What to do on first day after embarking?

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, TouchstoneFeste said:

Was it on Cruise Critic or elsewhere that I read "Anyone who looks like their passport photo is too ill to be travelling"?

Or too criminal to be allowed to leave the country?

[Tattycoram]

14 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Or too criminal to be allowed to leave the country?

I hope not!  Even our final attempts make us look a tad suspicious . . . 

[Ray66]

4 hours ago, newbie202020 said:

Hi, it's my first time traveling on Cunard and we're relatively new to cruising. What should we do on our first day after boarding and completing the muster drill? People have recommended going to the dining room to ensure we're happy with the seating arrangement, ask for conditioner and ask the room steward to empty the mini bar (for medical reason). Is there anything else? We're on the QE. Thanks

 

Unpack! 🙂 

 

The only thing in our fridge last week was the Pol Acker.  There were no nuts and fizzy drinks like there used to be.

 

I think there's about 8,000 books in the QM2 library.  A bit less in QE and QV.

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, Ray66 said:

 

Unpack! 🙂 

 

The only thing in our fridge last week was the Pol Acker.  There were no nuts and fizzy drinks like there used to be.

 

I think there's about 8,000 books in the QM2 library.  A bit less in QE and QV.

Why would you keep nuts in a fridge??

[Millieloulou]

After muster station,eating and unpacking, a smart run to the Library to get Simon Mayo’s Tik Tock.Was halfway through on our last voyage,and must finish.Hope no one else picks it up.!

[david63]

2 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Why would you keep nuts in a fridge??

To keep them cool?😇

 

"Nuts' fragile unsaturated fats can go rancid quickly. While that may not hurt your health, it can definitely be bad news for flavor. Keep nuts tasting fresh by stowing them in a sealed plastic or glass container in the refrigerator for four to six months"

 

https://www.eatright.org/food/home-food-safety/safe-food-storage/10-surprising-foods-you-should-be-refrigerating

[Jim_Iain]

7 hours ago, Tattycoram said:

I'm getting even more excited about our first trip:  the Check In email arrived today!

 

--Comedy ensued as we tried to take non-criminal-looking IDs and to crop the pictures.

--Some chagrin at our assigned late boarding time (3:15)

--Dismay at a wrinkle with the luggage tags, but I'll call Cunard on Monday

 

My chief terror about the late boarding is that the Library shelves will be denuded!

 

Any advice to help late boarders?

 

How far in advance did you get the Check-In E-Mail?

[Pushpit]

14 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

How far in advance did you get the Check-In E-Mail?

21 days to departure, or slightly later. If on 21 days to departure you have not had the email then usually my.cunard will be open for check-in

[BklynBoy8]

21 Days.....

[Tattycoram]

46 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

How far in advance did you get the Check-In E-Mail?

We're sailing on 7/6 from Brooklyn to Southampton, and today is the 15th, so that does indeed make 21 days out.

[BklynBoy8]

26 minutes ago, Tattycoram said:

We're sailing on 7/6 from Brooklyn to Southampton, and today is the 15th, so that does indeed make 21 days out.

 

Yup......21 days on the NOSE!

[NE John]

1 hour ago, Tattycoram said:

We're sailing on 7/6 from Brooklyn to Southampton, and today is the 15th, so that does indeed make 21 days out.

I recommend using a laptop or desktop computer to access check in and printing luggage labels icons and not use a mobile phone. I still can’t access my luggage labels on my IPhone and had to print from a laptop. Download your boarding passes and luggage labels to your phone too. 
Also, don’t go crazy taking the right picture, they usually take one while embarking. The key piece to print is the luggage labels and those may arrive in a few days after check in available. Print those in color.
Overall, the Cunard side of check in is pretty good at the check in desk, the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal area when you first arrive has nothing to do with Cunard and often is a madhouse. 

[BklynBoy8]

13 minutes ago, NE John said:

I recommend using a laptop or desktop computer to access check in and printing luggage labels icons and not use a mobile phone. I still can’t access my luggage labels on my IPhone and had to print from a laptop. Download your boarding passes and luggage labels to your phone too. 
Also, don’t go crazy taking the right picture, they usually take one while embarking. The key piece to print is the luggage labels and those may arrive in a few days after check in available. Print those in color.
Overall, the Cunard side of check in is pretty good at the check in desk, the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal area when you first arrive has nothing to do with Cunard and often is a madhouse. 

 

I use straight laptop and color printer esp. for luggage tags...

[Tattycoram]

10 hours ago, NE John said:

The key piece to print is the luggage labels and those may arrive in a few days after check in available.

