Embarcation

On the p&o section, there has been a long running thread about boarding.

Enforcing the e ticket check in time. Does this development effect

Cunard? I have a foot in both camps!

On the p&o section, there has been a long running thread about boarding.

Enforcing the e ticket check in time. Does this development effect

Cunard? I have a foot in both camps!

 

They've been threatening this for a while.

 

However, there was no sign of it when we embarked a few weeks ago.

On the p&o section, there has been a long running thread about boarding.

Enforcing the e ticket check in time. Does this development effect

Cunard? I have a foot in both camps!

 

Does this mean that you have to adhere to a very tight arrival window?

Did not apply to the Oct 2nd cruise on the QE. In fact arrived at 11.45 for 12.30 boarding and there was no waiting whatsoever - even for the Gold members or less.

 

It was straight to a check in desk and on board by 12 noon.

 

The best embarkation/check in we have ever seen. (but not sure why it was so good ?).

Where had all the queuing gone??

Did not apply to the Oct 2nd cruise on the QE. In fact arrived at 11.45 for 12.30 boarding and there was no waiting whatsoever - even for the Gold members or less.

 

It was straight to a check in desk and on board by 12 noon.

 

The best embarkation/check in we have ever seen. (but not sure why it was so good ?).

Where had all the queuing gone??

 

Good news! My dream is to miss out on a queue!

P&Os latest ship the Britannia Takes 3800 passengers so using the old terminals takes longer to get everyone onboard & until they get more check in desks they have to have a timed book in system to help to stop the terminal being overloaded with passengers waiting to book in.

My embarkation time was 12:30pm which was for priority check-in.

I arrived at the port just before noon.

There were already many people checking in before me.

No need to worry about your allocated check-in time, as no one at the port asked me about it.

Best to get there about noon, check in leisurely, get settled in your cabin and have a lovely lunch afterwards.

we arrived at our assigned time in Hamburg for QM2

 

 

we'd been in the queue about 30 minutes OUTSIDE by this time

What time did you arrive? I suspect it was before 1:30.

This has been our frequent Cunard experience. I just don't understand. They provide assigned boarding times, one shows up on time as a good soldier, and then has to wait, wait, wait. No other line has put us through this. Please get it together, Cunard!

We've found differences in boarding (onto Cunard ships) depending on the embarkation port.

 

It took 3 hours to board the QM2 in Fort Lauderdale. People standing in line fainted. It was a port terminal fiasco, not directly Cunard's fault, but still a memorable mess!

 

I think we boarded the QE in Los Angeles (San Pedro) in less than an hour. Very slick!

 

Both Southampton and Brooklyn have varied from "walked right on" to an organized wait of about one hour.

 

I appreciate Cunard's "a bit later" boarding time than (say) Celebrity, because Cunard allows passengers to go directly to their cabins (instead of being corralled in the buffet for hours). We were able to board Celebrity BEFORE 11 am, however didn't enter our cabin until 2 pm.

 

Anyone with standing and/or walking difficulties should definitely ask for a wheelchair at the port terminal. Embarkation isn't something always guaranteed to be quick and smooth.

 

In my opinion, the difficulties of travel logistics is often to blame for passengers ignoring their assigned boarding times. If your NYC hotel has a check-out time of noon and your boarding time isn't until 2:00… Or, your airplane arrives at 11:00. Coming from out-of-town with no good place to wait an hour or two… Going straight to the docks ahead of schedule would seem like the easiest individual option. Totally confounds the purpose of having assigned times in terms of overall passenger boarding, but I think this is why so many people all come at noon----they have no where else to wait.

I think we boarded the QE in Los Angeles (San Pedro) in less than an hour. Very slick!

We've boarded QV in two different San Pedro terminals. The first time was in the "Love Boat Terminal" and it was very smooth. The next year was a terminal just down the inlet (on your right if you face the first one from the parking lot) and it was a mess. The difference was in the second we were given numbered cards to check in and there was insufficient seating in that area. In the first you checked in and were given numbered cards to board, and there was adequate seating in the boarding lounge.

