QM2 Q2 Brooklyn Disembarkation

[buncosquad]

Will be disembarking QM2 in Brooklyn following a transatlantic crossing. Will be in the Queen Mary Suite/Q2 and looking for what to expect.

 

My Cunard booking details do not state arrival time (or even Southampton embarkation time, for that matter), rather only departure and arrival dates.

 

I want to book private car service to JFK from Brooklyn Port with ideal reserved pick up time.

 

Would prefer last breakfast in suite then depart suite and ship straight to my ride. How does this work?

 

Do we queue up with others by deck, and in some meeting area on the ship, then line up to walk off?

 

Is luggage easy to find in the terminal on the way to CBP lane?

 

Is there a best time to leave the ship when all lines are minimal?

 

Any experience or thought on said process would be welcome.

[TheOldBear]

52 minutes ago, buncosquad said:

Will be disembarking QM2 in Brooklyn following a transatlantic crossing. Will be in the Queen Mary Suite/Q2 and looking for what to expect.

My most recent experience is November 2022 - from a deck 5 Britannia cabin - things may be different later this year and next.

52 minutes ago, buncosquad said:

 

My Cunard booking details do not state arrival time (or even Southampton embarkation time, for that matter), rather only departure and arrival dates.

Typically arrival time pier side is before 0700, with self disembarkation available before 8. (subject to change due to port / weather conditions.)

52 minutes ago, buncosquad said:

 

I want to book private car service to JFK from Brooklyn Port with ideal reserved pick up time.

 

Would prefer last breakfast in suite then depart suite and ship straight to my ride. How does this work?

Britannia passengers do not have room service breakfast available on disembarkation day. Grills folks _might_ have room service available, but I don't recall seeing this as an option. Breakfast in served earlier than normal in the dining rooms on disembarkation days.

52 minutes ago, buncosquad said:

 

Do we queue up with others by deck, and in some meeting area on the ship, then line up to walk off?

What is supposed to happen is you wait in your room/suite until a designated time, then walk off with your cary-on luggage.

Assigned times are from the top down, with exceptions to meet Cunard arranged transfers. [In transit folks going on shore excursions are also mixed in]

If all goes well, there are no lines (ha!). What experienced last year was a long line, plus a wait [about 90 minutes worth] in the Golden Lion for the stalled line to start moving. I don't know if any Grills pax were in the line. 

52 minutes ago, buncosquad said:

 

Is luggage easy to find in the terminal on the way to CBP lane?

Luggage is grouped by tag color and room - we have not had problems finding ours. We do engage a porter to help with the luggage (Mrs Bear has mobility problems) and to get a faster pass through customs/immigration.

52 minutes ago, buncosquad said:

 

Is there a best time to leave the ship when all lines are minimal?

 

Any experience or thought on said process would be welcome.

 

[buncosquad]

33 minutes ago, TheOldBear said:

My most recent experience is November 2022 - from a deck 5 Britannia cabin - things may be different later this year and next.

Typically arrival time pier side is before 0700, with self disembarkation available before 8. (subject to change due to port / weather conditions.)

Britannia passengers do not have room service breakfast available on disembarkation day. Grills folks _might_ have room service available, but I don't recall seeing this as an option. Breakfast in served earlier than normal in the dining rooms on disembarkation days.

What is supposed to happen is you wait in your room/suite until a designated time, then walk off with your cary-on luggage.

Assigned times are from the top down, with exceptions to meet Cunard arranged transfers. [In transit folks going on shore excursions are also mixed in]

If all goes well, there are no lines (ha!). What experienced last year was a long line, plus a wait [about 90 minutes worth] in the Golden Lion for the stalled line to start moving. I don't know if any Grills pax were in the line. 

Luggage is grouped by tag color and room - we have not had problems finding ours. We do engage a porter to help with the luggage (Mrs Bear has mobility problems) and to get a faster pass through customs/immigration.

 

Thank you.

[doghouse2]

We Sail Southampton to New York at least once a year usually in a Q5.  Normally ship arrives by about 6 am and as noted by others they start allowing disembarkation about 8.  Can’t remember about room service (I think so) as we always go to restaurant for breakfast that day (the only day we do go for breakfast).  They want to have you off the ship by 9.  When we sail in Q4 we can disembark any time we wanted once they start calling “colors” so I’m sure in Q 2 you can do pretty much what you want time wise.  Just tell the butler ahead of time and usually they will tell you what can be done.  
if everything has gone smoothly (sometimes it doesn’t) the luggage will be waiting (by that “color”—luggage tags you receive for disembarkation).  When things don’t go smoothly it can be a little chaotic.  Once you have your luggage together you have to wait in line for a porter if you need help with luggage.  This can take a while if they are still unloading luggage for ship.  Once you have luggage (and porter if needed) you get in next line for immigration.  If you are US citizen line not so bad.  Otherwise it can be long.  Normally I have the car scheduled for about 9:15.  Sometimes I make it and sometimes not.  Just have your phone on so you can communicate with the driver.  Hope this helps.

