Regional flights to European hubs or a long drive to a southern port?

[SueBryantCruiseUK]

NCL has announced it will be offering regional flights from Newcastle and Belfast to Barcelona for Med cruises and Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham to Copenhagen for its 2011 Baltic cruises.

If you're not within a comfortable drive of Southampton, is this an option you'd prefer? Would you rather book NCL and fly to Copenhagen to join your ship, or would you prefer to drive/train/fly/coach to Southampton to join one of the ships doing the Baltic ex-UK?

I'm hoping to write something for the Cruise Critic blog about this - whether ex-UK from a southern port is relevant to cruisers who live a long way from the port, or whether it's more convenient to fly from a local airport to somewhere else. I'm sure cost and choice of cruise line comes into it, too, but I'm intrigued to know how much of a hassle you consider the trek to Dover and Southampton, if any?

All answers gratefully received!

[Elaine0138]

Flying into Copenhagen would be a good idea for the Baltic depending on the airlines that are used.

[piscean]

Hi

 

We would never drive to Dover from the West Midlands/Wales much too far. We do however drive to Heathrow and stay over. Previously we would fly out of Manchester but generally they are cheap and indirect flights these days. (However BA could do with some improvement!)

For our Baltic cruise with Regent this June we flew to Copenhagen on the day of the cruise and enjoyed a couple of hours touring. It was a lovely place and I would go a couple of days before if I went again.

We flew back from Stockholm and although we are experienced travellers our taxi driver from the cruise terminal to the airport overcharged (even though we had asked if it was a fixed rate!) So beware.

Carol

[Rock Chick]

For me it would depend on whether or not the flights were direct and also the flight times. Up to now, I've not been impressed with the flights that NCL have offered me and I ended up cancelling my cruise package and booking my flights and hotel independently for my forthcoming cruise. NCL did not disclose the flight details at the time of my original booking, the details arrived about a week later and I was very disappointed.

 

I live in the North West and the trip to and from Southampton is usually the most challenging part of my trip but if I choose to drive to the port and take advantage of the free parking offered, I can avoid the problem of limited baggage allowances that come with short haul flights.

 

Based on my own experience, I wouldn't accept the flights offered by any cruiseline unless they disclosed the flight details before taking my deposit. I'm aware that booking a cruise package offers some additional security, but I wouldn't be happy about being booked onto flights to and from Barcelona which take 8 hours each way with a stopover in London or Amsterdam, when I can travel direct from Manchester or Liverpool in a couple of hours with any number of airlines.

 

Booking my flights independently gives me the advantage of being able to use the airline's online check in process and choosing my seats in advance, depending on the airline.

[jocap]

We did fly with NCL from Newcastle to Barcelona.

It went via Amsterdam, and took about 7 hours.

On the return trip, a flight just before ours was an Easyjet to N/C....it was due to land in the UK before we were due in Amsterdam, where we had to wait.....It took from 11am Spanish time, to 6pm UK time, and we had to stay at the airport for the night as there wasn't a train connection.

Jo.

[jocap]

Sorry, I've been away from the site for over a week, and forgot that I'd already written about this on a previous post further down the page.

Although we live near the Scottish borders, we find that taking the train from outside our door to Southampton, and staying the night in one of the reasonable hotels there, is as easy as flying with a cruise company, unless it's with their own chartered flight like Princess/P&O to the Caribbean.

Jo.

[cosytoes]

I don't have the holidays from work to be able to extend to cover a day traveling to S/hampton and day back, then extra days at sea just to get to the Baltics so would prefer flying.

 

I wouldn't be keen on waiting at Amsterdam if I flew from Manchester. But if it was my local airport via KLM maybe. It's 2 hours to get to Manchester against 20 mins to local airport.

[emms]

We live in Wales, our nearest airport is Cardiff but to get to the airport we have to allow 2 hours to drive there, park, transfer to terminal. Then you have to be there 2 hours before departure you have the flight, hang around for bags, transfers etc and thats a day gone already!

OK so it took 4 hours to get to Southampton and we stayed overnight at a Travelodge so that was a day as well, but for us one of the best things about the cruise was WE DIDNT HAVE TO FLY sorry about shouting but if you have been on a flight to Florida with a 10 year old who threw up with nerves for 6 hours you would look for a no fly holiday as well.

Having said all that, if there was a flight to Palma or Barcelona from Cardiff to link up I could be persuaded....

[waldorf]

Airports are such awful places now I do all I can to avoid them if I can.

 

We do fly out but generally organise our own flights, we have found that RCCL put you on any flights other than direct flights, we once took 8 hours to get to Barcelona from Manchester (we were sent via Amsterdam).

 

Our preference would be :

 

1. UK sailings

2. Direct flights from Manchester/Liverpool

3. Indirect flights from Manchester/Liverpool

4. Indirect flights via London

[jocap]

I don't have the holidays from work to be able to extend to cover a day traveling to S/hampton and day back, then extra days at sea just to get to the Baltics so would prefer flying.

 

I wouldn't be keen on waiting at Amsterdam if I flew from Manchester. But if it was my local airport via KLM maybe. It's 2 hours to get to Manchester against 20 mins to local airport.

Hi, have you checked Doncaster for flights? We went from there with Thomson to Sharm this Feb, and it was stress free! I'm not sure where else they fly to, but lots of my family live near there, and are always jetting off somewhere.....:cool:

Jo.

[Single Cruiser]

An interesting question.

 

Having only done fly-cruises from local Bham/Man airports I have had no problems. Quite relaxing and most flights are early so airport isnt that busy.

 

Now this December I'm going RCI from Southampton. I looked at the parking down there and its about 2* cost of average airport parking plus you have at least 4hrs drive each way and some 400-500 miles of Diesel.

 

As it's December I was also concerned over the weather, we know what happens with a drop of snow in the southern counties and its gridlock.

 

I've settled for the train, but thats either via London, expensive and tube/taxi between stations with luggage or a bit longer via Birmingham. It's 4hrs train including half-hour change at Bham and I can get an advanced off-peak first-class ticket (avoid London) for less than the parking.

 

I've still de-risked it by booking a hotel next to Southampton central the night before!!

 

So much easier to fly.

 

I am more concerned on my NCL flights to Epic next May. Was told/sold as "Manchester - Barcelona Direct" but so far NCL have refused to give details, always - we will notify you shortly..

 

Manchester is an 1-1.5hr drive north so if they offer a via LHW I might as well drive the 2-2.5hr to LHW and just catch the 2nd leg!!