Great until Disembarkation

[hamasgirl]

We just completed our first SS cruise on Silver Whisper.  We had a marvelous time.  Crew were wonderful, food was excellent and the ship ...tho old..was in excellent shape.  This being our first cruise back post Covid and having booked it last June, we decided to let SS make all of the air arrangements in an abundance of caution even tho normally we would have done that with our TA.  It was a mistake.  SS booked our return flight out of Heathrow at noon on Disembarkation Day.  I was concerned but we were docking in Greenwich at 2 am.  So maybe they had planned our flight knowing that they would be getting us off of the ship really early.  Then we got our time as a 7:30 am disembarkation.  I questioned that as pretty late given that we had to traverse London to get to Heathrow.  But I was assured that they do this all of the time and it would be fine.

 

Well we did leave the ship at 7:30 but the land arrangements for the bus transfer....tender to the dock, luggage scrum in that port, long walk to the bus, verification of terminals based on your flight at the bus, loading passengers and luggage on the bus...took 1 hour 10 mins. So now we headed out to the airport at nearly the height of rush hour.  Luckily we were in the first terminal stop at the airport for the bus...which we got to at 10:15 am (the bus driver did a magnificent job to make it that quickly).  We managed to get through the luggage checkin with 5 minutes to spare before our flight cutoff thanks to a helpful attendant in Heathrow who got us to the front of the line.  Now we needed to get through security and get to our gate in approx 45 minutes.  Again we were able to go through the "Gold Lane" based on Business Class so we got through Security in about 25 minutes.  So now we had 20 minutes to get to the gate which was in another terminal that would take us 15 minutes to walk to.  So...we ran. I haven't done that in probably 20 years.  We made it...with about 8 minutes to spare.

 

Lesson learned...do your flight booking through your TA no matter what  SS offers (can't imagine what will happen with their new Door-to-Door offer).

[saminina]

Otherwise, how was your morning?

 

The whole idea of someone else, or more likely computer, ordering flights in either direction leaves me cold.

[MBP&O2/O]

I live 20 miles from Newcastle International Airport .... Silversea Air department insist that my local airport is Edinburgh...... which is 115 miles away.

As an aside, were I to insist on flights from Newcastle I would be  charged a deviation fee!

[Gourmet Gal]

I proceed with caution when using SS Air but in this case the problem seems to be the time of the transfer.  If you were so concerned was there an earlier one?  If not why not just take a taxi?  
 

Was the 8 minutes to spare 8 minutes until departure or 8 minutes until boarding?

 

Nice to hear the cruise was great otherwise.

[dawntrdr]

The best tip I have learned from sailing SS is to pass on the included bus transfer from the hotel to the pier (for embarkcation) and from the pier to the airport (on debarkcation).  Take a taxi or an Uber or arrange your own bespoke transfer.  Yes, you've already paid for the SS bus, but getting to the destination immediately with your luggage in hand with an experienced driver who will guide you one-on-one with your questions is to me well worth the extra cost.  And you are certain to get to the ship or the airport check in line before the crowd.  The only time I would not do this is in an exotic port where you would feel safer in SS's bus.  To paraphrase Thoreau, when you travel alone, you leave when you are ready.  When you travel with others, you leave when the others are ready.

[les37b]

13 hours ago, hamasgirl said:

We just completed our first SS cruise on Silver Whisper.  We had a marvelous time.  Crew were wonderful, food was excellent and the ship ...tho old..was in excellent shape.  This being our first cruise back post Covid and having booked it last June, we decided to let SS make all of the air arrangements in an abundance of caution even tho normally we would have done that with our TA.  It was a mistake.  SS booked our return flight out of Heathrow at noon on Disembarkation Day.  I was concerned but we were docking in Greenwich at 2 am.  So maybe they had planned our flight knowing that they would be getting us off of the ship really early.  Then we got our time as a 7:30 am disembarkation.  I questioned that as pretty late given that we had to traverse London to get to Heathrow.  But I was assured that they do this all of the time and it would be fine.

 

Well we did leave the ship at 7:30 but the land arrangements for the bus transfer....tender to the dock, luggage scrum in that port, long walk to the bus, verification of terminals based on your flight at the bus, loading passengers and luggage on the bus...took 1 hour 10 mins. So now we headed out to the airport at nearly the height of rush hour.  Luckily we were in the first terminal stop at the airport for the bus...which we got to at 10:15 am (the bus driver did a magnificent job to make it that quickly).  We managed to get through the luggage checkin with 5 minutes to spare before our flight cutoff thanks to a helpful attendant in Heathrow who got us to the front of the line.  Now we needed to get through security and get to our gate in approx 45 minutes.  Again we were able to go through the "Gold Lane" based on Business Class so we got through Security in about 25 minutes.  So now we had 20 minutes to get to the gate which was in another terminal that would take us 15 minutes to walk to.  So...we ran. I haven't done that in probably 20 years.  We made it...with about 8 minutes to spare.

 

Lesson learned...do your flight booking through your TA no matter what  SS offers (can't imagine what will happen with their new Door-to-Door offer).

 

I potentially had a similar scenario in Valparaiso in January, where we were due to berth at 7 and flights at 2pm after the long taxi ride to Santiago. Usually would have considered this ample time. The unknown being how long Chile would take to clear, during their COVID meltdown at this time, or even if they would allow us off.  (We were already 9 days late as it was!) Luckily they were on this occasion quick and from memory we left the port at approx 9.30 and arrived in good time using the toll roads  Stress we didn't need, though that this was not a SS created thing. (On the contrary, I cannot fault them for their assistance in getting us home.)

 

Your scenario would have raised huge alarm bells and I'd have insisted it wasn't enough time and at least what they intend to do, if you missed your flight due to nigh impossible scheduling. Without the extra help at LHR you got, this would have simply ruined your wonderful holiday.

 

I've been attempting to get my flights sorted for my next..... And 6 weeks on still waiting. With only 3 choices of direct flights to chose from, it should be straight forward.... Well I'd like to think so....