Cruise bought transfers and arrival times at Heathrow...any problems with timing???

[renroc13]

We are booked on the TA ending in Southhampton this April with Celebrity. We have sailed with Celebrity the past 18 years but usually book our own transfers as we tend to spend several weeks before or after the cruises in Europe and the UK touring. I can not get a clear answer from Celebrity about arrival times at Heathrow and their website posted arrival at Heathrow for transfers from the ship at 12:30PM. I think this is not what they meant to post but with 3 phone calls to them and Choice Air no one had an answer.

 

We have a 2PM plane and will never get through Heathrow (where we fly from all the time).

Would like to know if others have used the ship transfers and arrived in a reasonable time at the airport. I prefer 2 1/2 to 3 hours at Heathrow when flying International. If not we will just book a private transport. Recent surgery so we decided to fly home directly with the quickest airport transfer.

 

Thoughts? Experiences?

Thank You,

Karen

[LHT28]

I would ask on the Celebrity forum maybe others have done the same trip

 

Maybe they meant not to book flights before 12:30 pm

 

If you are not happy with the answers look at other options

Other than that there is a non stop National express but from the port are to LHR or maybe a book a private transfer

[John Bull]

No worries :cool:

 

Someone at Celebrity seems to be a little confused. 12.30 (or sometimes 1.00pm) is the earliest flight time that cruise lines recommend for those taking ship's transfer buses to Heathrow, not when the coach arrives at Heathrow.

 

A 2pm flight is no problem at all, extraordinary circumstances excepted.

 

I used to drive cruise transfer coaches.

The first to Heathrow usually leave the pier around 8am (mainly folk with early flights & unassisted disembarkation) and the last around 9am to 9.30.

Each usually has passengers for just one terminal to avoid the need for segregated luggage, but the last one takes all the stragglers, including those bound for airport hotels.

Even the last Heathrow coach would be expected to arrive by around 11am.

 

That said, for two passengers or more, a private transfer at £90+ for the vehicle may be cheaper than cruise transfers as well as more comfortable.

Try http://www.smithsforairports.com or http://www.westquaycars.com both of which are based at the Southampton end and are regularly used & recommended by CC members.

 

JB :)

Edited March 17, 2014 by John Bull

[konatyme]

John Bull,

Thank you for the good information. When you mentioned "stragglers bound for airport hotels"--do you know whether these passengers are dropped at a specific terminal at Heathrow? We'll be staying at the Holiday Inn London Heathrow for 1 night post-cruise & wouldn't know which terminal to request to be closest to the hotel. (Or even if we'd have a choice.) Any idea? I'm assuming, though, that one way or another we'll have to get a taxi from the airport to the hotel.

Thanks!

[Twickenham]

John Bull,

Thank you for the good information. When you mentioned "stragglers bound for airport hotels"--do you know whether these passengers are dropped at a specific terminal at Heathrow? We'll be staying at the Holiday Inn London Heathrow for 1 night post-cruise & wouldn't know which terminal to request to be closest to the hotel. (Or even if we'd have a choice.) Any idea? I'm assuming, though, that one way or another we'll have to get a taxi from the airport to the hotel.

Thanks!

 

Is there any particular reason you're staying at a Heathrow hotel post-cruise?

I'm not a big fan of staying out at LHR, especially if you have any interest in going into London.

[renroc13]

No worries :cool:

 

Someone at Celebrity seems to be a little confused. 12.30 (or sometimes 1.00pm) is the earliest flight time that cruise lines recommend for those taking ship's transfer buses to Heathrow, not when the coach arrives at Heathrow.

 

A 2pm flight is no problem at all, extraordinary circumstances excepted.

 

I used to drive cruise transfer coaches.

The first to Heathrow usually leave the pier around 8am (mainly folk with early flights & unassisted disembarkation) and the last around 9am to 9.30.

Each usually has passengers for just one terminal to avoid the need for segregated luggage, but the last one takes all the stragglers, including those bound for airport hotels.

Even the last Heathrow coach would be expected to arrive by around 11am.

 

That said, for two passengers or more, a private transfer at £90+ for the vehicle may be cheaper than cruise transfers as well as more comfortable.

Try http://www.smithsforairports.com or http://www.westquaycars.com both of which are based at the Southampton end and are regularly used & recommended by CC members.

 

JB :)

 

Thanks JB. My thought exactly. Celebrity does these things alot and I know the ship is usually cleared by 9 to 10AM in the morning. But when I called the Celebrity contact person (without asking for a senior customer service person) the response I got made no sense. We thought the transfers would be best this trip as I am not certain how far I can walk yet but I might consider the private transfers. I have the names of the companies as well.

 

Thank you for reassuring us.

 

Karen

[John Bull]

John Bull,

Thank you for the good information. When you mentioned "stragglers bound for airport hotels"--do you know whether these passengers are dropped at a specific terminal at Heathrow? We'll be staying at the Holiday Inn London Heathrow for 1 night post-cruise & wouldn't know which terminal to request to be closest to the hotel. (Or even if we'd have a choice.) Any idea? I'm assuming, though, that one way or another we'll have to get a taxi from the airport to the hotel.

Thanks!

 

For transfer coaches leaving the pier, different cruise lines have different policies.

Some allocate each passenger to a specific coach / time.

With others it's first-come, first-served though probably not for the first coach for a terminal.

