Heathrow to Southhampton - how much time to allow?

[goforyourdreams]

If the flight arrives to Heathrow at 9:30am and the cruise departs from Southhampton at 4:30 (check-in ends at 3pm), is it cutting it too close? We'd be flying from the US with the US passports, how long does it usually take to get through customs/immigration?

 

Unfortunately we don't have an option to arrive the day before due to work schedule. Would you book a cruise with this type of timeline?

[JVilleGal]

OMG you seriously booked this? If you haven't booked yet, Don't!!!!! This is a recipe for missing your cruise. Never ever fly in the day the ship sails. All you need is an hour or two delay and you have missed the ship.

 

Fly in the day before and have a back up plan just in case. Once again, don't even attempt this.

 

 

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[elizlucinda]

In a short word: No....I wouldn't attempt this....There are too many variables that could cause you to be late.

 

 

 

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[Scrapnana]

Getting through Heathrow has a lot to do with how many planes are coming in at the same time. It has taken me as long as 2 hours to get from the plane, through immigration, and to the carousel to collect my luggage. Were you planning on having a car service pick you up at the airport to drive you to Southampton? That will take at least 75 minutes to two hours depending on any road work that might be going on. (Once it took me an hour to get from my Southampton hotel to the terminal - a distance of about one mile.)

 

As others have said, I would not chance it. I always fly from the US to UK two days early, just in case.

[Flatbush Flyer]

If the flight arrives to Heathrow at 9:30am and the cruise departs from Southhampton at 4:30 (check-in ends at 3pm), is it cutting it too close? We'd be flying from the US with the US passports, how long does it usually take to get through customs/immigration?

 

 

 

Unfortunately we don't have an option to arrive the day before due to work schedule. Would you book a cruise with this type of timeline?

 

 

Travel much? Delays have become the rule rather than the exception.

 

 

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[John Bull]

Yikes, a lot of folk on this thread worrying about that timing.

But it's no problem at all unless your aircraft is cancelled or delayed by hours.

 

Allow 2 hours thro Heathrow, but expect about 90 minutes.

By car to Southampton eg http://www.westquaycars.com or http://www.smithsforairports.com is something under 90 minutes, though there are often delays on summer Saturday's. Expect about £80 to £90 for a sedan)

By National Express coach (£25 pp , do pre-book) it's about 2 to 2.5 hours, then five minutes by taxi

Cruise lines only offer transfers on sailing day (shows they're confident :)), the last coach leaves Heathrow about 12.30. If you want to place yourselves in their hands at the earliest opportunity (after which any delays are their problem) then book ship,s transfer - but it's likely to be poor value.

 

JB :)

Edited January 14, 2017 by John Bull

[Stephaniee23]

We are arriving at 11a from the US on the day of embarkation - wish us good luck and good traffic karma! LOL

(We checked with the cruise line and they accept people arriving on flights as late as 11:30 for their transfers!)

 

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Edited January 14, 2017 by Stephaniee23

[Host Walt]

Knowing your dilemma (required to fly in on embarkation day), the safe thing to do is just what Stephaniee23 (above) says she's doing. That way your anxiety level will be much lower because the ship's transfer will be in communication with the cruise line so your only job is to clear British immigration, collect your luggage and clear customs then get on board the cruise line's transfer vehicle. The good news is that Heathrow is very close to the M4 (superhighway to the west, including Southampton) and is 16 miles west of the city of London.

 

[Host Walt]

Knowing your dilemma (required to fly in on embarkation day), the safe thing to do is just what Stephaniee23 (above) says she's doing. That way your anxiety level will be much lower because the ship's transfer will be in communication with the cruise line so your only job is to clear British immigration, collect your luggage and clear customs then get on board the cruise line's transfer vehicle. The good news is that Heathrow is very close to the M3 (superhighway to the west, including Southampton) and is 16 miles west of the city of London.

 

The trip from LHR to Southampton is about 70 miles, most of it being on the M3, a high speed superhighway, so a 2 hour estimate is quite realistic.

 

Edited January 14, 2017 by Host Walt
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[SquishTheWhale]

The fact that anyone would refer to either the M3 or M4 as a 'high speed super highway' is just hilarious.

 

Op, if you don't have any choice then go for it. I'd take a taxi or the ship transfer, don't rely on national express. The trains have also been affected a lot lately by strikes and we don't know when that will end so I wouldn't look at that as an option.

 

Some people take flying in the day of the cruise as a cardinal sin, but as said above the fact that cruise companies book airfare and transfers packages to fly in on the day says a lot of people do this. Just have a back up plan and understand the risks.

[fatjay]

hi i run a taxi company http://www.denhamstationcars.co.uk 6 miles away from London heathrow and you should be fine as long as your flight is not delayed then should be easy i cant see it being an issue at all book taxi the good ones will check your flight arrival and be waiting for you (that's how we do it) then a 90-120 minute journey to Southampton maybe even quicker in the middle of the day should be there before 1400 latest cheers jason

[navybankerteacher]

It probably will work - but I would not book something like that if any alternative existed. It frequently takes two hours (sometimes more) to clear customs and immigration at LHR, and it can often take twenty minutes to just get off the plane, and depending upon the arrival gate it can be a twenty minute walk to get to the immigration hall. Allowing a reasonable two hours to get to Southampton, you have just about one hour's wiggle room.

 

Best bet is to book transfer through the cruise line - even though it is costly.