Princess Airport Transfers When You Fly In A Day Early (LHR)

[Jadn13]

Hi All!

 

Does anyone have experience flying into LHR a day early and then returning the next day to the airport to meet the Princess transfer?

 

**I know about National Express and will consider as an option but we would need to take a Taxi/Uber from the Bus station. to the ship. My team can’t pull suitcases and walk on uneven pavement for long distances. 
 

Any experiences with the Princess Transfer please share. Where/How to find the Rep, Which Terminal? 

 

I did also post on a UK Transpo thread but figured many are traveling this route currently the main board could be of great help.

Thank You! 

 

[Ombud]

Wow that sounds a lot more complicated that National Express to Southampton, uber to hotel (i walked the 2 blocks but sounds like you might not want to), uber to ship. FWIW uber from Moxy to ship was just £5.98 inc tip

 

Edited July 12, 2023 by Ombud

[Jadn13]

6 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Wow that sounds a lot more complicated that National Express to Southampton, uber to hotel (i walked the 2 blocks but sounds like you might not want to), uber to ship. FWIW uber from Moxy to ship was just £5.98 inc tip

 

Thank You!

Still considering National Express but I was hoping the Princess Transfer would be easy. (May not be the case)

[Ombud]

7 minutes ago, Jadn13 said:

Thank You!

Still considering National Express but I was hoping the Princess Transfer would be easy. (May not be the case)

If you book the hotel with Princess they'll transfer you from airport to hotel then from hotel to port

[Jadn13]

Just now, Ombud said:

If you book the hotel with Princess they'll transfer you from airport to hotel then from hotel to port

Good to know.

I use points for all my hotel stays so they are free. 

[kiwimum]

Info on transfer from our August reservation:

 

If you plan to be in London prior to embarkation day and wish to return to the airport for your transfer to the pier, please meet at the airport location below and locate a Princess Representative to confirm your transfer to the pier.   LHR Airport - T2 by Café Nero , T3 by Tourist Services , T4 by WH Smith and T5 by Point South   LGW Airport (North & South Terminals) - Meet by Costa Coffee   Meeting time at both airports: 9:30AM   In case of flight delays, please call the Princess Enroute: 1-800-545-0008   If you cannot locate a Princess Representative at the airport, please call locally at +44 7715 182038   Unused transfers are non-refundable

[Jadn13]

2 minutes ago, kiwimum said:

Info on transfer from our August reservation:

 

If you plan to be in London prior to embarkation day and wish to return to the airport for your transfer to the pier, please meet at the airport location below and locate a Princess Representative to confirm your transfer to the pier.   LHR Airport - T2 by Café Nero , T3 by Tourist Services , T4 by WH Smith and T5 by Point South   LGW Airport (North & South Terminals) - Meet by Costa Coffee   Meeting time at both airports: 9:30AM   In case of flight delays, please call the Princess Enroute: 1-800-545-0008   If you cannot locate a Princess Representative at the airport, please call locally at +44 7715 182038   Unused transfers are non-refundable

Thank You Very Much!! This is exactly what I was looking for!!

Much Appreciated!

[azbirdmom]

Have you considered staying the Southampton the one night prior to your cruise?  That's what we did.  We stayed at the Moxy which is a Marriot property.  We didn't use points there but our friends did and they said it was a bargain compared to what they used in London.  We spent two nights in Southampton.  Hubby and I used Aqua Cars which was 109 GBP from Heathrow to the Moxy, had to write to them for pricing and prepaid it.  They were awesome.  Our flight was delayed almost 4 hours and the driver waited.  So nice to have a "man with a sign" greet you and whisk you away when you are exhausted after a long flight.

Edited July 12, 2023 by azbirdmom

[Jadn13]

40 minutes ago, azbirdmom said:

Have you considered staying the Southampton the one night prior to your cruise?  That's what we did.  We stayed at the Moxy which is a Marriot property.  We didn't use points there but our friends did and they said it was a bargain compared to what they used in London.  We spent two nights in Southampton.  Hubby and I used Aqua Cars which was 109 GBP from Heathrow to the Moxy, had to write to them for pricing and prepaid it.  They were awesome.  Our flight was delayed almost 4 hours and the driver waited.  So nice to have a "man with a sign" greet you and whisk you away when you are exhausted after a long flight.

Thanks for the suggestion. We could stay in Southampton I suppose, I just figured with the overnight flight an airport hotel would be easiest for rest. The IHG (Holiday Inn) hotel is letting us check in when we arrive in the morning. 

