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Harwich Cruise Terminal
What To Expect & Logistics of Using Harwich Cruise Terminal





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Harwich is the smallest of the three main cruise ports that serve London, (Harwich, Southampton and Dover). It is is a single berth, single terminal affair which even at the height of the summer season will only have a cruise ship every other day.
However relatively unused by cruise ships it has plenty going for it and is very pleasant to use.
The nearest major London Airport by far for Harwich is Stansted. Both Heathrow and Gatwick are on the other side of London from Harwich.
Next door to the cruise terminal is a ferry terminal with large ferries going to the Netherlands and Scandinavia. Both ferry and cruise terminals are a small part of a much larger port complex. On the other side of the river from Harwich is Felixstowe, one of the UK's largest container ports.

Harwich Cruise Terminal
Harwich
Harwich Cruise
& Ferry Terminal
Harwich Town
A Guide
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Harwich To/From
Central London
Harwich To/From
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Harwich To/From
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Harwich Cruise Terminal Facilities
Facilities within the cruise terminal are fairly basic, but purpose built and spacious. There is a cafe, very reasonably priced and a local tourist stand within the cruise terminal, but little else.

Next door in the ferry terminal, accessed by going along the rail platform, is another restaurant an exchange bureaux, more toilets and telephones. This is also where you will find the ticket office for the railway.

Immediately outside the front entrance to the cruise terminal is a spacious coach park and a taxi rank, very accessible.

Harwich Cruise Terminal - Customs & Baggage Claim
If you are not taking one of the cruise buses, then the transport of choice for most independent travellers will be by rail. There is a broadly hourly service from the platform adjacent to the cruise terminal to London Liverpool Street Station. For most cruises a special cruise train is put on specially for cruise passengers, the fastest and most convenient transport to Central London.
As you can see from the picture below, ship, cruise terminal, coach and taxi park and rail platform are all very together.

Harwich Cruise Terminal - From Left , Rail Station For London, Taxi rank, Cruise Terminal, Coach Park and Ship. Ferry Terminal at far end of platform.
Harwich - London Trains
 The cruise terminal and ferry terminal has its own railway station with direct trains to London's Liverpool Street Station.
The station is called Harwich International. From London, scheduled trains go another two stops where they terminate at Harwich Town - make sure you get off at the correct station!

The trains between Liverpool Street and Harwich run broadly hourly daily. Especially at weekends do check in advance that there is no rail maintenance work where bus replacement services may delay your journey.
Scheduled Harwich - Liverpool Street Train @ Harwich
The trains take around 90 minutes during the week, remember you want Harwich International, not Harwich Town. At the weekends you may have to change trains at Colchester making the journey more lengthy

Stansted the closest major airport, is reached by taking the train to Colchester, less than a 30 minute journey. From Colchester Station there is an airport bus to London Stansted.

Detailed options of transferring between Harwich and London and its airports are at:

Harwich - Central London Transfers
Harwich - Heathrow Transfers
Harwich - Gatwick Transfers
Harwich Cruise Train 2008 - Special Train For Cruise Passengers
For many cruises, a special 'cruise train' is scheduled to operate.
Leaves Liverpool Street :12:05
Arrives Harwich International : 13:17
(Runs 5 minutes earlier on Sundays) 		Leaves Harwich International :08:50
Arrives Liverpool Street: 10:10
(arrives 10:26 Sundays)
Cruise Train runs in 2008 for:
"JEWEL OF THE SEAS" Friday 23 May, Wednesday 4 June,
Monday 16 June, Friday 27 June
Thursday 10 July, Tuesday 22 July
Sunday 3 Aug, Friday 15 Aug
Wednesday 27 Aug, Monday 8 Sept

"CONSTELLATION"
Thursday 24 April, Saturday 3 May
Saturday 17 May, Saturday 31 May
Saturday 14 June, Saturday 28 June
Saturday 2 August, Saturday 16 August
Saturday 30 August

"COSTA ATLANTICA"
Thursday 15 May

"MSC Opera"
Tuesday 26 August

"ROTTERDAM"

Tuesday 10th June, Thursday 21st August
Harwich Cruise Terminal Taxi Rank
 As you come outside the front entrance to the cruise terminal, there is a taxi rank to your right. Harwich Town is a 3-4 mile journey away, a fare of 7-8 GBP.
If you require a taxi for longer journeys, it is much better to arrange a private vehicle in advance, especially if your destination is London or its airports.

By road it takes around 2 hours between London and Harwich, though allow at least another hour as road congestion on this route is routine. If you are travelling to/from Heathrow the journey will normally be over 2 hours and Gatwick often nearer three hours.

Harwich - Central London Transfers
Harwich - Heathrow Transfers
Harwich - Gatwick Transfers
Harwich Cruise Terminal Taxi Rank
Harwich Cruise Terminal Public Bus
 From in front of the ferry terminal, a local bus goes around every 30 minutes to Harwich Town. It terminates at the rail station, but winds through much of Dovercourt and Harwich before getting there.

The bus is numbered 20 or 20A and doesn't run on a Sunday.
It broadly runs every 30 minutes between 09:15 and 18:45 on these days.

The bus passes the Premier Inn Harwich, one of the nicer hotels to stay in at Harwich and also calls in at Morrisons, the only sizeable supermarket in Harwich, just 5 minutes from the cruise terminal.
Harwich Cruise Terminal Local Bus