Boarding times qm2

[notts cruiser]

Do Cunard stick to the time stated or are you allowed to board earlier as other lines

[Sussex Sailor]

We have always arrived earlier, usually around midday, and never been refused boarding at that time.

[Runners]

Do Cunard stick to the time stated or are you allowed to board earlier as other lines

When leaving from Brooklyn, we always arrive around 11:30am. It is very soon afterward that we begin boarding. Our boarding time is always around 2pm but the sooner you get there the sooner you board the ship.

[Bigmike911]

When we boarded at Southampton, we were given a colored card when we checked in. We were boarded when the color of our card was called. So if you arrive early, and your given an "early" color, you can board early.

 

There has not ever seemed to be a problem with boarding earlier than suggested.

 

Mike

[QM2 fan]

Only 2 weeks to go for me! I plan to arrive RedHook around noon...

[Salacia]

I confess that I'm having trouble visualizing what happens when the majority of passengers decide to arrive in Red Hook around noon. Six times, I've met QM2 in Brooklyn, but I've never arrived before 2 pm (a matter of personal convenience). We encountered no traffic problems from Manhattan, and boarding was a breeze. It took about 15 minutes from the door to the terminal to boarding the ship. After boarding, on those occasions where we were hungry, we ordered something simple from room service, which usually becomes available around 3pm.

 

Questions for those that have arrived around noon at the Red Hook terminal: what are the traffic conditions, and how crowded is the terminal? Thank you for any information.

 

Regards,

Salacia

[S-I-L of Ladlyl1]

Do Cunard stick to the time stated or are you allowed to board earlier as other lines

Notts Cruiser, I am of the same opinion as Salacia whilst we have turned up on a number of occasions on Queen Mary 2 ahead of our scheduled boarding time and not been refused access to the boat there will clearly be implications if 2,500 passengers chose to do the same thing at the same time.

 

When you board the ship in Southampton they do provide coloured boarding labels that will not stop your progress through check in and security but will keep you in a pre-boarding pen before you get on the ship.

 

If like my mother in law you are a platinum or diamond passenger on world club you will be allowed to board from circa. 12:30pm if not you may be held back. The thought of looking at the lovely ship from the outside for too long would likely not be a great start to my holiday.

 

Enjoy it whenever and wherever you are going.

[capnpugwash]

The coloured cards are to batch the queueing passengers prior to being registered, it enables them to be dealt with in manageable numbers and they can sit "comfortably" while they wait for thier letter to be called. Once processed they proceed through security and on to the ship. The alternative is the Disney sized line that sometimes greets you in Brooklyn where you just wait in line with no seating until after you have been processed. Platinum and Diamond just walk up to the counter and avoid all the unpleasantness of course.