London Hotel to Dover Cruise Port Transfers

[Ralph&Pam]

I’d call DCL, but wait times are not great for what I expect is a simple question. Does anyone know the current rate for the DCL transfers between whatever London hotel they are now using and the Dover Cruise Port? There will be three adults. We’ll be staying at a different London hotel (Great Scotland Yard by Hyatt) for 4 nights in advance of the Norwegian Fjords cruise in September, so I want to compare pricing for a private car/van vs. the DCL transfer hotel to port bus plus hotel to hotel taxi to get us to the bus departure point.

 

[DCSWO]

You may want to consider a train as well. That’s what we are going to take for the same cruise. South Eastern train company runs a non-stop train from St Pancras station to Dover. 65 min non-stop ride. Trains run hourly. Here is the link to their site. Ticket.southeasternrailway.co.uk

 

[Ralph&Pam]

You may want to consider a train as well. That’s what we are going to take for the same cruise. South Eastern train company runs a non-stop train from St Pancras station to Dover. 65 min non-stop ride. Trains run hourly. Here is the link to their site. Ticket.southeasternrailway.co.uk

We try to avoid situations where luggage handling becomes an issue, so taking the train is less attractive for us. Two of us are upper-70s. At the airports, I always use a luggage cart for our checked bags and any carry-ons so that DW just has to manage her purse.

 

[DCSWO]

We try to avoid situations where luggage handling becomes an issue, so taking the train is less attractive for us. Two of us are upper-70s. At the airports, I always use a luggage cart for our checked bags and any carry-ons so that DW just has to manage her purse.

Fair enough!

 

[LoveMickey]

We used the Disney transport to the port from London. Because the busses have to stay out of london (due to emission) it was a long ride to the port. You may want to consider private transportation.

 

[gilsan]

Transfers are $60/person from London Center. You do not have to book this hotel with Disney to use this transfer. We took these transfers previously and stayed at a different hotel and took a cab the morning of the cruise to the hotel they were using and took the transfers. the trip was just under two hours, it was very convenient.

London City Center Transfers

Ground transfers between the Port of Dover and the Hilton Hotel Metropole in the center of London are available for purchase. Travel time is approximately 2 hours. Guests do not need to be staying at the Hilton Hotel Metropole to purchase this transfer. Ground transfers are available on embarkation and debarkation days only, for $60 per Guest. We recommend calling (800) 951-3532 to add ground transfers in advance, as only a limited number may be available for purchase upon arrival.

 

[insureman]

We used the Disney transport to the port from London. Because the busses have to stay out of london (due to emission) it was a long ride to the port. You may want to consider private transportation.

What do you mean the busses had to stay out of London? How did you get to the bus then?

 

[insureman]

Transfers are $60/person from London Center. You do not have to book this hotel with Disney to use this transfer. We took these transfers previously and stayed at a different hotel and took a cab the morning of the cruise to the hotel they were using and took the transfers. the trip was just under two hours, it was very convenient.

London City Center Transfers

Ground transfers between the Port of Dover and the Hilton Hotel Metropole in the center of London are available for purchase. Travel time is approximately 2 hours. Guests do not need to be staying at the Hilton Hotel Metropole to purchase this transfer. Ground transfers are available on embarkation and debarkation days only, for $60 per Guest. We recommend calling (800) 951-3532 to add ground transfers in advance, as only a limited number may be available for purchase upon arrival.

That is not the hotel they are using for the WBTA London pickup in September. It is the Doubletree Hilton London Victoria. Email I received.

