Car parking Newcastle

[WeeCountyMan]

Just received etickets for Fjordland Splendours and printed off the key pages.

 

The blurb for the car parking states "no transfer booked" - we've never taken a vehicle before so I'm struggling to get my head around what this might mean.

 

I assume the car park is within walking distance of the port terminal check in area - or a shuttle service is used ?

 

Is luggage dropped off first and then the car driven to the parking area ?

[kruzseeka]

Just received etickets for Fjordland Splendours and printed off the key pages.

 

The blurb for the car parking states "no transfer booked" - we've never taken a vehicle before so I'm struggling to get my head around what this might mean.

 

I assume the car park is within walking distance of the port terminal check in area - or a shuttle service is used ?

 

Is luggage dropped off first and then the car driven to the parking area ?

 

 

When we went from Newcastle, you line up at the parking where you form a queue in your cars. A Thomson or port official greet you and give you 'the envelope' and direct you to the queue for luggage drop-off.

 

In your envelope will be your cabin tags (stickers or labels?) which you will fix to your cases then hand them over to the baggage handling guys then proceed to the secure compound where you will park your car. I'm sure we had a shuttle bus transfer from there although it wasn't far to the dock.

 

Then business as usual. all the excitement of the trip ahead - I just love it when we get to the port!!!! ;) Enjoy!

[Len Baker]

If you pre-booked the parking with Thomsons they you should have no problems.

 

When we went from Newcastle we had no car parking tickets (or cruise tickets for that matter) because the TA messed up. The Thomson staff at Newcastle were brilliant & we went through the process as kruzseeka described.

 

We booked the Premier inn the evening before as its 4 hours plus from Salop. There is the shopping centre there with cafes etc if you get there very early.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

Len

[Bilje]

I am assuming you have prebooked parking. Yes you drop of luggage as mentioned above then drive round to car park area which is very close by. There are lots of helpful staff around. I seem to recall a shuttle to the port terminal building where you may have to wait prior to boarding. It is however within very easy walking distance from the car park which is what you would do if you were catching the daily DFDS ferry to Holland! When you've gone through security with your hand luggage the put you on another shuttle to take you to the ship...again it's a very short distance but the want to keep you safe I guess. If you are very early arriving at the terminal don't wait there but go to the Royal Quays retail park next door where you can have coffee/sandwich or go to the pub. The facilities at the port building are poor in my opinion

[WeeCountyMan]

Thanks folks, very helpful, as always.

 

Yes, we are prebooked - so it sounds very straightforward - even I can't mess things up................famous last words !!! :rolleyes:

 

Thomsons haven't exactly overburdened us with information on their Etickets, which is basically all the usual routine blurb, and apart from the first and last page (parking voucher) are a waste of ink IMO, I did not print them off.

[terry2]

Thomsons haven't exactly overburdened us with information on their Etickets, which is basically all the usual routine blurb, and apart from the first and last page (parking voucher) are a waste of ink IMO, I did not print them off.

 

As I recall the arrival sequence is:-

Get to the port - get directed towards the queue to drop luggage (note there may well be other queues there e.g. for the DFDS ferries).

Show your thomson ticket and get YOUR envelope - continue to the luggage drop off, attach the labels in the envelope to your luggage and drop it off.

Drive away (out of the port area) and loop back into the port entrance - but this time get directed to the car park - where you show your parking ticket, get another ticket for display in the car, and then get directed to a parking space.

Then take a shuttle to the terminal where you check in, go through security, and then take another shuttle to the ship.

 

So you have to drop off your luggage BEFORE you start thinking about parking, and all the people in the car go to the parking area (unless you have someone in a wheelchair).

 

When you get back you take a shuttle direct to the car park, where you locate your luggage (which has been offloaded separately) and then take that to your car.