Disembarkment from NCL Jade at Southampton

[sjh422]

Can anyone who has sailed on NCL Jade and arrived at Southampton cruise port, give me an idea of what time you were able to disembark from ship? i am trying to arrange a private car service to London Heathrow and need to know what time to have car meet me at port.

 

Also I am considering using NCL transfers to Heathrow. If you have used those, can you tell me about your experience.

[Ckruz69]

I have same question, however since we have an early flight home out of Heathrow - 12:30 pm we have booked with Smiths to be picked up at 8:30 to leave for the airport. We may try for an earlier time. Our Jade cruise ends June 17.

[Keith1010]

Since some (not all but some) of this can be cruise line specific this is one I would also ask on the NCL Board.

 

Keith

[John Bull]

Disembarkation from most ships is around 6.45 - 7.00am unassisted (haul your own bags from your cabin), & from 7.30am assisted - but best to check with NCL direct, or on CC's NCL board as suggested by Keith.

 

I used to drive cruise transfer buses, including NCL, between Southampton and LHR / LGW airports. First buses leave around 8am and journey time on a weekday is about 2 hours. Cruise lines recommend that you don't use their buses for flights departing before 12.30 / 1pm. They're over-priced of course (prices are surprisingly varied, RCI were much more expensive than Princess for example) but very simple. You may find that the cost for two is about the same as a private transfer.

 

Ckruz69

Joy of joys, 17th June is a sunday

That's a magic word for travel from Southampton to Heathrow at that time of day - no London-bound commuters log-jamming the highway.:)

But booking the car for 8.30am is pushing your luck.

Journey time on a sunday is about 90 minutes, so you'd be at check-in 2.5 hrs before your flight. That's OK, but not if you hit a problem. For instance Saturday night seems to be a popular time for fatal accidents & that can close the main road for hours.

Unless unassisted disembarkation is problematic I'd suggest you do that - it avoids the possibility of a rugby scrum for luggage or a line which might build for immigration. A car booked for 7.15 / 7.30 would be ideal, you can then relax knowing you have plenty of wiggle-room.

If you can't do unassisted, ask on-board if you can be allocated to the first tranche of embarkation - about 7.30. Normally ships are very obliging for those with tight onward-travel arrangements.

Since you're going to contact Smiths to change the collection time anyway, ask their opinion - they have cars doing this run pretty-well every day of the year. Be sure to mention sunday 17th June.

 

JB :)

[Ergates The Ant]

We cruised on NCL Jade to Norway from Southampton last May.

The disembarkation was the best we have had on a cruise ship. During the week, luggage labels, arranged by disembarkation time, were left on a display stand near guest services, and you went and chose your own preferred time to disembark. ( check with guest services to find out when they will be available so you get the best choice)

We chose 8am as it meant we could stay in our cabin until time to get off, rather than have to hang around in a lounge with our hand baggage. Then at 8am, we picked up our backpacks, vacated our room and headed straight to the exit, there were signs to advise which deck was being used. There were minimal queues, no scrum to get out of the dining room, casino or wherever, as there often is when passengers are held to be disembarked as a group.

It was the best experience we have had. I have always hated having to sit, often for quite a long time, surrounded by my own and other peoples hand baggage, and then when your group is called, all trying to get out of the same door at the same time! Because passengers on NCL are heading to the exit from anywhere on the ship, there is less likelihood of a bottleneck in any one area.

Hopefully they are still doing this, but it was great.