LIVE (almost) from QM2 Transatlantic June 23 to June 29

[BklynBoy8]

2 hours ago, MJSailors said:

@BklynBoy8 Reading your posts about German restaurants brought back some good memories.

I recall the huge Christmas tree in Luchow’s and the good food.

Growing up,I lived near Neiderstien’s and often went there with my parents.

My HS (Christ the King) was a few blocks away from the restaurant.

I have heard that there is an Arby’s there now.

My father, at one time, worked for Domino Sugar in Brooklyn, not far from Peter Luger’s, I think, as he would often go there for lunch with coworkers or clients.

My hubby and I would often go to Sardi’s for a pre theater dinner. We also liked Smith and Wolinski’s and Rothmans steak house.

I did not mean to hijack the OP’s thread, just thought I would let you know that I enjoyed your post!

MJ🙋🏻‍♀️

 

Thank you.... not unusual when one thought leads to another thought on these threads.

 

I was blessed to have been exposed to many restaurants and also a father that was a chef. I was actually suppose to go to the CIA but a different direction was meant for me.

 

Trying to keep it short, we enjoyed many Christmas times at Luchow's with the Tree. Neiderstein's was a hang out we enjoyed. Yes CTK is next door with the last stop of the train.

Visiting my mother's aunt in Greenpoint, many times past Domino and smelt the hot sugar and Rheingold Beer the hops. Luger's we are schedule soon to return. Always got the big dish Shalog (whip cream). DW boss from Wall St went to S&W for dinners.

 

That is why I enjoy the food services on the QM2 during a lengthy voyage.

Once again, thank you. Mangia!

[Tattycoram]

"I was actually suppose to go to the CIA"

 

. . . I'm assuming the Culinary Institute of America and not the . . . ?

[BklynBoy8]

47 minutes ago, Tattycoram said:

"I was actually suppose to go to the CIA"

 

. . . I'm assuming the Culinary Institute of America and not the . . . ?

 

The one and only, Hyde Park

[rakkor]

I have good memories of the Seafood Platter at S&W, especially when Reuters were paying for it!

[exlondoner]

I assume disembarkation was not too traumatic in the end?

[jollyjones]

4 hours ago, exlondoner said:

I assume disembarkation was not too traumatic in the end?

Depends on your point of view. 
I wasn’t in any rush as I was overnighting in NYC, but I found having to leave my cabin and sit in public areas for three hours, followed by standing in a queue for CBP for an hour, followed by an absolute transport shambles outside the shed with nobody adequately directing pax to the correct bus/taxi/whatever queue, followed by an hour and quite a lot bus transfer to Grand Central, to be a less than stellar end to the crossing. 
In fact, since both embarkation and disembarkation were the worst I can ever remember after cruising many times and on many lines, I am entirely sure I will not be bothering Cunard with my business ever again. 
 

Other pax experiences may have been different. 
 

[leyland1989]

6 hours ago, exlondoner said:

I assume disembarkation was not too traumatic in the end?

They separate the CBP queue into two different lines, US/CA citizens and Non-US citizen. 

 

We were told there was about 14 agents available, 2-3 were allocated to tours, 2 to US citizens and the rest to Non-US citizens. 

 

Obviously the queue for US citizens is going a lot faster despite having only 2 agents processing the queue, but we were held up by a Swiss couple (who also cut the line in front of us and a bunch of people behind us) who spoke very minimum English and the queue was down to one available agent for a while. 

 

It took us about 1 hr to get through CBP and the mess outside is already mentioned, no staff directing people where to go, some were queuing in the wrong place for a long time then find out it's not for the bus transfer they had booked. I believe private transfer is even worse with a long queue and few vehicles available. 

 

It's definitely worse than any airport experience but I rarely fly economy so my experience maybe a little bit biased in favour of air travel, and disembarking 2000 passengers is also a lot more difficult than ~200-300 on a transatlantic flight. 

Edited Sunday at 03:19 PM by leyland1989

[exlondoner]

4 minutes ago, leyland1989 said:

They separate the CBP queue into two different lines, US/CA citizens and Non-US citizen. 

 

We were told there was about 14 agents available, 2-3 were allocated to tours, 2 to US citizens and the rest to Non-US citizens. 

 

Obviously the queue for US citizens is going a lot faster despite having only 2 agents processing the queue, but we were held up by a Swiss couple (who also cut the line in front of us and a bunch of people behind us) who spoke very minimum English and the queue was down to one available agent for a while. 