Edited July 12, 2023 by Jadn13

[cavecreekguy]

3 hours ago, Jadn13 said:

Hi All!

 

Does anyone have experience flying into LHR a day early and then returning the next day to the airport to meet the Princess transfer?

 

**I know about National Express and will consider as an option but we would need to take a Taxi/Uber from the Bus station. to the ship. My team can’t pull suitcases and walk on uneven pavement for long distances. 
 

Any experiences with the Princess Transfer please share. Where/How to find the Rep, Which Terminal? 

 

I did also post on a UK Transpo thread but figured many are traveling this route currently the main board could be of great help.

Thank You! 

 

I just did this last month. I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn at terminal 2 and met the Princess reps near Cafe Nero in the arrivals area the next morning. Very easy. I'd recommend meeting the rep at terminal 2. After boarding the bus at terminal 2 we went to pick up some passengers at terminal 3 but by then most seats on the bus were taken.

[Paula_MacFan]

Not sure where your hotel is located but Princess also does a transfer to Southampton from Victoria Coach Station for the same price as the LHR transfer. I know this info is current as we are going in September.

 

We are also IHG members and regularly use points for hotels. There is a Holiday Inn Express Victoria a few blocks from Victoria Coach Station. 

 

Maybe that doesn't work with your plans but just thought I'd share. 😊

[Jadn13]

5 hours ago, Paula_MacFan said:

Not sure where your hotel is located but Princess also does a transfer to Southampton from Victoria Coach Station for the same price as the LHR transfer. I know this info is current as we are going in September.

 

We are also IHG members and regularly use points for hotels. There is a Holiday Inn Express Victoria a few blocks from Victoria Coach Station. 

 

Maybe that doesn't work with your plans but just thought I'd share. 😊

I appreciate all suggestions. Thank You. 

[FirstTeacher]

7 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

Have you considered staying the Southampton the one night prior to your cruise?  That's what we did.  We stayed at the Moxy which is a Marriot property.  We didn't use points there but our friends did and they said it was a bargain compared to what they used in London.  We spent two nights in Southampton.  Hubby and I used Aqua Cars which was 109 GBP from Heathrow to the Moxy, had to write to them for pricing and prepaid it.  They were awesome.  Our flight was delayed almost 4 hours and the driver waited.  So nice to have a "man with a sign" greet you and whisk you away when you are exhausted after a long flight.

You mentioned using Aqua Cars for the transfer from Heathrow to Southampton. When I looked them up, they only mentioned the Portsmouth area. Is this the same Aqua Cars that you used?

[azbirdmom]

5 minutes ago, FirstTeacher said:

You mentioned using Aqua Cars for the transfer from Heathrow to Southampton. When I looked them up, they only mentioned the Portsmouth area. Is this the same Aqua Cars that you used?

 

It is the same one.  I found out about them from the ports of call boards here on Cruise Critic.  You can't book the airport transfer through their website, they need to give you a quote for it.

[FirstTeacher]

21 minutes ago, azbirdmom said:

 

It is the same one.  I found out about them from the ports of call boards here on Cruise Critic.  You can't book the airport transfer through their website, they need to give you a quote for it.

Thanks for the info!

[Rick&Jeannie]

9 hours ago, Paula_MacFan said:

Not sure where your hotel is located but Princess also does a transfer to Southampton from Victoria Coach Station for the same price as the LHR transfer. I know this info is current as we are going in September.

 

We are also IHG members and regularly use points for hotels. There is a Holiday Inn Express Victoria a few blocks from Victoria Coach Station. 

 

Maybe that doesn't work with your plans but just thought I'd share. 😊

@Jadyn this is what we *always* do when flying into LHR.  Have done so 5 or 6 times now.  We stay at a hotel very near the Victoria Coach Station and just walk around to catch the Princess transfer, usually at 10:00am.  Very easy and convenient.  This is the one jumping off city that we *don't* do a Princess hotel.

[coo359a2]

We were 

21 hours ago, Jadn13 said:

Hi All!

 

Does anyone have experience flying into LHR a day early and then returning the next day to the airport to meet the Princess transfer?

 

**I know about National Express and will consider as an option but we would need to take a Taxi/Uber from the Bus station. to the ship. My team can’t pull suitcases and walk on uneven pavement for long distances. 
 

Any experiences with the Princess Transfer please share. Where/How to find the Rep, Which Terminal? 

 

I did also post on a UK Transpo thread but figured many are traveling this route currently the main board could be of great help.

Thank You! 

