Cunard Online check-in

[EuropeanAmericanTraveler]

Hello,

 

I have booked a westbound transatlantic cruise for July 2022, Southampton to New York on QM2. I am a little bit confused by what I need to do to prepare for it. In particular, I would like to ask fellow travelers about the online check-in.

 

Is it mandatory? Does it replace the previous face to face check-in at Southampton where a Cunard employee used to ask for your passport, credit card, booking number and took a photo of you? 

Also, on the Cunard website, it says you need a Passport-style photo for each guest for online-check-in. How do you upload this photo online? Do you need a scanner to scan your passport photo or can you take a picture with your phone and upload it?

 

I traveled on QM2 before and I don't remember there was an online check-in. Just showed up at the terminal and then checked in at the desk upon number being called. Has it been replaced by the online check-in?

Thank you all,

[frankp01]

I don't believe the online check-in is mandatory. It simply lets you perform some of the in-person process in advance.  You can use any photo... taking one with your camera and uploading that might be simplest. In my case the check-in agent didn't like the photo I supplied and took another one at the check-in kiosk. Doing the online check-in greatly simplifies the in-person process (which is what triggered it, I believe. During COVID there was that much interaction between the agent and passenger).

[rakkor]

The online check-in isn't mandatory, but it does streamline the check-in process at the terminal. My Father in Law struggled to upload his photo as he's technically inept, so left that part until the terminal,  but it's not hard to take a photo  of yourself against a blank background on your phone and upload it yourself.

[EuropeanAmericanTraveler]

Thank you all for your replies!

[Bell Boy]

With this new system, whilst it may not be mandatory you will still need to up- load your Boarding Card . 'The Boarding card will advise you of your check-in time'.  The check-in/arrival time will indicate the time you need to 'arrive for your pre departure Covid test'.

Pre Covid, your arrival time was usually indicated in your E ticket and on other documentation .

 

 If absolutely necessary any other check-in procedures/documentation can be cleared by an agent at check-in, however, this defeats the purpose of social distancing.      

[exlondoner]

My check in time was on my E ticket last week.

[Bell Boy]

38 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

My check in time was on my E ticket last week.

Well, either an E ticket or a Boarding card will 'still need to be uploaded' to have an idea of what time to turn up.

[P2l]

Despite uploading photos beforehand, they still took ours again at the terminal. But it was all super-slick, much more civilised than an airport check-in.

[globalgertie]

8 hours ago, Bell Boy said:

Well, either an E ticket or a Boarding card will 'still need to be uploaded' to have an idea of what time to turn up.

I think you download your e ticket or boarding pass and upload your photo.

[Bell Boy]

10 hours ago, globalgertie said:

I think you download your e ticket or boarding pass and upload your photo.

Globalgertie , I believe you may have joined the thread 'half way down' and possibly missed the author's 'original question' . 😉

Edited April 6, 2022 by Bell Boy

[david,Mississauga]

 I always use on-line check-in for flights because, at least with Air Canada, it is simple and has always worked for us.  But I have to wonder about how this will work with Cunard if we have to upload passport-style photos which may or may not be acceptable at check-in.

 

For our next voyage we are in Princess Grill so should receive priority check-in. I am tempted to ignore this aggravation and allow a human to check us in and take the customary photo.  For this voyage we have to complete an on-line health form and because it is a Vancouver to Vancouver cruise we have to deal with ArriveCan forms even prior to embarkation. That is enough.

Edited April 6, 2022 by david,Mississauga
clarification

[Mostonian]

As long as you have printed off your E-ticket you can check in at Southampton.  That is what we are doing.

[frankp01]

7 hours ago, Bell Boy said:

Globalgertie , I believe you may have joined the thread 'half way down' and possibly missed the author's 'original question' .

Possibly, but she offered a grammatical correction, which was correct. A passenger *downloads* their eTicket or Boarding pass and *Uploads* their Photo or credit card info..

[Lanky Lad]

I have to say I quite like being able to check in online. It saves time at the terminal and makes what was already a pretty smooth process, even better.

[Bell Boy]

13 hours ago, frankp01 said:

Possibly, but she offered a grammatical correction, which was correct. A passenger *downloads* their eTicket or Boarding pass and *Uploads* their Photo or credit card info..

Thank You for the correction , however, whatever the jargon is these days the op will need to have a printed copy of a document ( either boarding card or E ticket)  that indicates a time of arrival for their covid test . 

[frankp01]

19 hours ago, Lanky Lad said:

I have to say I quite like being able to check in online. It saves time at the terminal

Agreed 100%. Maybe it's because we were boarding in Southampton versus NYC, but the Southampton check-in in December (excluding the queue for testing) took about 5 minutes, if that. The prior trip, pre-online check-in, from New York, took about 90 minutes!

[Queenvee]

BTW, in reading the info Cunard sent me for my May 1 TA on QM2, it states that due to COVID priority embarkation (e.g. Diamond level) is no longer offered, at least at the Brooklyn terminal.

[chatdad]

Completed the online check in for our QM2 sailing this coming weekend and it was quite easy.  For the photo, you can either upload a picture that you've saved to your computer (or phone, which ever you're using for the check-in) or there's an option on the screen that will open your computer (or phone) camera and snap one there (you have the option to keep it or retake it).  Nice feature.  Happy sailing.  

[safarigal]

On 4/9/2022 at 2:26 PM, Queenvee said:

BTW, in reading the info Cunard sent me for my May 1 TA on QM2, it states that due to COVID priority embarkation (e.g. Diamond level) is no longer offered, at least at the Brooklyn terminal.

I must have missed the info about the lack of priority embarkation in Brooklyn. I've been whining on our roll call about the delay in my getting to consume the dreaded Pol Acker due to our late embarkation time - oh well, as long as we all get on board! Doing the online check in was really easy, even for someone with low technology skills, although I do look somewhat misshapen in the photo I uploaded.

[TouchstoneFeste]

5 hours ago, safarigal said:

I must have missed the info about the lack of priority embarkation in Brooklyn. I've been whining on our roll call about the delay in my getting to consume the dreaded Pol Acker due to our late embarkation time - oh well, as long as we all get on board! Doing the online check in was really easy, even for someone with low technology skills, although I do look somewhat misshapen in the photo I uploaded.

 

I'm hoping they decide to retake my photo as well ...

[BigMac1953]

If you actually look like your passport/ID photo, you should visit a doctor.

[bluemarble]

2 hours ago, BigMac1953 said:

If you actually look like your passport/ID photo, you should visit a doctor.

 

Reminds me of the book by American humorist Erma Bombeck titled "When You Look Like Your Passport Photo, It's Time to Go Home".

[Alslc]

Sorry to jump on this thread, but I received an email saying online check in is open for my voyage. I can download the E-Ticket and Luggage Labels, but the online check in option says "it is not yet available". 

 

Any knows issue for this? I completed all the details. I called Cunard and they said they will send a form to IT which "hopefully" will resolve the issue before my departure...

[Kristal Blade]

Don’t panic. We printed out our e-tickets then when we got to Brooklyn we were given a slip with a bar code, which was our boarding pass.

Just make sure you have all your Covid details to hand. Paper print outs are best, some people were struggling to access that info on their phones.

[MCC retired]

Diamond members , booked very early , completed the online boarding stuff today as soon as it was available.

Got a 14:30 boarding time ?

What do you have to do to get a decent boading time ???

And how rigid on boarding times are they in Brooklyn