2 bookings Back to Back

Hi Everyone,

We are traveling on QM2 New York to Southampton July 24th to August 1st and then return to New York. It is 2 separate bookings with 2 different cabins/decks on each sailing. It was actually considerably cheaper to do it this way compared to the round trip booking.

Do we have to leave the ship, collect our bags and re check in or can they be left on board for removal to our new cabin? If left on board what is the process? If the bags can be left on board do we still have to check in on shore to obtain our new room key/account?

We would like to spend some time in Southampton so it will be useful to know how much time we will have. I did ask at time of booking but they did not know.

Thanks for your help.

No, July1963, you will not have to leave the ship and re-board in Southampton.

The housekeeping staff will do most of the work involved in changing cabins; talk to your steward and the helpful folks at the Purser's desk to work out the details.

The ship docks at ~8am and sails at ~4pm, so you will have plenty of time to see a bit to Southampton or even to take a tour to Stonehenge or Windsor etc. Your new westbound QM2 id is all the documentation you will need to leave and return to the ship without hassle.

By the way, my wife and I will be on board for those crossings (not our first back-to-back) and happily for us, we have the same cabin both ways. We have been to Southampton many times as in-transit passengers on QM2; never have we been required to disembark and reembark. We usually spend the day enjoying having the ship to ourselves and doing laundry.

Bon voyage!

Thanks for the information pmb1. It seem like it will very easy and I was overthinking it! I will be sure to speak with the cabin steward and purser.

Thanks again.

Just make sure you don't forget to collect a 'new Key Card' from the Pursers desk the morning of arrival.

You use your 'old Key card' to disembark ( in Southampton) and embark using the new one. :)

A couple of years ago I did similar in Hamburg.

Had one cabin on arrival, and a different cabin for departure.

It couldn't have been made any easier by Cunard and the stewards, they handled everything quietly and professionally.

PMB1 and Bell Boy give very wise advice, I am certain that you'll have no issues or difficulties at all.

Enjoy your voyages on board the astounding QM2 :)

We did the same thing in Dubai, although we had an overnight there. Because time wasn't an issue, we waited to oversee the move and transfer our valuables before gong ashore. But it was very smooth and we were in our second cabin by about 9.30 am.

Have a great time.

Thanks for your help everyone.

:p We have enjoyed many back-to-back cruises and are new to enjoying QM2 and our upcoming round-trip crossing (back-to-back); however, we were astounded when on a sister cruise line of Carnival Corporation, to find that were were violators of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Vessel_Services_Act_of_1886 (PVSA / Jones Act)!

It happened that there was an overnight docking of the first leg of our itinerary followed by an overnight prior to the final leg at the embark port of that journey. We were forced to abandon our cabin (which was the same one for both cruises) and stay on shore at our expense for that one day (never encountered any customs agents) for that procedure! :rolleyes: