Return Flight Time Recommendations: Southampton

[ppfqp]

Hi! Can anyone share their recommendations for a departure flight time from London Heathrow for a cruise out of Southampton? The ship is due in at 5:30 am on a Friday morning. Will a 1:25 pm flight be a comfortable departure? There are later flights, but that flight is a great price, and better connections for us.

I'd love some insight on how quickly the disembarkation process is from that port, transportation options back to London, and any other things I should consider. Thanks!

[Bob++]

A question often asked here.

 

If you use the unassisted disembarkation procedure and book a taxi from Smiths or Aquacars etc, you should easily get to LHR in time for a 13:25 flight.

 

You really need to be there by 11:30 and it take over an hour to get there by road, so you need to leave before 10:00.

[John Bull]

A 1.25pm flight out of Heathrow should be fine.

 

The airport recommends arriving 3 hours ahead of flight-time but that's seriously over-cautious. But altho check-ins close as little as an hour before flight time (check your own carrier), you really need to check in 90 minutes ahead to allow for delays at security, satellite shuttle if T5, and a potentially long walk to the departure lounge.

So aim to check-in by noon at the latest.

 

Altho ships arrive in Southampton at daft o'clock, they're normally cleared for haul-your-own-bags disembarkation around 7am and assisted disembarkation starting 7.30.

Most cruise lines now stagger disembarkation in 15-minute tranches, which significantly helps the flow.

If you need an earlier slot than the one you've been allocated, asking for an earlier slot isn't usually a problem.

Very quick & smooth for early disembarkation, usually pretty good later but any hold-up can back things up.

Unassisted and the first tranche of assisted as quick as 10 minutes, after that expect 20 minutes but allow for 40.

 

Heathrow is about 55 miles from Southampton. Weekday mornings you're mixing it with London-bound commuters and business travellers so a nominal journey time of 75 minutes can stretch to 2 hours.

 

By bus.

Timings aren't ideal. 7.45am or 9,45am

With unassisted disembarkation around 7am & a short taxi hop (plenty of taxis lined up at that time) you should make the 7.45am bus but there's a risk that you won't.

Pre-booking is strongly advised because they do book-out, but your ticket is only valid for the bus that you booked, so if you miss it your ticket is no good and its fingers crossed theres seats on the next one & that it gets you to Heathrow in time.

The 9.45am bus arrives Heathrow T5 at 11.30am, T4 at 11.40am, and central bus station (10 min walk to T1/2/3) at 11.55am. So, depending on your terminal, that's cutting it a little fine.

http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx

 

By train

An awkward journey to Heathrow. Frequent trains take you to Woking station, where you switch to a RailAir bus to Heathrow. So there's a bit of luggage hauling, and the total journey time is around 2 hours. At over £40pp the cost for two is about the same as a private transfer

 

By ship's transfer coach.

First coaches leave the pier around 8am, they are each designated a terminal, so you're not subjected to a scenic tour of the airport. If on the first coach you're likely to be at Heathrow before 10am.

Cruise lines normally accept bookings for their coach transfers for those with flights departing after 12.30 or 1pm.

Simple and safe.

Usually poor value-for-money but I've seen big price differences - a couple of years back folk were quoting around $60 for Princess, RCI were charging over $100.

 

By private transfer

You can afford to disembark at a more-leisurely time. I reckon 9am for a car at 9.30, but be guided by your transfer operator because he arranges this journey on a daily basis.

Journey time on a Friday probably 90 minutes but a 9.30 departure gives you a wide window for any delays.

About £75 to £95 for a sedan.

Try http://www.smithsforairports.com and http://www.aquacars.co.uk and http://www.westquaycars.com.

All three are based at the Southampton end.

 

JB :)

[yaletownboy]

just be aware that airlines themselves can change flight times. Our flight was scheduled to fly out at 6pm but was moved to 10am the same day. Our original flight time no longer exists.

[ppfqp]

Thank you all so much for the information!

[cknic]

A 1.25pm flight out of Heathrow should be fine.

 

The airport recommends arriving 3 hours ahead of flight-time but that's seriously over-cautious. But altho check-ins close as little as an hour before flight time (check your own carrier), you really need to check in 90 minutes ahead to allow for delays at security, satellite shuttle if T5, and a potentially long walk to the departure lounge.

So aim to check-in by noon at the latest.

 

Altho ships arrive in Southampton at daft o'clock, they're normally cleared for haul-your-own-bags disembarkation around 7am and assisted disembarkation starting 7.30.

