Manchester to Southampton coach

[carfla7]

I have just booked a transatlantic cruise with P&O in October. Leaves from Southampton on Britannia. Coming from Scotland I assumed we would just fly to Southampton and stay over but I discover that as we fly back to Manchester there is an included coach at the start.

is it from the airport - I’m assuming - and has anyone used this? Any comments for and against would be appreciated. I don’t relish a long coach journey but there is a certain elegance about it.

I don’t have timings for it yet. Do P&O leave that pretty late?

Super excited about the cruise 😎

[FangedRose]

10 hours ago, carfla7 said:

I have just booked a transatlantic cruise with P&O in October. Leaves from Southampton on Britannia. Coming from Scotland I assumed we would just fly to Southampton and stay over but I discover that as we fly back to Manchester there is an included coach at the start.

is it from the airport - I’m assuming - and has anyone used this? Any comments for and against would be appreciated. I don’t relish a long coach journey but there is a certain elegance about it.

I don’t have timings for it yet. Do P&O leave that pretty late?

Super excited about the cruise 😎

Are you sailing from Southampton, and returning by air to Manchester?

 

If that is so the coach will only be going from Manchester to Southampton so people can retrieve their cars which will have been left there. 

 

P&O don't include transfers within the UK as part of the package unless you choose coach transfer as the perk (the other choices would be on board credit or free car parking).

 

That being said I have never actually done this particular cruise so stand to be corrected.

[carfla7]

Yes - it’s just coach down to Southampton and then fly back in to Manchester. It completes the circle as the rep on the phone described it.

[Megabear2]

2 hours ago, carfla7 said:

Yes - it’s just coach down to Southampton and then fly back in to Manchester. It completes the circle as the rep on the phone described it.

So you make your own arrangements Scotland to Manchester and back or am I confused? That being the case I'd be tempted to look at my own transport from Scotland to Southampton as the coach journey will presumably necessitate you staying overnight in Manchester to guarantee you can make the early pick up time.  Once you factor in that cost the own transport may be more economical.

Edited July 20, 2023 by Megabear2

[FangedRose]

You could book a one way coach with Intercruise down to Southampton, then a train (eek) from Manchester Airport back to Glasgow or Edinburgh.

Edited July 20, 2023 by FangedRose

[lumines]

We have done the October transatlantic on Britannia a couple of times. We live 45 minutes from Manchester airport, so it works out well for us to drive to the airport and leave our car there so it’s waiting for us when we fly back into Manchester two weeks later. One thing to be aware of is that although the coach is included, you do need to phone P&O to book your seats on it. They will then tell you which coach you are on and what your departure time is. The coach leaves from the coach terminal at the airport. 
 

On all other cruises we drive to Southampton rather than using coaches, but for the transatlantic the coach really is the most straightforward. As Megabear said, you would probably want to come down the night before from Scotland and maybe stay in one of the airport hotels.

 

We are on the Arvia transatlantic this October, I phoned P&O last week to book our seats on the coach down. Our departure time is 8.30am. Hope you enjoy your cruise!

[carfla7]

Thanks for all this. We now have a time of 8.15 at the airport. 
On the basis we will have to be overnight no matter what, we are driving to and from Manchester. That way the luggage can’t be lost by baggage handlers at the airport. 😱 It actually works out significantly cheaper this way and we won’t be stressing if the flight home is delayed.