct service to Heathrow by rail from Paddington, and If the Elizabeth Line ever opens, more of London. 

That’s the Heathrow Express - more costly and only slightly faster than the Piccadilly Line which runs from Heathrow across central London then north to Cockfosters (Barnet).  It gives you access to many more places than Paddington.

[schattenfell71]

Hello again with an update:

 

We deceided not to stay in London and take the flight back to Germany after the cruise.

Not that we do not want to see London or it may be to difficult for us with the testing but the reason is the very short time in London. One and a half day seems too short for not flying and taking the Eurostar to Amsterdam or Brussels and then the train to Germany.

 

May I use this tread for another question (I will not open another one):

 

What do you thing about the cabin 6002 or 6003 which is an outside cabin way in the front of the ship. I have seen the video on youtube and it may looks good but I am a little bit anxious about the noise there and feeling the movement of the ship. But it will be a Norwegian cruise in the summer and I guess there may be not so much ship movement in the Fjordes.

 

What do you think?

[showingdiva]

Cabins 6003 and 6004 are forward, outside cabins, whereas 6002 is a wheelchair accessible balcony cabin.   From the deck plans, there doesn't appear to anything noisy like a restaurant, bar or pool above or below, although you may hear a bit of noise from the anchors being deployed early morning if you are at a tender port.   As for movement, well yes, you may get some movement in a cabin that far forward, especially in the North Sea.  The Fjords themselves are sheltered.  I watched the YouTube video of cabin 6003.   Nice size.

[schattenfell71]

Update:

 

Cabin 6003 booked today !

 

🤗

[schattenfell71]

I want to update my own thread because a lot have chanced in your planing and I need your help again.

 

Due to the new and better Covid situation we deceided now to stay in London for 2 days after our Norway cruise.

 

1. Going from Southampton to London

 

I guess there will be two options for us a) by train b) private shuttle.

 

There are different trains going to London and I have used southwesternrailway.com for my research.

 

First thing I do not know is which time I should plan for leaving from Southampton. When can/should I leave the ship and will there be a taxi to Southampton central train station?

 

Will there be a shuttle bus to London ( not to the airport) from Cunard?

 

Another (maybe) better option may be a private shuttle service from Southampton to our hotel. Can anyone tell me a reliable company.

 

What do you prefer?

 

2. Spend time in London

 

I know that 2 days (or 1.5 days) may not that long for London. Our hotel is in walking distance to Buckingham Palace so I guess we may be in a good position for some seightseeing.

 

On the first evening we will be going to see the "ABBA Voyage" show (my wife is a huge ABBA fan). Will it be difficult to go there by train or again should I use a taxi/private shuttle.

 

3. Going back to Germany

 

We will go back with the Eurostar via Amsterdam. I guess there will not be that problem to go from our hotel to St.Pancras via train. So no questions here (at the moment).

 

Thanks for your help!

 

 

Edited May 30, 2022 by schattenfell71

[Solent Richard]

16 minutes ago, schattenfell71 said:

I want to update my own thread because a lot have chanced in your planing and I need your help again.

 

Due to the new and better Covid situation we deceided now to stay in London for 2 days after our Norway cruise.

 

1. Going from Southampton to London

 

I guess there will be two options for us a) by train b) private shuttle.

 

There are different trains going to London and I have used southwesternrailway.com for my research.

 

First thing I do not know is which time I should plan for leaving from Southampton. When can/should I leave the ship and will there be a taxi to Southampton central train station?

 

Will there be a shuttle bus to London ( not to the airport) from Cunard?

 

Another (maybe) better option may be a private shuttle service from Southampton to our hotel. Can anyone tell me a reliable company.

 

What do you prefer?

 

Good morning from the Solent shoreline.

 

Living close to Southampton - you'll sail past my home on arrival - its my view that there is only one real option in your section 1 questions.

 

Arrange / Book a private transfer with a local service similar to the one's I use when heading either up to London or Heathrow. 

 

They will pick you up from the terminal and drop you at your hotel. I would also suggest that a time for pick-up would be 9.00 am when you can all but guarantee to be off the ship in a relaxed manner.

 

Hope that helps. I'm sure there will be other suggestions but I would be happy to supply a telephone number of the company I use.

[schattenfell71]

Thanks for your help.

 

Can you please tell me the company name?

[exlondoner]

Where is the ABBA show? Around London, the Underground is almost invariably the best choice, as it doesn't get snarled up with traffic. But, during daylight hours, if you have plenty of time, it is sometimes fun to use a double decker bus, so you can see lots of places.

Life will be simpler with an Oyster card.

[schattenfell71]

The ABBA Arena is at Pudding Mill Ln, London E15 2PJ

 

My hotel is The Guardsman, 1 Vandon Street, Westminster, London SW1H 0AH

[exlondoner]

12 minutes ago, schattenfell71 said:

The ABBA Arena is at Pudding Mill Ln, London E15 2PJ

 

My hotel is The Guardsman, 1 Vandon Street, Westminster, London SW1H 0AH

 

Perhaps take the Jubilee Line from Westminster to Stratford and change to the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) for one stop.

[exlondoner]

Contradicting what I said earlier, it may be worth getting a taxi to the Eurostar Terminal if you have lots of luggage. Otherwise it is a very long walk from the Underground at St. P.