Returning to Heathrow to catch Princess Transfer

[idcruisers]

DH & I  will be flying into Heathrow the day prior to our cruise from Southampton. We are staying the night in an airport hotel and trying to figure out how difficult it is to get back to Heathrow arrivals / baggage claim the next morning to catch the Princess transfer to the port. We have done this in US airports and the shuttle driver has had no issues. But, have not found information on trying to do so at Heathrow, and it seems like it may be more complicated, and there is no airport shuttle. Other option is a car service picking us up the hotel but it is quite a bit more expensive. We are not interested in taking bus / train for this transfer.  Thanks for your help!!

[Cotswold Eagle]

It's impossible to sensibly answer this question without knowing which hotel you are staying in! 

[ontheweb]

4 hours ago, idcruisers said:

DH & I  will be flying into Heathrow the day prior to our cruise from Southampton. We are staying the night in an airport hotel and trying to figure out how difficult it is to get back to Heathrow arrivals / baggage claim the next morning to catch the Princess transfer to the port. We have done this in US airports and the shuttle driver has had no issues. But, have not found information on trying to do so at Heathrow, and it seems like it may be more complicated, and there is no airport shuttle. Other option is a car service picking us up the hotel but it is quite a bit more expensive. We are not interested in taking bus / train for this transfer.  Thanks for your help!!

In 2020 on our cancelled cruise from Southampton, we were going to fly in on British Airways and stay at the hotel that is in that terminal, 5 IIRC.

[Cotswold Eagle]

6 hours ago, ontheweb said:

In 2020 on our cancelled cruise from Southampton, we were going to fly in on British Airways and stay at the hotel that is in that terminal, 5 IIRC.

T5 for most BA flights and the hotel there is the Sofitel. There are also hotels attached to the other terminals at Heathrow. But most ‘airport hotels’ are a short bus or taxi ride away. 
 

The OP would not be able to return to the baggage collection area, of course, as that is ‘airside’, but I imagine cruise transfers meet somewhere in the arrivals concourse? This is pretty simple, as even if dropped at departures level there are lifts to get to arrivals. 
 

OP - generally speaking, if you are not prepared to catch a bus, you’ll need a car. Easiest may be to ask the hotel to arrange a local taxi firm. Heathrow charges a drop off fee at terminals, which will be added to the fare. 

 

[ontheweb]

10 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

T5 for most BA flights and the hotel there is the Sofitel. There are also hotels attached to the other terminals at Heathrow. But most ‘airport hotels’ are a short bus or taxi ride away. 
 

The OP would not be able to return to the baggage collection area, of course, as that is ‘airside’, but I imagine cruise transfers meet somewhere in the arrivals concourse? This is pretty simple, as even if dropped at departures level there are lifts to get to arrivals. 
 

OP - generally speaking, if you are not prepared to catch a bus, you’ll need a car. Easiest may be to ask the hotel to arrange a local taxi firm. Heathrow charges a drop off fee at terminals, which will be added to the fare. 

 

Yes. the Sofitel was the hotel we booked.

 

Did not even consider we could not get to the baggage area. If and when we do something like this again, I will have to ask our TA about this.

[gnome12]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Yes. the Sofitel was the hotel we booked.

 

Did not even consider we could not get to the baggage area. If and when we do something like this again, I will have to ask our TA about this.

The rep generally does not come into the baggage area anyway. You meet just outside of baggage claim. 

[Bizzie07]

A taxi for 2 people is approx £120 compared with £90 for Princess transfers.  The Premier Inn, West Quay, Southampton is beside the Cruise Port and a lot cheaper than the likes of the Sofitel.  Maybe something for you to look at staying the night prior to the cruise in Southampton.

[ontheweb]

21 hours ago, gnome12 said:

The rep generally does not come into the baggage area anyway. You meet just outside of baggage claim. 

Thank you, and since there are always people there with signs, that must be in the area you can access without going through the boarding process.

[ontheweb]

8 hours ago, Bizzie07 said:

A taxi for 2 people is approx £120 compared with £90 for Princess transfers.  The Premier Inn, West Quay, Southampton is beside the Cruise Port and a lot cheaper than the likes of the Sofitel.  Maybe something for you to look at staying the night prior to the cruise in Southampton.

But my art teacher DW definitely wants to spend a day in London before the cruise.

 

When we did a cruise out of Dover, we stayed a day in London. We had to take the train to Dover because Princess did not have a transfer from Dover.

[Cotswold Eagle]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

But my art teacher DW definitely wants to spend a day in London before the cruise.

I think Bizzie07 was responding to the OP, who was asking about staying a night at Heathrow before taking the cruise line transfer. 

[Raisinette]

I'll be staying in London for a week prior to a November cruise, and will also be going back out to Heathrow to connect with the Princess transfer.  I didn't know which terminal I should head for (Heathrow has 5 terminals), so asked Princess via their 'Chat' feature.  This is what I was advised:

 

Based on this it would seem that you will need to get from the hotel to terminal 3.  Perhaps contact the hotel ahead of time for suggestions as I'm sure they deal with this type of question frequently?

 

Becky

[Globaliser]

On 8/5/2022 at 10:49 PM, Raisinette said:

I'll be staying in London for a week prior to a November cruise, and will also be going back out to Heathrow to connect with the Princess transfer.

