QM2: Tips re: Brooklyn Embarkation Process

[Queenvee]

I was on the May 1 TA from Brooklyn to Southampton and my embarkation process went very quickly and smoothly, contrary to a lot of peoples', so I wanted to pass along my tips of what worked for me.  It took me less than 30 minutes from the time that I arrived at the Brooklyn terminal to getting on the ship.

 

1. I read and completed all the instructions that Cunard emailed well in advance of the crossing.  I uploaded a photo; did on-line check in which included providing credit card info; uploaded a photo of my vax card; PRINTED MY BOARDING PASS; and brought the Covid test results (printed out).
2. At the terminal, everyone was standing in a long line outside the terminal;  as I was moving toward the line, I asked an embarkation rep what I needed for that line and she asked if a had a printed Boarding Pass, I said yes, and was directed to a much shorter line (about 4 people).  I heard the rep going up and down the long line asking people if they had Boarding Passes and directing them to the shorter line but the majority of people apparently had not printed their Boarding Passes.
3. Once I got through the two embarkation stations (one that checked my  Boarding Pass and Covid results and one for security where I put my luggage and carryon bags through the machine), I was directed into the main terminal room where there was a LONG line of people waiting to check in.  Even though the Cunard communications had indicated that there was no priority embarkation for Diamond level passengers, and there were no signs, I asked an embarkation rep who checked with a colleague and I was directed to another line with 1 person in it.  The check in process itself was very quick since I had done the on-line check in and they don't give you your key card at this step (it's placed in the mail holder outside your stateroom).

 

Doing all the on-line check in steps was crucial, as was following Cunard's checklist instruction to print the Boarding Pass.  And keeping my eyes & ears peeled to hear any guidance from the embarkation reps plus politely asking them if something seems questionable (like the Diamond level priority embarkation).  My experience with embarkation reps is that they are unfailingly polite and helpful.  Naturally, I know that if I wasn't Diamond level (and hadn't asked), I would have stood in the terminal line but at least I would have bypassed the outside line and my time at the two stations was very quick.  I admit that I felt like I got a lot of messages from Cunard with links to "what to bring to the terminal", checklists, "have on hand", updated health info, etc. but for me, it was definitely worth reading them all and following their steps.  Hope this is helpful to future Brooklyn embarkees!

[njguy_south]

What photo did you have to upload?

[TouchstoneFeste]

34 minutes ago, Queenvee said:

 

1. I asked an embarkation rep what I needed for that line and she asked if a had a printed Boarding Pass, I said yes, and was directed to a much shorter line (about 4 people). 
2. I asked an embarkation rep who checked with a colleague and I was directed to another line with 1 person in it. 

 

 

Very good observations overall. (I think a lot of our problems boarding that day were related to our early arrival.)

 

Just wanted to emphasize the need to ASK if you are in the right line. I had the luxury of leaving my wife waiting in lines while I went over to an agent and asked "Is this the line for Grills?". That only helped once in our case (there was no line waiting outdoors), but it helped us jump the very long check-in line.

[Queenvee]

Cunard asked passengers to upload a head shot of themselves;  they provided detailed directions about how to do it, could be a phone photo, don't wear masks, take it against a light-colored background, etc.  This replaced the photo that they keep in their system so that staff can confirm it's you; they used to take the photo as part of the terminal check in process.  I was a bit skeptical since I'm not tech-savvy but it worked just fine.

[njguy_south]

Wow, that seems a breach of security (uploading a photograph that will be used for identification purposes), as someone could be pretending to be someone else just because they sent a photo of themselves -- or someone else.  I wonder what happened if one came without the photo uploaded?  

 

Cunard seems to be passing more and more work back to the consumer: print your own items for boarding, take your own photo. Maybe they could save more by having a microwave in each cabin and providing a week's work of microwavable meals -- that way they can save on the cost of staffing a dining room.  ALSO, they could provide a broom to each cabin, cleaning supplies, and require us to maintain our own cabins, which would save them even more!

 

Cunard: The new do it yourself luxury cruise line of the 21st century!

[exlondoner]

If they came without the photo, or if, as in our case, the photo was deemed inadequate, they took it at check out. I'm not sure how it could be a breach of security. After all, you even have to take your own passport photo these days.

[Kristal Blade]

I think I have got everything ready, printed out or added online, including our photos.

 I just need to do the health check prior to boarding.

 

Thanks for the run through, Queenvee,  very helpful.

 

[njguy_south]

32 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

If they came without the photo, or if, as in our case, the photo was deemed inadequate, they took it at check out. I'm not sure how it could be a breach of security. After all, you even have to take your own passport photo these days.

