Greenwich disembarkation transfer to Gatwick

[ericosmith]

Does anyone recall if these were offered and if so what time?

[Heidi13]

If you can't get a transfer from Greenwich, I suggest taking the DLR to Victoria subway and catching the Gatwick Express from the Victoria train station.

[Island2Dweller]

4 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

I suggest taking the DLR to Victoria subway and catching the Gatwick Express from the Victoria train station

The DLR does not go to Victoria, and this really isn't a sensible route.

If you want to use the train, take a train from Greenwich station (about a mile from the pier) to London Bridge.  Change there to the Thameslink trains to Gatwick, look for services that only stop at East Croydon (as these are much faster than other services).  Using a contactless bank card (do NOT buy a paper ticket) as your payment device, this will cost about £10 and take an hour (at most).

Road transfer is obviously more convenient but is slower, traffic through south London moves at a glacial pace

[Jammy Bun]

Personally, especially if having to deal with luggage, I would book Addison Lee car to make the transfer.  British trains are unreliable (especially at the moment, subject to strike action with little notice) and often crowded.  Worth the additional cost imho for a door to door service.

Unless of course Viking offer a transfer - which is your original question!

Edited August 18, 2023 by Jammy Bun

[Jim Avery]

I’m with you Jammy. You spend thousands on a Viking holiday so spending a bit more to make the connection in comfort and no need to worry about schlepping baggage on and off trains has to be worth something to some of us. And if it takes a bit longer than perfect train connections just sit back and enjoy the ride.😎

[Peregrina651]

10 hours ago, ericosmith said:

Does anyone recall if these were offered and if so what time?

 

The transfer schedule for each sailing is customized according to the needs of the guests on board.  If you are using Viking Air, you should be covered.  If you are making your own air arrangements, you should ask Viking directly if they routinely go to Gatwick and if you are eligible to purchase Viking transfers.  It should say on your Viking Guest Statement the earliest flight departure time that you should book.

[whitbob]

I am also with Jammy if you are traveling outside Viking transfers and disembarking at Greenwich, reserve a car.  We did this last September.  We normally book a car, but we were going to a hotel at Whitehall and in NO hurry.  Guest relations on the ship assured us there would be someone directing you to the taxi stand, maybe a short wait….  It was a fray.  No queue, just 20 or 30 people in a mob trying to cut in front of each other for the next taxi.  Taxis were 5 to 10 minutes apart.  We tried UBER and someone responded immediately, we were very lucky to be off within 10-15 minutes because the crowd got bigger and Uber was no longer responding for others in the crowd.

 

I would suggest selecting a pick up spot a bit away from the taxi stand it is across from the Spanish Galleon so your car service can find you.

 

Enjoy the trip!

[Ceegeefl]

We used Viking Air on our cruise this past June and my husband and I along with another couple had a private driver and car from Greenwich to Gatwick. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 12:30pm and we left the ship around 8:30am

[Ceegeefl]

This was all arranged by Viking

[ericosmith]

I'm booking my own air so it looks like I'll need to book my own transportation.  Thanks!

[Peregrina651]

46 minutes ago, ericosmith said:

I'm booking my own air so it looks like I'll need to book my own transportation.  Thanks!

 

Not necessarily so. Let me clarify for all those who are reading here. Booking your own air does not automatically disqualify you purchasing Viking transfers; what disqualifies you is the timing of those flights.

 

If you are landing on Day 1 of your Viking adventure and/or taking off on the last (that includes pre- and post-cruise extensions), you are eligible to purchase transfers; those are the days that Viking does transfers. Your flight has to land or take-off on those days.

 

If you land or take-off on a day when transfers are not available, even if you make your arrangements through Viking, you are not eligible for transfers either complimentary or paid.

 

Example: Our cruise was RT out of LA. In order to spend time with our son, we arrived in LA a few days early. But since it was still Covid and son did not want to be near us once we had hobnobbed with the multitudes, we chose to fly home on the last day of the cruise. We rented a car when we landed to get to our hotel and then to the port but for the end of the trip, we paid for a Viking transfer from the port to the airport.

 

Transfers for those eligible can be purchased on MVJ or arranged through your travel agent. You can buy transfers for just arrival or just departure.

[Mrs Miggins]

There few regular taxis in Greenwich, the locals usually use Uber, however the large influx of passengers from a cruise ship is a relatively unusual occurrence.  There are only 3 more Viking ships between now and early September plus one other cruise line in September.  Nothing else scheduled for the rest of this year. There is never  a long line of black cabs waiting for customers.  The area adjacent to the pier is mainly traffic free (thankfully for the locals) and the roads in Greenwich are extremely busy with local busses and cars.  It is a very  busy area with tourists, locals, day trippers etc visiting wonderful Greenwich.

Therefore if you want a private ride to Gatwick, Heathrow or central London you must book ahead if you have not secured a Viking transfer. Make sure that the company booked is familiar with Greenwich and they suggest a pick up point.

One of the problems onboard is the local knowledge about the ports visited is often poor, they never seem to know about local events for example. This is especially true of the areas less visited like Greenwich.

 

[Ray4Fun]

Just off Mars. Greenwich to Bergen. Our issue, which will help you with a Car is as follows. 

 

Cab services may have an issue locating the closest spot to pick you up at port. It Happened to us. After this I can point out two addresses you can pass to the cab/uber/limo company.  

 

43 King William Walk

Greenwich West SE10 9hHU

England, United Kingdom

 

Or

 

60 Greenwich Church St

London SE10 9BL

 

What we saw when we arrived at port was interesting for sure. Most all had Viking Transfers. It makes sense given the location. It appeared to be well planned out by Viking.

 

Those without transfers and looking for a cab seemed to be ok.  

 

FYI: Viking has a tent setup where your luggage will be. It is directly to the left as you walk off the dock. Maybe 50 yards. From there a porter could assist you to a cab. Closest is another 50 - 75 yards away. Keep all that in mind. 

 

I'm on the side of Vikikg Transfer or hire a car to get you to the airport. 

[ericosmith]

On 8/18/2023 at 11:49 PM, Peregrina651 said:

Transfers for those eligible can be purchased on MVJ or arranged through your travel agent. You can buy transfers for just arrival or just departure.

I get looking on MVJ to book on my cruise that was canceled last minute but I never could find a place to book a disembarkation transfer.

[Peregrina651]

34 minutes ago, ericosmith said:

but I never could find a place to book a disembarkation transfer.

 

On MVJ, under "Manage My Air"

https://www.viking.com/myjourney/air

Make sure that Viking Air has been removed from your booking, else you will not see on MVJ what I have copied below. I highlighted the relevant part of the text.

 

 

Copying MVJ:

 

Contact our reservations department at 1-877-523-0580 to take advantage of the many inclusive benefits that Viking Air offers.

• Transfers to & from the airport to your hotel or ship
• Access to our special rates
• Arrival and departure times coordinated with your cruise
• Include possible stopovers before or after your journey
• Reservation management

To purchase transfers from the airport to your ship or hotel because you have arranged your own air travel, please complete and submit the Transfer Request Form.