Is there a separate check in for QG inside Ocean Terminal?

[LargeNegroni]

I would hate to be stood in the wrong queue! 

[Host Hattie]

There's a priority check in line for Grills and Platinum/Diamond World Club members. 

There will be people to direct you.

[BigMac1953]

You just skip the big Disney style queue and get the first free counter.

[LargeNegroni]

26 minutes ago, BigMac1953 said:

You just skip the big Disney style queue and get the first free counter.

I think you may be teasing me 😅 

[LargeNegroni]

39 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

There's a priority check in line for Grills and Platinum/Diamond World Club members. 

There will be people to direct you.

Thank you Hattie 😊

[exlondoner]

Usually the terminal staff (who don’t work for Cunard) are very efficient, and the first person you encounter will ask if you are Grills. Occasionally, they are not, which means you must ask. 

[rakkor]

Yep - Also remind them once you are checked in, that you are Grills so that you are directed to the Grills holding area, last couple of times I was stuck in the Patinum/Diamond area as my boarding pass was marked Priority Boarding - The first time I never noticed until after the Grills passengers had embarked - Last time I realised and raised it, so got shuffled over to the Grills area and embarked with the first tranche

[BigMac1953]

5 minutes ago, rakkor said:

Yep - Also remind them once you are checked in, that you are Grills so that you are directed to the Grills holding area, last couple of times I was stuck in the Patinum/Diamond area as my boarding pass was marked Priority Boarding 

 

Similar thing happened to us a few years ago when we were directed to the wrong holding area.

 

It wasn't until the two ladies sitting beside us took out their packed lunch to eat that I realised the mistake. Obviously they weren't head for the Grills for lunch, so I checked and discovered that we were in the Diamond area not QG. That was quickly changed!

 

 

[Windsurfboy]

For my last two cruises , April and now early June,  my boarding pass just says Priority,  no mention of QG or even just grills. So can't blame staff if they send you to wrong queue but does it mean you must keep saying Grills all the time, not what I like doing.

[exlondoner]

Yesterday, there were a large number of priority people waiting to board, all seemingly muddled up, but when we were called to go through security, he called QG first. 

[Windsurfboy]

4 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Yesterday, there were a large number of priority people waiting to board, all seemingly muddled up, but when we were called to go through security, he called QG first. 

 

Was there any checks , or just relied on honesty that no one jumped queue 

[Victoria2]

48 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Was there any checks , or just relied on honesty that no one jumped queue 

I don’t know about queue jumping but butlers were there to greet us as we boarded and we were escorted to muster check in and then on to our cabin.

Edited May 26, 2023 by Victoria2

[Windsurfboy]

27 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

I don’t know about queue jumping but butlers were there to greet us as we boarded and we were escorted to muster check in and then on to our cabin.

 

Buts that's only for Q1 and Q2

[Victoria2]

14 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Buts that's only for Q1 and Q2

Oh. There were quite a few butlers hanging around and we weren’t escorted last August so I presumed they were for general 'use'.

 I stand corrected. 🙂

[Windsurfboy]

Were there more Butlers than  for the 6 Q1,2s

[Windsurfboy]

7 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Yesterday, there were a large number of priority people waiting to board, all seemingly muddled up, but when we were called to go through security, he called QG first. 

 

From what customer service said in reply to my query . It seems Cunard operate a strange system,  arrival times are only Priority or non priority.

 

So all the priority passengers (QG,PG,BC, and CWC ) come early and fill the arrivals hall. Embarkation is then called off in the order as described by many people above. 

 

This seems to be a recipe for a overcrowding, and some "priority" passengers waiting around far longer than they should. Especially now that boarding no longer seems to start early at 12.00

 

 

[ballroom-cruisers]

It would probably work a lot better if people accepted their boarding time as on the boarding pass.  Then the designed managed flow of people checking in and embarking would be a lot less likely to lead to overcrowding in the terminal.  If everyone believes they are entitled to board earlier than the planned boarding time of course it will lead to crowds - it's obvious!

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

3 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Buts that's only for Q1 and Q2

This is good information, as I am in a Q2 for each of my forthcoming QM2 westbound crossings.

 

So, in Southampton, am I to understand that I board with the QG group as a whole, then somehow identify my butler (holding a sign? Calling out my name? Using a bullhorn?) once entering the ship or am I identified in the terminal then met by my butler while still inside the terminal?

 

Is the process identical for Q2 as with Q1 suites?

 

Cunard does not make this information readily available and I have yet to perfect the Vulcan Mind Meld.