Most cruise lines now stagger disembarkation in 15-minute tranches, which significantly helps the flow.

If you need an earlier slot than the one you've been allocated, asking for an earlier slot isn't usually a problem.

Very quick & smooth for early disembarkation, usually pretty good later but any hold-up can back things up.

Unassisted and the first tranche of assisted as quick as 10 minutes, after that expect 20 minutes but allow for 40.

 

Heathrow is about 55 miles from Southampton. Weekday mornings you're mixing it with London-bound commuters and business travellers so a nominal journey time of 75 minutes can stretch to 2 hours.

 

By bus.

Timings aren't ideal. 7.45am or 9,45am

With unassisted disembarkation around 7am & a short taxi hop (plenty of taxis lined up at that time) you should make the 7.45am bus but there's a risk that you won't.

Pre-booking is strongly advised because they do book-out, but your ticket is only valid for the bus that you booked, so if you miss it your ticket is no good and its fingers crossed theres seats on the next one & that it gets you to Heathrow in time.

The 9.45am bus arrives Heathrow T5 at 11.30am, T4 at 11.40am, and central bus station (10 min walk to T1/2/3) at 11.55am. So, depending on your terminal, that's cutting it a little fine.

http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx

 

By train

An awkward journey to Heathrow. Frequent trains take you to Woking station, where you switch to a RailAir bus to Heathrow. So there's a bit of luggage hauling, and the total journey time is around 2 hours. At over £40pp the cost for two is about the same as a private transfer

 

By ship's transfer coach.

First coaches leave the pier around 8am, they are each designated a terminal, so you're not subjected to a scenic tour of the airport. If on the first coach you're likely to be at Heathrow before 10am.

Cruise lines normally accept bookings for their coach transfers for those with flights departing after 12.30 or 1pm.

Simple and safe.

Usually poor value-for-money but I've seen big price differences - a couple of years back folk were quoting around $60 for Princess, RCI were charging over $100.

 

By private transfer

You can afford to disembark at a more-leisurely time. I reckon 9am for a car at 9.30, but be guided by your transfer operator because he arranges this journey on a daily basis.

Journey time on a Friday probably 90 minutes but a 9.30 departure gives you a wide window for any delays.

About £75 to £95 for a sedan.

Try http://www.smithsforairports.com and http://www.aquacars.co.uk and http://www.westquaycars.com.

All three are based at the Southampton end.

 

JB :)

 

What about the travel time from Southhampton to Gatwick on a Saturday? We have a 1PM departure time on Virgin Atlantic. Trying to decide if should use NCL transfer or private transfer. What is latest time you suggest to leave cruise area? Thanks.

[John Bull]

What about the travel time from Southhampton to Gatwick on a Saturday? We have a 1PM departure time on Virgin Atlantic. Trying to decide if should use NCL transfer or private transfer. What is latest time you suggest to leave cruise area? Thanks.

 

You'll want to be at Gatwick by 11am

 

Saturday is a good day for this journey.

 

Travel time by road is well under 2 hours, either by the M3 / M25 / M23 loop preferred by coach drivers or any of the slower but shorter cross-country routes.which many car drivers prefer.

I'm pretty certain that cruise lines are happy to take bookings for their transfers from people with flights from 1pm - and that's any day of the week.

 

Same as for Heathrow, the cruise lines' first Gatwick bus leaves about 8am, so you have a good window for delays.

 

You can afford to leave later, mebbe 9am, if you use a private transfer but again the operator is best-placed to recommend a time.

 

You've not mentioned the train.

An hourly service from Southampton central direct to the airport's south terminal, advance-purchase fare only £15.50

You should make the 8.10am (arrives 10.25am) if you are amongst the first to disembark (haul your own bags from your cabin). The 9.10am arrives Gatwick 11.25am. That doesn't leave much of a margin for delays.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

 

There's no suitably-timed National Express bus.

 

JB :)

[cknic]

Thanks for the information. I feel better knowing more of the timeframe involved.

[cruisinlawn]

Based on this read I conclude a 11a departure is out. Would a 12:50p departure be cutting too close? Otherwise we would default to the 3:25p flight or take a leisurely day, spend the night and take the first flight out on Sunday morning:D. We would be disembarking on Saturday morning in July off Crown Princess, airline would be Delta. TIA :)

[WatchHill]

We, too, are on the Crown and heading back to the US on Saturday, July 1. However we are flying BA and based our flight selection not only on time, but price was a deciding factor; we wanted a mid-afternoon flight, but the cost was significantly higher, so we are leaving at 18:20 back to Boston.