Best take cruise line's advice on that.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 

There are at least three Hiltons at Heathrow - Holiday Inn Heathrow, Holiday Inn Ariel, and Holiday Inn M4.

Yes, from any terminal you'll need the door-to-door hotel hoppa bus (£4.50 per person), or the free local bus service (not available for Hol Inn M4), or a taxi. Theoretically any terminal, but closer & better frequency from T1 or T2 or T3 rather than T4 or T5.

 

For T1/2/3 the free bus service runs from central bus station, not from those terminals - it's a well-signed 10 min indoor walk, much of it on travelators.

Finally a short walk from the nearest bus stop to Hol Inn Heathrow or Hol Inn Ariel.

Alternatively take the free bus service to those two hotels from T4 or T5. This would save that ten-minute walk but frequency of buses might be poorer.

Basic details at

http://www.londontoolkit.com/lhr/heathrow_local_buses.htm

or

http://www.heathrowairport.com/transport-and-directions/buses-and-coaches/local-buses

 

Door-to-door Hoppa timetable by clicking the timetable link on

http://www.heathrowairport.com/transport-and-directions/buses-and-coaches/hotel-buses.

Or the direct link (if it works on your computer) at

http://www.heathrowairport.com/static/Heathrow/Downloads/PDF/hotel-hoppa-all-terminals.pdf

 

There are folk on this forum who know Heathrow much better than me, I'll accede to any corrections or suggestions of better alternatives.

 

JB :)

[konatyme]

Twickeham,

Just convenience, I guess, per suggestion from our TA; our flight the next day is fairly early. We figured we could go back to Heathrow easily after dropping off our luggage post-cruise & catch transportation into London for the afternoon, but maybe that's not right--???

We've also thought about possibly going to Windsor Castle that afternoon instead. If anyone knows that either of these plans is problematic, please let us know! We can still change accommodations.:)

[John Bull]

Twickeham,

Just convenience, I guess, per suggestion from our TA; our flight the next day is fairly early. We figured we could go back to Heathrow easily after dropping off our luggage post-cruise & catch transportation into London for the afternoon, but maybe that's not right--???

We've also thought about possibly going to Windsor Castle that afternoon instead. If anyone knows that either of these plans is problematic, please let us know! We can still change accommodations.:)

 

Like most folk, I rate two nights or more in airport hotel-land as being in the land of the living dead.

But for just an overnite it's much more subjective. And certainly with an early flight I'd be happier to overnite at the airport.

 

Airport hotel room rates are very good, likely to be a lot cheaper than like-for-like in central London. But they do have a reputation for loading the prices of extras, like food & drink.

 

Without luggage, the tube from Heathrow (yes, from the Hol Inn you'd have to go back to T1 or 2 or 3) is simple & direct, train every five minutes, takes about 40 minutes to central London & costs only about £12 return.

NB for the return train, make sure it's one which terminates at Heathrow - some trains on the same line terminate at Uxbridge instead & that's no good for you. So check the moving illuminated signs on the platform & the front of the train.

 

If you're taking ship's transfer, it might be easier & would certainly be quicker to stash your luggage in Left Luggage at the terminal, then take the tube into London, and collect your luggage when you return to Heathrow at the end of the day/evening.

Last tube train back to Heathrow around midnight. http://www.heathrowairport.com/transport-and-directions/underground

but your limitation would be Left Luggage office closing time of 11pm.

http://www.heathrowairport.com/heathrow-airport-guide/services-and-facilities/left-baggage.

 

An airport hotel also gives you the option (make your mind up on the day) to go to Windsor or Hampton Court Palace instead of Central London.

 

Windsor & its very visit-worthy castle are only about 6 miles from Heathrow but I think public transport from Heathrow is a bit slow & complicated. Unless anyone can suggest a tolerably easy & quick way by bus or train it's probably simplest to take a taxi. Don't just hail a London cab - it'll be cheaper to get the hotel to call a private-hire taxi for you.

 

Although it's in a different direction, exactly the same applies to Henry V111's Hampton Court.

 

JB :)

Edited March 19, 2014 by John Bull

[konatyme]

John Bull,

Thanks for another round of great information! This is exactly what I needed to know about getting from Heathrow to the Holiday Inn London Heathrow. I'll fully research the options, using the websites you gave, and decide for sure what to do. The free bus is looking pretty good; we're perfectly capable of walking.

Again, we appreciate your help!

[konatyme]

John Bull,

Thanks for another round of great information! This is exactly what I needed to know about getting from Heathrow to the Holiday Inn London Heathrow. I'll fully research the options, using the websites you gave, and decide for sure what to do. The free bus is looking pretty good; we're perfectly capable of walking.

Again, we appreciate your help!

[konatyme]

Please excuse the double post. Computer timed out & didn't realize the first one went.

[Cotswold Eagle]

Count me as another who would not stay at a Heathrow hotel unless absolutely necessary. It's something I do frequently in other cities, but the time it takes to get to/from the airport to the hotels is valuable. And if you use the Hoppa the costs mount up. (Just to be clear on this point, Heathrow does not allow the hotels to run their own shuttles.)

 

JB's suggestion of leaving luggage at the airport terminal saves that to/from trip, but if you are going to do that, you might well also just take a transfer straight to London and store your luggage at one of the mainline railway stations or Victoria coach station. This will be expensive, of course, if you have lots of luggage, which brings me back to staying in London and dumping your luggage at your hotel and getting right out in to the city.

 

It is a balance of time, convenience and money. There's no 'right' answer :)