Dover is better known for ferries than cruises, and that's the first thing to plan around. The ferries run from the Eastern Docks, with the lorry queues and holiday traffic that come with them. The cruise ships berth at the Western Docks, on the other side of the harbour. Dover cruise transfers from London need to reach the right side of the town without getting caught in a queue for France.
Where the cruise ships berth
Dover's cruise terminals are at the Western Docks. One of them is in the old Dover Marine railway station building, where boat trains once met the ships. The other is a newer terminal nearby. Your cruise documents will say which one your ship uses.
Both are a short way from the town centre, along the seafront from the ferry port. The approach roads share the A20 into Dover with ferry traffic for part of the way, which is where most delays happen.
At the terminal, porters take your checked luggage at the kerb. Attach the luggage tags before you leave home, and the drop-off takes a few minutes. A transfer also means nobody has to leave a car at the port for a fortnight and pay for the privilege.
Dover cruise transfers from London via the A2 or the M20
There are two main routes. The A2 and M2 run east through north Kent past Canterbury, then the A2 continues to Dover. The M20 runs through Maidstone to Folkestone, then the A20 carries on along the coast to Dover.
Which is better depends on the day. On a normal day, both take around two hours from SE1 and central London. From Bexley or Bromley, it's nearer an hour and a half. From west London, add at least half an hour for crossing the city or the M25.
The M2 joins the A2 again near Canterbury, and from there it's dual carriageway most of the way into Dover. The A2 route is usually the one for cruise days, because it avoids the worst of the ferry traffic on the M20 and A20. The driver checks both before setting off.
Ferry traffic, Brock and the approach to Dover
When the Channel crossings are disrupted, or in the busiest holiday weeks, Kent's roads change. Operation Brock is the plan for queuing lorries on the M20, with a contraflow that slows everyone else. The Dover traffic management on the A20, which holds lorries before they reach the port, can also back up the approach.
None of that is aimed at cruise passengers, but it affects them. So before every Dover run, the driver checks what's in place that day and picks the route. If Brock is active, the A2 is almost always the answer.
The start of the school summer holidays and the Easter weekend are the classic pinch points, when ferry traffic peaks and every road into Dover feels it. If your sailing falls on one of those weekends, plan for an earlier start and don't be surprised if the driver suggests leaving half an hour before you expected.
Timing a Dover boarding
Cruise lines give a boarding window, and arriving within it keeps the queue moving for everyone. We plan the pickup so you arrive near the start of your slot, with a buffer for Kent traffic. On a summer Saturday, that buffer is bigger.
For a 1pm boarding slot, a group from central London would usually leave by about 10am on a normal day, earlier in August. A group from Bexley could leave half an hour later.
Smaller ships tend to use Dover, and some passengers on them are older or less mobile. Keep passports and cruise documents in hand luggage, not in the cases going to the porters, or the check-in desk becomes a very long conversation. Tell us if anyone needs help getting in and out of the vehicle, or uses a wheelchair, so we can send the right vehicle and allow time at the terminal.
A stop in Canterbury
The A2 route passes close to Canterbury, which makes it an easy place for a stop. On sailing day, it's better as a quick comfort break than a long visit, because the boarding slot comes first.
On the way home, it's different. Disembarkation is early, you're not on a clock, and a stop in Canterbury for lunch or a walk round the cathedral can break up the run back to London. Tell us when you book and we'll plan the day around it.
Coming home from Dover
Ships usually dock early, and passengers leave in groups through the morning. We plan the pickup around your disembarkation time. Once you're through with your cases, ring or text the driver.
The run back is usually the A2 and M2 into south-east London. Weekday mornings are fine. Sunday afternoons in summer are slower, as holiday traffic from the coast and the ferries heads back towards the M25 and London.
If anyone is flying home straight from the cruise, Gatwick is around an hour and a half from Dover via the M20 and M25, and Heathrow considerably more. Allow plenty of time.
Give us the drop-off addresses in advance. South-east London addresses fit well on the way in. North and west London add time.
When you book, give us the ship, the terminal, the boarding window, the head count and the number of cases. We'll come back with a vehicle, a pickup time and a written price.
For Dover cruise transfers, call 020 7183 0567.