ANOTHER QM2 REVIEW 6/9-15

[Jack E Dawson]

BACKGROUNG: This was our 4^th Crossing on the QM2 (2017, 2018, 2022) and came about as the result of an email from Cunard promoting “Sailing Soon Savings” fares. We already had plans to be in London and were scheduled to fly home using points. Even though we received the promotion just 5 weeks before embarkation day, we were able to cancel our flight and have the points deposited back in our account. We selected a Sheltered Balcony cabin because the fare was crazy low and because we had previously sailed in this type of cabin on a Crossing and thought it worked well. However, shortly after booking the cruise, we received an offer from Cunard to bid on an upgrade. It’s our opinion that Britannia Club is the sweet spot on the QM2, so we submitted a bid of $435pp which was slightly over the minimum. The bid was unsuccessful which later turned out to be very fortuitous for us for a number of reasons.

This was only a 6-night Crossing which may have had something to do with the very low fare. We did miss that 7 night. 

The report below is strictly our own impressions and observations. Like 2 blind men examining a camel, one from the front and one from the back, opinions and impressions can differ wildly.

 

EMBARCATION: In the past I have been critical of Cunard’s boarding process. It has always taken us 1 to 2 hours to board in Southampton. Also, I have never been able to figure out the rhyme or reason to how boarding times are assigned but, in this case, we were surprised and pleased to have been assigned a 1:30PM time. We planned to arrive at the terminal at 1:00PM but actually arrived at around 12:30PM because our prebooked cab showed up early and Sunday traffic was light. After paying the driver and dropping off our bags we were in a short que at about 12:40. Grills passengers were already boarding. Our line opened and began moving into the terminal at 12:45. By 1:15PM, we were in our cabin as were our bags. I think a big factor in the speed of the process was that there was only 2 contact points at check-in, one at the check-in counter and the other was the security check point. Both points seemed to have equal capacity so there was no backup or need to have large groups waiting. AMAZING! A Well Done to the terminal staff. 

 

 

I should note that we carried on an open wine tote bag with 2 bottles of Champagne and 4 bottles of wine in plain view. No one in the check-in area or security area gave it a second glance. We enjoy having a glass of wine while dressing for dinner and on one evening had a small gathering in our cabin. In our cabin refrigerator was a bottle of Pol Acker and on the 3^rd night a half bottle arrived. We absolutely love Pol Acker but are certainly not wine experts. I think it goes back to our first Crossing, and very first cruise, when we first tasted Pol Acker on embarkation day. It was such a wonderful day for us and one we will never forget. The taste of Pol Acker triggers those happy memories. Last year we did a transit of the Panama Canal on the QE and were in Princess Grills. The bottle of sparking wine in our cabin on embarkation day was Grand Imperial. We enjoyed it and were very appreciative of this gift from Cunard but did miss the Pol Acker.

Since we had eaten a large late breakfast at the hotel, we decided to skip lunch and get unpacked and settled in instead. Finally, around 4:00PM we topped off our champagne glasses and headed out for sail away. On our previous 3 crossings we had joined the party on the aft deck but this time we decided to try a different point of view and went to the forward observation deck on Deck 11. Because it was such a beautiful mild day with only light winds and plenty of sunshine, this proved to be a great location. At precisely 5:00PM the ship’s lines were cast off from the dock. I was surprised that the Captain first moves the ship sideways, with no forward motion, until we are about 50’ away from the dock. Then after holding that position for a minute or so, starts to make headway. There were 3 other cruise ships in port so there was an abundance of horn blowing. Of course, none of the other ships could hold a candle to the dual horns of the RMS Queen Mary 2 and we received thousands of waves from the passengers on the other ships. When my parents sailed on the original Queen Mary in the 1950’s, there was a great dockside celebration as the ship departed. Seeing and hearing all those passengers on the other cruise ships gave me a feeling as to what my parents might have experienced some 70 years ago. 