True about security.  But one always had to send a photo for the passport, at least in the US. But that is not the same as a cruise line that considers itself the height of luxury to keep placing more and more on their customers. First they dropped the mailed tags/boarding passes in the Cunard wallet. But for us to take our own selfie and submit it? When does it stop unless there is some push-back.

[exlondoner]

4 minutes ago, njguy_south said:

True about security.  But one always had to send a photo for the passport, at least in the US. But that is not the same as a cruise line that considers itself the height of luxury to keep placing more and more on their customers. First they dropped the mailed tags/boarding passes in the Cunard wallet. But for us to take our own selfie and submit it? When does it stop unless there is some push-back.

 

I suspect many passengers prefer to take their own photos, as it saves time at check-in and what they want mainly is to get on board as soon as possible. But there is no problem if you don't want to do it, don't do it, and they will do at at check-in, while you delay the people queueing behind you for a couple of minutes. Over the years I have from time to time read complaints that Cunard don't let you print out your boarding pass on line. Well now they do. Perhaps some people will be pleased.

[Jack E Dawson]

26 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

 

I suspect many passengers prefer to take their own photos, as it saves time at check-in and what they want mainly is to get on board as soon as possible. But there is no problem if you don't want to do it, don't do it, and they will do at at check-in, while you delay the people queueing behind you for a couple of minutes. Over the years I have from time to time read complaints that Cunard don't let you print out your boarding pass on line. Well now they do. Perhaps some people will be pleased.

Couldn't agree more exlondoner.

Jack

[rakkor]

It always pays to ask if you are in the correct line, At Ocean terminal for our last QE cruise we had been put in the Platinum Holding area while waiting to board when Jane overheard someone stating that Grills  passengers should wait around the corner, It turned out that we were in the wrong queue and although we wouldn't have been delayed boarding by much, it felt nice to be in the correct queue.

[ak1004]

Well our experience on our May 15 embarkation was very different. 

 

We did everything by the book: online check in, printed the boarding passes and the health declaration, uploaded photos and arrived 15 minutes before our boarding time.

 

There was only one line. The long one that took almost an hour just to get into the terminal. No water was provided. Nobody seemed to care about boarding time on the boarding pass.

 

Then we were asked to answer the same questions as in the health declaration that we filled online. Our photos were taken despite us uploading them.

 

This was the most absurd and inefficient embarkation since we started cruising in 2008.

[lissie]

17 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

Well our experience on our May 15 embarkation was very different. 

 

We did everything by the book: online check in, printed the boarding passes and the health declaration, uploaded photos and arrived 15 minutes before our boarding time.

 

There was only one line. The long one that took almost an hour just to get into the terminal. No water was provided. Nobody seemed to care about boarding time on the boarding pass.

 

Then we were asked to answer the same questions as in the health declaration that we filled online. Our photos were taken despite us uploading them.

 

This was the most absurd and inefficient embarkation since we started cruising in 2008.

Nothing has changed then - we had the very same experience in Australia  pre Covid.  Everyone told the same embarkation time - and a 2 hour queue - only one of them.  

 

It makes no sense to ask people to print a boarding pass- you either have one or you don't - doesn't matter if its on  paper or on a phone.  

 

We are boarding in SF - and plan on arriving late afternoon -  irregardless of the actual boarding time - that should sort the problem 

[Underwatr]

6 hours ago, njguy_south said:

Wow, that seems a breach of security (uploading a photograph that will be used for identification purposes), as someone could be pretending to be someone else just because they sent a photo of themselves -- or someone else.  I wonder what happened if one came without the photo uploaded?  

In my experience passengers also present a passport at check-in. If it's easy to upload just any photo it's more difficult to present a falsified passport (and the issue you raise is actually easier when they take a photo at check-in of whoever shows up with the appropriate boarding pass)

[exlondoner]

9 hours ago, lissie said:

Nothing has changed then - we had the very same experience in Australia  pre Covid.  Everyone told the same embarkation time - and a 2 hour queue - only one of them.  

 

 

It does seem daft to ask everyone to turn up at the same time. But it doesn't actually make much difference. They space them out carefully at Southampton, and, guess what, nearly everyone still turns up at about the same time, or they did when I was embarking in April.

[thumbun]

23 hours ago, njguy_south said:

True about security.  But one always had to send a photo for the passport, at least in the US. But that is not the same as a cruise line that considers itself the height of luxury to keep placing more and more on their customers. First they dropped the mailed tags/boarding passes in the Cunard wallet. But for us to take our own selfie and submit it? When does it stop unless there is some push-back.

This is just horrible!!!!  How dare they ask us to do this!!!!  (Sarcasm intended.)

