Disembark Queen Anne

[devolve]

Hi

can anyone tell me how long after your colour is called to disembark it takes to collect luggage and exit the terminal. I am trying to plan forward travel.

[david63]

There are too many variables to be able to give a definitive answer, such as which terminal, how much luggage, etc.

 

From past experience of disembarking many ships I would allow around half an hour from being called to exiting the terminal building, but it may be somewhat quicker on the day.

[majortom10]

It all depends on how quickly you find your luggage which is no easy task. if everything goes straightforward and there are no queues you could be through in 15-20 minutes. But then there is the problem of size of queue to disembark the ship and how quick finding your suitcases. you then have to take into account if customs are in attendance and whether you get stopped.

[devolve]

We usually self disembark, but don’t want to be at the station too early 

[3rdGenCunarder]

There is also the issue of when your color really will be called. I don't think I've ever left a Cunard ship at the promised time (except for self debark), certainly not in the last few years. You can leave before they call your tag color/number, but there's a chance your luggage won't be ready for you, and you'll just be in the way. Sometimes they're still sorting luggage for later tags while they're calling earlier tags. 

[Victoria2]

2 hours ago, devolve said:

 

duplicate

Edited August 9 by Victoria2

[Victoria2]

Just now, Victoria2 said:

On the Iceland cruise, the disembarkation was ahead of schedule so folk were getting off the ship pretty smartly. However, the lift wasn't 'in operation' at the time so most of the assistance wheelchairs were pushed down the ramps [Ocean Terminal] which caused a bit of a log jam but not much.

Not knowing what your luggage colour would be, if you can self disembark, assuming that means you will take your own bags off the ship, I'd bite the bullet and head for the station.

Or

Get a self disembarkation slip and get off whenever you want to.

 

[majortom10]

On our recent trip on QA (Iceland) in July they called for your coloured tags well before the scheduled time and we were off the ship a good 30 mins early. I was well impressed until we couldn't find one of our suitcases instead of being in Blue 3 it had been placed in Blue 5.

[Lanky Lad]

On 8/9/2024 at 3:38 PM, majortom10 said:

It all depends on how quickly you find your luggage which is no easy task. if everything goes straightforward and there are no queues you could be through in 15-20 minutes. But then there is the problem of size of queue to disembark the ship and how quick finding your suitcases. you then have to take into account if customs are in attendance and whether you get stopped.

If things go smoothly then 15-20 minutes is about right. You have to also factor in which terminal you are at as it can be a long walk from the ship to the exit.  

[rog747]

Getting off QA last sunday from the Med was a breeze....
Due off at 8am, joined a small line around 0755, in baggage hall by 0810, but my bag 1 of 2 was not there in the Blue 1 lanes but mysteriously then appeared after about 10 minutes walking up and down the other blue tag lines LOL. 
 

[Clewgarnet]

My disembark time was 7.45. People around me were grumbling that we disembarked at 7.50. My bag was waiting for me, and I was on the coach by 8.

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, rog747 said:

Getting off QA last sunday from the Med was a breeze....
Due off at 8am, joined a small line around 0755, in baggage hall by 0810, but my bag 1 of 2 was not there in the Blue 1 lanes but mysteriously then appeared after about 10 minutes walking up and down the other blue tag lines LOL. 
 

 

I wonder if someone picked up your bag by mistake, then returned it when they realized it wasn't theirs. 

[rog747]

Just now, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I wonder if someone picked up your bag by mistake, then returned it when they realized it wasn't theirs. 

That was always a poss yes ....However some late Blue bags were offloaded later after the main bulk load....and by the time I wandered back from looking at the other 5 blue lines my bag appeared !

[vsbc]

My disembark off QA last Sunday was on time. We opted for a later time at 10:00am so that our driver didn’t have too early a start as he had a 3 hour journey to Southampton. 
It only  took a couple of minutes to find our luggage.

[Winifred 22]

I thought it was all very smooth too. Had 10:00  I was waiting by loyalty sales at one point and the only complaints were from people trying to leave before their colour had been called and kicking off when they were told to go back to lounge and wait as that colour baggage had not been off loaded yet. It’s same principle as embarkation if everyone sticks to the time they are given rather than what they want it all runs smoothly. Disembarkation has the bonus if you don’t find the time  allocated convenient you can ask to change. Had to get another tag from Purser’s desk and there were plenty of folk doing that.

[exlondoner]

Are passengers still, theoretically at least, disembarking direct from their cabins?

[Winifred 22]

1 minute ago, exlondoner said:

Are passengers still, theoretically at least, disembarking direct from their cabins?

Yes and no. You had to be out of the cabin by 9. You were also given a  lounge to wait in until you were called. I waited on deck as it was sunny and I wasn’t until 10 . 

[john watson]

16 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Are passengers still, theoretically at least, disembarking direct from their cabins?

[john watson]

30 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Are passengers still, theoretically at least, disembarking direct from their cabins?