 

 

GENERAL CONDITION OF THE SHIP: Overall, we thought the general condition of the ship was very good, almost as good as on our first sailing in 2017 just 7 months after the 2016 Remastering. For sure there was new carpeting in the Commodore Club and Chart Room, and we think it looks great. The chairs in the Commodore Club were either new or recently reupholstered, and very comfortable. Everything was in good working order except for the Planetarium in the Illuminations theater. I spoke to on of the managers at the Purser’s desk and was told that it would be at the very least 2 weeks before it would be back in service. My gut feeling is that he really had no idea when, or even if, it would be back in service. While attending some of the Insights lectures, I saw that there were 6 very complex projectors used to create the show on the dome and that the dome has to be lowered into place for each show. So, I guess there is a lot that could go wrong. We never sat in the section where the special reclining chairs are for the Planetarium show so cannot say what condition they are in. We saw no areas of rust, although I’m sure there were some small spots to be found but there was zero rust on our sheltered balcony. All of the elevators seemed to be running and they were never crowded. 

 

 

OUR CABIN: We stayed in 4044, a sheltered balcony on Deck 4 forward. When we booked the reservation, this was the only sheltered cabin available on the port side which is the side we wanted to be on for the arrival into NYC. This was an excellent location for getting to Illuminations and the Royal Court Theater as well as getting to the MDR, Queens Room, Golden Lion and Chart Room. We have a general rule that we always take the stairs unless Dee is wearing high heels. Getting to the Promenade Deck, and the Commodore Club took a bit more effort but we actually like getting the exercise in. The cabin was in very good shape although it was warm when we first got there. I turned the AC to its lowest setting and the fan to it’s highest. While this helped a little, it was still too warm for us. The next day we asked our cabin steward if someone could look into this and by the time, we returned to the cabin to dress for dinner the problem had been resolved. Everything else in the cabin worked well. The carpet in the cabin, in front of the entry door and the balcony door, was worn and darkened from use but it wasn’t something that jumped out at you. Those areas had probably been treated and spot cleaned many times but were always going to look tired. The legendary Cunard mattress was heaven. Within 10 minutes of getting to our cabin I had tried it out and didn’t want to get up. 

I think there might be some new plugs in the room, There was an outlet box, mounted to the wall in the corner on top of the refrigerator cabinet. It contained two US type outlets. If this has always been there, I not noticed it on previous cruises. So now there are 4 US outlets and 2 UK outlets by the desk area.

 

 

Before leaving on this trip, I had posted on CC a concern about our location over the Royal Court Theater and was advised that we might hear noise from the shows and afternoon rehearsals. This was accurate information. We always went to the early shows and were in our cabin only twice before 11:00PM but both times we could hear the music from the second show. We had afternoon tea in our room once and heard the music from the rehearsal. However, it was fairly faint and never really bothered us. We certainly wouldn’t have moved to a starboard cabin to avoid the sound. For the most part, the weather on this cruise turned out to be very cool (high 50’s to mid 60’s) and the wind was howling every day. One day the apparent winds reached 54 knots (62MPH)!!!.

 

 

There were also a few light rain showers. So, we were really glad that we were in a sheltered balcony and that our upgrade bid had not been successful. We were able to go out on the balcony throughout the voyage. Our cabin steward was Josul, and he was excellent. We had a few special requests that were all handled quickly and expertly. The mini fridge in the room did not chill the wine as cold as we like it, so Josul provided us with a wine bucket filled with ice every day at 5:00PM. He had a wonderful positive personality. We especially appreciated that he serviced our cabin every morning while we were at breakfast. He also did a turndown service each evening while we were at dinner. Chocolates and the next day’s program were left on the bed. 