 

It took as about 1 hr to get through CBP and the mess outside is already mentioned, no staff directing people where to go, some were queuing in the wrong place for a long time then find out it's not for the bus transfer they had booked. I believe private transfer is even worse with a long queue and few vehicles available. 

 

It's definitely worse than any airport experience but I rarely fly economy so my experience maybe a little be biased in favour of air travel, and disembarking 2000 passengers is also a lot more difficult than ~200-300 on a transatlantic flight. 

If only they still did immigration on the ship…

[Joe33472]

11 hours ago, jollyjones said:

 

Other pax experiences may have been different. 
 

 

Our disembarkation was not too bad getting through CBP and getting an Uber.   BUT, we stood in the queue to disembark with the fast-track folks, starting at about 9:15 a.m.   At that point, the queue extended from the lobby to just past Sir Samuel's (I was tempted to ask for a pastry to go 🤣... just kidding).  The queue continued to grow and grow into the Britannia Restaurant and to depths unknown to us.  

 

The hotel manager announced several times that it wasn't necessary to join the queue and that even fast-track folks should sit in one of the lounges and enjoy a leisurely walk off the ship.  While he's probably correct, that if you wait for the queue to clear in 10-15 minutes, you could probably walk right off the shop.  The problem is the growing line at CBP and the growing craziness at the transfer area. 

 

So pick your poison, stand in the disembarking queue and get through CBP and face only a little bit craziness in the transfer area.  Or don't stand in the queue and wait in the CBP line and face craziness in the pickup area.    I picked the former and I'm happy with that decision.  We spent about 5 minutes in the CBP line and about 8 minutes for our Uber.    Definitely not as stressful as I thought the whole thing was going to be.   Glad we stood in the queue.  

[jollyjones]

 

It's absolutely ridiculous that one's disembarkation should be awful, moderately awful, or grateful that it wasn't as awful as expected.

 

It shouldn't be like this.

[exlondoner]

13 minutes ago, jollyjones said:

 

It's absolutely ridiculous that one's disembarkation should be awful, moderately awful, or grateful that it wasn't as awful as expected.

 

It shouldn't be like this.

 Blame the US Immigration procedures. 🙁

[Joe33472]

41 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

 Blame the US Immigration procedures. 🙁

 

Absolutely agree on this.   Although we got through CBP quickly, there were only 3 agents working the US lines and they were taking photos of everyone.  Cunard mentions that the immigration process is out of their control.  With the ship being late, there are 3,000 people all looking to disembark during in a shorter window. 

[Judyrem]

13 minutes ago, Joe33472 said:

 

Absolutely agree on this.   Although we got through CBP quickly, there were only 3 agents working the US lines and they were taking photos of everyone.  Cunard mentions that the immigration process is out of their control.  With the ship being late, there are 3,000 people all looking to disembark during in a shorter window. 

Does Global entry help at all?

[Joe33472]

2 minutes ago, Judyrem said:

Does Global entry help at all?

 

Nope, no Global Entry at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.  I didn't think so, but I asked anyways, and no the agent told me no.

[Judyrem]

Must be a NY thing😉

[Joe33472]

1 minute ago, Judyrem said:

Must be a NY thing😉

 

This from the CBP says that biometrics have been deployed in Brooklyn, but maybe they are still in the process of implementing...  The immigration person took pictures of us.   I saw some people having their fingerprints taken, but we didn't have to do that.  But I do have Global Entry so maybe they already have that information about me. 

 

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/biometrics/seaports

 

 

[Judyrem]

4 minutes ago, Joe33472 said:

 

This from the CBP says that biometrics have been deployed in Brooklyn, but maybe they are still in the process of implementing...  The immigration person took pictures of us.   I saw some people having their fingerprints taken, but we didn't have to do that.  But I do have Global Entry so maybe they already have that information about me. 

 

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/biometrics/seaports

 

 

Thanks for the link, I used it for FL ports,

Edited yesterday at 12:48 PM by Judyrem
Mistake

[alc13]

4 minutes ago, Joe33472 said:

 

This from the CBP says that biometrics have been deployed in Brooklyn, but maybe they are still in the process of implementing...  The immigration person took pictures of us.   I saw some people having their fingerprints taken, but we didn't have to do that.  But I do have Global Entry so maybe they already have that information about me. 

