Question on Princess transfer to airport at Brisbane

[lorri111]

Hi, we have arranged a transfer from Brisbane port to domestic airport with Princess and are wondering what time we are likely to be transferred (have advised them of flight at 11.15am) - trying to get some idea of arrival time at airport and how early we will be.

[Cbtours]

12 hours ago, lorri111 said:

Hi, we have arranged a transfer from Brisbane port to domestic airport with Princess and are wondering what time we are likely to be transferred (have advised them of flight at 11.15am) - trying to get some idea of arrival time at airport and how early we will be.

If it’s a princess transfer they wait until everyone has boarded coach, not transferred to individual flights. Not sure what time you dock in Brisbane but that would be cutting it very fine by the time you get through airport security etc. I would never go for flight earlier than 12 esp if using princess transfer (which we usually do)

[arxcards]

It is a coach transfer that is for a group, but anyone with the transfer is allocated a specific disembark group. We had a Princess transfer from cruise terminal to Brisbane airport this time last year. We weren't rushed, as we had a later flight. In our case, everyone was on the coach and we left at the nominated time.

 

I am not currently at home but will check what disembark time was allocated when I get a chance. I am pretty sure I still have the disembark schedule.

[lorri111]

2 hours ago, Cbtours said:

If it’s a princess transfer they wait until everyone has boarded coach, not transferred to individual flights. Not sure what time you dock in Brisbane but that would be cutting it very fine by the time you get through airport security etc. I would never go for flight earlier than 12 esp if using princess transfer (which we usually do)

We dock at 7am

[Cbtours]

1 hour ago, lorri111 said:

We dock at 7am

Does any of the paperwork tell you the minimum time frame to book flights????

[lorri111]

5 minutes ago, Cbtours said:

Does any of the paperwork tell you the minimum time frame to book flights????

Think it was 2.5hrs. That's why Princess accepted booking for transfer as flight was later. But still interested if that means we will be transferred immediately on arrival at 7 or an hour or two later.

[Cbtours]

8 minutes ago, lorri111 said:

Think it was 2.5hrs. That's why Princess accepted booking for transfer as flight was later. But still interested if that means we will be transferred immediately on arrival at 7 or an hour or two later.

They def don’t do individual transfers. You wait til everyone on coach

[lorri111]

18 minutes ago, Cbtours said:

They def don’t do individual transfers. You wait til everyone on coach

Yes I know that, I was after ideas on what time transfer was likely to be scheduled. I know on the disembarkation schedule it gives timings so hoping someone still had theirs.

[Cbtours]

4 minutes ago, lorri111 said:

Yes I know that, I was after ideas on what time transfer was likely to be scheduled. I know on the disembarkation schedule it gives timings so hoping someone still had theirs.

Ok no probs 

[patch nine]

I am sure we had an earlier flight than that last December.   We had booked through Easy air and our flight was later changed making it earlier.  We booked Princess transfers and were among the first off and arrived at the airport in plenty of time for our flight. We disembarked about 7.40 and were at the airport about 8.45.  I think our flight was about 10.30 

[Aus Traveller]

4 hours ago, lorri111 said:

Think it was 2.5hrs. That's why Princess accepted booking for transfer as flight was later. But still interested if that means we will be transferred immediately on arrival at 7 or an hour or two later.

You wouldn't be transferred at 7am. Probably the earliest would be 9am. Usually everyone is off the ship by 9.30 or so. Why not get a taxi? It would not be any more expensive (maybe a few dollars cheaper) and you can go as early as you want.

[cruiser3775]

The airport is reasonably close to the port. It looks like it is right next door, but unfortunately you can't drive across the runways, so have to go round three sides of a square to get there. If you went in a taxi, it still would probably cost less, or about the same, as the ship's shuttle transfer for two people. That way, you can leave when you are ready, not wait for the bus to fill up.  It might pay to book the taxi/Uber in advance.

[Aus Traveller]

2 hours ago, cruiser3775 said:

The airport is reasonably close to the port. It looks like it is right next door, but unfortunately you can't drive across the runways, so have to go round three sides of a square to get there. If you went in a taxi, it still would probably cost less, or about the same, as the ship's shuttle transfer for two people. That way, you can leave when you are ready, not wait for the bus to fill up.  It might pay to book the taxi/Uber in advance.

I saw a problem a couple had who had booked and paid in advance for a taxi. There were much more than a dozen cabs waiting but this couple were told it would be another 45 minutes before their taxi turned up. Unless you need a maxi taxi (when you might have to wait a short while), I would just walk out and get in the first cab. If you are unlucky you might have to wait 10 minutes or to but most times, there have been quite a few taxis waiting for customers.

[arxcards]

9 hours ago, cruiser3775 said:

The airport is reasonably close to the port. It looks like it is right next door, but unfortunately you can't drive across the runways, so have to go round three sides of a square to get there. If you went in a taxi, it still would probably cost less, or about the same, as the ship's shuttle transfer for two people. That way, you can leave when you are ready, not wait for the bus to fill up.  It might pay to book the taxi/Uber in advance.

It is not like an airport shuttle. They don't wait for the seats to fill up. Passengers pre-book the transfer and are allocated a group luggage tag/slot and a designated disembarkation lounge. Those passengers are disembarked together and guided to the transfer coach.

 

They do sometimes have to wait on a straggler though, which would be frustrating if you were running late for a flight.

 

I haven't yet been able to locate the disembark schedule when we last booked one of these transfers. I am pretty sure they had an early and a later transfer. All the same, if I had a pre-noon flight, I would prefer to be going by cab

[cruiser3775]

I had an unfortunate experience when I used the ship shuttle in Brisbane to the airport last year. There were two shuttles, one direct to the airport, and one via a city tour, then to the airport. The crew member directing traffic put three of us on the wrong bus. Fortunately the driver asked everyone before he drove off  "What time is your flight?". When three of us said 12 or 1 pm, he said that was too early, and we had been instructed to book flights after 2pm. This was when we realised we were on the wrong bus.  The other bus was still there, but of course they had to unload a lot of luggage from the underneath bins to get ours out and transferred to the correct bus, so there was quite a delay. I hope they learned from this mistake, but I'd still be taking a taxi, if you have a tight flight connection.