 

 

PASSENGER PROFILE: Every Crossing is different and this is largely driven by the passenger profile. This voyage had a very large number of young couples in their 20’s and 30’s and they loved dressing up to the occasion. Dee and I both admired the many specular evening gowns these younger ladies wore. In general, after 6:00PM, the dress in the MDR, Queen’s Room, Chart Room and Commodore Club for all of the guests, regardless of age, was the nicest we’ve seen on any of our 4 Crossings. Most of the men wore coat and tie on “Smart Attire” nights and probably 95% or higher wore tuxedos on the Gala evenings in the MDR. On the other hand, there was a large number of passengers, maybe 20%, who chose not to dress up at all and to spend their evenings dining in the buffet and listing to music in the Golden Lion. Almost without exception they respected the dress code geographics. Of course there was the one “inside hat guy” who wore his baseball cap while eating breakfast in the MDR every morning. The mood of the ship was very positive and fun loving. Everyone we met was very friendly.

 

FOOD: This voyage had the best food of any of the 4 Crossings we have been on. The quality, preparation and deliciousness were all top notch. We did not have a single bad meal or even bad dish. However, there were fewer choices than on our last Crossing in 2022 and 2 of the main courses are vegetarian each night rather than 1. But, as I observed the tables around us, vegetarian is becoming very popular. Dee chose one of the vegetarian dishes for 4 of the 6 nights, not because she is vegetarian but because the dishes were just so good. I think having a slightly smaller selection allows the kitchen to do a much better job.

 

 

We were fortunate to have a very good waiter. On the first night I asked Rheneil if Rum Raisin was available even though it was not on the menu. I had it on the 3 previous Crossings and it is amazing. After checking he came back and said it was not available. The same thing happened on the second night but before we left the table the head waiter came over and said that he had talked to the kitchen and that Rum Raisin would be available to me the rest of the voyage. It was and I had it every night after that. No ordering was necessary. On all of our previous Crossings, steak & lobster was available on one of the Gala nights. On this voyage, steak & prawns was offered on the second Gala night. No lobster. This was also the case for our Panama Canal transit this past September and we were in Princess Grills. So, it looks like the days of lobster may be over for now.

 

 

 

We ate in the Golden Lion on two occasions and both times had Fish & Chips. It was definitely better than in 2022 which was already very good. I think they may have new frying equipment as the fish coating was much crisper and not at all greasy. The fish portions were also much larger. It also appears that the kitchen is anticipating orders much better. On both occasions our Fish & Chips was brought to our table in 5 minutes or less instead of the usual 10 to 15 minutes and they were piping hot. It may seem like a small thing, but we never had to wait for a table. So, I think the faster service has had a big improvement on turn over. An even bigger impact was that passengers were not occupying tables at lunch time just to read. On our 2022 Crossing there were always 3-4 tables in the Golden Lion at lunch time occupied by individuals reading with no food or drink. 

We had breakfast in our cabin on one occasion and it arrived on time. The order was accurate, and the food was hot. We really enjoy it. 

 

 

While the service in the MDR in the evenings was excellent, this was not the case at breakfast. Of course, we had different waiter and a different table each morning. Orders were, more often than not, messed up. We noticed this with our orders and at the tables around us. The breakfast wait staff seemed less experienced than the evening staff although I really don’t know if it is a different staff. But the coffee was strong and rich, and we never had to ask for a refill, so all was good.

When we made our booking, we requested a table for 2, early seating. Of course, we made the booking just 5 weeks before sailing so were not surprised when the Cunard agent told us early seating was full and that we were assigned to late seating. She also said that we were 331 on the waitlist. On embarkation day I took our seating card down to the MDR and asked the M’d if there might be a table available for early seating. He said to show up at 6:25PM and he would have a table for us. We did and he did. It was a great table, near a window. We hit it off immediately with the couple next to us. The husband had had a significant career in the space program of which I am extremely interested in. After dinner I asked the M’d if we could have the same table the next night and he said to again arrive at 6:25PM. Sure enough we were shown to the same table. At the end of dinner, the M’d came over and told us that would be our permanent early seating table. So, if our upgrade bid to Club had been successful, we would have missed out on meeting this amazing couple. 

