adarsa

Hi everyone,

I will be leaving to London to take a cruise on the 11th. The ship leaves on the 13th. We are getting to london on the 12th at 11:30am so I am estimating we would be at "a hotel" by 2 pm. I guess we need to eat and then do some sightseeing til late. The ship leaves at 5 the next day so we would have the morning to see some more and we are spending another day and a half when we return from the cruse before we come back. I have a few questions let's see if you can help me.

1- Hotwire has a good deal for a triple at the following area no idea where: Kensington - Chelsea - Knightsbridge What's the best way to get from the HLR airport to this area (it's day time, 4 adults 1 kid and lots of baggage)

2- What's the easiest way to get to the port from the city?

3- Any idea how we can accomodate our sightseeing based on the schedule I gave you? I have no idea as to how to organize the places to see cause we need to have into consideration the closing times of the different places and I really have no idea.

We will be going on a 12 night baltic cruise... by the way.. has any body being to Berlin? Suggestions?

I thank you all so much for your help. If I would go by myself I would not plan much, but since I am going with my son (he is 5 years old) I want him to be as confortable as possible.

ribeirasacra

I may be missing something here but Ships do not dock in London. The nearest cruse port is Tilbury, but in most cases it is Southampton. Can you please confirm?
What do you mean the best way to get from the airport? The cheapest will be public transport, the best is to book a transfer, which is the most expensive.
If your flying from the USA you will have a jet lag so a lot of sight seeing will not be possible in the few hours you have.
For answers on Berlin have a look at the German section. If you ask a question then give details of how long you have in the city and where you arrive from etc.

adarsa

Thanks... We are leaving from Dover on the 13th at 5pm. we are getting to london on the 12th in the morning and spending the rest of the day. Then we are coming back from the cruise on the 25th early in the morning staying the whole day and going back to US the 26 at 7 pm. I think we can see some stuff in the time we are there? Can we?

cbo86

Adarsa--We did a NCL Baltic cruise from Dover about 5 years ago and had an outstanding time. As For London you will be jet lagged arriving in the afternoon to your hotel. I wouldn't plan a lot for that day, but I would suggest a HOHF Bus tour, and maybe do the London Eye at night(I think a 5 year old would love that). You'll get an overview of the city so when you return from your cruise you can zero in on some specific things to do. As far as catching the ship in Dover at 5pm be aware that the train trip to Dover is 2 hours( I believe that there are trains every 1/2 hour) and you'll need time to get on board at least an hour before 5pm. When we went we took an a.m. train to Dover, Took a taxi to the port and checked in to the Ship by 11. We then took a taxi up to Dover Castle and had a lovely time exploring the castle and the tunnels underneath(again something a 5 year old would like).
As far as Berlin goes be aware that the ship will probably be at the port of Warremunde(which is a seaside beach town for Germany, swimming anyone?) and that it is a 3 1/2hr train trip to Berlin each way. People who went on that excursion left the ship at 6am and returned at 7pm and got 5 hrs in Berlin(plus it's not cheap). If this is your only chance to see Berlin then go for it, but be aware it will be a long and exhausting day (and with a 5 year old).

janisj

You do realize that Dover is about 85 miles from London? The train will take between 1.5 and 2 hours depending on which train you choose.

If your ship leaves at 5 PM you would want to be in Dover by about 3-3:30PM - meaning leaving your London hotel around 12:30/1:00.

Hardly seems worth going into London at all. If it was me - I'd travel directly to Dover and stay the night there. Dover itself is not a wonderful city, BUT Dover Castle is one of the major sites in all of England. A massive castle up on a cliff, w/ everything from a Roman lighthouse to WWII tunnels.

You can get to Dover in various ways - one would be a bus to Victoria Coach station and then another bus to Dover. Or you could take the tube to Charing Cross and a train to Dover.

W/ a 11:30 arrival, you won't get to Dover until late afternoon. Have an early dinner and crash at your hotel. The next day you will have about 4 or 5 hours to see Dover Castle before having to be at the cruise dock.