 

TY

Edited May 26, 2023 by 4-2-N-8

[Windsurfboy]

1 hour ago, ballroom-cruisers said:

It would probably work a lot better if people accepted their boarding time as on the boarding pass.  Then the designed managed flow of people checking in and embarking would be a lot less likely to lead to overcrowding in the terminal.  If everyone believes they are entitled to board earlier than the planned boarding time of course it will lead to crowds - it's obvious!

 

The problem is Cunard has a very blunt approach to priority arrival times. Too many people are given priority.  Dont blame them it's a silly system.

[Sue-B]

2 hours ago, 4-2-N-8 said:

This is good information, as I am in a Q2 for each of my forthcoming QM2 westbound crossings.

 

So, in Southampton, am I to understand that I board with the QG group as a whole, then somehow identify my butler (holding a sign? Calling out my name? Using a bullhorn?) once entering the ship or am I identified in the terminal then met by my butler while still inside the terminal?

 

Is the process identical for Q2 as with Q1 suites?

 

Cunard does not make this information readily available and I have yet to perfect the Vulcan Mind Meld.

 

TY

Having only ever had one Q1 experience (via the most amazing old upgrade system when there appeared to be no logic to who or how the upgrade fairy worked their magic!) then I’m not sure if they still do this….but when we checked in they gave us a bright yellow folder with some paperwork inside so as we got on the ship the butler was trying to spot us and meet us from the gangway (presumably identifying us via the folder).  

We had no idea we were due to be escorted to our room and so had tucked the folder into our carryon luggage and then we took a shortcut down the deck one corridor on QV with our butler apparently chasing after us trying to helpfully guide us to our room when we had near enough got there ourselves.  It was only later in the cruise when we had been chatting with her that she told us that they meet guests where possible at the gangway/entrance to the ship.

 

Enjoy your crossings in Q2 - sounds fantastic 😀

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

22 minutes ago, Sue-B said:

Having only ever had one Q1 experience (via the most amazing old upgrade system when there appeared to be no logic to who or how the upgrade fairy worked their magic!) then I’m not sure if they still do this….but when we checked in they gave us a bright yellow folder with some paperwork inside so as we got on the ship the butler was trying to spot us and meet us from the gangway (presumably identifying us via the folder).  

We had no idea we were due to be escorted to our room and so had tucked the folder into our carryon luggage and then we took a shortcut down the deck one corridor on QV with our butler apparently chasing after us trying to helpfully guide us to our room when we had near enough got there ourselves.  It was only later in the cruise when we had been chatting with her that she told us that they meet guests where possible at the gangway/entrance to the ship.

 

Enjoy your crossings in Q2 - sounds fantastic 😀

Thank you. This certainly sounds logical. 

 

Once I do the first westbound crossing in a Q2 from Southampton, I'll know how it works for my follow on westbound crossing in a Q2 six months after that.

[Victoria2]

2 hours ago, 4-2-N-8 said:

This is good information, as I am in a Q2 for each of my forthcoming QM2 westbound crossings.

 

So, in Southampton, am I to understand that I board with the QG group as a whole, then somehow identify my butler (holding a sign? Calling out my name? Using a bullhorn?) once entering the ship or am I identified in the terminal then met by my butler while still inside the terminal?

 

Is the process identical for Q2 as with Q1 suites?

 

Cunard does not make this information readily available and I have yet to perfect the Vulcan Mind Meld.

 

TY

We have been given a card and then escorted onto the ship Pre Covid (Q2) but this didn’t happen last August so we were quite surprised to be given a card this time and a welcome by butlers as we boarded and taken by the butler to muster check in and then onto the cabin. I imagine it’s the same for Q2.

We know quite a few of the butlers and were welcomed by name which was nice but in any case, they probably had a preview of our respective mug shots from the cruise card photo.

[Windsurfboy]

2 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

We have been given a card and then escorted onto the ship Pre Covid (Q2) but this didn’t happen last August so we were quite surprised to be given a card this time and a welcome by butlers as we boarded 

 

 

Thanks for clarification. So even Q1, Q2 are not escorted through security which the biggest potential hold up during embarkation.  Once on ship happy to find cabin ourselves.  I note that Saga escorts everyone to cabin.

[ExArkie]

13 hours ago, Sue-B said:

Having only ever had one Q1 experience (via the most amazing old upgrade system when there appeared to be no logic to who or how the upgrade fairy worked their magic!) then I’m not sure if they still do this….

They did as of last December. We were upgraded to Q1 Balmoral Suite for a westbound TA (had booked a Q5), which came as a complete surprise.
 

I have no idea about the boarding process, though, since had been on QM2 for the Christmas Market cruise immediately preceding the TA. We just waited in the Corinthian Lounge for a while, then went to the amazing, astounding suite.