[doghouse2]

I forgot to add comment about Southampton.  Ship usually departs about 5pm.  We like to arrive about 12:30 so we can have lunch in the Grill.  Closes about 2 or so.

[TouchstoneFeste]

10 minutes ago, doghouse2 said:

if everything has gone smoothly (sometimes it doesn’t) the luggage will be waiting (by that “color”—luggage tags you receive for disembarkation).

 

One note about this. Disembarking in Southampton, we put our luggage out in the corridor in two batches. Wanting to be helpful to the crew, we packed two bags early and set them outside the door (and they disappeared). We set two more bags out later with more last minute stuff. These two sets were not near each other in the color-coded areas (well, it makes sense; how much sorting can you expect?) For some reason one pair was fairly difficult to find. We'll be using tracking tags this time :)

[Underwatr]

Queens Grill is normally able to disembark around 8:00 (based on my most recent crossing). Diamond World Club members are permitted to disembark around 8:10 (assuming that perk still exists). There may be 150-200 Diamond passengers on board in all booking classes (on two crossings in 2019 there were 160+/-).

As one of the first into the baggage hall you should be able to find your luggage with minimal difficulty. Those with Cunard transfers may be shortly behind you or slightly even earlier so if you want a more predictable disembarkation you should leave at your first opportunity.

[57eric]

3 hours ago, TheOldBear said:

My most recent experience is November 2022 - from a deck 5 Britannia cabin - things may be different later this year and next.

Typically arrival time pier side is before 0700, with self disembarkation available before 8. (subject to change due to port / weather conditions.)

Britannia passengers do not have room service breakfast available on disembarkation day. Grills folks _might_ have room service available, but I don't recall seeing this as an option. Breakfast in served earlier than normal in the dining rooms on disembarkation days.

What is supposed to happen is you wait in your room/suite until a designated time, then walk off with your cary-on luggage.

Assigned times are from the top down, with exceptions to meet Cunard arranged transfers. [In transit folks going on shore excursions are also mixed in]

If all goes well, there are no lines (ha!). What experienced last year was a long line, plus a wait [about 90 minutes worth] in the Golden Lion for the stalled line to start moving. I don't know if any Grills pax were in the line. 

Luggage is grouped by tag color and room - we have not had problems finding ours. We do engage a porter to help with the luggage (Mrs Bear has mobility problems) and to get a faster pass through customs/immigration.

 

I interpreted the OP's question about lines to mean in the arrival hall.  I'm puzzled about lines on the ship.  If I recall correctly, we had to wait in line about five minutes once and the other two times we just walked off when our group was called.

[Victoria2]

9 hours ago, TouchstoneFeste said:

 

One note about this. Disembarking in Southampton, we put our luggage out in the corridor in two batches. Wanting to be helpful to the crew, we packed two bags early and set them outside the door (and they disappeared). We set two more bags out later with more last minute stuff. These two sets were not near each other in the color-coded areas (well, it makes sense; how much sorting can you expect?) For some reason one pair was fairly difficult to find. We'll be using tracking tags this time 🙂

We put all our bags out at the same time in S'ton.

 

Our black and blue cases are never next to one another in the baggage hall. That's why we have extremely garish ribbons attached to all the handles. Takes less time to be identified in the sea of black and blue.

[exlondoner]

I have never known there be room service breakfast on disembarkation day. It is just possible it might be a privilege for those in Q1+2s.

[Victoria2]

46 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I have never known there be room service breakfast on disembarkation day. It is just possible it might be a privilege for those in Q1+2s.

Might be but we have never put it to the test as staff have enough to do on turnaround day without having to bring us breakfast.

They do however, bring us cereal, fresh oj and milk, plus required plates and cutlery the day before which we can very cleverly utilise without a Butler prepared table prior to disembarkation. 🙂

[BigMac1953]

We've been reminded on several occasions that there is no room service on disembarkation day.

 

Breakfast starts at 6:30am in all restaurants.

[techteach]

Highly recommend the brightly colored straps to wrap around your luggage. They don’t always land in the proper group and they make finding them much easier at the airport as well.

[Victoria2]

12 hours ago, techteach said:

Highly recommend the brightly colored straps to wrap around your luggage. They don’t always land in the proper group and they make finding them much easier at the airport as well.

We do that in addition to the garish ribbons.

Our straps are luminous yellows and pinks and lime green etc.

The more 'you' make the cases stand out, in the sea of black and blue, the better.

 

If Samsonite did a yellow case with pink spots, I'd buy them!! 😀

[techteach]

8 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

We do that in addition to the garish ribbons.

Our straps are luminous yellows and pinks and lime green etc.

The more 'you' make the cases stand out, in the sea of black and blue, the better.

 

If Samsonite did a yellow case with pink spots, I'd buy them!! 😀

Just use your Luis Vuitton.

[Victoria2]

25 minutes ago, techteach said:

Just use your Luis Vuitton.

Ha.

Nice .

Can't remember the last time I used them as I sold two Louis Vuitton bags [made a decent profit] well before Covid and just have a large Tote left and that's been gathering dust for years so I'll probably sell that as well as I'll never use it. I'll make a decent profit on that one too.

