Debarkation time QM2 in Southampton

[madforcruising]

Hello I´m not new to cruising but new to Cunard and have planned a crossing from NY to Southampton in June.

Now I´m in the process of arranging a private transfer from Southampton to Heathrow.

My question to you experienced cruisers is about what time can I expect to be off the ship?

I know there´s always the possibility of delays for various reasons, I just want to get an idea on the average time.

Thank you!

 

Oh if it matters I´m in a balcony room Britannia class.:)

[transatlantic fan]

Hello I´m not new to cruising but new to Cunard and have planned a crossing from NY to Southampton in June.

Now I´m in the process of arranging a private transfer from Southampton to Heathrow.

My question to you experienced cruisers is about what time can I expect to be off the ship?

I know there´s always the possibility of delays for various reasons, I just want to get an idea on the average time.

Thank you!

 

Oh if it matters I´m in a balcony room Britannia class.:)

You should be off by 10am at the latest or if you do self help you could be off as early as 7am.

Hope this helps

[madforcruising]

Thank you for the quick answer

 

It sounds good and I sure could do the self help, which I guess is carrying off my luggage myself.

 

Now this brings up another question, sorry.;)

 

Is there a special procedure onboard to determine who´s getting off in which order? Can you request to be in one of the first groups? We have a flight around noon out of Heathrow, so shouldn´t get off too late to comfortable make the ride.

[transatlantic fan]

They start with the higher decks and work down to deck 4.

[Betsy's Mom]

I only have experience in NYC, but self help went first both times we used it. It ( the time) was not strictly enforced either. Enjoy your TA:)

B.

[madforcruising]

Thanks again!:)

 

I guess my best bet will be the self help then.

[xander]

Hi there

 

I highly recommend that you do the self disembarkation as a noon flight from heathrow is quite high risk. For a flight at noon you cannot be at the airport later than 10am - the airport operators now advise 3 hours ahead for international flights - and Southampton to Heathrow could take an hour and a half. This means you need to be off the ship and away by 8.30 at the latest. 7.30am would be so much better. Not sure what day you disembark, but if it's a weekday the journey from Southampton to Heathrow uses the M3, M25 and M4 motorways and gets very congested between the hours of 7am and 10am.

 

Remember that security at Heathrow is very tight - it can take up to an hour to go through...or be very quick - you never know - and that the airport has more than a few problems with recent chaos at terminal 5. The more time you give yourself, the calmer you're journey will be......

[madforcruising]

Hi there

 

I highly recommend that you do the self disembarkation as a noon flight from heathrow is quite high risk. For a flight at noon you cannot be at the airport later than 10am - the airport operators now advise 3 hours ahead for international flights - and Southampton to Heathrow could take an hour and a half. This means you need to be off the ship and away by 8.30 at the latest. 7.30am would be so much better. Not sure what day you disembark, but if it's a weekday the journey from Southampton to Heathrow uses the M3, M25 and M4 motorways and gets very congested between the hours of 7am and 10am.

 

Remember that security at Heathrow is very tight - it can take up to an hour to go through...or be very quick - you never know - and that the airport has more than a few problems with recent chaos at terminal 5. The more time you give yourself, the calmer you're journey will be......

 

Thanks for your reply. I know I won´t have much of a spare time.

I´m arriving in Southampton on a Saturday, so hoping there might be a bit less traffic. The self help seems to be the best option for us. I also know about the "mad house" Heathrow and the added problems with the new T5. These I had not foreseen when booking the flight earlier in the year but fortunately we will use Terminal 2 so I hope not to be affected too much and they have 2 more month to sort out the problems;) .

 

Thanls again for all the responses I´m looking forward to the QM2 experience and I appreciate all the tips and tricks you can give.

[jimmybean]

My husband and I crossed in October 2007 on QM2 and disembarked in Southampton early in the morning--around 7:00, or 7:30, using the self-help system.

 

Nothing could have been easier. They dealt with passports mid-crossing, so there were no long lines, at any point in the process. Just following others through the terminal, we arrived at the taxi location and only waited there about two minutes. I think it was about ten pounds to the train station with the very nice driver pointing out places of interest along the way. We were literally on a train to Wales shortly after 8 a.m.

 

We learned from our wonderful English table-mates that although our pre-paid train tickets (bought via the internet) scheduled us to depart in the early afternoon, it was fully allowed to board earlier trains, using the same ticket. Consequently, we only had to locate the correct track and board the first train-for-Wales, and not stand in any lines at the train station.

 

Have a great voyage!

[madforcruising]

My husband and I crossed in October 2007 on QM2 and disembarked in Southampton early in the morning--around 7:00, or 7:30, using the self-help system.

 

Nothing could have been easier. They dealt with passports mid-crossing, so there were no long lines, at any point in the process. Just following others through the terminal, we arrived at the taxi location and only waited there about two minutes. I think it was about ten pounds to the train station with the very nice driver pointing out places of interest along the way. We were literally on a train to Wales shortly after 8 a.m.

 

We learned from our wonderful English table-mates that although our pre-paid train tickets (bought via the internet) scheduled us to depart in the early afternoon, it was fully allowed to board earlier trains, using the same ticket. Consequently, we only had to locate the correct track and board the first train-for-Wales, and not stand in any lines at the train station.

 

Have a great voyage!

 

Thanks,

so I guess arranging the transfer for around 8:00am seems to be a good time I think.

[pampar]

Hi all.

 

My husband and I are new to cruising and doing our first cruise on the QM2 From New York to Southampton in June. We have the opposite problem to the original poster. Our flight back up to Scotland in not until the evening. I have been trying to find somewhere to leave our luggage or to book a Day Room at a Hotel in the area. But no luck in finding either so far. If any one has any suggestions to avoid us sitting in Southampton airport with cases all day, they would be appreciated.

 

Pamela