Do you actually print out eTickets?

[lissie]

I see a lot of people talking about printing out etickets and luggage labels? I can't recall the last time I printed out an airline ticket - but I doubt it was in the last 10 years. Surely the booking reference is enough?  Also if you are not over packing do you actually need to check luggage - we will have one checked bag for the airline between the 2 of us  - but I'm sure we can manage to drag it on ourselves without checking it. 

 

We are boarding in Sydney if that makes a difference. 

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, lissie said:

I see a lot of people talking about printing out etickets and luggage labels? I can't recall the last time I printed out an airline ticket - but I doubt it was in the last 10 years. Surely the booking reference is enough?  Also if you are not over packing do you actually need to check luggage - we will have one checked bag for the airline between the 2 of us  - but I'm sure we can manage to drag it on ourselves without checking it. 

 

We are boarding in Sydney if that makes a difference. 

I do, but nobody looks at them at checkin. However, the queue combers look at them to see if I deserve priority checkin, which I do. So it’s worth doing, at Southampton at any rate. Whether they offer priority at Sydney I  don’t know.

 

Why carry luggage if you don’t need to?

 

 

Edited November 21, 2019 by exlondoner
Sent in error

[sfred]

Hi lissie.  The etickets are needed to get past the security guarding the entrance of the cruise terminal, and commence the checkin process.  Also in some ports with priority queues, your cabin class or Worldclub status printed on the eticket gives you access to the separate queue.  After that, the etickets are never needed again, and they are not commonly used at all by the checkin agent.  Whether port security would accept an eticket shown on a phone is a question I've never hazarded to attempt.  Much easier to just print the eticket.  

 

You do not need luggage labels for any luggage you are carrying youself onto the ship.  Luggage labels are needed only for bags being checked at the pier prior to checkin.  You can bring on anything you can carry, but caution also that carryons need to go through an xray scanner, so a bag too big to fit through the scanner should be checked in with a luggage tag.

 

Enjoy your trip!  Sydney is a great port to commence journeys.  Roaming the decks in the afternoon, with views across to the Opera House and the Harbour bridge, are wonderful.

[newjoisey]

we print out the e tickets but not the luggage tags......they came in the mail 2 weeks or so earlier in a trip guide/brochure .There maybe other ways to provide proof to board but the e tickets work for us

 

[lissie]

First time we've ever cruised - so no priority, status, special queues etc for us LOL 

 

I checked the terminal's website https://www.portauthoritynsw.com.au/cruise/cruising-faq/overseas-passenger-terminal/ and it doesn't look like I need anything more than a passport to get past security so all good.  

 

It didn't occur to me that Cunard may actually mail me something - I'd be surprised but we shall see.  

[lissie]

3 hours ago, sfred said:

 

Enjoy your trip!  Sydney is a great port to commence journeys.  Roaming the decks in the afternoon, with views across to the Opera House and the Harbour bridge, are wonderful. 

Love Sydney- its only 3 hours away from us so we know it well - in fact it was my first overseas solo trip when  Iwas 18! 

 

Any recommendations on a convenient hotel? 

 

I'm tempted to stay at The Rocks YHA  (we've stayed there before) - the location is so perfect - but you do have to bump the luggage down a few steps to Circular Quay.  I know the on-going road works for the rail line that Sydney's traffic is more than normally crazy so I'd really prefer to be able to walk to the  terminal.  I'm considering the Sir Stamford too as I know that's an entirely flat walk which would suit my partner. 

[Docker123]

6 hours ago, lissie said:

First time we've ever cruised - so no priority, status, special queues etc for us LOL 

 

I checked the terminal's website https://www.portauthoritynsw.com.au/cruise/cruising-faq/overseas-passenger-terminal/ and it doesn't look like I need anything more than a passport to get past security so all good.  

 

It didn't occur to me that Cunard may actually mail me something - I'd be surprised but we shall see.  

you will need some type of ticket to get into the terminal.

 

Passports, or other suitable id (depending on where you are going) will be viewed at check in and (possibly) border security before you get to the gangway. Border Security may also want to see your ticket.

 

There are several levels of security checks, some requiring different documents.

 

My luggage tags, this time, were sent to me in a lovely personalised booklet. TA printed the eticket.

 

Regarding taking your luggage on yourself. It has to go through a scanner about the size of the one at an airport. If it would not fit there, will not fit on the one to the ship.  At Sydney, they have luggage drop off near the entry to the terminal. So easy just to give it to them and let them look after it for you.  
 

Not that many bags end up in the harbour 😎🙄

[sfred]

In my experience, I've always been asked for the eticket by security when entering the cruise terminal.  Whether they would accept a different credential, I don't know as I've always had the printed eticket to show them.  Passports are needed at the checkin desk once inside.

