Driver to the port questions

[Dznypal]

We have a car service from our London hotel to Southampton. Just wondering if anyone knows where they will drop us off at the port and where do we go to check our luggage. Thanks

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Which cruise are you on?

This is the Southampton Port Schedule https://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/Li...nd_Cruise_Ship_Schedule/Cruise_Ship_Schedule/

• Saturday August 26, 2023 4-Night France Cruise will be at Queen Elizabeth II Terminal Berth 38 / 9
• Wednesday August 30, 2023 4-Night Spain Cruise from Southampton will be at Queen Elizabeth II Terminal Berth 38 / 9
• Sunday September 3, 2023 7-Night Northern Europe and Norwegian Fjords will be at Queen Elizabeth II Terminal Berth 38 / 9
• Sunday September 10, 2023 7-Night British Isles Cruise will be at Queen Elizabeth II Terminal Berth 38 / 9
• Sunday September 17, 2023 11-Night Westbound Transatlantic Cruise will be at Queen Elizabeth II Terminal Berth 38 / 9

Queen Elizabeth II Terminal can be accessed from Dock Gate 4, and then the follow the signs, all the way down to the terminal building. There is a drop off point for taxis. When you get dropped off there will be signs and most likely port staff directing to luggage drop off. Then you will be directed into the terminal building.

You can see the terminal building on Google Maps.

You just need to make sure you are there at your PAT , Port Arrival Time.

Also you dont need to tip the luggage porters, this is England, its not expected like in America.

 

[Dznypal]

Oh sorry we’re on the sept 10 British isles

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

You will be at Queen Elizabeth II Terminal. This can be accessed from Dock Gate 4, and then the follow the signs, all the way down to the terminal building. There is a drop off point for taxis. When you get dropped off there will be signs and most likely port staff directing to luggage drop off. Then you will be directed into the terminal building.

You can see the terminal building on Google Maps.

You just need to make sure you are there at your PAT , Port Arrival Time.

Also you dont need to tip the luggage porters, this is England, its not expected like in America.

 

[RACHEL_GB]

Also you dont need to tip the luggage porters, this is England, its not expected like in America.

Agree many British people wouldn’t think to do it but this is one where I would personally, same as a hotel porter if they brought it up to the room, I would give them a couple of quid. If I had change!! That’s my problem these days with everything being cashless

 

[hmsTigger]

We have a car service from our London hotel to Southampton. Just wondering if anyone knows where they will drop us off at the port and where do we go to check our luggage. Thanks

Which car service are you using?

 

[Dznypal]

It’s called Hyde park car executives. It was recommend by the hotel we’re starting at. They booked it for us too. We did a cruise back in 2015 stayed at the same hotel with the same car service. Excellent service with both

 

[hmsTigger]

It’s called Hyde park car executives. It was recommend by the hotel we’re starting at. They booked it for us too. We did a cruise back in 2015 stayed at the same hotel with the same car service. Excellent service with both

Reasonable? We are looking at National Express but are open to other suggestions.

 

[Dznypal]

I looked up our paper and it’s 240 British pounds which is about 305$. Not sure if that’s really reasonable but we like the convenience of it. We’re staying at a hotel that’s about a 10 minute walk to Hyde park. Enjoy the cruise. I know we will

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

I looked up our paper and it’s 240 British pounds which is about 305$. Not sure if that’s really reasonable but we like the convenience of it. We’re staying at a hotel that’s about a 10 minute walk to Hyde park. Enjoy the cruise. I know we will

Good lord thats an expensive high end way to travel.

Theres a direct train from London Waterloo to Southampton Central, costs approx £20 per person if booked in advance, travel time 1 hour 30 minutes. You would then take a taxi from the train station to the Queen Elizabeth II cruise terminal, cost approx £10 , travel time 10 minutes. Theres a taxi rank outside the train station or you can book a taxi in advance. I have pre booked a taxi from my Southampton hotel to the cruise terminal.

National Express bus from London Victoria Station to Southampton Coach Station costs £7 per person if booked in advance, travel time approx 2 hours 20 minutes. Again you would then take a taxi from the train station to the Queen Elizabeth II cruise terminal.

What time is your PAT? Are you travelling to Southampton the day before or on the day of the cruise.

 

[Dznypal]

Thanks for all the info on other ways to travel to the port. Yes our way is expensive but we like it cause it’s private and direct. Since we’ve only traveled to Vegas and of course Disney world since travel opened back up we want this to be one special trip which for us is the ease of getting places.