 

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/biometrics/seaports

 

 

Slower to implement Global Entry at seaports than airports, I guess.  I hope they manage it soon.  I used GE at Logan airport in April - what a breeze!

 

And thank you, Joe33472, for a terrific live trip report.  Original, informative, and entertaining.  Hope we see you again.

[Pushpit]

17 minutes ago, Joe33472 said:

 

This from the CBP says that biometrics have been deployed in Brooklyn, but maybe they are still in the process of implementing...  The immigration person took pictures of us.   I saw some people having their fingerprints taken, but we didn't have to do that.  But I do have Global Entry so maybe they already have that information about me. 

 

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/biometrics/seaports

 

 

OK, there's a difference between Global Entry, as a processing channel (which uses biometrics) and manual processing with biometrics, and at the moment we are in the latter scenario. Global Entry isn't used on land frontiers either (which can cause problems at the upstate New York crossings) and until fairly recently it wasn't necessary for visa exempt citizens to have an ESTA for sea entry.  Sea and land frontiers have a tradition of being way behind air frontiers, in other words. Biometrics are a small time saver on arrival, a big time saver at airport international departures (you don't actually need a boarding pass any more).

 

Hopefully Global Entry (and even better, GE with the Mobile App) will come to Brooklyn, given that both are now available in silly places like Rhode Island "International" Airport.  But at the moment not a single land or sea port has both. NEXUS applies for some land crossings.

 

In terms of my fairly long history of entering Manhattan and then Brooklyn by sea, I long learned that the first hour is silly. The queue is insane, and you can't blame that queue, since you are that queue. So rather than wait in that long line for so-called Fast Track, instead go for breakfast, get some coffee in, hide in the library for a bit. At some point the public announcements will start, in menacing terms, instructing all non crew members to disembark forthwith (or else what? I don't know), this is the time to do it, and you will be through in 15 minutes, even for an Alien like me. At this point Cunard really does want you off and will make it quick and painless for you.

 

Everyone thinks "I have to join the queue early to beat the crowds", but it's somewhere between a mug's game and a zero sum game. Usually the former. Was ever thus. In between, if you are Fast Track, and therefore with no checked luggage label, there is a nice spot about 20 - 30 minutes after FT starts to move when the queue will be fairly short and CBP not too painless, should take 20-30 minutes. The trick is to do this before too much luggage gets into the baggage area landside, since Grill passengers won't be allowed off until their label is ready.

 

 

 

[MylesS]

1 hour ago, Joe33472 said:

I saw some people having their fingerprints taken

I know nothing of US immigration but as a U.K. citizen who travels to the US a bit, this is normally done because you either have a new passport or ESTA, or it’s your first time in the states. 

[Clewgarnet]

7 minutes ago, MylesS said:

I know nothing of US immigration but as a U.K. citizen who travels to the US a bit, this is normally done because you either have a new passport or ESTA, or it’s your first time in the states. 

Or, being US Immigration, just because they feel like it. Perhaps you look a bit too happy and they want to make your day worse.

[exlondoner]

6 minutes ago, Clewgarnet said:

Or, being US Immigration, just because they feel like it. Perhaps you look a bit too happy and they want to make your day worse.

If you have just had to disembark from QM2, your day is probably pretty bad already.

[*Miss G*]

3 hours ago, Pushpit said:

Hopefully Global Entry (and even better, GE with the Mobile App) will come to Brooklyn, given that both are now available in silly places like Rhode Island "International" Airport.  But at the moment not a single land or sea port has both

 

Perhaps I am misunderstanding you, but facial recognition has been deployed at a number of cruise ports.  Ergo, Global Entry and mobile entry have been rendered obsolete at those ports.  To bring it to Brooklyn would be taking a step backward.

[Pushpit]

11 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Perhaps I am misunderstanding you, but facial recognition has been deployed at a number of cruise ports.  Ergo, Global Entry and mobile entry have been rendered obsolete at those ports.  To bring it to Brooklyn would be taking a step backward.

Yes well I am an Alien so there are boring things like visa eligibility to consider. GE transcends the need for that to be assessed with every visit, but not at locations without GE.

[*Miss G*]

3 minutes ago, Pushpit said:

Yes well I am an Alien so there are boring things like visa eligibility to consider. GE transcends the need for that to be assessed with every visit, but not at locations without GE.

 

GE is a component of facial recognition, so the kiosks would expedite entry.