Luggage at Brooklyn and Southampton

We're travelling on the QM2 one way from Brooklyn Cruise Terminal to Southampton next year possibly never to return (or at least not for a little while) so we're trying to work out how much bang we can get for our buck in terms of getting as much luggage as possible over rather than having to pay shipping separately. I've read on the Cunard boards about how much people are managing to squeeze into their cabins but I'm most nervous about the cruise terminals.

We will be driving cross-country and dropped off at Brooklyn and picked up in Southampton so we are not limited by plane baggage limits, but how limited might we be by our own ability to carry luggage? We will have a small child with us, which will reduce the number of hands we have...

So what happens at a cruise terminal? How do bag-checks and passenger check-ins work? How close will we be able to be dropped off/picked up to where we need to get our bags? Do we have to get our bags into the building, or is there curb-side check-in like at some airports? Are there trolleys available at both Brooklyn and Southampton to pile our luggage on to or do have to wrangle all the pieces separately? Are there porters?

We've never been on a cruise or been to a cruise terminal before so have no idea what to expect and neither facility's website is giving us much info!

I can tell you at Brooklyn, when you drive up their will be stevedores waiting- you can drop off at the front door with them, all your checked bags to them and they will check them in for you and the next time you will see the bags will be in your cabin. Your hand luggage you take with you. What is the limit? I have never seen anyone refused any amount. Tip generously(at least $2 per bag) and you should have no problem at all.

There is a forum here for Cunard, under Cruise Lines A-O. You might ask there if Cunard has any place to store excess baggage...They are sometimes more accommodating than other lines, especially since they do longer voyages (World Cruises).

As an aside, P&O allow passengers to leave bags onboard after a cruise...people have taken a long cruise in OZ, left the cruise there, flew home (eventually) and reclaimed their bags when the ship returned to Southampton. Same people took bags to Southampton and left them on the ship, which they then joined later in Capetown. EM

Thanks for the heads up. Although we're not limited by airlines we are limited by what we can get in the car, so we probably wont need excess storage. I've been looking on the Cunard board and it looks like most people are able to squeeze 4 large suitcases under the bed and more if you use strategically use duffel bags that can be nested or squished, which is probably about all we could manage in our smallish car anyway.

I just wasn't sure what happens when we get to the terminal/port in terms of how far we have to get our own bags, and what kind of help, or trolleys are available, especially as we'll have a toddler in tow! I'm glad to hear there are stevedores at Brooklyn and I'm happy to tip $2+ per bag compared with goodness how much it would be to fly with all that luggage!

Does anyone know what it's like at Southampton and what the parking situation is like. My parents will be likely picking us up in their large MPV but I'm wondering how far it is to the carpark or pick-up points and whether there is help available or at least some trolleys at the other end? We'll have two more sets of hands, but I still don't want my aging parents having to lug too much too far!

...Does anyone know what it's like at Southampton...

Go to the Cunard forum. Southampton is Cunard's home port so the people there can give you all the details on what to expect on the other side of the pond.

At Southampton there always plenty of trolleys, you collect your bags from the (huge!) luggage hall, and you don't have to walk very far at all. As soon as you clear Customs & Immigration you will be pretty close to the pick up point. It does get a bit hectic though and my advice would be not to be in too much of a a hurry to get off the ship! Your parents will be able to get pretty close to the terminal and then wait for your call before actually picking you up at the pick up point.. You can check in advance which terminal you are arriving at - the QM2 usually uses the Cunard Terminal. The pick up points are well signposted.

Hope that helps. Ask if there's anything else !

There is a forum here for Cunard, under Cruise Lines A-O. You might ask there if Cunard has any place to store excess baggage...They are sometimes more accommodating than other lines, especially since they do longer voyages (World Cruises).

As an aside, P&O allow passengers to leave bags onboard after a cruise...people have taken a long cruise in OZ, left the cruise there, flew home (eventually) and reclaimed their bags when the ship returned to Southampton. Same people took bags to Southampton and left them on the ship, which they then joined later in Capetown. EM

Cunard doesn't offer storage...your luggage has to be stored in your stateroom:

How much luggage can I bring?

If you are travelling on a flight, please check your luggage allowance which will

be displayed on your airline confirmation and itinerary or by contacting your air carrier. Guests who need to carry items that exceed the limit should make

arrangements in advance with their airline and there may be an additional

cost for this.

If you are sailing roundtrip from your departure point and you will not be

taking any flights or other modes of public transport, there is no limit to

the amount of luggage you can bring on board. However, the weight of each

piece of individual luggage is restricted to 51 lbs (23 kg) and guests must be able to store all luggage in their own stateroom. You will need to check with the respective carriers regarding any luggage restrictions if you are using other modes of transport to or from the terminal.

We've done a TA trip (Southampton to NY and back) and in both ports there were plenty of large trolleys (think DIY store rather than airport sized!) and porters. OK, you will have to tip, but you're clearly expecting that. However, you will be able to handle more luggage than you can carry / pull. There seemed to be plenty of folks travelling with loads of luggage (the glamorous ones with lots of 'posh frocks' in matching designer cases!) and I didn't see any of them struggling.

BTW, that isn't a dig at anyone, not at the glamorous cruisers or the ones juggling pushchairs, cases and toddlers. One of the beauties of cruising is the huge variety of different 'sorts' of cruiser - I would hate to be part of an identikit holiday! :)

Thanks that really helps. I was having horror images of us docking at the other end and having to walk our bags back and forth from luggage pick-up to the car park one by one while one of us stands with a fussy toddler! We hope to have space for at least a couple of posh frocks (though probably not in designer luggage) alongside our toddler and pushchair :)

Going out we dropped the luggage and us right outside the terminal and the care was whisked away. OK, there was then a computer problem so we queued for EVER to get on, but that wasn't a related issue. The luggage was sent through from the area outside the terminal doors, so just people in the actual terminal building. When we got back the car was very close by, we just had to collect the keys and do a small amount of paperwork and drive off.

In NYC we hadn't got the paperwork for the included limo so we just went on the shuttle bus, but on the way back it was sorted so we had a limo which collected us from the hotel. Not far at either end to shove luggage, much easier than your average airport :)