I suppose I could say they were a good investment as they are silly money now. 😀

[ClipperinSFO]

On 10/30/2023 at 11:32 AM, techteach said:

Highly recommend the brightly colored straps to wrap around your luggage. They don’t always land in the proper group and they make finding them much easier at the airport as well.

 

Air Tags are also super helpful.  

[techteach]

1 hour ago, ClipperinSFO said:

 

Air Tags are also super helpful.  

I do both the air tags and the colored straps. When watching baggage go around and around on a conveyor belt I find it easier to spot the colored straps. But, the air tags were super helpful last December during the huge storms when bags were everywhere.

[tv24]

No room service available at any level including QG on disembarkation day, but you can go to the QG restaurant early.  Otherwise you have to deal with Kings Chaos.  I recommend that you book your car to JFK while on board and if you have OBC, you can use that to pay for it.  The driver will meet you just outside the Brooklyn terminal and help you with your luggage.  Passport control in Brooklyn is usually a nightmare and if you are in the general line the wait is very long.  The secret is to hire a porter to help you with your luggage and then you get in the express lane.  I wish that Brooklyn disembarkation were better, but it's not.  I'm not sure what Cunard can do to improve it as the biggest bottleneck is US passport control.  Even outside can be a disaster with a very long wait for a cab.   Often not a good end to a crossing.

[jollyjones]

10 hours ago, tv24 said:

No room service available at any level including QG on disembarkation day, but you can go to the QG restaurant early.  Otherwise you have to deal with Kings Chaos.  I recommend that you book your car to JFK while on board and if you have OBC, you can use that to pay for it.  The driver will meet you just outside the Brooklyn terminal and help you with your luggage.  Passport control in Brooklyn is usually a nightmare and if you are in the general line the wait is very long.  The secret is to hire a porter to help you with your luggage and then you get in the express lane.  I wish that Brooklyn disembarkation were better, but it's not.  I'm not sure what Cunard can do to improve it as the biggest bottleneck is US passport control.  Even outside can be a disaster with a very long wait for a cab.   Often not a good end to a crossing.

 

Interesting input.

I am disembarking from a crossing next summer so could you give me a guesstimate - say, for example, if disembarkation started at 8am.

I would be walking off with my bag (only ever have carry-on, never travel with checked bags) am a UK citizen but have Global Entry, and would need a taxi to La Guardia.

As a lowly Britannia with no status with Cunard, what time could I reasonably expect to be in a taxi?

I currently have to choose between two flights - 2pm or 3.38pm - and am wondering if 2pm is too early?

Thanks.

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2023 by jollyjones

[esrs]

14 minutes ago, jollyjones said:

 

Interesting input.

I am disembarking from a crossing next summer so could you give me a guesstimate - say, for example, if disembarkation started at 8am.

I would be walking off with my bag (only ever have carry-on, never travel with checked bags) am a UK citizen but have Global Entry, and would need a taxi to La Guardia.

As a lowly Britannia with no status with Cunard, what time could I reasonably expect to be in a taxi?

I currently have to choose between two flights - 2pm or 3.38pm - and am wondering if 2pm is too early?

Thanks.

 

 

 

If you are self-disembarking with all your bags you probably would be off near 8. Brooklyn does not have Global Entry.

[MCC retired]

2 hours ago, jollyjones said:

 

Interesting input.

I am disembarking from a crossing next summer so could you give me a guesstimate - say, for example, if disembarkation started at 8am.

I would be walking off with my bag (only ever have carry-on, never travel with checked bags) am a UK citizen but have Global Entry, and would need a taxi to La Guardia.

As a lowly Britannia with no status with Cunard, what time could I reasonably expect to be in a taxi?

I currently have to choose between two flights - 2pm or 3.38pm - and am wondering if 2pm is too early?

Thanks.

 

 

 

We have always done Walkoff @ Brooklyn. Always near 7AM.

Have  booked flights around noon from all 3 airports and had time to spare .

Changed to earlier flight a couple times when we used Uber instead of Cunard Transfer.

[tv24]

If you walk off with your luggage at the first moment you can, usually around 7:00, you can get through passport control and be in a cab by 8:00.  If you wait until 8:00 you will be in the passport control line with lots of other passengers who have retrieved their checked luggage.  You will be in a cab no later than 11:00.  Driving time to LaGuardia is 45 to 60 minutes.  I hope this helps.

[techteach]

I agree with @tv24’s earlier post regarding hiring a car. We have done so through Cunard twice in Brooklyn and been glad we did. We have driven off looking at the line of people waiting for cabs. We made an 11:45 flight out of JFK last July, but I was worried until we got through security which is usually confused at Terminal 7 where Alaska flies out of. I don’t know about security at the other terminals or airports.

[ClipperinSFO]

I have called an Uber on a couple of occasions to pick me up at the Brooklyn terminal with no issue at all. One time we also had Cunard transfer booked, but DH took it to EWR for his flight, and I needed a separate ride for my flight home ex JFK.  We are a mixed marriage in terms of airlines, but thankfuly united in terms of cruise lines.  🙂