Cunard newbie - luggage transfer

[kaznaid]

Hi

 

Next year, we are flying to Canada from the UK and, after a few days touring the Niagara Falls area followed by a few days in NYC, are returning back to the UK on QM2. It will be our first Cunard experience.

 

It would be great if we could put a suitcase on the outbound ship so that our cruise clothes etc would be ready and waiting for us, rather than lugging them around, especially our formalwear. It would also help with our luggage allowance on the outbound flight.

 

We live close to Southampton and could possibly deliver the luggage to the Cunard terminal ourselves.

 

If anyone has done this, ie put a suitcase on the ship at Southampton ready for the return trip, we would love to hear your experiences.

 

We are not going until late 2017 so I am just testing the water at the moment!

 

Thanks

[MarkBearSF]

It's probably not allowed these days. In 1999, we met the QE2 in NY as we were about to leave for 10 days in Europe via air. We stopped by the ship and dropped off a bag with our formalwear to the baggage master (I think that was his title) along with some forms that had been requested in advance.

 

Our bags did the Eastbound crossing and then a little jaunt in Europe without us. We were reunited with them waiting in our cabin when we boarded for our Westbound crossing.

 

At the time, it took some advance work by our Travel Agent, but it worked out great. This was before 9/11. I'd suspect that it is no longer possible, but if you have a good TA, s/he may able to make it happen. It's not unprecedented and worth checking-out.

Edited September 8, 2016 by MarkBearSF

[Bigmike911]

Cunard has a service, at a reasonable cost as I remember, where they will store the suitcases in Southamption and put them aboard your west bound ship. I have used them twice and it was entirely satisfactory. You arrange it on board on your east bound.

Edited September 8, 2016 by Bigmike911
spelling

[newcruise]

Cunard has a service, at a reasonable cost as I remember, where they will store the suitcases in Southamption and put them aboard your west bound ship. I have used them twice and it was entirely satisfactory. You arrange it on board on your east bound.

 

I never considered that! Thank you, Bigmike911. We will be looking into that for our May eastbound and our June westbound voyages next year. Much better than dragging a suitcase filled with formalwear as we tour. And thanks for asking the question, kaznaid.

[Wisewol]

When I read this thread it got me thinking, my husband and I are doing exactly the same trip starting 3 weeks today! starting in Toronto, then to New York for 4 nights then home on the QM2. I have contacted my travel agent who got this reply from Cunard yesterday.

 

 

Thank you for your inquiry regarding Cunard Line's White Star Luggage Service. Should your guest wish to reserve Luggage Service for shipping luggage reservations must be secured by Sept.20, 2016

 

Shipment will be picked up on Sept.27, 2016

 

When reserving the service, we will require the following information:

 

1.) Complete address and phone number where luggage is to be picked up

2.) Number of pieces to be shipped

3.) Estimated weight of each piece

4.) Declared value of each piece

 

Shipment is available exclusively for Cunard Guest

 

Current rates are for you exclusively, and are based on shipping from: West Sussex to New York

 

 

1-14 kgs - 185.11 GBP 15-23 kgs - 250.06 GBP 24-34 kgs - 331.25 GBP

 

 

 

All rates include $2,000.00 USD worth of Shipment Value Protection, per piece, to cover the contents of the luggage only, it does not cover the luggage itself. Additional coverage can be purchased at the rate of $10.00 USD per $1,000.00 USD worth of coverage. Coverage must be ordered at the time of placing the order.

 

Rates are per bag and will be charged based on the weight estimate given. Charges will be adjusted as required when actual weight is assessed by our Courier. Any additional cost will be charged to your credit card and appear as a Cunard Line charge.

 

 

I think that's quite expensive, but I am today going to work out how ,I have it's going to cost me to have an extra bag on each flight, as there is no way I can do the whole trip with 1 bag per person. Way too much stuf

 

Hope this helps

[Cancun01]

We have used the Cunard White Star Service for shipping luggage and it is expensive but worth every penny when not having to drag your formal clothes with you.

 

We have also used Cunard's ( Carnival Corp's) storage facility in Southamption a couple of times and I may be wrong but I believe that is only for storage between voyages not for drop off for a westbound if you are not on the ship.

Edited September 15, 2016 by Cancun01

[kaznaid]

When I read this thread it got me thinking, my husband and I are doing exactly the same trip starting 3 weeks today! starting in Toronto, then to New York for 4 nights then home on the QM2. I have contacted my travel agent who got this reply from Cunard yesterday.

 

Thank you for your inquiry regarding Cunard Line's White Star Luggage Service. Should your guest wish to reserve Luggage Service for shipping luggage reservations must be secured by Sept.20, 2016

 

Shipment will be picked up on Sept.27, 2016

 

When reserving the service, we will require the following information:

 

1.) Complete address and phone number where luggage is to be picked up

2.) Number of pieces to be shipped

3.) Estimated weight of each piece

4.) Declared value of each piece

 

Shipment is available exclusively for Cunard Guest

 

Current rates are for you exclusively, and are based on shipping from: West Sussex to New York

 

1-14 kgs - 185.11 GBP 15-23 kgs - 250.06 GBP 24-34 kgs - 331.25 GBP

 

I think that's quite expensive, but I am today going to work out how ,I have it's going to cost me to have an extra bag on each flight, as there is no way I can do the whole trip with 1 bag per person. Way too much stuf

 

Hope this helps

 

Hi!

 

Thanks for this! I'm only down the road from you in Portsmouth so I suppose it will be a similar price for us. I wondered if it would be possible to take the luggage along to Southampton and put it through ourselves. I know someone who was doing a segment of a world cruise (not Cunard but P&O) and actually went to Southampton to check in a suitcase on the ship, and it was in their room when they joined the cruise in Australia. I think they then left it on the ship when they disembarked in South Africa and collected the case when the ship returned to the UK.

 

Like you, we don't want to be carting around an extra suitcase containing cruise wear around Niagara Falls and New York.

 

Are you travelling from Niagara to New York on Amtrak? We are looking forward to it even though we have over a year to wait!

 

Thanks again for posting.

 

Karen

[Dorset Cruiser]

We have done this on P&O - travelled on a world cruise sector from Southampton to Sydney and then left a case on board to pick up in Southampton at the end of the world cruise. Only cost about £35 from memory. Think this was just for world cruises though.

 

We are travelling Westbound on QM2 next August followed by a week travelling to Niagara via NYC, Washington and Philadelphia and we might tag an extra week on to visit with Canadian relatives. Would love to be able to leave some of our cruise luggage on board to retrieve at Southampton as we live in Weymouth. Not sure the logistics would allow this though.

 

 

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