Aha!  

 

In the on-line checkin, printing luggage tags was the last item.  I systematically worked through the rest, up to the next-to-last item, printing boarding passes--and then the luggage tags wouldn't print, with a message that I had to fill in passport information, which had been, of course, the very first item without which I would have been unable to proceed.  

 

Am I understanding you correctly that printing luggage tags might not, in fact, be available until closer to day, even though it appears to be?  If so, I can cross "call Cunard about luggage tag problem" off my Monday to-do list.

[Jonem2001]

10 hours ago, NE John said:

I recommend using a laptop or desktop computer to access check in and printing luggage labels icons and not use a mobile phone. I still can’t access my luggage labels on my IPhone and had to print from a laptop. 

I used to have this problem too, until I discovered it was due to having ‘pop-ups’ blocked in my chosen internet browser (Safari). I turned that setting off, and voila, they opened. Might be worth experimenting to see if that helps if you too are using Safari. 
 

You can find the toggle to allow them by opening ‘Settings’, then scrolling down the resulting menu until you find ‘Safari’, and once in that menu, the toggle ‘Block Pop-ups’ is towards the bottom as in the picture below (shown in ‘allow them’ mode). You can always re-enable it afterwards if you prefer!

[newbie202020]

Does it matter what time I check in online (i.e. will I be able to choose an earlier boarding time if I check in earlier)? Or is boarding time already predetermined by my cabin category?

[exlondoner]

18 minutes ago, newbie202020 said:

Does it matter what time I check in online (i.e. will I be able to choose an earlier boarding time if I check in earlier)? Or is boarding time already predetermined by my cabin category?

Boarding time already predetermined. Your only choice is whether to adhere to it. Mind you, I like to check in asap, as it is one fewer thing to do.

Edited June 16 by exlondoner

[BklynBoy8]

2 hours ago, Tattycoram said:

Aha!  

 

In the on-line checkin, printing luggage tags was the last item.  I systematically worked through the rest, up to the next-to-last item, printing boarding passes--and then the luggage tags wouldn't print, with a message that I had to fill in passport information, which had been, of course, the very first item without which I would have been unable to proceed.  

 

Am I understanding you correctly that printing luggage tags might not, in fact, be available until closer to day, even though it appears to be?  If so, I can cross "call Cunard about luggage tag problem" off my Monday to-do list.

 

One Time we printed the items out on 21 day and soon to the sailing day got a Surprise Upgrade.

 

Well out comes the printer to reprint the information with the Upgrade documents.

 

But it's no big deal to print another set of documents.

[worldtraveller99]

We (QG) are driving down to Southampton with friends who are BC. I guess they cannot check in at the time we will be given - what time do you think they will be given to check in? Do we then all queue together or do we get fast tracked? Will lunch still be available? 

[david63]

19 minutes ago, worldtraveller99 said:

I guess they cannot check in at the time we will be given

With the enhanced protocols at Southampton - almost certainly not and if you all want to check in together then you will all need to use the latest time.

 

20 minutes ago, worldtraveller99 said:

what time do you think they will be given to check in?

Anyone's guess - but you should all know when you do your online check-in three weeks prior to your cruise.

22 minutes ago, worldtraveller99 said:

Do we then all queue together or do we get fast tracked?

Depends on what time you arrive and how busy it is as to whether you (but not your friends) get fast tracked.

23 minutes ago, worldtraveller99 said:

Will lunch still be available? 

Depends on what time you get onboard.

[Pushpit]

Britannia Club passengers also get priority, but I would expect them to have  a later time than you. Maybe by not that much though, and it's for sure that the first QG guests will board first, then PG, then Club. Depending on who turns up (and any coach arrivals) the gap from QG to BC isn't that great, my next BC has a boarding time of 12:45, which is early by my standards.

 

Getting on board early is a common feature of questions here, but boarding gets smoother and quicker if you leave it until later on. You may miss out on the first meal, but you won't starve on Cunard.

[worldtraveller99]

Thank you both very much! We will check in with them, and hope we can both go through on priority.

[Victoria2]

6 minutes ago, worldtraveller99 said:

Thank you both very much! We will check in with them, and hope we can both go through on priority.

If this is the cruise you mentioned a  couple of months ago, there is still nearly two years to go and 'things' can change in that time so use all info as a guide at the moment rather than set in stone. 🙂

[worldtraveller99]

I love to plan ahead!

[Victoria2]

14 minutes ago, worldtraveller99 said:

I love to plan ahead!

As do I but with the knowledge plans often have to change so plans are 'fluid' until confirmed.