Bag delivery to cabin

Would I be allowed to take my own bags to my cabin at Southampton? I have heard there is a long delay in delivery. I also feel more secure if they are with me.

I suppose if you are happy to carry them and they will fit through the scanner, there is no reason why not.

It depends what you call a long delay - we usually just take the time to have a wander round the ship before unpacking.

Would I be allowed to take my own bags to my cabin at Southampton? I have heard there is a long delay in delivery. I also feel more secure if they are with me.

Yes if they are small enough to fit through the security scanner.

I have often seen people turned back with large bags/cases to hand them in to the porters.

Occasionally some people fret and worry if they get to their cabin before their bags. No need.

By time you've gone and had lunch, had an explore, gotten lost, got back to your cabin, you'll then discover your bags outside the door waiting for you.

And, if not, don't panic. Attend lifeboat drill... and they'll be there when you get back, although I've never had bags fail to be delivered to my cabin before lifeboat drill.

It isn't like an airport where there are many planes; they simple load every bag and case deposited with them onto the only ship at the terminal. Simples.

If any labels/tags are missing then they quickly reunite owners and bags (I know this from personal experience).

So, hand luggage, suit carriers, small cases are fine to carry on board, standard size cases and bags may be too big for the conveyor belts and scanners.

Hope this helps; stop worrying and have a great voyage :)

Two weeks ago we arrived at our cabin, closed the door and then straightaway the doorbell rang, with our steward outside with our bags.

Take all you valuables, medicines, camera, paperwork etc in your carry on luggage, and mix the clothes in the other cases, if one does get lost you will hopefully have something to wear!

I also have a permanent engraved label on each case, with my name and mobile number on it.

Really, Eric, no need to worry. No need to wrangle your own bags. Cunard tags have codes telling handlers what holds and decks to send bags to. What you've heard isn't so. If you've given your bags to the handlers, then gone to check-in, by the time you rush to your cabin to put away your carry-on materials you may find your bags already there. if not, no worry. Check out the ship, they'll be there upon your return.

Would I be allowed to take my own bags to my cabin at Southampton? I have heard there is a long delay in delivery. I also feel more secure if they are with me.

I have never had to wait long for my bags. I wouldn't bother to man handle them myself.

It would not only be inconvenient for you to drag your own baggage, it would slow down the boarding process for others. It is also a consideration for others when we send our bags through the normal (behind the scenes--not clogging up passenger elevators) delivery-service.

Trust that your luggage will arrive at your cabin without incidence. We've never heard of any suitcases lost during delivery. Sometimes, our suitcases arrive together--sometimes one after the other.

Okay, maybe your bags won't arrive in your cabin "first." It's not really a huge deal to wait an hour or two before unpacking. As Hattie pointed out: there will be plenty to do, exploring the ship ---having something to eat and drink.

Also, it is so nice to just walk onboard without the bother of suitcases! Part of traveling "in style" :)

Have a wonderful, enjoyable voyage, Eric2005!

I tend to think "what if everyone did it" if he answer is "probably chaos" best not to bother.

David.

I have had to wait for my case to arrive but it's always arrived before we sail. There is really not much opportunity for a case to get lost unlike at an airport.

If you are worried, I would pack a few items of clothing in your carry on bag just in case.

If everyone took there own luggage on board,would take hours to clear security scanners..We noticed how it slows down embarkation...

Or experience has been that the baggage delivery system is prompt and efficient. No long waits.

Would I be allowed to take my own bags to my cabin at Southampton? I have heard there is a long delay in delivery. I also feel more secure if they are with me.

My last experience in Hamburg was the bags beat me to our room. YMMV. But I wouldn't bother dragging them thru the ship myself.

Eric2005, You have nothing to worry about with late baggage arrival.

Over the last year Cunard have introduced a new procedure at the Ocean Terminal. Originally there was only one baggage drop/baggage convayor belt (kerb side)

however, the other day I noticed a much better procedure now in place.

There are now four ( or more ?) baggage drops, 'colour coded and numbered by deck'. For example 4 & 5 .......6&8 .....9&10 ......11&12/13.

I expect this procedure now cuts down the time it originally took to sort out the baggage ( by deck numbers) when it passed through the old system, (using only one conveyor belt)

Not too sure if this new system is used at the other cruise Terminals, but last week my two pieces of luggage were in the stateroom before me :)

I have heard there is a long delay in delivery.

The only time I had a an issue was when one of my bags was sent to security on a 2015 Redhook embarkation. I wound up wandering the ship asking various crew and security staff where to go, and couldn't find anyone who knew what was going on or where to go.

I finally found the location, on the other side of the security entrance for crew on a lower deck, and bumped into another passenger on the same scavenger hunt I was on, but he was raging at about 100X my level. There were about a dozen or so bags waiting for passengers to claim and open in front of security before sending to your cabin.

Anyway, this is one area that QM2 could improve.

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whyohwhyoh

If you don't mind, what item of yours were they interested in?

I've only had to go looking for our bags once, on our most recent cruise. They were in the elevator lobby closest to our stateroom, for some reason.

If you don't mind, what item of yours were they interested in?

My guess is any large quantity of metal that might be hiding a gun? I had a small bag of tools in my suitcase, couple of pliers, screwdrivers, a metal box cutter, picture hanging wire/nails, etc. Once they saw it they let me zip it up and they sent the bag to our room. We had over a quarter ton of luggage on board as we were moving house across the pond.

The other passenger had a nice set of woodworking Forstner bits.

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whyohwhyoh

I can understand it might have been a pain for you but I'm quite pleased to hear that they do check suspicious looking items.

I can understand it might have been a pain for you but I'm quite pleased to hear that they do check suspicious looking items.

My only concern was that there was no one available to direct passengers to where to collect bags. So we just wandered around the ship asking crew and clueless security until we happened across the location. The notice should clearly state where to collect, that is the only issue I had. Perhaps it was a new process that day. But I enjoyed the scavenger hunt of the lower decks... Not so much the other passenger I bumped into. I'm there to just cross the pond as transportation, he was there to enjoy his cruise... and wasting time wandering lower decks for 30 minutes before send off annoyed him apparently.

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whyohwhyoh

I tend to be a bit of a worrier but once my bags are on the ship, I relax.

I used to drive to a car park some distance away. I would carefully watch as my bags were loaded into the minibus and then watch as they were unloaded outside the Cunard ship. In the early days I even used to watch as my case was put on the conveyor belt to go to the ship.

Nowadays I am more relaxed. As long as the taxi is unloaded at the ship I stop worrying. In fact, I have even started to give them my small carry-on case so I can wander the ship with just my handbag.

It will be fine as long as the bag reaches the porters. (I have read a horror story of a case that stayed in the coach and was not unloaded, so I still check that far.)

Diane