Harwich is our local port — our office is in Rayleigh, less than an hour down the Essex coast — and it is one of the ports we have been serving since Ports Direct began in 2007. It is the departure point for many Fred Olsen, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity sailings, and a favourite for Baltic and Norwegian fjord cruises.
Getting to Harwich without the hassle
Harwich International is a straightforward drive from Essex and London, but it is a genuinely long way from the Midlands, the north and the west — and public transport with cruise luggage is not a serious option. Ports Direct collects you from your front door, loads your cases and takes you directly to the Harwich Cruise Terminal, arriving 3-4 hours before sailing.
Shared or private to Harwich
Shared Door-To-Door Service — our most popular and best value service. Picked up from home, driven to the ship, collecting other cruise passengers en-route where required, with a maximum of 3 additional pick-ups. Most Harwich sailings qualify, since shared services run for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Fred Olsen.
Private Door-To-Door Service — picked up from home and driven directly to Harwich with no additional pick-ups, available for every cruise line and the route to book if you need a mobility vehicle.
Vehicles and luggage
Saloon car for up to 3, small MPV for up to 5, large MPV for up to 8, super luxury car, or a minibus/minicoach for up to 16 passengers. Each passenger can bring one large case and one piece of hand luggage as standard; additional cases, folding wheelchairs, walking frames and lightweight scooters can be pre-booked for a charge. See vehicle types and the FAQ for the details.
Hotels, airports and long-distance runs
If you are coming from a long way away, a pre cruise hotel the night before takes the pressure off — and we can run both legs as one booking. We can also collect from an airport or train station, and add extras such as champagne and flowers, or a half day city tour, before or after your cruise.
Popular pick-up areas for Harwich
We run door to door transfers to Harwich from every part of the UK. These are some of the routes we are asked for most often:
- Essex and East Anglia — our home patch; our office is in Rayleigh, half an hour away
- London and the Home Counties — an easy run up the A12
- The Midlands — Birmingham, Nottingham and Leicester
- The North West and Yorkshire — Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield
- The South West — Bristol, Devon and Cornwall, usually an early start