 

[tennisfan]

Good lord thats an expensive high end way to travel.

Theres a direct train from London Waterloo to Southampton Central, costs approx £20 per person if booked in advance, travel time 1 hour 30 minutes. You would then take a taxi from the train station to the Queen Elizabeth II cruise terminal, cost approx £10 , travel time 10 minutes. Theres a taxi rank outside the train station or you can book a taxi in advance. I have pre booked a taxi from my Southampton hotel to the cruise terminal.

National Express bus from London Victoria Station to Southampton Coach Station costs £7 per person if booked in advance, travel time approx 2 hours 20 minutes. Again you would then take a taxi from the train station to the Queen Elizabeth II cruise terminal.

What time is your PAT? Are you travelling to Southampton the day before or on the day of the cruise.

With the amount of train strikes that are still being called, I wouldn't rely on train to go anywhere. They have been going on for at least a year with no end in sight

 

[Dznypal]

Another good point that I didn’t think of

 

[MonaMN]

With the amount of train strikes that are still being called, I wouldn't rely on train to go anywhere. They have been going on for at least a year with no end in sight

Is the bus more reliable?

We are about a year out from our cruise so I'm trying to just absorb this year's tips. We are hoping to do a couple days in London before our cruise. While it's tempting to stay at the DCL approved hotel and just take their transport, it's also likely to be a better experience if we do a VRBO or something more appropriate for a party of 3... but I'm a little nervous about getting to the port from London that morning.

Extra nervous because I haven't been to Europe in about 25 years and the previous time was with a group so I didn't have to worry about this level of detail.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Is the bus more reliable?

We are about a year out from our cruise so I'm trying to just absorb this year's tips. We are hoping to do a couple days in London before our cruise. While it's tempting to stay at the DCL approved hotel and just take their transport, it's also likely to be a better experience if we do a VRBO or something more appropriate for a party of 3... but I'm a little nervous about getting to the port from London that morning.

Extra nervous because I haven't been to Europe in about 25 years and the previous time was with a group so I didn't have to worry about this level of detail.

You do not have to stay at the DCL-designated hotel in order to use DCL London to port transportation. They have also offered this service from a centrally located hotel for cruisers who were staying elsewhere in London (it was the Doubletree by Hilton when we took the bus while the DCL hotel was the Churchill and had its own bus to the port). We were staying at a Hyatt property just off Trafalgar Square and simply took a taxi to the pick-up point at the Doubletree the morning of our cruise.

 

[RACHEL_GB]

Is the bus more reliable?

We are about a year out from our cruise so I'm trying to just absorb this year's tips. We are hoping to do a couple days in London before our cruise. While it's tempting to stay at the DCL approved hotel and just take their transport, it's also likely to be a better experience if we do a VRBO or something more appropriate for a party of 3... but I'm a little nervous about getting to the port from London that morning.

Extra nervous because I haven't been to Europe in about 25 years and the previous time was with a group so I didn't have to worry about this level of detail.

I really really hope the trains are back to normal by next summer personally, as someone that commutes to London once a week I’ve had enough!!

Normally they are a good option, the trains down to Southampton are frequent and reasonably priced.

 

[MonaMN]

You do not have to stay at the DCL-designated hotel in order to use DCL London to port transportation. They have also offered this service from a centrally located hotel for cruisers who were staying elsewhere in London (it was the Doubletree by Hilton when we took the bus while the DCL hotel was the Churchill and had its own bus to the port). We were staying at a Hyatt property just off Trafalgar Square and simply took a taxi to the pick-up point at the Doubletree the morning of our cruise.

This is good to know... I was planning to ask if that was an option as well. That would make it a bit less nerve-wracking that day!

I really really hope the trains are back to normal by next summer personally, as someone that commutes to London once a week I’ve had enough!!

Normally they are a good option, the trains down to Southampton are frequent and reasonably priced.

Here's hoping! I wish the US had a decent train system... would be so much better than our miles and miles of highways.

Thank you for your help!

 

[tlprice]

For our 2019 DCL cruise out of Dover, we were able to take the DCL bus from a central hotel in London. For our upcoming cruise out of Southampton on 9/3 the DCL bus is from the airport. There was no hotel option.

 

[hmsTigger]

We Miss Dover as the port
No word from DCL Bus