Can one board without tickets?

[avalon1025]

I'm sailing June 8th on QM2, just realized Cunard never sent me tickets. They are still being produced according to Cunard. Being that the cruise in 2 weeks and I'm leaving a week early for NY, can I board with my passport if my tickets don't make it in time? or with my pre cruise documents that I received last week? Thanks!

[cajim]

Yes. You don't get a real ticket anyway. Every thing is in the system at checkin.

 

 

Jim

[kaisatsu]

I would love to know the answer to this!!!

 

Cunard was super-late sending our final docs for the June 2 QE2. They finally arrived at our US address on Monday (exactly 2 weeks before sailing), and we paid $60 for someone to courier them to us here in Europe, so we got them yesterday with just over a week to spare.

 

According to our TA, we had to have them to board. In fact, when we made the booking, they explicitly mentioned to us that Cunard "uses paper tickets" unlike most other cruiselines that do online ticketing these days. When we reached the 3-4 week mark, we started calling people, and the TA told us that if we didn't get them in time, we could request them as "Pier Pickup" for an additional fee. I don't really remember what the Cunard operator said when I called them, but she seemed really confused and uncertain about everything anyway.

 

I'm really looking forward to finding out what we really need at the pier, because next time we can hopefully just have someone in the US scan the right page(s) in the doc booklet and email it to us to print out on our own. And if it turns out that we don't actually need anything I might request a $60 credit from our TA for our next cruise booking! ;)

[historygrad02]

Cunard does not send tickets anymore and all they ask for are your name and ID when you get to the counter. And I even called Cunard about this and that's what they said. But I brought that little book they sent anyway, because it does have your cabin info in it, but they didn't even ask for it. Don't worry about it. :)

[NomDePlume]

Cunard does not send tickets anymore and all they ask for are your name and ID when you get to the counter. And I even called Cunard about this and that's what they said. But I brought that little book they sent anyway, because it does have your cabin info in it, but they didn't even ask for it. Don't worry about it. :)

I tried boarding without showing my ticket on May 4th, just to test the system. They insisted I show them the paper ticket...

[The Real PM]

I don't believe that we received a ticket. We did receive a leather folder, holding a booklet, "Travel Documents". Unless, in the back of that booklet, before the tags for luggage, there was a page that had our name, stateroom, date of cruise, and booking ID on it, and that was a ticket.

[Fifty Dollar Bob]

I don't believe that we received a ticket. We did receive a leather folder, holding a booklet, "Travel Documents". Unless, in the back of that booklet, before the tags for luggage, there was a page that had our name, stateroom, date of cruise, and booking ID on it, and that was a ticket.

 

 

That is the ticket booklet. Such as it is. I had understood that if one was on the manifest, it wasn't required.

[NomDePlume]

I don't believe that we received a ticket. We did receive a leather folder, holding a booklet, "Travel Documents". Unless, in the back of that booklet, before the tags for luggage, there was a page that had our name, stateroom, date of cruise, and booking ID on it, and that was a ticket.

It was.

I actually had two tickets: the first one was in the same booklet form as yours, from LA to Southampton. The second one was the ticket provided by a different travel agent for the Southampton to New York return. In LA they scanned the last page of the first one--same as your booklet. In Southampton I presented my passport and credit card, but they made me take out the travel agent's ticket/receipt (no booklet for this one, just luggage tags). Go figure!

[historygrad02]

Would any of us be surprised if Cunard changed their policies for each individual cruise? And every port seems to have their own rules too.

 

I think it boils down to: if you got your book with the luggage tags, etc, then you're good.

[The Real PM]

Almost every one on our roll call got their pre-cruise documents, but us. I began to call both Cunard and The TA, and both told me that it was the others fault.. I still don't know who it was. I first received the documents from the TA and about a week later received them from Cunard. And then I began to worry about final documents, but they came on time. After all of my worrying I found out that you don't need documents at all. It is all done by computer and as long as you have your passport you are good to go. Now, from what you're saying, NomDePlume, it isn't always that way. So it's probably best to make sure you do receive your final documents and take them with you, or you might be out of luck.

[avalon1025]

I leave for NY in a week, and Cunard says they are still working on our tickets, so I am going to bring the booking summary from the pre cruise documents. This is my 7th time on QM2 so for me its not big deal, but I feel bad for the people we are sailing with as its their first time and I wish they could have tickets as a momento.

[bobnatt]

I don't believe that we received a ticket. We did receive a leather folder, holding a booklet, "Travel Documents". Unless, in the back of that booklet, before the tags for luggage, there was a page that had our name, stateroom, date of cruise, and booking ID on it, and that was a ticket.

 

are you sure the folder was leather? My tickets, etc came in a plastic or vinyl holder..certainly not leather even though we have Queens Grill accommodations...

[The Real PM]

Well, it looks like leather and smells like leather. It has a grain in it. I was a B3 catergory. Could be they got mine and yours mixed up.:D

[historygrad02]

are you sure the folder was leather? My tickets, etc came in a plastic or vinyl holder..certainly not leather even though we have Queens Grill accommodations...

 

QG here too and definitely pleather. But that's ok, it's animal friendly.

[Cruachan]

are you sure the folder was leather? My tickets, etc came in a plastic or vinyl holder..certainly not leather even though we have Queens Grill accommodations...

 

Bob,

 

I agree with Poodlesmom. The ticket folder we received for QE2 last year was definitely leather (or at any rate was a very very convincing imitation). And we were in the lowest of the low steerage class cabin (the only thing lower on the scale was the chain locker!).

 

Incidentally I was able to book my shore excursions on the phone this week without any major dramas. Of course, I suppose I won't know if there were any problems until I receive the vouchers when we board, but at least the guy who took the bookings was very polite and helpful.

 

I'll be glad to see you depart - once you go I'll begin to feel that my own cruise really is going to happen. :)

 

By the way, just in case I don't manage to post on here again before you go, hope you have a really wonderful time.

 

Jimmy

[The Real PM]

Yes, I swear it is leather. The gold insignia is stamped right into the grain as are the red letters CUNARD. And both my husband and particularly my son (who is very savvy about such things) were quite impressed with the leather folder.

[southwestie]

We just sailed on the QV WITHOUT tickets, no problem at all, I was very unsure right untill the checkin, but Cunard assured it would be fine, you just need your passport nothing more, I had the ref number just in case, but no we showed them the passport and that was it, if your unsure contact Cunard they will reassure you.

 

 

rob