Priority Boarding

[oceansandseas]

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DH and I sailing on QM2 soon. Just got our luggage tags. They have a red border with white and lime green diagonal stripes. We are Diamond, but nowhere on the tags does it say "Priority Boarding". Other cruises it has always said Priority Boarding. Has this changed?

 

Thanks for any replies.

 

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[Underwatr]

Our tags didn't have any priority markings on them last year (we're Platinum). The luggage tags don't affect your boarding privileges, though.

[tv24]

Your tags don't help you much. At the Diamond level you do have priority boarding. My recommendation is to assert yourself in the priority line and don't budge. Really, don't budge. Hopefully that will work to help you avoid long waits. No guarantees as we have had very, very bad experience with Cunard boarding in many ports: Brooklyn, Hamburg, Los Angeles & worst of all, Cape Town. Bear in mind that we have 2 QM2 crossings booked and we are hopeful that our priority boarding will work to our favor, but I remain hopefully skeptical. Or is that skeptically hopeful? One of my strategies is to arrive a bit late to avoid the crush, but even that has not always worked, eg. Cape Town and Hamburg.

Edited October 4, 2016 by tv24

[Host Hattie]

The perk of priority check-in is only available at Brooklyn and Southampton.

 

In Southampton you are greeted at the entrance to the terminal and then you will be directed to the priority line. It's always been very quick for us.

It's a while since I checked in at Brooklyn but there were separate check-in desks at the time.

[BigMac1953]

Last year at Ocean Terminal they introduced a scheme that segregated each category. Therefore QG were in one pen, then PG in another, then Diamond, then Platinum, and that was the order of boarding.

 

However, when it came to disembarkation, although we had QG priority, we discovered that Diamond were going first, so we went to the purser's desk and got Diamond tags as well, and did go first.

 

Stewart

[pepperrn]

Never had a problem with Priority Boarding at Southampton; works smoothly every single time.

 

As for boarding in Brooklyn... haven't done that for years, but will do so in approx. 50 days :) WooHoo :) , so I'll find out how speedy it is then, hopefully all will be fine.

[gfs1ram]

Never had a problem with Priority Boarding at Southampton; works smoothly every single time.

 

As for boarding in Brooklyn... haven't done that for years, but will do so in approx. 50 days :) WooHoo :) , so I'll find out how speedy it is then, hopefully all will be fine.

 

 

Totally agree Pepper. Not had any problems with priority boarding at Southampton and certainly never had the need the 'assert' ones self !!

[Pennbank]

Totally agree Pepper. Not had any problems with priority boarding at Southampton and certainly never had the need the 'assert' ones self !!

 

Quite agree.

 

At Brooklyn just show your Booking Confirmation to one of the ladies directing the queues, they will then show you the place to stand/sit for a speedy Priority embarkation.

 

At Southampton again show your booking Confirmation to The ladies dishing out the Mandatory health questionnaire and Check in cards. If you are Grills you go to a separate waiting area and are processed first., if Diamond then you are given a Blue Card with a letter on and wait with the non priority guests for that colour card to be called, which is after the grills. You then join the line for the check in procedure . Non priority guests have red cards.

Edited October 4, 2016 by Pennbank

[laktex]

Your tags don't help you much. At the Diamond level you do have priority boarding. My recommendation is to assert yourself in the priority line and don't budge. Really, don't budge. .

 

Well it is fairly obvious that luggage tags have nothing to do with actual priority boarding because by the time you are going to the check-in you have already "surrendered" your luggage.

 

At Southampton I am always directed to the relevant check-in desk according to my travel class (Grills etc) or my WC status, whichever is higher. Once this did not happen at QEII terminal when in Princess Grill but as there was only one couple ahead of me it didn't really matter and I certainly didn't feel the need to "assert" myself. Does a short wait really matter, I prefer less stress - the ship will not go without me!

[Chunky2219]

Luggage tag colour coding and stripes only help with quicker delivery to the room and with the staff knowing which end of the ship to point the metal cages of baggage toward.

 

Priority boarding all depends on the locals who man the desks and the people in the aisles sorting the sheeple by category. We've always found it smooth as silk at Ocean Terminal Southampton which handles most Cunard ships (if there's only one vessel in port) but have had a disaster at the QM2 terminal which eneded up with us going around and out then back through security again.

 

Elsewhere around the world it's very variable and although I'm now talking about other lines here, we've had everything from the magic carpet experience to massive frustration trying to get aboard.

 

 

.

[david,Mississauga]

When we last travelled in Princess Grill, two years ago, our tags were marked "priority" which, as usual, didn't mean much. We arrived at the Red Hook terminal earlier than expected, 1045, boarded at 1200 and our two cases arrived in our stateroom at 1700.

