Athens early disembark late flight home to Uk

Hi All,

This is my first cruise and I'm on board The Emerald Princess with Princess Cruises from 15th - 22nd August.

I noticed, after booking the cruise, that my flight back to the UK from Athens is 7.30pm...I don't know what time the transfer to the airport is, as it doesn't say, but disembark is between 7am and 10am.

I was told I could possibly do a last day tour by the tour operator, a friend also suggested going to the airport to drop luggage off, then travel into Athens by train or even find a left luggage area at the port and spend the day in Athens before going to the airport?

I've paid for all my transfers so obviously don't want to pay out again to get to the airport so I'm unsure what to do.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

We will be in the same situation with a Voyages of Discovery cruise ending on 6th October with a 19.30 flight to Manchester and the flight is arranged by the cruise company. When I asked, I was told we could stay on the ship until the transfer, or we could go ashore, or a last day excursion is likely to be offered, (in which case our luggage would go on the tour bus and we would probably be delivered straight to the airport).

We have been to Athens before and would certainly have no wish to go ashore idependently with our valuables given the current situation in Greece. Neither do we want to be tired out by a tour, so will likely stay onboard until transfer. I expect they will probably take us to the airport for 3-4 hours before the flight as we have had that done previously in similar circumstances.

Is your flight arranged by Princess? If so are you sure you have to disembark between 7-10am from your cruise, or are you just reading the details for most cruises? Cruise companies usually ask you to vacate your cabin early, (about 8am), but will usually let you stay onboard until your airport transfer if you are on their flight.

You usually still have to leave your luggage outside your cabin the night before and are unlikely to see it again before you arrive in the UK if on a charter flight. If it is not a charter flight, you would probably have to pick up luggage in the cruise terminal as you leave. In either case what you keep overnight would be hand luggage on the plane as you are unlikely to have time to re pack, even if you need to pick up your luggage in the terminal.

It sounds like you would benefit from talking to Princess, or your agent if you have booked with one.

If you have booked flights independently, you will be on your own and probably would have to disembark early morning.

I booked through Cruise.co.uk and it was when I logged into my portal thing that I read disembark would be between 7am and 10am...the ship arrives in port at in Athens at 4am.

I phoned Princess Cruises direct yesterday but they couldn't tell me what time the transfer was likely to be, she said I would be told once on board (which doesn't help if I want to plan anything). I asked about changing my flights but my only option was to cancel the ticketed flight, lose all my money and pay again for new flights.

I wish I'd booked my own flights and got to Rome a day earlier so I wouldn't miss the ship...I'll know for next time.

The perils of being a cruise virgin!

I wish I'd booked my own flights and got to Rome a day earlier so I wouldn't miss the ship...I'll know for next time.

The perils of being a cruise virgin!

Live & learn. ;)

Probably cheaper too if you'd booked your own flights.

And although you've probably got direct flights for this cruise, cruise lines have their pet airlines (their "preferred air partners") and there are plenty of examples of convoluted flight plans because the cruise line's pet airline doesn't have direct flights even though other airlines do. For example, we flew BA from Heathrow to Istanbul to join an RCI cruise, others who'd booked through the cruise line went via a change in Amsterdam & it took them most of the day.

The exception is when the cruise line charters an aircraft for their passengers. We've booked such fly-cruises with Voyages of Discovery, P&O and Thomson - flights & transfers are smooth & simple, and its usually impossible to get the same value out of a cruise-only ticket plus arranging your own flights & transfers.

Ditto Tring's experience with VofD - having the run of the ship (except the cabin) until their transfer is called. Another advantage of a chartered aircraft, because it brings new cruisers out & returns with those who've finished their cruise so nobody is rushed.

But that's not the case with most cruises - and clearly not with your cruise & late flight. They'll want you off the ship by 9.30 or thereabouts, to make way for a new batch of cruisers.

So with a direct transfer you'll be hanging around at the airport for a long time. :(

If they offer a tour/transfer, that'll get you to the airport later but it's a matter of luck whether the timing suits your flight because different folk will have different flight times. And as you've found out, they're not very good at giving out that sort of information ahead of the cruise.:(

There's a big locals' market, a maritime museum & a marina in Piraeus within walking distance of the ship - but I have no idea what you can do with your luggage, which will be thrown off the ship at the same time as they throw you off.