 

There are several good hotels within a short flat walk to the Overseas Passenger Terminal.  The Park Hyatt is wonderful, and the wife and I have stayed there occasionally.  It is a great experience to see your ship arrive at daybreak, and then stroll over to board later that day after a nice breakfast.  It is rather expensive, though.  More reasonably priced, but still very good quality, are the Holiday Inn at George St. and Mill Lane, and the Pier One (a Marriott autograph property) in the restored original shipping terminal just on the other side of the Harbour Bridge. 

[Host Hattie]

Yes

[carlmm]

18 hours ago, lissie said:

I see a lot of people talking about printing out etickets and luggage labels? I can't recall the last time I printed out an airline ticket - but I doubt it was in the last 10 years. Surely the booking reference is enough? 

Also if you are not over packing do you actually need to check luggage - we will have one checked bag for the airline between the 2 of us  - but I'm sure we can manage to drag it on ourselves without checking it. 

 

We are boarding in Sydney if that makes a difference. 

 

[carlmm]

Handing over your luggage at the port is actually not the same as "checking in" for a flight.

You merely Hand it over to the porters and will find it again in your cabin.

This is for your conveniences.

But also it is for the convenience and safety of ALL passengers. 

The thousands of pieces of luggage are not to be dragged around by thousands of individual passengers, clogging the gangway, using up the scarce space on the elevators etc.

Edited November 22, 2019 by carlmm

[Underwatr]

7 hours ago, Docker123 said:

It has to go through a scanner about the size of the one at an airport. If it would not fit there, will not fit on the one to the ship.

 

That's a safe guideline, although in I occasionally carry on a wheeled carrier that's about 17 inches (43 cm) tall at the collapsed handle. It fits upright through the scanners in Brooklyn (at least).

[Bigmike911]

I print the first page of the ticket, but not all the boiler plate legal mumbo jumbo that follows. It is needed to access the terminals and for the greeters to guide you to the proper check in. If you do not have a guarantee you will receive pre printed labels. If you do have a guarantee you will need to print them out when your accommodation is assigned. . 

[ClipperinSFO]

4 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

I print the first page of the ticket, but not all the boiler plate legal mumbo jumbo that follows. It is needed to access the terminals and for the greeters to guide you to the proper check in. If you do not have a guarantee you will receive pre printed labels. If you do have a guarantee you will need to print them out when your accommodation is assigned. . 

 

I just print the first page -- not any of the boilerplate behind it.

[navybankerteacher]

On 11/21/2019 at 2:36 PM, lissie said:

I see a lot of people talking about printing out etickets and luggage labels? I can't recall the last time I printed out an airline ticket - but I doubt it was in the last 10 years. Surely the booking reference is enough?  Also if you are not over packing do you actually need to check luggage - we will have one checked bag for the airline between the 2 of us  - but I'm sure we can manage to drag it on ourselves without checking it. 

 

We are boarding in Sydney if that makes a difference. 

I don’t print out airline tickets - but you need a boarding pass. I’ve found that you need some documentation to get into the terminal, so the cover page works.   Unless you are certain that your cabin will be immediately accessible, why would you want to trundle around anything larger than a small carry on?

[canoncruiser]

As former practicing attorney I appreciate the resistance to legal ‘mumbo jumbo’ But-that is your CONTRACT and governs your rights and limitations as well as those of the shipping company in the event of those ‘UNLIKELY’ events mentioned at ‘boat drill’.

[lissie]

8 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

I don’t print out airline tickets - but you need a boarding pass. I’ve found that you need some documentation to get into the terminal, so the cover page works.   Unless you are certain that your cabin will be immediately accessible, why would you want to trundle around anything larger than a small carry on?

 

Oh that never occurred to me that the cabin wouldn't be available - I assumed that it would be if we arrived at the suggeted  check in time? 

[Underwatr]

All Cunard cabins are available upon embarkation, even if you arrive earlier than your suggested time.

 

There are many cruise lines for which this is not the case, though.

Edited November 23, 2019 by Underwatr

[exlondoner]

At Southampton this is not always the case. On two recent embarkations, passengers have been allowed on board at, say, 11.45, but directed to the Lido until cabins are ready.

[BlueRiband]

At New York I've always observed post security checking etickets and passports, so I always print out the first page.  Somebody else might say that they have not printed etickets out in the last 10 years, so pick your comfort level. 

[tv24]

It certainly makes the boarding process easier to have printed tickets in hand.  But we have often been unable to do this as we have been traveling in places where printing was difficult, so we just showed up with a printed booking email, plus the email on our smart phones.  A little more time for the staff to look us up, but they put luggage tags on our bags and sent us on to the registration folks and it all worked out.