What is the latest time we can leave Queen Victoria when you disembark? Car transfer company suggestions? Thank you.

[gam888]

We are planning to book a car transfer from Southampton to Heathrow airport. Just wondering, what is the latest time we can stay on Queen Victoria before everyone absolutely have to leave the ship? I need to estimate when we should request the car to arrive. Any car transfer service suggestion is also welcome! Thank you in advance 

[TheOldBear]

Probably not a hard limit - not like the need to 'zero' the ship like a New York turn around day.

 

In Southampton [based on prior QM2 visits] in transit passengers have the option of staying onboard, with uninterrupted services.

 

You likely will find that by mid morning [10 AM?] the Purser's desk will be paging you - and even before that your ship's card will no longer open your old stateroom's door. Wherever you decide to wait, you will need to have all your carryon luggage - and your checked bags will be languishing in the terminal's baggage hall.

[BigMac1953]

We always use https://www.tmrchauffeurs.co.uk/ and have been using them for the last 12 years.

 

If the ship is late, they'll wait.

 

S-Class Mercs. Very comfortable. Also used accasionally by Cunard.

[exlondoner]

What time do you have to reach Heathrow by?

[57eric]

Hanging around on disembarkation morning is not enjoyable.

[gam888]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

What time do you have to reach Heathrow by?

Our flight does not leave till 4pm, so we only need to get to Heathrow by 1pm. So it's either stay on the ship until we absolutely have to leave, or get to the airport hours before we have to be there and wait.

[exlondoner]

12 minutes ago, gam888 said:

Our flight does not leave till 4pm, so we only need to get to Heathrow by 1pm. So it's either stay on the ship until we absolutely have to leave, or get to the airport hours before we have to be there and wait.

So, ideally, you’d want to leave the ship at about 11, to allow for the vagaries of the M3, and I’m afraid I don’t think they’ll let you stay that late.

[alc13]

What about going to Heathrow early, leaving your luggage in a locker, and heading into London for a few hours?

[alc13]

Oh, and we used Twelve Transfers (?) in October for Heathrow to Southampton and it worked very well.

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, alc13 said:

What about going to Heathrow early, leaving your luggage in a locker, and heading into London for a few hours?

If I had a 4 pm plane, I wouldn’t risk leaving the airport to go into London. I think I would resign myself to a long and leisurely lunch and watching the planes.

[BigMac1953]

I am reminded of about 10 years ago, when we arrived at LHR with over 4 hours to spare.

 

We were able to check in at BA then took a subway (tube) a couple of random stops towards London, got off, found a traditional pub and had a nice lunch probably at half the cost of a LHR burger!

[exlondoner]

9 minutes ago, BigMac1953 said:

I am reminded of about 10 years ago, when we arrived at LHR with over 4 hours to spare.

 

We were able to check in at BA then took a subway (tube) a couple of random stops towards London, got off, found a traditional pub and had a nice lunch probably at half the cost of a LHR burger!

Much less risky than trying to get into town.

[david,Mississauga]

 

If your airline ticket doesn't allow you the use of the airline's lounge I strongly recommend you book one of those lounges that are available to anyone for a modest fee. As someone who hates airports I won't spend any significant time at one without a lounge to relax and have snacks and drinks.

[alc13]

40 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

If I had a 4 pm plane, I wouldn’t risk leaving the airport to go into London. I think I would resign myself to a long and leisurely lunch and watching the planes.

I guessed they could get to Heathrow around 9-10 am.  Is the train in and out of London reliable?  

 

Making notes for the future....

[exlondoner]

24 minutes ago, alc13 said:

I guessed they could get to Heathrow around 9-10 am.  Is the train in and out of London reliable?  

 

Making notes for the future....

I can’t imagine they’d be off the ship until well after 9. Yes, the trains are pretty reliable, unless there is a strike, which is not unknown at the moment. Also there is the wondrous new Elizabeth Line. Even so I wouldn’t risk it unnecessarily if I had a plane at 4.

[exlondoner]

I’ve just remembered. When we were in quarantine on QM2, we were absolutely the last off the ship, at 10.30. Ours cases were looking very lonely in the arrivals hall. That might get you to Heathrow not long before midday. So there isn’t that much extra time. Sorry I didn’t say this earlier.

[Lady of the Nile]

On 3/14/2023 at 12:08 PM, alc13 said:

What about going to Heathrow early, leaving your luggage in a locker, and heading into London for a few hours?

 

[Lady of the Nile]

Hi, I don't think that you can do that any more, I maybe wrong, but ever since the security has been heightened they have been stopped. However, it may be worth checking. It may be worth arriving early, check in and have a mooch around the airport, I know that sounds boring, but there is always the airport lounge for a couple of hours, it is chargeable, unless you have a card.

[roscoe39]

On 3/14/2023 at 4:55 AM, gam888 said:

We are planning to book a car transfer from Southampton to Heathrow airport. Just wondering, what is the latest time we can stay on Queen Victoria before everyone absolutely have to leave the ship? I need to estimate when we should request the car to arrive. Any car transfer service suggestion is also welcome! Thank you in advance 

often at the end of the world cruise voyages they offer an excursion to Windsor or Stonehenge or such like and drop off at Heathrow. Somebody may have recent experience, my last one was about 6 years ago...

[D&N]

On a Sunday last June we self disembarked and were outside Mayflower Terminal at 7:18 am. Taxi was booked for 8:30 am but when phoned managed to come a bit earlier. We departed at 8:09 am and the journey to Heathrow Terminal 5 took 1 hour 8 minutes. I'll book the taxi earlier next time.

It's probably not possible to do the trip as quickly on most other days of the week.

 

We were booked on a 14:25 flight and would have been happy to sit about Terminal 5 for 5 hours but were luckily able to change to a flight at 11:25.