Most cruise lines require passengers to leave their cabins at a set time to allow staff to clean the cabins in readiness for the next cruise.   They also ask people to wait at specific lounges or other locations to spread them throughout to ship without overcrowding. In previous years an increasing numbers of passengers selfishly waited near the exit gangway partially blocking it. So to combat this some lines announce the colour group final. make your way to the gangway, announcement quietly at the relevant lounge..This is co-ordinated by radio from the baggage hall who report the arrival and set out of the luggage. You can wait at an alternative other public location but it is advisable to go to the allocated lounge ten minutes or more before the scheduled time. If you are not at your lounge you do not hear the announcement. Often you find the published time is later than the actual time you are advised to proceed to the gangway. This is better than the other way around as peoples expectations are generally exceeded. 

 

Regards John

Edited August 14 by john watson

[Victoria2]

john watson in July, the announcements were made over QA's general ship's announcement system. Or at least they were until we departed around 8.30am.

[Host Hattie]

33 minutes ago, john watson said:

Most cruise lines require passengers to leave their cabins at a set time to allow staff to clean the cabins in readiness for the next cruise.   They also ask people to wait at specific lounges or other locations to spread them throughout to ship without overcrowding. In previous years an increasing numbers of passengers selfishly waited near the exit gangway partially blocking it. So to combat this some lines announce the colour group final. make your way to the gangway, announcement quietly at the relevant lounge..This is co-ordinated by radio from the baggage hall who report the arrival and set out of the luggage. You can wait at an alternative other public location but it is advisable to go to the allocated lounge ten minutes or more before the scheduled time. If you are not at your lounge you do not hear the announcement. Often you find the published time is later than the actual time you are advised to proceed to the gangway. This is better than the other way around as peoples expectations are generally exceeded. 

 

Regards John

But Cunard stopped doing that and disembarkation was directly from cabins which is why @exlondoner asked the question. 

It looks like they have reverted back to the previous method on Queen Anne at least. 

[Pushpit]

1. Depending on the sailing Cunard sometimes asks people to leave staterooms by 9, sometimes they don't. In the case of my QA I was asked to leave at 9 am, but the steward said not to rush, he was OK if I left at 10 am. As it happens I wanted to leave around 8:30 am. Other ships / sailings they sometimes do (and you are invited to go to a public area instead), sometimes don't. The PA will at some point start requesting everyone to leave, sometimes ahead of the timetable, if things go swiftly, this is particularly a factor at Brooklyn. The one thing that was unique to QA was that they did have a special desk for tag and Fast Track queries on the day before arrival, by the Drawing Room, otherwise this is done via the Purser's Desk or the Grills Concierge.

 

I've never seen any checking of the colour tags on disembarkation on any of the 4 ships in the last 2 years, other than that if you wave them around in your hand the security staff may say "purple hasn't been offloaded yet". Otherwise they don't check this, in my experience, and I would know since I don't have any tags, I always self disembark.

Edited August 14 by Pushpit

[john watson]

1 hour ago, Victoria2 said:

john watson in July, the announcements were made over QA's general ship's announcement system. Or at least they were until we departed around 8.30am.

 

My comments were based on a number of cruise lines and how and why things are done in a particular manner.  A general announcement over the ship's speaker system will clearly allow an opportunity to wait near the gangway so you are first off in your group. Many people with this idea will block things up.

 

Regards John

[exlondoner]

4 minutes ago, Pushpit said:

1. Depending on the sailing Cunard sometimes asks people to leave staterooms by 9, sometimes they don't. In the case of my QA I was asked to leave at 9 am, but the steward said not to rush, he was OK if I left at 10 am. As it happens I wanted to leave around 8:30 am. Other ships / sailings they sometimes do (and you are invited to go to a public area instead), sometimes don't. The PA will at some point start requesting everyone to leave, sometimes ahead of the timetable, if things go swiftly, this is particularly a factor at Brooklyn. The one thing that was unique to QA was that they did have a special desk for tag and Fast Track queries on the day before arrival, by the Drawing Room, otherwise this is done via the Purser's Desk or the Grills Concierge.

 

I've never seen any checking of the colour tags on disembarkation on any of the 4 ships in the last 2 years, other than that if you wave them around in your hand the security staff may say "purple hasn't been offloaded yet". Otherwise they don't check this, in my experience, and I would know since I don't have any tags, I always self disembark.

When we had a somewhat delayed and chaotic disembarkation from QA’s second voyage, the rather ineffective people apparently in charge were checking to an extent, ie when anyone approached them, they immediately asked what colour their tags were, before sending them away to wait somewhere else. Those who, perhaps in pursuit of advantage, claimed not to know, were sent to the Purser’s to find out.

[john watson]

1 hour ago, Host Hattie said:

But Cunard stopped doing that and disembarkation was directly from cabins which is why @exlondoner asked the question. 

It looks like they have reverted back to the previous method on Queen Anne at least. 

 

I suspect the system of disembarkation direct from cabins was instituted as a response to covid-19.  The big drawback is that cabin staff are significantly delayed in starting to clean cabins the next cruise group of passengers will not get as early an opportunity to access their cabins upon embarkation.

 

Regards John