Greetings!
We have a British Isles cruise scheduled in August and our final port is Southampton. We dock at 5am and my husband and I have a flight out of Heathrow back to the states at 11am. Can anyone recommend a shuttle or car service? We don't want to be late for our flight, and the cruise does not offer ground transportation until 10am.
I appreciate any help, there are a ton of options on the internet, it is just difficult to figure out what is legitimate and what is not. Thank you!
I suggest getting some quotes from Southampton-based taxi firms. They will be used to quoting for this kind of journey. One long-established Southampton firm is West Quay Cars.
https://westquaycars.com/
Another, which specifically mentions cruise ship/airports on the front page, is Paragon: https://paragontaxis.co.uk/
What day of the week is it? If it’s a weekday, you’ll need to get off the boat fairly speedily, perhaps aim to be in a car by 6.30am if you want to be at Heathrow the usually recommended three hours ahead. It’s a busy route.
But, as I say, a Southampton taxi firm will be able to give you chapter and verse. The reason I suggest a Southampton firm rather than one of the nationally known companies like Addison Lee is that they’ll be in the area anyway, more likely to make an early start - and probably cheaper.
I'm sorry to say I'm dubious.
If the cruise line isn't offering transportation until 10 that doesn't sound like an early disembarkation to me.
Flight at 11 requires 8am check in.
Cruise ships usually disembark 7 to 8 am.
I hope you are trying this on a Sunday otherwise you will be fighting rush hour traffic.
Between 1 and a half hours and 2 hours drive.
Do you have a way to get permission for late check in at the airport? Or a way to get off the ship early?
I think you may have scheduled this a bit tight. Do you have any flexibility to change to a later flight time? There is a reason that the cruise lines suggest 7 hours between your port arrival time and your flight time.
If not, you need to be able to manage getting your own luggage off so you can leave with the earliest group. I think a private driver is your only hope, but that still may not be enough.
There's no knowing what time you'll actually leave Southampton. With the times you've quoted I'd be looking at changing to a lafter flight as it's very likely you would miss an 11 am flight.
You are playing with fire here. Anything could affect the arrival time, including a lack of pilots and weather (which can include fog in the Solent). You will not be able to disembark the moment the ship docks. Even if the ship arrives on time you should always, always allow at least one hour before you can disembark. That means 6am- which is already close to your absolute check in limits.
If there is any issue on the motorways then the best driver in the world won't get you to LHR on time.
The ship could have encountered severe weather on it's way to Southampton and have been delayed. I have docked up to 8 hours late due to weather disruption, and it being too rough to safely embark the pilot.
An afternoon flight or even next day would be a far safer option.
I suspect the cost of changing the flight now will be much less than having to do it the day of the scheduled flight.
The prospect of getting from the boat to the airport in time are truly leaning toward slim.
I would focus on changing the flight not finding a taxi with a race car driver mentality and a Maserati Grecale GT.
Even with an immediate taxi you are going to do well to be there at the right time
Just to reiterate what everybody else has said, I live just outside of Southampton, and if you pick up a taxi any later than 6am, you are going to struggle to get to Heathrow on time - even on a good day. Your route takes you up a congested motorway and then onto some of the busiest roads in Europe - all during rush hour.
megank I'm sorry we are all negative.
What are you thinking now? Is there any alternative you are looking at?