 

On 31 May we arrived at Heathrow two days before our cruise and had Princess transfers from LHR to the ship 2 days later.  What is shown in post #6 is what was on our Travel Summary.  We stayed at the Holiday Inn 276 Bath Road which is very close to the Terminal 3 area.  We took the Hoppa Bus from Terminal 3 to the Holiday Inn and then used the Hoppa Bus back to Terminal 3 on day of cruise. We did go back to the airport around 7:30am that day and was on the first bus to the ship.  Arrived to the ship before 10am.  The hotel was very nice.  Have always arrived 1 or 2  days early and used the Hoppa Bus to get to our hotel and back to the Terminal.

[Jadn13]

42 minutes ago, coo359a2 said:

We were 

On 31 May we arrived at Heathrow two days before our cruise and had Princess transfers from LHR to the ship 2 days later.  What is shown in post #6 is what was on our Travel Summary.  We stayed at the Holiday Inn 276 Bath Road which is very close to the Terminal 3 area.  We took the Hoppa Bus from Terminal 3 to the Holiday Inn and then used the Hoppa Bus back to Terminal 3 on day of cruise. We did go back to the airport around 7:30am that day and was on the first bus to the ship.  Arrived to the ship before 10am.  The hotel was very nice.  Have always arrived 1 or 2  days early and used the Hoppa Bus to get to our hotel and back to the Terminal.

Thank You you our sharing your experience, I appreciate it. 
I now feel this will be easy for us to navigate

[coo359a2]

50 minutes ago, Jadn13 said:

Thank You you our sharing your experience, I appreciate it. 
I now feel this will be easy for us to navigate

Don't know how it will be at all other Terminals, but  at Terminal 3, the Princess Reps will be standing in front of the LHR version of the Tourist Information booth right after exiting immigration/customs.  On cruise day there were 4 or 5 Reps standing in front of that booth with "Princess" signs you can't miss..  Plus, there is a seating area  by the booth where there will be lots of tired but excited people sitting with luggage with the Princess luggage tags. 

Edited July 13, 2023 by coo359a2

[A Lifes Journeys]

While it seems the OP is an IHG member, if arriving at Terminal 5, the Sofitel attached to Terminal 5 (under the Accor - ALL program) is very convenient.  It is about a 5-7 minute walk from T5 Arrivals to the check in desk - all covered.  I think you can take airport luggage carts. I've stayed there a number of times when transiting Heathrow.  The rooms are quiet and the restaurants are good.

Edited July 13, 2023 by A Lifes Journeys

[rocklinmom]

Yes we also flew in a day early and stayed at the Sofitel at T5. It was wonderful. And the next morning we just walked to meet our Princess transfer to the cruise port. 

[skynight]

How many people in your party? Have you investigated a private car transfer for the entire party. I think it might be less or very nearly equal to Princess transfers and way more convenient. Also if you take a Princess transfer you will probably arrive at the pier around 1pm. Boarding does begin earlier. 

I would also recommend that you transfer to Southampton upon arrival in Heathrow. You can stay overnight in Southampton where there will be a quick cab ride to the pier. You will be less tired and will have way less logistical issues. We booked a private transfer from the airport to Southampton. The driver met us at the exit from Customs, handled our luggage and drove us, approximately 1 1/2 hours, directly to our hotel in Southampton. We slept along the way. There are many hotels in Southampton. We choose the Holiday Inn. Our hotel room was ready when we arrived. 

Edited July 13, 2023 by skynight

[kootz]

On 7/13/2023 at 6:12 AM, coo359a2 said:

We were 

On 31 May we arrived at Heathrow two days before our cruise and had Princess transfers from LHR to the ship 2 days later.  What is shown in post #6 is what was on our Travel Summary.  We stayed at the Holiday Inn 276 Bath Road which is very close to the Terminal 3 area.  We took the Hoppa Bus from Terminal 3 to the Holiday Inn and then used the Hoppa Bus back to Terminal 3 on day of cruise. We did go back to the airport around 7:30am that day and was on the first bus to the ship.  Arrived to the ship before 10am.  The hotel was very nice.  Have always arrived 1 or 2  days early and used the Hoppa Bus to get to our hotel and back to the Terminal.

I am liking this information very much as I am a solo traveler for August. May I ask if they let you check in early? I have not booked my air yet but will know coming from Florida, I will be getting in pretty early. Only want to do this for one night.

[long cruiser]

stay at the airport overnight.

[kootz]

12 minutes ago, long cruiser said:

stay at the airport overnight.

Not understanding why you have said this?  My question is my flight will get in very early from Florida. Most hotels do not let you check in until mid afternoon. I was asking the person that recommended the Holiday Inn if they were allowed to check in early.