 

ENTERTAINMENT: There was a fairly new group of Royal Court Singers and Dancers on board. We have always enjoyed their performances and this new group was just as talented as the previous group. The two shows they performed were “Be Our Guest” and “Rhythm of the Night”. While we had seen both shows on previous Crossings, the energy and quality of the performances didn’t disappoint. We thought all of the other performers were excellent and it was a privilege to be able to enjoy such talent. Since we always caught the early show in the RCT, this left us time to enjoy the other performers in the Golden Lion, Chart Room and Commodore Club. All were excellent. One day we took a noontime Rumba lesson in the Queen’s Room and the following night stepped out on the dance floor to demonstrate our skills or lack thereof. We had a wonderful time but I’m pretty sure what we were actually doing was not a Rumba. The noon time dance lesson was huge fun. Daria and Yevhen, the professional dancers, are immensely talented and fun to work with. 

The Insights lecturers were all interesting, experts on their topics and great presenters. We typically attended 3 lectures a day. We were also able to have one-on-one time with 3 of the presenters who interested us the most. I just wish Cunard could find some way to let us know before boarding who the speakers will be. I feel that I could get even more out of the Insights program if I was better prepared. Being able to attend the lectures of the various experts is a rare privilege for us. 

 

IS CUNARD GOING TO THE DOGS? We were very surprised to see dogs out and about on the ship on 2 occasions. The first was in the Golden Lion Pub when a young lady brought in a small dog. She made no effort to conceal it. The dog was PERFECTLY behaved and sat quietly at her feet the whole time she had lunch. The waiters were aware of the dog but no one said anything. The second occurrence was on the Promenade Deck. A gentleman had a medium size dog on a leash. Unfortunately, it was not so well behaved. It did bark and try to take a nip at a few of the runners and fast walkers. I did not see the pair take a second lap. I’m not sure if passengers are now allowed to have animals in public spaces but didn’t bother to ask. Neither dog was a service animal. 

 

 

 

THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN: AT 1:30AM of the first night the Captain came on over the cabin PA system. When you hear the words “The Ship is Safe, The Ship is Safe, The Ship is Safe”, your first thought is “We’re Going Down”!!! Of course, Captain Hashmi quickly explained that there was a medical emergency on board and that we were altering course to the north to rendezvous with a Coast Guard medical helicopter. This was accomplished about 30 minutes later and was a real testament to the professional crew on the ship and the flight crew. Having had a bit too much bubbly that evening we opted to rollover and go back to sleep rather than rushing out to the balcony. There were a few grumbles the next morning about the need to make a ship wide announcement but obviously safety come first. 

 

On the second to last night, between midnight and 1:00AM the ships safety systems made it necessary to stop the ship. However, we never lost electrical power, air-conditioning or water in our cabins. Once stopped, the motion of the ship changed dramatically. Even though the seas were fairly calm and I was hard asleep, it woke me up almost immediately. I got up and peaked out through the curtains but failed to notice that we were stopped. I went back to bed and didn’t become aware of the situation until I turned on the TV to channel 45 (ship status) the next morning at 7:30AM which notified every one of the situation. We were still stopped but expected to return to power by 8:00AM. However, by the time we left the cabin for breakfast the ship was moving again. The Captain came on the PA while we were at breakfast and gave a full update on what had happen. He also said that we would likely be late into New York Harbor but would not have a time until the noon announcement. At noon he advised everyone that our best hope was to dock by 10:30AM. At 6:00PM he confirmed this schedule and added that departure form NYC would be after 8:00PM and those who had booked tours through Cunard would still be able to do so. He also added that Cunard would sort things out for those who had booked flights through Cunard. Fortunately, our flight was not until 2:30PM. Unfortunately, there were just not enough hours or miles left to the voyage to make up that much lost time. In fact, while we were stopped the ship had drifted many miles back to the east.

