QM2 Round trip from Brooklyn British Isles - disembark/immigration

[RK-NC]

Will we disembark in Southampton after the eastbound crossing? Go through immigration? Thank you! We just returned from a Southern Caribbean cruise from Port Everglades where they use facial recognition and disembarkation was very easy. 

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, RK-NC said:

Will we disembark in Southampton after the eastbound crossing? Go through immigration? Thank you! We just returned from a Southern Caribbean cruise from Port Everglades where they use facial recognition and disembarkation was very easy. 

They will do UK immigration on the ship as it crosses. If you are continuing on the next voyage you can stay aboard.

[Bell Boy]

3 hours ago, RK-NC said:

Will we disembark in Southampton after the eastbound crossing? Go through immigration? Thank you! We just returned from a Southern Caribbean cruise from Port Everglades where they use facial recognition and disembarkation was very easy. 

Immigration procedures on Cunard ( East Bound crossing) are  hassle free - It takes place over two days in a venue whilst onboard the crossing  .  American nationals Just pass through and wave their passport. 😉 

[buchanan101]

23 hours ago, Bell Boy said:

Immigration procedures on Cunard ( East Bound crossing) are  hassle free - It takes place over two days in a venue whilst onboard the crossing  .  American nationals Just pass through and wave their passport. 😉 

Shame the US doesn’t return the favour on west bounds…

[exlondoner]

11 minutes ago, buchanan101 said:

Shame the US doesn’t return the favour on west bounds…

Time was…

[buchanan101]

Just now, exlondoner said:

Time was…

I guess it’s tricky because of the fingerprints/photo, but U.K. is introducing something similar so it may change for eastbound crossings in time. 

[RK-NC]

Thank you all - such a relief to know. I read another thread about disembarkation in New York and we think it will be best to self-assist (that is what Celebrity calls it). We did that in Port Everglades and were on our way out of Ft. Lauderdale at 7:30am (drove to the port) Had to get moving early and have a quick breakfast but it was worth it!

[buchanan101]

57 minutes ago, RK-NC said:

Thank you all - such a relief to know. I read another thread about disembarkation in New York and we think it will be best to self-assist (that is what Celebrity calls it). We did that in Port Everglades and were on our way out of Ft. Lauderdale at 7:30am (drove to the port) Had to get moving early and have a quick breakfast but it was worth it!

We wish we had done self disembarkation but only because it’s not difficult and you are in control. As it was we were front of the queue as was QG so was quite easy and were straight through immigration and could catch a cab off the rank. 
 

but may have taken a lot longer if further back by priority  - have been through JFK so know what US immigration can be like. 

[wetterthanwater]

On 4/26/2024 at 3:09 PM, exlondoner said:

They will do UK immigration on the ship as it crosses. If you are continuing on the next voyage you can stay aboard.

How does that work? Surely they don't have UK Visas and Immigration officers onboard? Quite the gig if they do! 

[buchanan101]

2 minutes ago, wetterthanwater said:

How does that work? Surely they don't have UK Visas and Immigration officers onboard? Quite the gig if they do! 

They must do. Sounds great as they get 5 days of doing nothing… 

 

someone will know…

[TheOldBear]

17 minutes ago, wetterthanwater said:

How does that work? Surely they don't have UK Visas and Immigration officers onboard? Quite the gig if they do! 

You [and your passport] are assigned a time to meet with a UK 'Border Force' officer, typically in the upper level of the Britannia restaurant. On of direct crossing in 2017 our passports acquired their first stamps - for later crossings its all electronic, no stamps.

 

Apparently back in the steamship days, there was a similar arrangement with US officials on the westbound crossings - that arrangement likely ended about the same time the Queen Mary was retired to Long Beach.

[Bell Boy]

31 minutes ago, wetterthanwater said:

How does that work? Surely they don't have UK Visas and Immigration officers onboard? Quite the gig if they do! 

They do, yes and it's quite a gig for them.  Fly out to JFK,  board QM2 and don't do anything for the first three days, enjoying leisure time below deck and crew bar 😅   then on duty for a couple of hours over two days just looking through passports - and waving our American cousins through without any hassle .😉  

[buchanan101]

26 minutes ago, Bell Boy said:

They do, yes and it's quite a gig for them.  Fly out to JFK,  board QM2 and don't do anything for the first three days, enjoying leisure time below deck and crew bar 😅   then on duty for a couple of hours over two days just looking through passports - and waving our American cousins through without any hassle .😉  

Do they ever find someone who can’t be let in…? And if they don’t have a return crossing what happens? 

[exlondoner]

10 hours ago, TheOldBear said:

You [and your passport] are assigned a time to meet with a UK 'Border Force' officer, typically in the upper level of the Britannia restaurant. On of direct crossing in 2017 our passports acquired their first stamps - for later crossings its all electronic, no stamps.

 

Apparently back in the steamship days, there was a similar arrangement with US officials on the westbound crossings - that arrangement likely ended about the same time the Queen Mary was retired to Long Beach.

There were US officials on board a New England cruise I was on in August 2001, so it went on much longer. I imagine it ended very shortly after that.

[wetterthanwater]

13 hours ago, buchanan101 said:

Do they ever find someone who can’t be let in…? And if they don’t have a return crossing what happens? 

I imagine they'll be detained in an immigration detention centre and then deported via air. Possibly at Cunard's expense if they have been negligent.

[Winifred 22]

18 hours ago, wetterthanwater said:

I imagine they'll be detained in an immigration detention centre and then deported via air. Possibly at Cunard's expense if they have been negligent.

They will be returned home on the next available flight at the guest’s  expense. It’s your personal responsibility to ensure you have valid travel documents. If not you can expect a hefty bill. Every now and then people are denied boarding for having invalid documents. 

[buchanan101]

1 hour ago, Winifred 22 said:

They will be returned home on the next available flight at the guest’s  expense. It’s your personal responsibility to ensure you have valid travel documents. If not you can expect a hefty bill. Every now and then people are denied boarding for having invalid documents. 

I think responsibility also lies with the cruise line or airline; I suspect they pay in the first instance if they had let you sail/fly with incomplete info - hence at Southampton they ask to see proof of ESTA; they aren't helping you...

[wetterthanwater]

6 hours ago, Winifred 22 said:

They will be returned home on the next available flight at the guest’s  expense. It’s your personal responsibility to ensure you have valid travel documents. If not you can expect a hefty bill. Every now and then people are denied boarding for having invalid documents. 

 

As the person below has said, if the operator has been negligent in their duties they can bare the cost of repatriation, and or fined. 

[Catchum]

On 4/29/2024 at 8:26 AM, buchanan101 said:

I think responsibility also lies with the cruise line or airline; I suspect they pay in the first instance if they had let you sail/fly with incomplete info - hence at Southampton they ask to see proof of ESTA; they aren't helping you...

Last time flying out of US there were multiple passport checks before boarding, chatting to crew on board apparently a lady had managed to board an international flight without a passport in the previous weeks which resulted in the airline facing all sorts of issues over illegal people smuggling. If you carry someone on your ship/plane or in you car boot who doesn't have the correct paperwork you have questions to answer. 

Edited April 30 by Catchum
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