Transfer from Queen Anne to QM2 in Southampton

[Aquadesiac]

We're booked on QA's 2025 maiden world voyage from NYC to Southampton and then on QM2 back to NYC to make our world cruise a true circumnavigation. We can't be the only guests who've ever done this. Does Cunard have a process to transfer passengers from one Cunard ship to another in Southampton?

 

Thanks in advance for your replies!

[rafinmd]

Especially for a World Cruise this should be a piece of cake.  I did it from QM2 to QV in 2016, and was given 2 options.  I've attached the instructions although they're a bit on the light side but should be legible. 

https://aroundamericabitbybit.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/transfer.pdf

 

I took the second option as I wanted to visit a church in Southampton.  I left  QM2 about 8 and easily found the truck which quickly took my bags and then caught a cab to the church.  The transfer truck was one of the closest vehicles to the terminal exit.

 

If I had gone directly I would have been among the last off QM2 and transferred by Coach to QV and boarding would then be ready to commence.

 

Roy

[Aquadesiac]

Thanks so much for this info, Roy.

 

But anything that requires us to corral all our luggage and waggle it through customs is never a piece of cake! We plan to Luggage Forward to and from NYC to avoid having to schlep it through airports, but it looks like we'll need to deal with it all in Southampton. Thank heaven for porters. 

 

Guess I was hoping for something like we experienced on an Alaska cruise on NCL back in 2021. The cruise line had an agreement with the airlines and once we set our bags outside our stateroom the night before disembarkation, we didn't see them again until we landed back in our final airport. 

 

But in that case, I don't think going through customs was involved. 

Edited May 25, 2023 by Aquadesiac

[rafinmd]

3 hours ago, Aquadesiac said:

Guess I was hoping for something like we experienced on an Alaska cruise on NCL back in 2021. The cruise line had an agreement with the airlines and once we set our bags outside our stateroom the night before disembarkation, we didn't see them again until we landed back in our final airport. 

I'm thinking that was from Seattle, and the program there is great.  There is a similar program from a very limited number of ports with a small but reasonable cost but I think only in the US and New York is not one of them.  New York will be the bigger pain.  Luggage Forward cannot go through customs so you are responsible for getting the bags from the terminal through Customs/Immigration and to the terminal entrance.  I have never seen self trolleys in Brooklyn and while I am told there are porters I don't remember seeing them available. 

 

I'm pretty sure porters are more plentiful in Southampton and large self service luggage trolleys (which I used) so that transfer should be a lot easier. 

 

Roy

[Aquadesiac]

Oh no! We figured Luggage Forward could collect our biggest bags directly from QM2 in New York so at least we wouldn't have to bother with them--just all our carry-on's and medical equipment (2 cpaps, 2 portable oxygen concentrators and all their batteries, tubes & charging cords.) 

 

I used to say there were two classes of travel--"First Class and With Children." Now I have to add the one most likely to make me feel like a pack mule--"With Medical Equipment."

 

But I can't complain. All those mechanical wonders have made it possible for us to travel and cruising is perfect for someone like me, who has a condition that requires a little extra help to get along. I'm grateful for the devices that keep me going! 

 

Sometimes I joke with the DH that he has a battery operated wife!   

 

 

[rafinmd]

6 minutes ago, Aquadesiac said:

Oh no! We figured Luggage Forward could collect our biggest bags directly from QM2 in New York so at least we wouldn't have to bother with them--just all our carry-on's and medical equipment (2 cpaps, 2 portable oxygen concentrators and all their batteries, tubes & charging cords.) 

 

I used to say there were two classes of travel--"First Class and With Children." Now I have to add the one most likely to make me feel like a pack mule--"With Medical Equipment."

 

But I can't complain. All those mechanical wonders have made it possible for us to travel and cruising is perfect for someone like me, who has a condition that requires a little extra help to get along. I'm grateful for the devices that keep me going! 

 

Sometimes I joke with the DH that he has a battery operated wife!   

 

 

Hopefully, there will in fact be porters in Brooklyn.  I will suggest checking onboard and explaining your need and getting suggestions from them.  One advantage I think you do have is that with 2 of you you'll be able to have on person stay with the forward bags while the other moves them up in line in a relay, but it will not be an easy day.

 

Roy

[Aquadesiac]

Getting to and from the ship is always the worst part of cruising...

[rafinmd]

4 hours ago, Aquadesiac said:

Getting to and from the ship is always the worst part of cruising...

If you're using Luggage Forward to get your bags to the ship that is really the easy part.  They pick them up early, leaving time for delays in shipping and giving you tracking updates along the way.  You will not see your bags again until you get to your room.

 

Roy

[sfred]

5 hours ago, Aquadesiac said:

Getting to and from the ship is always the worst part of cruising...

 

I'm quite happy with getting to the ship.  It's getting from the ship that I find crushingly depressing.  🙂

[Poole Boy]

13 hours ago, Aquadesiac said:

Oh no! We figured Luggage Forward could collect our biggest bags directly from QM2 in New York so at least we wouldn't have to bother with them--just all our carry-on's and medical equipment (2 cpaps, 2 portable oxygen concentrators and all their batteries, tubes & charging cords.) 

 

I used to say there were two classes of travel--"First Class and With Children." Now I have to add the one most likely to make me feel like a pack mule--"With Medical Equipment."

 

But I can't complain. All those mechanical wonders have made it possible for us to travel and cruising is perfect for someone like me, who has a condition that requires a little extra help to get along. I'm grateful for the devices that keep me going! 

 

Sometimes I joke with the DH that he has a battery operated wife!   

 

 

Not wanting to take this off topic, but I notice you mention portable oxygen concentrators as part of your carry on luggage, from what I understand passengers who need oxygen concentrators are not currently allowed to travel on the Cunard ships, I would suggest you investigate with Cunard or your TA

[Covepointcruiser]

We used Luggage Forward in Brooklyn this past December.   You do need to pick out your bags at the pier and take them through Customs.   We used a porter and it was very easy.   We told him where we were headed, Luggage Forward, and he took our bags through Customs and over to the Luggage Forward folks.

[Aquadesiac]

Thanks, Covepoint! We'll plan on that then.