 

THE LAST SEA DAY: The last sea day was the best weather of the voyage. When we finished our after breakfast walk we grabbed 2 deck chairs and just laid out in the sun and watched the ocean go buy. We ditched the first 2 lectures and stayed out for about 4 hours. Our efforts were rewarded with not 1 but 2 whale sightings. The first was a pod of 3 and the second was a group of 2. Yes it was a bit chilly but oh so worth it.

 

 

 

 

DISEMBARCATION: OK, let me completely honest here. I was thrilled we were arriving 4 hours late. It was a spectacularly beautiful day in New York. We passed under the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge at 9:00AM, passed the Statue of Liberty at 9:30AM and reached the dock at about 10:15AM. Dee and I stood on top of Deck 13 as the sun lit up the black hull, white superstructure and red funnel. We were steaming into New York Harbor on the Queen Mary 2. I can tell you that the folks crossing the bridge that morning won’t forget it and neither will Dee or I. 

 

(Thank you bluemarble)

 

Within 15 or 20 minutes of tying up to the dock passengers were stepping off the ship. The QM2 staff was out in force organizing the que and keeping everyone in formed. They even announced that there were 14 US Customs agents on duty. Early on in the cruise we had signed up for Fast Track (you carry off ALL your bags) disembarkation but by the time we got down to Deck 3 the que went from the Grand Lobby all the way to the back of the MDR. Before it was over the line went through the MDR, through the Queens Room and all the way back to the Grand Lobby. Yet amazingly we were off the ship, through the terminal and hoping into a cab at 10:58AM. I have to say, job well done Ship’s Crew and US Customs Agents. Traffic was heavy leaving the port area but we were in the United Club at Laguardia Airport at 11:45. Not bad.

 

ONE FINAL THING: Yesterday (Sunday) Dee and I both tested positive for COVID! Up until about 6:00PM last night we both felt fine. We even went to an outdoor Father’s Day BBQ. Fortunately, it was outdoors and there was a strong breeze making it very unlikely we infected anyone. Then by 8:00PM Dee had a temp of 101, chills and a cough. We had a few left over COVID test kits that hadn’t yet expired so we tested. Both positive. I have developed a cough and Dee is slowly feeling better. Her fever is down but she feeling achy. We had boosted about 4 weeks before the trip so that may be helping with the symptoms.  

Thanks All, sorry to be so long winded. Any questions?

Jack

[*Miss G*]

Thank you so much for posting your review, @Jack E Dawson!  I completely agree that the passengers were lovely and that almost everyone I saw at late seating were dressed to the nines.  It was wonderful!

 

I saw those dogs too!  As well as a few others.  It was a shock.  That white one sure was barky.  You could always tell when they were out for a walk; even when you couldn’t see them.

 

Sadly, I never got to eat at the Golden Lion. 😢 It was always jam-packed whenever I checked.  I did stand at the bar, one evening, (jam-packed) to listen to the duo.  They were great!

 

Sorry to hear you got covid!!  I saw no signs of it being around and I have no symptoms.  But it was obviously onboard since the two of you came down with it.  It sounds like most of your time was spent forward, and most of my time was spent aft, so maybe that’s the difference.  I hope you are both feeling better soon!

[NE John]

Feel better! Thanks for the report. 
It seems like you had a very different experience from the recent Vloggers Ben and David!

Edited June 18 by NE John

[Jack E Dawson]

9 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 I hope you are both feeling better soon!

Thank you Miss G.

I am very much enjoying your your review and your wonderful writing style as well as your excellent  taste in sparkling white wine

Jack

[sfred]

46 minutes ago, Jack E Dawson said:

I think there might be some new plugs in the room, There was an outlet box, mounted to the wall in the corner on top of the refrigerator cabinet. It contained two US type outlets. If this has always been there, I not noticed it on previous cruises. So now there are 4 US outlets and 2 UK outlets by the desk area.

 

 

 

Thanks for your review, @Jack E Dawson.  Sympathies on becoming ill afterwards - hope you are both better soon.