 

We've taken earlier flights, expedited walk-off and transfer to LHR for a noon flight, not worth the risk of anything earlier in case of major traffic issues - and yes, we once were stuck with multiple accidents on the motorway and cut it too close for comfort.

 

To make the most out of disembarkation, we opted for the Windsor transfer through Princess [last trip we did Stonehenge to LHR]. It has been over a decade since our last side trip to Windsor, and this tour/transfer makes for a smooth last day for us. Once we arrive at LHR, we plan to have a leisurely lunch, then check in/bag drop and head through security and pick up a few more things at the Duty Free shops before we need to head to the gate.

 

I would consider an extra day in England, but we are arriving a week prior to the cruise for our annual road trip, so after 22 days, it's time to head home.

 

Darcy

[John Bull]

Based on this read I conclude a 11a departure is out. Would a 12:50p departure be cutting too close? Otherwise we would default to the 3:25p flight or take a leisurely day, spend the night and take the first flight out on Sunday morning:D. We would be disembarking on Saturday morning in July off Crown Princess, airline would be Delta. TIA :)

 

Since it's Delta, I'm presuming that's Heathrow, terminal 3.

 

With unassisted early disembarkation you can be in a pre-booked car on the quayside about 7.15am, and on a Saturday be at Heathrow about 8.45. But there's little margin for delays.

There's no other way to make an 11am flight.

 

But 12.50pm shouldn't be a problem, by various means.............

 

National Express

In an earlier post re a Friday transfer, I mentioned a bus leaving Southampton coach station at 7.45am.

But on Saturdays (and sundays) that bus leaves at 8.05. Still scheduled to arrive at Heathrow central bus station at 10.10am, because the schedulers know that there's no commuter traffic on saturdays & sundays so the journey time is quicker .

With unassisted early disembarkation and a £6 taxi ride from the pier (Mayflower cruise terminal) to the coach station you should comfortably make the 8.05am bus.

The later bus (9.45am) arrives at 11.55am, and that's too tight for a 12.50 flight.

 

Ship's transfer bus

Princess will suggest that their bus is suitable for flights after 12.30 (or is it 1pm?). And that's any day of the week.

So you can feel confident about making the 12.50 flight on a Saturday - but aim to be on the first T3 coach from the pier..

Ship's bus of course departs from the pier, avoiding the drive to the coach station. But it also goes direct to your airport terminal - rather than the Nat Express which first visits T4 and T5 and then drops you at Heathrow central bus station, about a 10 minute walk from T3.

Ships' transfer buses tend to be over-priced, but from figures I've seen here on CC, Princess' transfers are less expensive than other cruise lines.

 

Private Transfer.

An early assisted disembarkation slot (if you're allocated a later slot it's usually no trouble to get it switched) and a car booked for about 8.15 will get you to Heathrow T3 before 10am - that gives you anything up to a couple of hours leeway for delays.

Suggested operators earlier in this thread.

 

A flight at 3.25 pm is very easy by any of these means.

 

As of course is a flight next morning. Heathrow is a pretty soul-less place to spend the night, though I guess you could check in to a Heathrow hotel then head off to Windsor for the afternoon. Or take the cruise tour-transfer bus (ship to Salisbury to Stonehenge to Windsor to Heathrow hotel, or ship to Bath & the Cotswolds to Heathrow hotel) https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_to_london_shared_bus.html

Or mebbe Princess offer a tour-transfer, as mentioned by Darcy

 

Any big difference in costs (air fares etc) might sway you one way or another.

 

JB :)

[cruisinlawn]

Thanks folks for the info and suggestions. Many options and we appreciate it. Ditto to Darcy, we prefer a leisurely departure on the return so this weigh heavy in our decision. Thanks.:)

[Charles4515]

Simple and safe.

Usually poor value-for-money but I've seen big price differences - a couple of years back folk were quoting around $60 for Princess, RCI were charging over $100.

 

Anyone have the current price for a Princess transfer?

[Bob++]

Note that cruise ship transfers are per person, while a car is per car.

[Charles4515]

Note that cruise ship transfers are per person, while a car is per car.

 

Last time I did a Princess transfer it was $50. I am guessing it went up. For two it still might be more convienient to book the Princess transfer than a private transfer. I don't think there will be much difference for two. Right now it is up in the air if there will be two or three of us. The third is doubtful. If the Princess transfer is still reasonable I would just as well go with it for two of us.