But IMO faffing about going into London, having 1/2 a jet lagged day, and then checking out and leaving again mid-day really doesn't seem a good start to a family vacation.

ribeirasacra

Never thought as Dover as a major cruise port, so I have learnt something here.
I would go with the posting from janisj and forget about London. I too also suggested you will be jet lagged.
You plane if on time arrives at 11.30 then an hour and a bit to collect luggage and immigration. Then say about 1.5 hours on the tube to Victoria the train terminal for Dover. Maybe you could stop off in Canterbury,
http://www.canterbury.co.uk/
Dover castle is a good suggestion for a 5 year old too.
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/s...show=nav.14571

adarsa

thanks everyone,

I cant believe you answered me so fast. I am stuck now with the hotel room so I will make the best of it... It will still be a wonderful experience just because I am going on vacation, but at least I know now what I am getting into... I think it will be like that on all of our trip long days to see stuff...(especially in Berlin and St Petersburg) We only have one or two days in those cities and in berlin we have to take the train for 3 hours or so. (I guess same problem) When is the latest we can take the hohf tour? Is the London eye the only thing opened til late? I think we are going to skip the museums...and we will play it by ear. Thanks again and I will let you know how we did it when I come back. I am so nervious now...Is increadible how little some people know about the world out there...(talking about me)Should I buy the train tickets from the US? how about taking a 4 or 5 hour tour of the city like those offered by the cruise ships (for example) even if it cost more money or that will be the same as the hohf tour? Thanks again!!! I appreciate u taking the time to answer me

cbo86

Adarsa--One site that really helped us on our cruise was cruisecritic.com. Go to the message boards or boards and you'll even find a roll call of people who are on the same ship and cruise as yourself. You can even partake in their GTG on board if your so iclined(your 5 yr old may meet a friend the same age). The site even has a Port of call section that can help you with your planning in each port and the advice comes from fellow cruisers not from the industry. Please check it out.

As far as train tickets in London, buy them the day before or on the same day(which is what we did).

In Copenhagen and Stockholm we took the HOHO Bus that had a stop right in front of our ship. Much better than the ship's excursion cause we got off where we liked. Went to Tivoli in Copenhagen. Saw the Open air museum in Stockholm(great) and the Vassa Museum(totally great). In Tallin we took the city tour offered by the TO which was a bus and walking tour. In St Pete we went with the ships excursions. In Helsinki we took the trolleys on our own and had a great time. We found out how to do all this on the cruisecritic board.

Hope this helps.

Seamus

adarsa -
Sounds like you are still wanting to spend time in London en route to your embarkation from Dover. While London is a great place to visit, you will essentially have less than 24 hours in which 4 adults and a child dealig with jet lag will land, collect bags, clear immigration, get from LHR to hotel, check in, freshen up, eat, tour, sleep, re-pack, check out and get on to Dover. Oh, then there is transporting lots of baggage. It sounds like a recipe for disaster to me, and I am notorious for cramming in as much as possible on trips. Especially if you are concerned about the comfort of your 5 yo, consider another plan.

BTW, if you do opt for London en route, the Hop On Hop Off bus tours sell tickets that are valid for 24 hours from the time of your first ride. They are not cheap - almost US$50 per person - and may not be your best value given your schedule. For transit from LHR to your London hotel, forget the tube and hire a car service. We recently used www.justairports.com and were pleased.

adarsa

WOW!!!! you guys are really increidible!!!! Thanks so much!!!

Cathinjoetown

If you have to go in to London before the cruise (hotel made you prepay?) and can't do janisj's good suggestion, then the hop on, hop off bus tours have commentary and and great visibilty from the open top deck. There may be more structured tours but I think the hop on/off would be the most fun.

Getting to your hotel from Heathrow with four adults, one child and lots of luggage will even strain the large interior of a London cab, although the driver might be willing to try it. If not, you're than stuck with taking two cabs in for about $100-120 for each cab, depending on how far into London the cabs have to travel. Check justairports.com for comparisons and better prices.

With a young one, I can't think of much at night other than the Eye although Covent Garden is very lively with street entertainers and casual places to eat.

Does the cruiseline offer any deals for pickups in London? If so, compare their prices with four 1/2 train fares. Train will probably be cheaper, particularly after 9:30 am.

Most stations have trolleys for luggage as access to the platforms can be tough while juggling lots of gear. Do the usual routine--one or two adults stay with the child and luggage while another gets the tickets (lots of automated kiosks for that) and another gets a couple of luggage trolleys.

After the cruise, if you get up to London early, hotels may not check you in, but all are willing to hold your luggage while you go out for the day. If you have done the HOHF, you'll have any idea of where you want to spend more time.

Have a great cruise, my sister did it and loved it all.