 

Those US electrical outlets and RJ45 network jack are remnants from the time that QM2 had the television located on the shelf over the minibar, prior to the screen being mounted on the bulkhead wall opposite the bed.  Nowadays the power points supply the kettle.

[*Miss G*]

I just checked the CDC for symptom appearance.  I’m wondering if you were exposed to it prior to the sailing?

 

[*Miss G*]

2 minutes ago, sfred said:

Those US electrical outlets and RJ45 network jack are remnants from the time that QM2 had the television located on the shelf over the minibar, prior to the screen being mounted on the bulkhead wall opposite the bed.  Nowadays the power points supply the kettle.

 

Thanks.  I wondered what that RJ45 port was for!

[Jack E Dawson]

17 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 I’m wondering if you were exposed to it prior to the sailing?

You may very well be right Miss G. Our Daughter-In-Law is an ER doctor and says that the incubation period can be 3 - 10 days. However, on the 3rd day of the trip a gentleman sat behind us at one of the lectures and coughed all the way through it. We will never know but most importantly we are both feeling better this evening. 

Thanks 

Jack

[*Miss G*]

2 minutes ago, Jack E Dawson said:

You may very well be right Miss G. Our Daughter-In-Law is an ER doctor and says that the incubation period can be 3 - 10 days. However, on the 3rd day of the trip a gentleman sat behind us at one of the lectures and coughed all the way through it. We will never know but most importantly we are both feeling better this evening. 

Thanks 

Jack

 

Oh yuck.  That does sound like the carrier.  So glad you are both feeling better!

[NE John]

Are you putting together another collage like you did for the QE cruise from last year? That was a good one. 

[Jack E Dawson]

Thank you NE John. Yes, I plan to. 

 

Jack

[TheOldBear]

1 hour ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Thanks.  I wondered what that RJ45 port was for!

For the first couple of years (gone by our first QM2 sailing in 2008) the tv was an interactive unit, for video on demand and viewing your onboard account. 

[*Miss G*]

21 minutes ago, TheOldBear said:

For the first couple of years (gone by our first QM2 sailing in 2008) the tv was an interactive unit, for video on demand and viewing your onboard account. 

 

Wow.  Okay.  Now I get it.  On last week’s sailing there was no interactive tv, no on-demand, no statement, etc.  It drove me crazy and I wondered why it was so limited.  I thought they were behind the times until I saw your post.  So they can do it but they just haven’t done it.  Thank you.

[TheOldBear]

3 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Wow.  Okay.  Now I get it.  On last week’s sailing there was no interactive tv, no on-demand, no statement, etc.  It drove me crazy and I wondered why it was so limited.  I thought they were behind the times until I saw your post.  So they can do it but they just haven’t done it.  Thank you.

I think it was more that their original implementation was a flop. The current “my voyage “ intranet site fills some of the missing functionality.

[safarigal]

Thank you so much for your excellent review 🙂

 

I hope you 2 feel better soon!

[rakkor]

Excellent and informative review, thank you Jack - I'm now itching for our next QM2 to begin, but sadly I'll have to wait until February.

[DukeBeetle24]

Thanks for this review, it's gotten me rather excited again for our upcoming QM2 sailing (particularly after the video from Ben and David diminished it somewhat!). It sounds like you had a wonderful time and the ship is in great condition. Thanks again, and hope you feel better soon.

[Wagtail adventures]

Thank you for your review.  Just to add to DukeBeetle24's comments, Cruise with Ben and David gave a very poor review and I wonder if you were on the same crossing?  It doesn't sound like it!

 

 

What date was your crossing please?

 

I don't like the relaxation of the rules regarding dogs.  Whilst I like dogs, in my view they should only be walked on deck12.

[Bell Boy]

I expect the two dogs were some sort of Comfort Dog .If the guest has an official certificate to prove it Cunard has to accept it , however, for some years now there has been the question of Fake Certificates, a leading Airline company  looked into this once and the customer in question was removed from an aircraft shorty before take off as a dog was discovered in her carryon . 