 

The only time our luggage was in our cabin before we were was on the QE2 when we did not have priority.

[balf]

Your tags don't help you much. At the Diamond level you do have priority boarding. My recommendation is to assert yourself in the priority line and don't budge. Really, don't budge. Hopefully that will work to help you avoid long waits. No guarantees as we have had very, very bad experience with Cunard boarding in many ports: Brooklyn, Hamburg, Los Angeles & worst of all, Cape Town. Bear in mind that we have 2 QM2 crossings booked and we are hopeful that our priority boarding will work to our favor, but I remain hopefully skeptical. Or is that skeptically hopeful? One of my strategies is to arrive a bit late to avoid the crush, but even that has not always worked, eg. Cape Town and Hamburg.

 

Ah, Cape Town, that brings back unhappy memories, though thankfully it wasn't our cases that got a ducking in the dock.

 

David.

[BklynBoy8]

Never had a problem and saw Brooklyn to be the best location to board from the sidewalk to the Grand Lobby... We are Diamond Level last several cruises.

 

Luggage out of the car to the handler instantly by the sidewalk..

 

Directed into the lobby with tickets and passport escorted to security.

 

Once thru security headed for Diamond Level Line (no one practically there) right to Cunard Rep.

 

Once thru the Check In right on the ship. If there is a delay or too early, the Priority Lounge for waiting instead with the masses. TV's and even a courtesy bar of soft drinks, water, coffee and Danish.

 

We are blessed we are now at that level and Brooklyn has such great service.

[Adammara]

When we arrived at Southampton last Friday at 11.20, we boarded immediately, QE P2, but everybody was boarding together, whatever grade. Fantastic cruise, more later!

[Host Hattie]

When we arrived at Southampton last Friday at 11.20, we boarded immediately, QE P2, but everybody was boarding together, whatever grade. Fantastic cruise, more later!

Nice to hear from you Adammara, glad you're having a good time.

[tv24]

The perk of priority check-in is only available at Brooklyn and Southampton.

 

In Southampton you are greeted at the entrance to the terminal and then you will be directed to the priority line. It's always been very quick for us.

It's a while since I checked in at Brooklyn but there were separate check-in desks at the time.

 

In June, 2016, in Hamburg, there was a priority line. Unfortunately the lines were not managed well. In fact, we spotted only one Cunard staff person amongst the hundreds lining up trying to board either priority or non-priority. It took us almost 2 hours to get through the priority boarding process, most of that time standing in a chaotic swarm of people or in a long line. Not White Star service.

[keithm]

The perk of priority check-in is only available at Brooklyn and Southampton.

 

In Southampton you are greeted at the entrance to the terminal and then you will be directed to the priority line. It's always been very quick for us.

It's a while since I checked in at Brooklyn but there were separate check-in desks at the time.

We are Platinum & did priority boarding in Ft. Lauderdale.(the QV) We did the Grills twice before & wondered if that made a difference.

[jimmybean]

I thought priority boarding and priority baggage delivery were two separate things and the latter applied to diamond (and probably the grills), but not platinum…

 

Jimmybean

[Adammara]

We are home!

 

And the disembarkation was just as rapid! Princess Grill was open 6.30am to 8am, and disembarkation from Upper Britannia restaurant scheduled for 8.15am.

 

We arrived in the restaurant at 7.50am, and were called at 8.05am. There was a slight delay at the exit for everybody, then 2 columns started disembarking, my wife in one and me in the other, she was off immediately, but I was just behind an unhappy passenger who was was not allowed to disembark. We had to merge to one line whilst the matter was sorted.

 

The cruise? A fantastic experience, certainly the best food and service of our 40 cruises. We had one in view for next year, but the grade we wanted is sold out with a wait list. Time for some research.

 

Will post more in a few days when we are back in reality!

[Host Hattie]

Welcome home, it's good to hear your trip was such a success.

 

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Forums mobile app

[DreamflightPat]

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DH and I sailing on QM2 soon. Just got our luggage tags. They have a red border with white and lime green diagonal stripes. We are Diamond, but nowhere on the tags does it say "Priority Boarding". Other cruises it has always said Priority Boarding. Has this changed?

 

Thanks for any replies.

 

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I boarded in Southampton in July and they seemed to know I was Platinum and was boarded early.

 

Regards Pat

[Lanky Lad]

Priority luggage delivery used to be a perk for Diamond members so the luggage tags did used to say "priority". I never really worked as it should so was dropped a few years go.

 

I have never had a problem with priority boarding in Southampton but then again I do usually have my Diamond CWC pin in.

[Underwatr]

It's never occurred to me to wear my CWC pin. Then again, a significant number of the passengers on the Christmas cruise are Plat or above, it seems.