British Isles-Transfer from Southampton to LHR via Stonehenge help pls

[Teddy560]

Hello, I would like to know if anyone has used Princess transfer from Southampton to Heathrow via Stonehenge before? What time did you get dropped off at Heathrow? Excursion time is from 745AM-2PM, but Princess agent said she can't be sure if we will be dropped off at 2PM??? Thank you for your input.

[Arizona Wildcat]

The Princess tour could be later depending on the day of the week, holidays etc.  Remember at least 2+ hours to check in at LHR.  

 

Check out your roll call too.

 

Lots of discussion on the ports thread.

Edited April 16 by Arizona Wildcat

[Teddy560]

Thank you . I wasn’t able to use the search dates for roll call on my phone. I will try using a laptop tmrw. Just not sure why list 2pm if it can’t be guaranteed. 

[Teechur]

We took the Stonehenge excursion with a flight on Virgin Atlantic departing at 5:30 pm. from Heathrow. Three hours is commonly recommended for international flights, and I'm sure that we must have been there by 2:00pm. We weren't apprehensive about being late or I would remember the exact details.

The thing I remember best is that the "tour guide" on the bus never shut up. Many of us were trying to nap during the ride and he blabbed endlessly as if he was being paid by the number of words he spoke.

It was my 7th visit to England spread over 5 decades, so it was time I finally visited Stonehenge.

It was worth it!

[Teechur]

10 minutes ago, Teddy560 said:

Thank you . I wasn’t able to use the search dates for roll call on my phone. I will try using a laptop tmrw. Just not sure why list 2pm if it can’t be guaranteed. 

Traffic accidents or vehicle breakdowns would be reasons why it can't be guaranteed. Did you use EZ Air or purchase insurance?

[FancyPants21]

The recommendation for LHR for international flights is to check in no later than 3 hrs before departure. I know that the cut-off times are probably less than that but it can take a very long time to get through security at LHR. I would not feel comfortable arriving just 2 hrs prior but I know people that do.

[Teddy560]

Oh thank you Teechur for your helpful replies.👍🏼 Yes, we booked on EZ air, 530 pm on virgin Atlantic as well. When we first booked this transfer, it said recommended for flights after 530, now it has changed to recommended for flights after 545pm. So I’m a bit worried and unsure if we should cancel this transfer/excursion, So glad you got to visit finally after the 7 th time 😊😊

[Teddy560]

Thank you FancyPants21, We always arrive minimum 3 hours in advance for international flights. I was thinking that we should be at the airport by 2pm according to the excursion time, but Princess changed the recommended time for passengers with flights after  545pm ! And ours is at 530pm. 

[cr8tiv1]

I tried to convince Customer Service to allow me to use EZ Check in FLL.  Delta changed my flight to 15 minutes before the cut off time.  Granted this is a little different, but Port Everglades is minutes from the airport.  I was denied.

 

Not sure if Princess will ask for your flight information (after you book the excursion online).  Just be sure to have a back up plan.  

 

 

[EDVM96]

8 hours ago, Teddy560 said:

Hello, I would like to know if anyone has used Princess transfer from Southampton to Heathrow via Stonehenge before? What time did you get dropped off at Heathrow?

Last year they dropped us at 01:40pm at terminal 5. 01:45pm was the planned arrival time.

[ontheweb]

So jealous, we had this booked for a cruise in 2020 which of course never happened because of the Covid shutdown. My DW actually had said she looked forward to this excursion more than the cruise.

 

One of the best things about this type of transfer to the airport is you still feel that you are on your cruise vacation instead of depressed it is over. I know that is what we experienced when we took a Princess transfer to Heathrow from Dover via Canterbury.

[Paula_MacFan]

We considered using the Princess transfer from Southampton to LHR last fall, but the excursion notes said it was for passengers with international flights leaving after 4:30pm, and our flight left before that so we just took the regular Princess transfer without the Stonehenge stop.  If you can see the transfer in your Personalizer you might check the notes and see what the flight cutoff times are for your specific cruise.  When I look at the general excursions listed on the Princess website it shows a flight cutoff time of 5:45pm (see attached screen shot).

 

Since the transfer didn't work for us after the cruise, we instead used International Friends transfer with Stonehenge tour at the beginning of the cruise.  I know the OP didn't ask about pre-cruise transfers, but we would highly recommend International Friends in general for any transfer or tour.  

[Paula_MacFan]

delete

 

Edited April 16 by Paula_MacFan

[Paula_MacFan]

2 minutes ago, Paula_MacFan said:

We considered using the Princess transfer from Southampton to LHR last fall, but the excursion notes said it was for passengers with international flights leaving after 4:30pm, and our flight left before that so we just took the regular Princess transfer without the Stonehenge stop.  If you can see the transfer in your Personalizer you might check the notes and see what the flight cutoff times are for your specific cruise.  When I look at the general excursions listed on the Princess website it shows a flight cutoff time of 5:45pm (see attached screen shot).

 

Since the transfer didn't work for us after the cruise, we instead used International Friends transfer with Stonehenge tour at the beginning of the cruise.  I know the OP didn't ask about pre-cruise transfers, but we would highly recommend International Friends in general for any transfer or tour.  

Edit to say I just saw your subsequent post about your flight leaving at 5:30 🙂  Sorry!