 

Both Southampton and Brooklyn have varied from "walked right on" to an organized wait of about one hour.

The problem with boarding the Caribbean holiday cruise in Brooklyn is that the elite checkin queue seems to be longer than the regular queue. So many repeat passengers leads to a high number of Platinum and higher boarders. Edited October 18, 2015 by Underwatr

I get why people checking out of accommodation might arrive at port early. One might as well stare at a wall at port than look for somewhere else to stare at a wall.

 

However I do think that (for example at the large terminal at Southampton) they should be more discerning about how they dish out lettered order-of-embarkation cards. I'm not happy to turn up on time and wait for an hour whilst they process those not due to turn up for another 90 minutes. So sure, turn up ahead of schedule, but be prepared to sit in the corner and await your time.

 

If the early embarkation fairy has capacity, all well and good, but it quickly gets to the point where the queue does form, so to some extent, yes, they should enforce embarkation slots.

 

Sure, get there extra early to get a seat - but you're going need it if you turn up too early - as I waltz by to check in !! :):eek:

Edited October 18, 2015 by Toffeegirl68

I get why people checking out of accommodation might arrive at port early. One might as well stare at a wall at port than look for somewhere else to stare at a wall.

 

However I do think that (for example at the large terminal at Southampton) they should be more discerning about how they dish out lettered order-of-embarkation cards. I'm not happy to turn up on time and wait for an hour whilst they process those not due to turn up for another 90 minutes. So sure, turn up ahead of schedule, but be prepared to sit in the corner and await your time.

 

If the early embarkation fairy has capacity, all well and good, but it quickly gets to the point where the queue does form, so to some extent, yes, they should enforce embarkation slots.

 

Sure, get there extra early to get a seat - but you're going need it if you turn up too early - as I waltz by to check in !! :):eek:

 

I totally agree with you! It makes me rather cross when folk advise others just to turn up early; it is a recipe for congestion at the port and people venting their anger at having to wait.

Perhaps the new advice should be to come later? We've found 2:00 is a great arrival time because most people have jumped to earlier times and we can walk right onto the ship. We can have a big lunch near our hotel before leaving and avoid eating in the King's Court altogether. We've had good luck getting delayed checkouts at hotels or we just check out and leave our bags at the front desk and come back for them early afternoon.

We boarded QM2 on Sunday 11th for the transatlantic crossing. Our documents told us it was imperative to arrive at the assigned time, but nothing in our documents gave an assigned time.

I phone Cunard before departure to query that. The lack of an assigned time seemed to cause confusion - I was put on hold for a short while - then was told to arrive at 1430 (we have no Cunard status).

Taxi ride from Midtown was far easier than expected so we arrived at Red Hook at 1345. No queue, we were processed very quickly and on board for lunch.

Perhaps the new advice should be to come later? We've found 2:00 is a great arrival time because most people have jumped to earlier times and we can walk right onto the ship. We can have a big lunch near our hotel before leaving and avoid eating in the King's Court altogether. We've had good luck getting delayed checkouts at hotels or we just check out and leave our bags at the front desk and come back for them early afternoon.

 

We always get 4/5 deck so our checkin is later we do the same as above bags are nearly always in cabin when we get to it then just go up for a quick drink

Most hotels close to docks keep luggage, even when there ae 5 ships in port, :eek:Southampton.

Noticed on the e ticket there is a clockface with your arrival time

Edited October 20, 2015 by electra2008

Are CWC elite (Platinum+) passengers assigned a boarding time according to their deck without regard to their elite status? I know the assigned time doesn't matter much. Just wondering what I'll be given for my first Platinum embarkation. Usually for Deck 5 the assigned time is around 3 PM.

We've had 12 since we've been Platinum for deck 5 so I would say that status has more bearing on the time than deck.

Do I take it that they assign boarding time according to deck? We are first time Cunard cruisers and are on deck 6. We have just got our e-tickets and have been given a boarding time of 3.30 pm (Southampton). This seems very late to me, as we only have a 2 to 3 hour drive to the port and it seems to be a bit of a waste of what is after all the first day of our cruise!