Anne (Disney Cruise Line) Apr 23, 2022, 9:41 AM EDT Dear XXXXXX XXXXX, Thank you for choosing a Disney Cruise Line vacation! I would be happy to assist you. •The London City Center Transfer will depart from the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London – Victoria promptly at 10:15am. Guests may arrive at the resort beginning at 9:00am •Cost for the one way transfer is $60.00 per person ages 3 and up and includes luggage service and access to a comfortable lounge prior to departure. The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London – Victoria is located at 2 Bridge Place, London SW1V 1QA. This resort offers easy access to London attractions. Guests can take a taxi from the resort or use the following public transportation options: •Victoria Coach (Bus) Station ◦Located 2 blocks (approximately 10 minutes) walk from the resort The transfer request is added to the reservation. The cost is $120.00. I hope this information has been helpful. If you require further assistance with any other inquiries, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to sailing with you! Have a Magical Day! Email Communications Agent Disney Cruise Line

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

This is who we used for private transfers in September 2019.
https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/

It wasn't cheap but their service was excellent. Someone on the Disboards recommended them to me.
For the return ride, we scheduled a 2-hour tour of Dover Castle, self-guided. It was nice that we could leave the luggage in the car and take a quickie tour, and he was there waiting for us when we were done. Two hours was longest tour/break we could schedule. It was still a long day and we should have stopped for lunch when we left the castle but we forgot how long the ride was and we were famished by the time we got back. Our flight was the next morning so we stayed near Heathrow. It was the Staybridge Suites on Bath Rd, just north of the airport. We spent one night there pre cruise and another night there post cruise. I would stay there again. We had just done a big splurge trip of London/Paris 2 years before so we weren't trying to repeat that.

 

[gilsan]

That is not the hotel they are using for the WBTA London pickup in September. It is the Doubletree Hilton London Victoria. Email I received.

Anne (Disney Cruise Line) Apr 23, 2022, 9:41 AM EDT Dear XXXXXX XXXXX, Thank you for choosing a Disney Cruise Line vacation! I would be happy to assist you. •The London City Center Transfer will depart from the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London – Victoria promptly at 10:15am. Guests may arrive at the resort beginning at 9:00am •Cost for the one way transfer is $60.00 per person ages 3 and up and includes luggage service and access to a comfortable lounge prior to departure. The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London – Victoria is located at 2 Bridge Place, London SW1V 1QA. This resort offers easy access to London attractions. Guests can take a taxi from the resort or use the following public transportation options: •Victoria Coach (Bus) Station ◦Located 2 blocks (approximately 10 minutes) walk from the resort The transfer request is added to the reservation. The cost is $120.00. I hope this information has been helpful. If you require further assistance with any other inquiries, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to sailing with you! Have a Magical Day! Email Communications Agent Disney Cruise Line

That is the hotel that we left from on the 2018 WBTA. I am guessing that DCL has not updated. I did a trip report that includes info about the transportation from the Doubletree to Dover here.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

OP here. Thanks to all for the information. We’ll check with our third cruiser and decide how to proceed. I’m seeing private transfers for the three of us at about £245 + tip compared the DCL bus at $60 pp + tip + taxi to pickup hotel + tip.

 

[Intr3pid]

Disney's transfer rates are listed on their website for every port:
https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/guest-services/ground-transportation/

And up to you how much the differences in these prices mean when convenience is more important - and particularly in the grand scheme of all things cruising.

We have used the train, rental car, and London Toolkit private vehicles for the transfers. Each has its pros and cons. That said, if you want to visit somewhere on the way to or back and let them drive, private transfers are the way to go. Check them out:
https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/dover_to_london_disney.html

 

[LoveMickey]

What do you mean the busses had to stay out of London? How did you get to the bus then?

The bus picked us up at the hotel but they had to take a round about route to get to the highway to get to the port.

 

[caheffe]

Just in case someone comes to this thread for similar info, we are taking the Gatwick hotel transfer to the port and the cost is $75/pp, which is not listed on their website. We’ve done this before and it’s a smooth process and an easy ride to the port.

 

[valee]

We're staying overnight at an airport hotel after arrival and plan to going back to the terminal in the morning to catch the Disney transport to Dover. It looks like the Disney bus should be $75 dollars from Heathrow.
We're considering whether we want to leave our bags overnight at the terminal luggage storage for £15 each (about $19) and just take carry-ons to the hotel.

 

[Judemouse]

I’d call DCL, but wait times are not great for what I expect is a simple question. Does anyone know the current rate for the DCL transfers between whatever London hotel they are now using and the Dover Cruise Port? There will be three adults. We’ll be staying at a different London hotel (Great Scotland Yard by Hyatt) for 4 nights in advance of the Norwegian Fjords cruise in September, so I want to compare pricing for a private car/van vs. the DCL transfer hotel to port bus plus hotel to hotel taxi to get us to the bus departure point.