[mrmarklin]

9 hours ago, Teddy560 said:

Thank you . I wasn’t able to use the search dates for roll call on my phone. I will try using a laptop tmrw. Just not sure why list 2pm if it can’t be guaranteed. 

Because of traffic in the UK, nothing can be guaranteed.  When we did this last year, our flight was around 5:30. I believe Princess advises that if your flight is before a certain time, you shouldn’t take the tour. 

[ontheweb]

54 minutes ago, Paula_MacFan said:

We considered using the Princess transfer from Southampton to LHR last fall, but the excursion notes said it was for passengers with international flights leaving after 4:30pm, and our flight left before that so we just took the regular Princess transfer without the Stonehenge stop.  If you can see the transfer in your Personalizer you might check the notes and see what the flight cutoff times are for your specific cruise.  When I look at the general excursions listed on the Princess website it shows a flight cutoff time of 5:45pm (see attached screen shot).

 

Since the transfer didn't work for us after the cruise, we instead used International Friends transfer with Stonehenge tour at the beginning of the cruise.  I know the OP didn't ask about pre-cruise transfers, but we would highly recommend International Friends in general for any transfer or tour.  

I looked at the International Friends tour of Stonehenge before our cruise this past summer from Southampton, but there was a minimum amount of days you had to be staying in London and we were only staying one day. (And all it did that days was pour. We ended up spending something like 8 hours in the British Museum, easy for my art teacher wife, but hard on me.)

[ontheweb]

54 minutes ago, mrmarklin said:

Because of traffic in the UK, nothing can be guaranteed.  When we did this last year, our flight was around 5:30. I believe Princess advises that if your flight is before a certain time, you shouldn’t take the tour. 

Do they actually just advise that, or is really that they will not sell the excursion to you unless your flight meets that requirement?

[Teddy560]

9 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I tried to convince Customer Service to allow me to use EZ Check in FLL.  Delta changed my flight to 15 minutes before the cut off time.  Granted this is a little different, but Port Everglades is minutes from the airport.  I was denied.

 

Not sure if Princess will ask for your flight information (after you book the excursion online).  Just be sure to have a back up plan.  

 

 

Thank you for this info, I was looking into other companies for this transfer, but the ones I read had negative reviews aka late or no show! I really should look into more options or perhaps just skip Stonehenge 😟😟

[capriccio]

6 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Do they actually just advise that, or is really that they will not sell the excursion to you unless your flight meets that requirement?

In 2019 we were on the transfer via Windsor Castle with my brother and sister-in-law.  I forget the timing but I remember that their return flight was scheduled about 10 minutes before the Princess cut-off when they first tried to reserve the transfer.  Luckily the airline changed the departure time to 10 minutes after the cut-off and they were able to book the transfer.  BTW it was a great way to spend a good portion of the day.  We all enjoyed it.

[Teddy560]

Thank you EDVM96. Do you happen to remember the suggested flight time? 

[Teddy560]

3 hours ago, ontheweb said:

So jealous, we had this booked for a cruise in 2020 which of course never happened because of the Covid shutdown. My DW actually had said she looked forward to this excursion more than the cruise.

 

One of the best things about this type of transfer to the airport is you still feel that you are on your cruise vacation instead of depressed it is over. I know that is what we experienced when we took a Princess transfer to Heathrow from Dover via Canterbury.

Yes we booked this in 2020 as well! Tickets were way cheaper too ☺️

[Teddy560]

1 hour ago, Paula_MacFan said:

We considered using the Princess transfer from Southampton to LHR last fall, but the excursion notes said it was for passengers with international flights leaving after 4:30pm, and our flight left before that so we just took the regular Princess transfer without the Stonehenge stop.  If you can see the transfer in your Personalizer you might check the notes and see what the flight cutoff times are for your specific cruise.  When I look at the general excursions listed on the Princess website it shows a flight cutoff time of 5:45pm (see attached screen shot).

 

Since the transfer didn't work for us after the cruise, we instead used International Friends transfer with Stonehenge tour at the beginning of the cruise.  I know the OP didn't ask about pre-cruise transfers, but we would highly recommend International Friends in general for any transfer or tour.  

Thank you Paula_MacFan for your detailed reply. Initially the cutoff time was 530, but now it changed to 545. Was going to change to an earlier flight to 130 and take the pre cruise transfer with International Friends, but there aren’t anymore seats left. 😕

[Teddy560]

1 hour ago, mrmarklin said:

Because of traffic in the UK, nothing can be guaranteed.  When we did this last year, our flight was around 5:30. I believe Princess advises that if your flight is before a certain time, you shouldn’t take the tour. 

Now I feel like we should just skip Stonehenge…. 🙁

[EDVM96]

10 minutes ago, Teddy560 said:

Thank you EDVM96. Do you happen to remember the suggested flight time? 

For flights departing after 5:30pm.

[Teddy560]

33 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

I looked at the International Friends tour of Stonehenge before our cruise this past summer from Southampton, but there was a minimum amount of days you had to be staying in London and we were only staying one day. (And all it did that days was pour. We ended up spending something like 8 hours in the British Museum, easy for my art teacher wife, but hard on me.)

Oh we are only staying one night, maybe I should clarify with them. British museum is great but definitely  want to visit Stonehenge this time 🤞🏼