According to the internet there are left-luggage lockers in Monastiraki, in central Athens near The Plaka. http://www.athenslockers.com/

Can I suggest you take a taxi there (the metro involves a long walk from the ship with luggage), stash your bags, enjoy a day in Athens, collect your luggage & take the direct train to the airport from the station adjacent the luggage store.

Appreciated that this wastes your "free" transfer to the airport, but it gives you a day in Athens rather than a day at the airport.

BTW re your flight to Rome - yes, we'd have flown out a day or two earlier to enjoy some time in Rome, time that you'll not have by flying in same-day.

But the one advantage of booking cruise-air is that if the flight or included transfer is delayed, & you miss the sailing from Rome it's the cruise line's problem, not yours. They are responsible for the arrangements & costs (hotel, meals, travel) for you to catch up with the ship at the next port, and compensating you for your lost time.

(NB Is this one combined booking of flights & cruise, or did you just use the one travel agent to book both flights & cruise? For the cruise line to be liable it has to be a combined air & cruise package)

JB :)

PS you mentioned your travel agent. Seems to have gone un-noticed, but naming travel agents is against the rules on Cruise Critic. Best avoid mentioning T/A's names in future ;)

Thanks again for the info JB, I think I'll just go with the flow and wait till the day to see what's what. I may meet people onboard that are in the same boat (haha) as me regarding flights back to Heathrow, and would like to travel together into Athens.

I've booked the lounge at Athens airport and I can spend up to 3 hours in there, so I'll be sorted just prior to the flight.

P.S. Ooooops my bad

Thanks again for the info JB, I think I'll just go with the flow and wait till the day to see what's what. I may meet people onboard that are in the same boat (haha) as me regarding flights back to Heathrow, and would like to travel together into Athens.

I've booked the lounge at Athens airport and I can spend up to 3 hours in there, so I'll be sorted just prior to the flight.

 

P.S. Ooooops my bad

Altho that left-luggage site mentions pre-booking I very much doubt its necessary. So it's an option you can choose or discard on the day, depending on circumstances. :)

If you choose not to take ship's included transfer to the airport, best to let them know so that they're not hunting for you. ;)

JB :)

I have also heard of people being taken to a hotel for a daytime prior to an overnight flight. Not sure if the cruise company had booked a function room, (probable if a large group), or if a hotel has been happy to have people in their lounges on the assumption they will get some bar and food takings - there could be hotels in Athens very willing to do that at present as I doubt they are anything like fully booked and will be quiet by day in any event.

Airport lounge is a very good idea - may well look into that ourselves.

It is wise to leave any other arrangements until you get confirmation from the ship re disembarkation day details which should be at least 2-3 days before the end of cruise, and you could probably find out details from reception earlier than that. If last day trips are offered, you should know details of those soon after getting on the ship or even before you leave home. So there will be no need for last minute panic. A holiday is about relaxing.

Even computer based personal details systems can be wrong and just show a default disembarkation time if the final arrangements are not made. I think details are usually organised from the ship or at least very near to the time. John Bull will know much better than me about that though, as we have not cruised with Princess or used your agent.

For September we have been booked on direct schedule flights from Manchester with VofD (Turkish Airlines out to IST and AegeanAirlines return from Athens), I think on a block booking. They may well be taking a charter out of London though, so their new people could come late as John Bull says.

We are glad we are flying with the cruise company for this one as it is not totally clear if there could be probs in Turkey or even Greece for a couple of months time. Chances are all will be fine, but if a ship is re routed to another port they are responsible for the flights etc. We often try to extend fly cruises though and often a cruise company will change flight dates for little or no charge. We got that with Costa in Hong Kong a few years back and then booked our own hotel much more cheaply than the Costa price and all we lost was the transfer cost.

Yes, direct flights are good. We once had a Man to Bucharest flight via Amsterdam with Viking. We got off in Amsterdam and got back on the same plane to Bucharest an hour later, but they managed to leave one of our cases in Amsterdam! The Viking rep was able to get it delivered to our overnight Bucharest Hotel, just before our tour group left for the river boat the next morning.