Best Time for Bus/Train on Disembarkation Day

[lovetotraveltx]

Our crossing on the QM2 ends in Southampton on Sunday 25 August. We need to get to Oxford. I would like to book our train or bus tickets in advance as I was told this saves some money. What time can we comfortably be at the station and catch a train or bus?  Which is the preferred method, bus or train?  Also, are taxis just waiting outside the cruise terminal to get us to the station? Thank you!

[exlondoner]

Are you doing self disembarkation? If so, you can be off easily by 7.30. Otherwise it depends on cabin, WC status, and deck. I would always take the train from Soton to Oxford. Taxi to the station takes max of ten minutes.

 

[lovetotraveltx]

3 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Are you doing self disembarkation? If so, you can be off easily by 7.30. Otherwise it depends on cabin, WC status, and deck. I would always take the train from Soton to Oxford. Taxi to the station takes max of ten minutes.

 

Thank you! are there plenty of Taxis available. Soton is not the central station? If we don't self disembark, what's the latest we might leave?

[exlondoner]

14 minutes ago, lovetotraveltx said:

Thank you! are there plenty of Taxis available. Soton is not the central station? If we don't self disembark, what's the latest we might leave?

 

For general disembarkation there are usually lots of taxis. Southampton Central is indeed the station you want. In QG, we have always been off easily by 8.30, except when there was a problem with the gangway. What grade cabin are you in?

[lovetotraveltx]

5 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

 

For general disembarkation there are usually lots of taxis. Southampton Central is indeed the station you want. In QG, we have always been off easily by 8.30, except when there was a problem with the gangway. What grade cabin are you in?

We are in a Britannia Cabin. First Cunard cruise

 

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, lovetotraveltx said:

We are in a Britannia Cabin. First Cunard cruise

 

 

Then it depends which deck. On our last QM2 trip, Deck 13 were scheduled to disembark at 9am, Decks 2,3,4 at 10.30,  it I suspect everyone got off earlier.

 

[Bigmike911]

I usually take the train from Southampton Central to London Waterloo and plan on a 10:30 train. In checking the schedule I see that there is a direct, no change train that leaves Southampton Central at least one time per hour and takes about an hour and twenty minutes. The 11:17 will get you into Oxford about 12: 30. There are excellent advance prices.

 

Here is a clue to save you time and effort. Tell the cab driver you want to be dropped at the "London" side of the station, that way you and your baggage can go directly into the station and to the platform with out having to lug your self and your bags over the overhead passage way. My experience has been that the lifts on one side or the other are not in service every time I did that until I got 'wised up'.

 

 

[lovetotraveltx]

44 minutes ago, Bigmike911 said:

I usually take the train from Southampton Central to London Waterloo and plan on a 10:30 train. In checking the schedule I see that there is a direct, no change train that leaves Southampton Central at least one time per hour and takes about an hour and twenty minutes. The 11:17 will get you into Oxford about 12: 30. There are excellent advance prices.

 

Here is a clue to save you time and effort. Tell the cab driver you want to be dropped at the "London" side of the station, that way you and your baggage can go directly into the station and to the platform with out having to lug your self and your bags over the overhead passage way. My experience has been that the lifts on one side or the other are not in service every time I did that until I got 'wised up'.

 

 

So, Big Mike, You would wait and do the 11:17? I am saving a lot booking now vs winging it the day of? Thank you!

[exlondoner]

Unless you self disembark (or the ship is seriously late), the 11.17 should banish any possible worries. Well worth booking in advance.

[Bigmike911]

9 minutes ago, lovetotraveltx said:

So, Big Mike, You would wait and do the 11:17? I am saving a lot booking now vs winging it the day of? Thank you!

There are earlier trains, but if you miss them you will have to buy another ticket if you have an advance purchase one. 

[Bigmike911]

2 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

There are earlier trains, but if you miss them you will have to buy another ticket if you have an advance purchase one. 

The answer to your question is yes I would pre-book and save money. 

[Hawaii136]

Our last voyage( May 2019) , I think they were slow putting out the baggage.

so although QG was supposed to start at 8am, it didn’t start until at least 8:15am

i assume all later disembarks we’re late 

 

next were people on Cunard transfers, then

 

PG passengers were scheduled to start disembark at 8:50am

then deck 13 at 9:10am... decks top to bottom. Decks 2-3-4 had 10 am time.

 

it takes about 15 mins to walk off ship, and then find your suitcases..