 

There was a lady on a Seabourn cruise I took last year who had her dog everywhere ,even in the restaurant . 

Edited June 18 by Bell Boy

[exlondoner]

6 hours ago, TheOldBear said:

For the first couple of years (gone by our first QM2 sailing in 2008) the tv was an interactive unit, for video on demand and viewing your onboard account. 

And ordering wine.

[exlondoner]

I have asked this before, but I’m still confused. Was it really US Customs agents there were 14 of, or was it US immigration? If it was customs, how was immigration handled?

[DukeBeetle24]

6 hours ago, TheOldBear said:

I think it was more that their original implementation was a flop. The current “my voyage “ intranet site fills some of the missing functionality.

I think Queen Anne has new interactive services on stateroom TVs. Hopefully these make it through the rest of the fleet pretty quickly

[Host Hattie]

These are Cunard’s rules about Assistance Dogs

 

Thanks for a great report @Jack E Dawson, I hope you're both feeling better soon. 

[Pushpit]

37 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I have asked this before, but I’m still confused. Was it really US Customs agents there were 14 of, or was it US immigration? If it was customs, how was immigration handled?

This is an aspect of two countries divided by a common language.

 

When Americans talk about "customs" it often means immigration and not separated out. In the UK it used to be the Border Force, a Home Office department, does immigration, and HMRC, a crown department under the Treasury handled customs, and some distance between the two. In the USA the CBP handles both tasks, as an agency of the Department for Home Security. 

 

As it happens both countries are heading the same way, including at Brooklyn. So now Border Force is operationally in charge of customs are airports and many sea ports, a change made a few years ago. CBP are generally moving to a "one stop shop" model, so at the point of immigration they also handle customs. At some airports like Miami and Dublin (a USA preclearance location) the CBP will have a photo and scan of your luggage at passport control and its all done in one swoop with very occasional random bag openings by the luggage carousels.

 

In Brooklyn when it's 14 agents (which is a lot, normally I see about 8 to 10 but there can be 2 shifts, in this case presumably just one) then they will be handling both passport and customs together. With perhaps a CBP agent, or USDA agent with dog, wandering around doing spot checks on bags.

 

In Southampton this is usually merged too now, so if the Border Force comes on board on arrival, they can ask about any customs related issue, and it's just the very occasional spot check after baggage collection.

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, Pushpit said:

This is an aspect of two countries divided by a common language.

 

When Americans talk about "customs" it often means immigration and not separated out. In the UK it used to be the Border Force, a Home Office department, does immigration, and HMRC, a crown department under the Treasury handled customs, and some distance between the two. In the USA the CBP handles both tasks, as an agency of the Department for Home Security. 

 

As it happens both countries are heading the same way, including at Brooklyn. So now Border Force is operationally in charge of customs are airports and many sea ports, a change made a few years ago. CBP are generally moving to a "one stop shop" model, so at the point of immigration they also handle customs. At some airports like Miami and Dublin (a USA preclearance location) the CBP will have a photo and scan of your luggage at passport control and its all done in one swoop with very occasional random bag openings by the luggage carousels.

 

In Brooklyn when it's 14 agents (which is a lot, normally I see about 8 to 10 but there can be 2 shifts, in this case presumably just one) then they will be handling both passport and customs together. With perhaps a CBP agent, or USDA agent with dog, wandering around doing spot checks on bags.

 

In Southampton this is usually merged too now, so if the Border Force comes on board on arrival, they can ask about any customs related issue, and it's just the very occasional spot check after baggage collection.

But nonetheless, even if they are a single individual wearing two hats, immigration is concerned with humans and customs with stuff. Immigration is far scarier what with finger printing and the fear one may inadvertently have the same name as a wanted criminal. Customs checks tend to result in the confiscation of an apple. (Autocorrect automatically gave the fruit a capital letter. I think it is getting above itself.)