 

Would it b terrible of us to turn up early?

Do I take it that they assign boarding time according to deck? We are first time Cunard cruisers and are on deck 6. We have just got our e-tickets and have been given a boarding time of 3.30 pm (Southampton). This seems very late to me, as we only have a 2 to 3 hour drive to the port and it seems to be a bit of a waste of what is after all the first day of our cruise!

 

Would it b terrible of us to turn up early?

We usually book Deck 5 and our times have generally been the same as yours except for when we booked Deck 11 when our assigned time was around 12:30.

 

They keep making noises about enforcing the arrival times but usually people show up very early. Based on my experience in New York I'd say you could arrive around 1:30 or 2:00 and be on the downward side of the arrival rush.

Do I take it that they assign boarding time according to deck? We are first time Cunard cruisers and are on deck 6. We have just got our e-tickets and have been given a boarding time of 3.30 pm (Southampton). This seems very late to me, as we only have a 2 to 3 hour drive to the port and it seems to be a bit of a waste of what is after all the first day of our cruise!

 

Would it b terrible of us to turn up early?

 

Since you have control of the time you arrive at the cruise terminal, I would not advise you to come at noon. It will be a madhouse then and you would not be doing yourself, or anyone assigned that time, any favors.

 

But, coming at 2:30 or 3:00---that probably would allow you to come aboard without queueing, at all, and (in my opinion) not cause difficulties for others assigned those times.

 

I can understand your excitement, but once onboard you will have plenty of time to enjoy the ship and the voyage.

 

Have a wonderful first Cunard Voyage!!!!

Do I take it that they assign boarding time according to deck? We are first time Cunard cruisers and are on deck 6. We have just got our e-tickets and have been given a boarding time of 3.30 pm (Southampton). This seems very late to me, as we only have a 2 to 3 hour drive to the port and it seems to be a bit of a waste of what is after all the first day of our cruise!

 

Would it b terrible of us to turn up early?

No they do not load by deck number, Some posters are getting confused with Disembarking which is by deck number starting from the top of the ship after the Grills have slot has been used. Edited November 3, 2015 by zider

No they do not load by deck number, Some posters are getting confused with Disembarking which is by deck number starting from the top of the ship after the Grills have slot has been used.

 

Zider, that is not up to date advice. You are correct that disembarking is by deck number but as can be seen from the Cunard Notification extract below, they are certainly boarding QM2 on Thursday 5 November by deck number.

 

**Important information regarding your check in time**

Your E-ticket may be missing your check in time for your cruise. If this is the

case, please refer to the following timings for check in dependant upon your

cabin location:

Decks 11 and 12 - Check in from 12:30

Decks 9 and 10 - Check in from 13:00

Deck 8 - Check in from 14:00

Deck 6 - Check in from 14:30

Deck 5 - Check in from 15:00

Deck 4 - Check in from 15:15

Check in will close at 15:30. We look forward to welcoming you on board Queen Mary 2.

Zider, that is not up to date advice. You are correct that disembarking is by deck number but as can be seen from the Cunard Notification extract below, they are certainly boarding QM2 on Thursday 5 November by deck number.

 

**Important information regarding your check in time**

Your E-ticket may be missing your check in time for your cruise. If this is the

case, please refer to the following timings for check in dependant upon your

cabin location:

Decks 11 and 12 - Check in from 12:30

Decks 9 and 10 - Check in from 13:00

Deck 8 - Check in from 14:00

Deck 6 - Check in from 14:30

Deck 5 - Check in from 15:00

Deck 4 - Check in from 15:15

Check in will close at 15:30. We look forward to welcoming you on board Queen Mary 2.

That does not make sense Q.G/P.G/Diamond/Platinum, Have priority boarding no matter of what deck they are on . What they have written implies that someone in a inside cabin on deck 11 gets priority over a Queens Grill passenger