Disembarking in Le Havre

Hi, Would you tell me the name recommended by TripAdvisers? i will check them out with Google search. If you used them, or another company you liked, please

let me know the name. We are also disembarking early in Le Havre (may 22,2014, Ruby Princess), and want to form a small group transfer/tour to Paris via Auvers (Van Gogh) and Giverny (Monet). I have found only 1 company so far that is semi-affordabe: Normandy Sightseeing Tours, by emailing FredericGuerin. Does anyone have experience with them? I also tried TaxiTours.com, but website is in chinese or japanese. I just posted today on our CC RCall site, as there seems to be about a dozen people disembarking early, but maybe people prefer a simple transfer to Paris? maureen, miamitennismom, mlinden4@bellsouth.net

We do not take our trip until next summer. So I don't know if I like them yet. But the company I ended up booking with was:

http://www.private-tours-paris.com/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187148-d1533469-Reviews-Private_Tours_Paris-Versailles_Yvelines_Ile_de_France.html

Ships do miss the LeHavre stop. This is why I have never planned to disembark (and fly back from) Paris - Just in case we miss that stop.

It's quite easy to take the Metro to Versailles from Paris. You don't need a tour guide, or two taxis.

We do not take our trip until next summer. So I don't know if I like them yet. But the company I ended up booking with was:

 

http://www.private-tours-paris.com/

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187148-d1533469-Reviews-Private_Tours_Paris-Versailles_Yvelines_Ile_de_France.html

Thanks for the information. If you are stopping in Edinburgh and are interested in a good and reasonable guide (referred to us by friends), let me know. We want to see St. Andrews and the Old Course (my husband, the golfer), as well as Edinburgh and its castle. Also, our trip is from April 27-May 23, 2014, so feel free to check with me afterwards.

Our biggest problem has been getting affordable tickets with a non-stop route out of CDG or paying for them with frequent flyer miles. I think we have settled the transfer/tour problem, but I see some comments that there is actually a danger the ship will not land in Le Havre. I hope that is not common from May-August, when there is milder weather?

Maureen (miamitennismom)

Thanks for the information. If you are stopping in Edinburgh and are interested in a good and reasonable guide (referred to us by friends), let me know. We want to see St. Andrews and the Old Course (my husband, the golfer), as well as Edinburgh and its castle. Also, our trip is from April 27-May 23, 2014, so feel free to check with me afterwards.

Our biggest problem has been getting affordable tickets with a non-stop route out of CDG or paying for them with frequent flyer miles. I think we have settled the transfer/tour problem, but I see some comments that there is actually a danger the ship will not land in Le Havre. I hope that is not common from May-August, when there is milder weather?

Maureen (miamitennismom)

We have decided not to do a tour in Edinburgh. But I do appreciate the offer for a guide. We will be hitting Edinburgh in August - while the Book Festival and the Fringe Festival are going on. So it seemed like some fun/unique activities were available. I will be travelling with a set of 10 year olds who would love the Book Festival. One trip report I read stated J.K. Rowling was there this year. :)

As for missing Le Havre. It does happen. From what i have read on here (and I'm no expert, so relying on what people have shared) Le Havre is a very large port, so missing it is suppose to be rare. However in 2009 there were two hurricanes in the Atlantic that missed the USA, but caused delays and weather issues for the British Isle cruises. I believe 2 cruises missed Le Havre that year due to these storms - and they were both in August. One due to weather so they weren't able to dock in Le Havre. .and one that caused them to be delayed elsewhere, so they skipped Le Havre due to time constraints.

We still decided to take our chances and disembark in LeHavre, but will have a plan B in place just in case.

We have been looking at a tour of the British Isles for next summer and just stumbled on to this idea.

Looking at the 01 August, 2015 Princess Cruise on the Royal Princess from a Southampton.

I talked to Princess this am and was told that I need to first book the cruise, then file for a route sector change to be allowed to disembark at Le Havre.

The lady seemed to be amenable to the proposition because she said Princess could handle all the transfers, even the flight back from Paris to Lubbock, TX on 08 August 2015, that is assuming the change is approved.

Some cruise company needs to offer a cruise that includes 3-4 day sin London on the front and 3-4 days in Paris on the end of a similar cruise, this would be our ideal and we would jump at it.

We have been looking at a tour of the British Isles for next summer and just stumbled on to this idea.

 

Looking at the 01 August, 2015 Princess Cruise on the Royal Princess from a Southampton.

 

I talked to Princess this am and was told that I need to first book the cruise, then file for a route sector change to be allowed to disembark at Le Havre.

 

The lady seemed to be amenable to the proposition because she said Princess could handle all the transfers, even the flight back from Paris to Lubbock, TX on 08 August 2015, that is assuming the change is approved.

 

Some cruise company needs to offer a cruise that includes 3-4 day sin London on the front and 3-4 days in Paris on the end of a similar cruise, this would be our ideal and we would jump at it.

Hi,

When I contacted Princess I was told I had to go through the travel agent I booked the cruise through. The travel agent did contact them, and got the route sector change approved in writing. So we are good to go on getting off the ship in Le Havre.