 

If you're actually going to be in central London, why are you going back to Heathrow to get the transfer? By the time you reach the Princess meeting point at Heathrow, you could already have reached Southampton: fast trains from Waterloo take about 1¼ hours.

[John Bull]

On 8/5/2022 at 10:49 PM, Raisinette said:

I'll be staying in London for a week prior to a November cruise, and will also be going back out to Heathrow to connect with the Princess transfer.  I didn't know which terminal I should head for (Heathrow has 5 terminals), so asked Princess via their 'Chat' feature.  This is what I was advised:

 

Based on this it would seem that you will need to get from the hotel to terminal 3.  Perhaps contact the hotel ahead of time for suggestions as I'm sure they deal with this type of question frequently?

 

Becky

 

Hi, Becky,

 

Princess used to offer transfers to Southampton from central London's Victoria Coach Station, as well as from LHR and LGW.

Can I presume from that notice that they no longer offer from Victoria? 

Or mebbe Victoria is only for those who've booked a Princess pre-cruise hotel package?

Well worth asking. 

 

But I'm as bemused as Globaliser why you'd choose to go from central London to Southampton via LHR.

 

Frequent trains from London Waterloo to Southampton central for as little as £9.20 (pre-booked from about 12 weeks out, valid only for the train time booked) or  walk-up fare about £40.

Journey time 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 40

https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/

 

Or National Express bus from Victoria coach station for just £5 !!!

Journey time 2hrs 30.

https://book.nationalexpress.com/

 

JB 🙂

[Raisinette]

Hi Globalizer and John Bull,

I recognize both your names from many previous informative posts - thanks so much!

On this particular trip (and in fact most of my cruises in Europe), I'm cruising with a friend that is arriving separately and won't have any time in London pre-cruise. We live in different countries and tend to connect to do the transfer together, chatting for most of the bus journey!  I will however save the info and links for future reference.

As an aside, I don't know if Princess still offers transfers from Victoria as we specifically requested the Heathrow transfer through our agent.

I appreciate the input!

Becky

[Globaliser]

1 hour ago, Raisinette said:

On this particular trip (and in fact most of my cruises in Europe), I'm cruising with a friend that is arriving separately and won't have any time in London pre-cruise. We live in different countries and tend to connect to do the transfer together, chatting for most of the bus journey!

 

OK, I understand the thinking. But are you sure that this will work? You'll probably be put on a Terminal 3 bus, and I wouldn't be surprised if are put under some pressure to get on a bus soon after you arrive at the T3 meeting point - the transfer people's interest is in getting as many people on the move as quickly as possible. Your friend's flight may not arrive at T3 - and your friend may therefore be put on a completely different bus from you. And even if your friend does arrive at T3, there's no guarantee that you will be able to meet up and go on the same bus.

[Raisinette]

We’ve only done this once before, and that time we met in the terminal (I couldn’t remember which one, hence my original comment) and boarded together. On that trip she arrived the night before and stayed at a hotel very close to the airport and took a taxi to the terminal in the morning. (She has slight mobility issues and is not able to take the tube to meet me in town) The bus made a quick stop at terminal 5 to pick up a few more people. This time she’ll arrive in terminal 2 - allegedly - so we may or may not end up on the same bus. It’s a chance we’re willing to take! If I was on my own I’d likely take the train or coach option, but don’t want to pay the single supplement on the cruise itself! 

[DONNAKG]

hello!

We are flying onto LHR 3 days pre cruise. Using Viator private transfer from airport to our Hotel in city center.$120.

On cruise day we are using Viator again from our hotel to Southhampton  port $373.

pricey , yep!

traveling is not cheap😉

We have Transfers from Princess from port back to LHR airport returning home.

DONNAKG

[Globaliser]

11 minutes ago, DONNAKG said:

traveling is not cheap

 

I suspect that the moral of the story is more that Viator is not cheap.

[gnome12]

3 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

I suspect that the moral of the story is more that Viator is not cheap.

Replied to wrong post

Edited August 20, 2022 by gnome12

[gnome12]

3 hours ago, DONNAKG said:

hello!

We are flying onto LHR 3 days pre cruise. Using Viator private transfer from airport to our Hotel in city center.$120.

On cruise day we are using Viator again from our hotel to Southhampton  port $373.

pricey , yep!

traveling is not cheap😉

We have Transfers from Princess from port back to LHR airport returning home.

DONNAKG

Viator is a third party between you and the actual service provider. It is cheaper to book directly with the providers. 

[John Bull]

16 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

I suspect that the moral of the story is more that Viator is not cheap.

 

13 hours ago, gnome12 said:

Viator is a third party between you and the actual service provider. It is cheaper to book directly with the providers. 

 

Hmmmm, yes, both of those fares seem to be heavy.  

Depending just where in central London, a pre-booked private transfer from LHR should work out at about £60.

And central London to Southampton about £150.

 

JB 🙂

[Globaliser]

On 8/20/2022 at 11:24 PM, gnome12 said:

Viator is a third party between you and the actual service provider. It is cheaper to book directly with the providers. 

 

On 8/21/2022 at 1:04 PM, John Bull said:

Hmmmm, yes, both of those fares seem to be heavy.

 

Viator seems to be on a massive market-grabbing drive at the moment. I've never seen its name so often in London. Clearly, it thinks that there are enough unsophisticated / gullible / lazy tourists who are willing to pay a mark-up over the price that they could get the same thing for elsewhere.