Luggage & ESTA Question for TA

[bluebell101]

We have recently done our first TA onboard QM2 and since coming home have been an information point for friends who are wishing to do one, however I have been asked a question that am sure someone can answer !

 

When sailing from Sou - NY and then you opt to fly back the same day from NY what happens to your luggage ? Do they have to take it with them then or does Cunard forward it to their departing airport ?

 

Also when applying for an esta, they ask for where you are staying the first night, would you leave it blank because you are in theory not staying but flying home later that same day after disembarkation?

 

Many thanks

[sandancer]

Can't help with the luggage question but I understand you can leave the address blank on the ESTA even if you are staying on. Found this out after we had applied and now we have to amend it every time we visit and put in the new address. It's not exactly major but it would have been easier to not have to do it.

[janeba]

Hi I have recently done that TA and came back the same day. When you disembark the ship you collect your luggage in the hall and go through Immigration with everyone else.

However Cunard kindly laid on a tour of Manhatten for the day as long as the return flight to the UK is after 6pm, which was free and really brilliant. You put your luggage on the coach and they look after it until they drop you at either JFK or Newark. The details are in the stateroom on the second day. One tip only use the labels for your luggage that are delivered with the letter and not ones that are left outside the door. this ensures you are off the ship quite early for the trip!

As for the Esta you need to put 'In Transit' as that is exactly what you are. It really is a great experience your friends will love it! Hope that helps.

[bluebell101]

Sandancer and Janeba ..... Thank You.

:)

[Alohaaa]

Does Cunard have a weight limit for luggage?

[Ray66]

Does Cunard have a weight limit for luggage?

 

The limit is 23kg (50lbs) each piece of luggage but there is no limit to the amount of pieces of luggage.

[Alohaaa]

What do they do with luggage over 50 lbs?

[Travel mad]

Hi I have recently done that TA and came back the same day. When you disembark the ship you collect your luggage in the hall and go through Immigration with everyone else.

However Cunard kindly laid on a tour of Manhatten for the day as long as the return flight to the UK is after 6pm, which was free and really brilliant. You put your luggage on the coach and they look after it until they drop you at either JFK or Newark. The details are in the stateroom on the second day. One tip only use the labels for your luggage that are delivered with the letter and not ones that are left outside the door. this ensures you are off the ship quite early for the trip!

As for the Esta you need to put 'In Transit' as that is exactly what you are. It really is a great experience your friends will love it! Hope that helps.

this is exactly what we are after. we fly out from JFK at 19h30 on 17/11/2011. We are looking for a day tour but didn't know what to do with our luggage. do you have more details as I have never heard of cruise ships offering free excursions ? we were thinking of carrying our own luggage off the ship as we understand this will enable us to disembark first.

look forward to a reply, thanks.

[janeba]

Hi Travel Mad, We were very unsure as to what would hasppen when we arrived in NY only that we had hours to kill before flying back from JFK. On the day we embarked we had a note left in the room of tours and transfers available and the associated costs. As it was day 1 I ignored it and am glad I did, because on day 2 we had a letter with labels and full details of our disembarkation although it said we would have a 'Highlight' tour to be honest we were not expecting much. We were very pleasantly surprised it was brilliant. We went to Ground Zero on the week of the anniversary and Wall Street, Broadway, Central Park to name a few. The tour guide was fantastic and as it was a holiday in the US even the coach driver was happy as the traffic was light. We were on a coach with a number of people we had met albeit briefly on the ship, and the group was good fun. One lady had said she had been to NY on 3 previous occasions and had seen more on our tour than all her previous visits! One word of caution. Do not self disembark follow the instructions in the letter and only use the labels provided with the letter not the ones that are left outside your stateroom, because as if by magic or possibly good planning, you all get off together and meet your coach across the road at the same time. I cannot thank Cunard enough for the tour, they did not have to do it for us but it really made our trip. Hope you enjoy. Jane :)

[southwestie]

What do they do with luggage over 50 lbs?

 

 

Tell will still take it on board, it is really for the safety of the baggage guys more than anything, they may mark it "heavy". I would not want to lift an deliver too many too cabins

[Travel mad]

Hi Travel Mad, We were very unsure as to what would hasppen when we arrived in NY only that we had hours to kill before flying back from JFK. On the day we embarked we had a note left in the room of tours and transfers available and the associated costs. As it was day 1 I ignored it and am glad I did, because on day 2 we had a letter with labels and full details of our disembarkation although it said we would have a 'Highlight' tour to be honest we were not expecting much. We were very pleasantly surprised it was brilliant. We went to Ground Zero on the week of the anniversary and Wall Street, Broadway, Central Park to name a few. The tour guide was fantastic and as it was a holiday in the US even the coach driver was happy as the traffic was light. We were on a coach with a number of people we had met albeit briefly on the ship, and the group was good fun. One lady had said she had been to NY on 3 previous occasions and had seen more on our tour than all her previous visits! One word of caution. Do not self disembark follow the instructions in the letter and only use the labels provided with the letter not the ones that are left outside your stateroom, because as if by magic or possibly good planning, you all get off together and meet your coach across the road at the same time. I cannot thank Cunard enough for the tour, they did not have to do it for us but it really made our trip. Hope you enjoy. Jane :)

Thanks for the good advise Jane!

[Bigmike911]

The damage your airline will do to your pocket book for a bag over 50 lbs will be the most serious issues. United/Continental will charge you $400 per bag, and American will charge you $450 for internationional flights. I don't know what the foreign carriers charge now, but I remember years ago paying BA a huge baggage fee for a smaller bag.

 

I would advise two bags of 35 to 40 pounds rather than one weighting 70.

 

Mike

[Alohaaa]

Hi Mike,

 

Thanks for the advice I will moderate the weight of my bags.

 

Alohaaa

[Alohaaa]

I just received a luggage scale so I have confidence the bags will be under the 50lb limit.

 

Kit