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 a wide range of 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 the cruise lines that use the port most often.
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