We go in 6 weeks. :D Our plans are 3 days in London, then cruise, getting off the ship in Le Havre so we can spend 3 days in Paris before coming home.

Have a good time making your plans. It looks like it is going to be a wonderful cruise. And if you do go in August, be sure to check out the Royal Military Tattoo that goes on in Edinburgh during the month of August.

We have been looking at a tour of the British Isles for next summer and just stumbled on to this idea.

 

Looking at the 01 August, 2015 Princess Cruise on the Royal Princess from a Southampton.

 

I talked to Princess this am and was told that I need to first book the cruise, then file for a route sector change to be allowed to disembark at Le Havre.

 

The lady seemed to be amenable to the proposition because she said Princess could handle all the transfers, even the flight back from Paris to Lubbock, TX on 08 August 2015, that is assuming the change is approved.

 

Some cruise company needs to offer a cruise that includes 3-4 day sin London on the front and 3-4 days in Paris on the end of a similar cruise, this would be our ideal and we would jump at it.

We did the early disembarkation from the Ruby Princess on May 22. No problem about getting "permission", just a formality. Problems: lots of people were searching for something other than the train to transport them to Paris, as about a month or 2 before departure,it appeared there were none leaving Le Havre on the 22 of May. I'm not sure how that problem was solved, or if it was a misunderstanding (different companies handle ticketing), but we were VERY fortunate to have reserved Patrick Speiss as a driver of a taxi/van, 3 couples, reasonable price, for an 8 hour tour transfer via Auvers or Giverney to Paris and Charles de Gaulle airport hotel. He went way beyond the call of duty by driving to Auvers to scout it out, as he had never been there before, is not a guide, so knew nothing about it. If you cannot find his email via Google or CCritic, post here again, and I will look it up for you. He was wonderful.

Prices of non-stop tickets from Paris to Miami were awful. Other CC posters recommended trying Islandic Airlines. One of my tour buddies is a travel agent, and said to buy a round trip ticket beginning in Paris, returning from your home city, not using the 2nd half of the ticket, and it should cost less than the 1 way ticket does. You can't do that in the reverse, or you will invalidate the ticket. Maureen L. (miamitennismom)

We also debarked the Ruby Princess on May 22 and caught a train to Paris. There were quite a few on our cruise (and the previous cruise which also stopped at Le Havre) who debarked a day early in that city. We had previously notified Princess months in advance but they really paid little attention and the ship had no record of our notification. It was not a problem since they only wanted a few days notice onboard.

As to the train situation, we had reason to think the trains would not be running that day, but it turned out to be a false alarm and all was fine. There is some major railroad construction along the line, but it did not impact our train. The big SNCF scandal in France is that the SNCF (the French national railroad) ordered hundreds of new powerful and fast train engines. After they paid the money they realized that the new engines are a few inches too wide to fit into many French stations :). They are now spending a rumored 50 million Euros (probably will be a lot more) to make the necessary alterations to lots of stations to accommodate the new engines. Needless to say, there are some heads rolling in the SNCF (not sure if they will bring back the guillotine).

Hank

We're going on that cruise this year and I was looking at "Irish for a day." How was it?

We're going on that cruise this year and I was looking at "Irish for a day." How was it?

We have no idea what "Irish for a Day" is! But if it's a cruise line excursion we would have no clue as DW and I generally detest large (overpriced) cruise excursions and generally do things on our own or sometimes join in a small private tour. But we loved the Ruby Princess cruise which we booked almost by accident. We were in the process of booking the transatlantic repositioning cruise for the Ruby when DW innocently asked, "what does the ship do on the following cruise?" I took a quick look and saw it was doing the 14 day itinerary around the UK. Since we had never done that exact itinerary (we had previously traveled DIY throughout much of the UK and Ireland) we quickly booked the back-to-back and then stayed in France for a month after we hopped off in Le Havre. It was a fabulous 2 month trip which we might repeat in the future.

Hank

I guess now I need to find out how often the port of Le Havre is missed. And with Princess Cruise line - if it is missed does it become a sea day or if they instead dock at a different port (Cherbourg).

 

Thanks everyone for your help! I will keep searching/googling.

Need advice on train from le harve to Rouen. Is there a ticket agent at the station to buy tickets, & if not can I buy them on the train, my card cannot be used on a machine as its a chip & signature.

Need advice on train from le harve to Rouen. Is there a ticket agent at the station to buy tickets, & if not can I buy them on the train, my card cannot be used on a machine as its a chip & signature.

The LeHavre train station has a relatively large ticket office (with multiple windows) that are used to dealing with non-French speaking cruisers. You need to buy your ticket at the office (or via a vending machine). Your Chip/Signature card should work at the ticket office (but not in ticket machines) but always be prepared with back-up (the best being Euros). If you are 60 or older, make sure to ask about a "Senior" rate which gets you a very nice discount.

Regarding the other issue of how often the Port of Lehavre is missed, although we do not have actual statistics, it is rare. The Port is a major commercial port and sheltered from the sea. The only time it would be skipped would be if there was a major storm and very high winds. Big storms are rare in the Spring/Summer season but it can happen.

Hank