[thumbun]

On 5/21/2022 at 7:14 AM, Queenvee said:

uploaded a photo of my vax card;

I didn't see a place to upload my vax card.  Is this still required?

[RalphWiggum]

I was on the May 15 sailing and my only complaint about the sailing was the embarkation process.  I don’t understand why it needed to be so long.  I have sailed three times out of NY since cruising resumed -  Bayonne in Nov and Manhattan in December. Both on megaships that had to upload at least twice the number of passengers, plus kids, and with day-of covid testing of kids only, for one cruise, and for all passengers, for the other.  Even with the tests, both were the fastest onboarding I have ever experienced.   It was only 20 minutes before my cab dropped me off at the pier and I was on board RCCL.
 

So I was not expecting the long lines extending out of the Brooklyn pier or the two and a half hour wait to board QM2.  I had uploaded all my documents and photos and printed out my e-ticket and healthy declaration, both of which I wasn’t even asked to provide, as well as my boarding pass, which I volunteered that I had after I heard the first agent tell someone to print out one for me.  I was asked to take another photo right before boarding.  And to answer health questions the day off that were duplicative of the ones on the questionnaire (although I don’t remember being asked about supplemental oxygen online).  We arrived at 2:30, which we also thought would mean shorter lines.  Turns out it  actually did, since the stevedores said lines were worse earlier.  But seriously, a horrible start to a vacation.  
 

I admit I really hate lines - but what bugged me was the feeling - no, the knowledge - that this could be done much more efficiently as other lines were doing so.  I am happy to submit online photos and health declarations as they should shave time as well as getting your keycard in your room.  Don’t understand why this process took so long. 
 

And it’s not Covid, IMO, I’m 0-4 on a good embarkation on QM2.   

oh, and not to sound all doom and gloom:  my cruise had a London Theatre Week theme and it was AWESOME!!!!

 

Edited May 24, 2022 by RalphWiggum

[Host Hattie]

It's good to hear that your cruise was awesome after a disappointing start. I've only embarked in Brooklyn once and it wasn't great even then.

[penlady]

On 5/21/2022 at 11:50 AM, njguy_south said:

Wow, that seems a breach of security (uploading a photograph that will be used for identification purposes), as someone could be pretending to be someone else just because they sent a photo of themselves -- or someone else.  I wonder what happened if one came without the photo uploaded?  

 

Cunard seems to be passing more and more work back to the consumer: print your own items for boarding, take your own photo. Maybe they could save more by having a microwave in each cabin and providing a week's work of microwavable meals -- that way they can save on the cost of staffing a dining room.  ALSO, they could provide a broom to each cabin, cleaning supplies, and require us to maintain our own cabins, which would save them even more!

 

Cunard: The new do it yourself luxury cruise line of the 21st century!

I agree with you while some measures I understand need to be I am getting rather tired of all the do's and don'ts I just found out about the photo this evening. Is this about keeping everyone safe or us doing Cunard's work for them?

[exlondoner]

3 hours ago, penlady said:

I agree with you while some measures I understand need to be I am getting rather tired of all the do's and don'ts I just found out about the photo this evening. Is this about keeping everyone safe or us doing Cunard's work for them?

 

I think it is about trying to make the process a little quicker. But they will take your photo at the terminal, if you haven't done so, or if the one you have taken is not good. 

[penlady]

I spoke to a rep at Cunard today and they also said they could take the picture and open your account at check in. 

[Mudhen]

We had our photos done at check in took about a minute for the two of us. That way they get exactly what they want.

[Kristal Blade]

I had added photos to our online check in but they still took them dockside in Brooklyn earlier this month.

Boarding was a long, slow, tedious process.

 

Cunard needs to look into having passengers standing for 2 1/2 hours with no effort to improve conditions for the boarding passengers. In my post cruise feedback I gave them several  suggestions on how to improve things such as have more staff checking Covid info, have somebody circulating with cups of water, get the Cunard musicians to perform to the queue to take the misery out of the situation. 
 

It wasn’t the start to a luxury cruise I had anticipated.

 

[exlondoner]

6 hours ago, Kristal Blade said:

I had added photos to our online check in but they still took them dockside in Brooklyn earlier this month.

Boarding was a long, slow, tedious process.

 

Cunard needs to look into having passengers standing for 2 1/2 hours with no effort to improve conditions for the boarding passengers. In my post cruise feedback I gave them several  suggestions on how to improve things such as have more staff checking Covid info, have somebody circulating with cups of water, get the Cunard musicians to perform to the queue to take the misery out of the situation. 
 

It wasn’t the start to a luxury cruise I had anticipated.

 

 

Isnt it the port people who organise all this? Presumably they are not Cunard employees.