The current rate is $75 per person. I was told we had to stay at the Hyatt Churchill in order to use the transport. Only two people are allowed in each room. I believe a breakfast is included. Does anyone know what time the transport leaves the hotel and what time it arrives at the port.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We're staying overnight at an airport hotel after arrival and plan to going back to the terminal in the morning to catch the Disney transport to Dover. It looks like the Disney bus should be $75 dollars from Heathrow.
We're considering whether we want to leave our bags overnight at the terminal luggage storage for £15 each (about $19) and just take carry-ons to the hotel.

Personally, I'd keep my bags with me. I met a lady on our WBPC cruise in March who stayed at a DCL-partnered hotel in NOLA, and somehow her luggage didn't get to the ship. She was concerned when she got onboard because the agent (at the hotel check in lobby) was giving her different luggage instructions than the other passengers on the bus. When she got onboard, she went to GS saying she was concerned that her luggage wouldn't make it to the ship. They poo-poo'd her with all this, "Don't worry; everyone knows their job." kind of talk. So she spent 14 nts with the clothes on her back.
Well, eventually she got to shop in port but I would be flipping. I'd have been calling the hotel and the luggage would be located and Uber'd or something. She was a very experienced DCL cruiser, with many PC crossings completed, so she knew probably more than the Earning My Ears staff at GS. On her many visits to GS, they started saying, "We're so sorry you forgot your luggage." and she'd say, "No, Disney forgot my luggage!!!"

After the many times we stayed at the Hyatt MCO and enjoyed the convenient luggage service from the room, then hearing her story, I will never show up at the port without bags in hand. I know we're all human and mistakes can happen, but how the mistakes are handled once recognized makes a big difference.

I don't even know how she eventually got her bags because the ship didn't return to NOLA; we disembarked in San Diego.

 

[Intr3pid]

We're staying overnight at an airport hotel after arrival and plan to going back to the terminal in the morning to catch the Disney transport to Dover. It looks like the Disney bus should be $75 dollars from Heathrow.
We're considering whether we want to leave our bags overnight at the terminal luggage storage for £15 each (about $19) and just take carry-ons to the hotel.

If you are talking storing the bags overnight at the airport and retrieving them in the morning, yes, that should be fine. That's the idea behind airport luggage storage. You are in town for a brief amount of time and don't want to lug the big bags around everywhere.

Most airport hotels do have mini-bus style shuttles with plenty of room for your luggage.

 

[belle032]

This is who we used for private transfers in September 2019.
https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/

It wasn't cheap but their service was excellent. Someone on the Disboards recommended them to me.
For the return ride, we scheduled a 2-hour tour of Dover Castle, self-guided. It was nice that we could leave the luggage in the car and take a quickie tour, and he was there waiting for us when we were done. Two hours was longest tour/break we could schedule. It was still a long day and we should have stopped for lunch when we left the castle but we forgot how long the ride was and we were famished by the time we got back. Our flight was the next morning so we stayed near Heathrow. It was the Staybridge Suites on Bath Rd, just north of the airport. We spent one night there pre cruise and another night there post cruise. I would stay there again. We had just done a big splurge trip of London/Paris 2 years before so we weren't trying to repeat that.

Just have to say thank you for posting this! I'm planning on booking an Iceland cruise for 2023 and we sail out of Southhampton. Would love an opportunity to take a tour the day before we sail. Stonehenge is on my list since we didn't get there last time we were in the UK!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Our Stonehenge tour on our land trip was with The English Bus. Our guide was Lilly and she was fabulous! I can’t say enough good things about her.
It was a small group of maybe 12-16 so not as expensive as a private tour but small enough to not take so long to move the group along. We also toured Bath and a little area near the Cotswolds. It was a great day. We still talk about it and it’s been since 2017.

It picked us up right at the back street behind the London Eye and our hotel was the Marriott County Hall right next to it so a very short walk.

Have fun planning. We love England.