What's the earliest time porters have taken your luggage at Southampton?

[Mrs Puddleduck]

Hello,

 

We are relocating back to the US via the TA on 13th June.

 

We'll be travelling down from Scotland & staying in a Southampton hotel the night before. I will need to drop my husband & our cases off at the terminal around 10.30am on the 13th, so that I can return the rental car by 11am and then get a taxi back to the terminal.

 

My question is: how soon have you been able to drop your luggage off at the terminal? I know that boarding starts from noon and we have no problem waiting to check-in at all but it would help to know if we can at least get rid of our luggage any sooner than this.

 

Many thanks in advance for your time & advice. We are very excited first timers :D

[Cunard Rules]

Hi there

 

Bearing in mind that they have to deal with all the luggage coming off the ship and from past experience of a similar nature, I think you can expect to see luggage loading starting at about 11.00 to 11.30am

 

You could try contacting the post via http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/index.asp

but do bear in mind that you will

a) never get a straight answer and

b) every answer will be different.

 

Don't bother tying to contact the Cunard call centre as they just won't know the answer.

 

I would get down there for when you need to and if you (or your husband) have to sit on a pile of luggage for a hour, then you may have to do that.

 

Southampton is pretty well organised and helpful taking into account what I have just said above.

 

As I believe you will be travelling on the Queen Mary 2 according to the schedule you will be in the Ocean Cruise Terminal which is modern and even if you have to drop husband and luggage off and he sits inside the terminal there is loads of space.

 

Here is the shipping schedule and there is a link at the top of the page for the docks map

http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/cruise_ship.asp

 

Have fun on QM2, she is a Star.

[stowaway2k]

You could contact the rental agency and ask for a couple of hours grace-period.

They usually agree to it unless your car class is fully booked for that day.

Explain your predicament, they'll probably be willing to float you some time.;)

 

Otherwise you can drop hubby off with the luggage any time that's convenient for you.

 

As the previous post mentioned, luggage for boarding will not usually be taken by the porters prior to 11am, as they are busy with debarking passengers.

 

Good luck with your relocating... what a way to do it! :)

[jp2001]

I arrived at the pier quite early (arrived by bus at around 7.30 in Manhattan, had breakfast and headed to Brooklyn Terminal). I was there at around 10.am and there was already a team of stevedores working (I was surprised), I don't think you will have a problem at about 10.30.

[capnpugwash]

I arrived at the pier quite early (arrived by bus at around 7.30 in Manhattan, had breakfast and headed to Brooklyn Terminal). I was there at around 10.am and there was already a team of stevedores working (I was surprised), I don't think you will have a problem at about 10.30.

 

I think that you are correct about Red Hook but the OP is departing from Southampton, drop luggae and husband at terminal to wait and then return car, or return car and see if Car Hire company operate a shuttle to the port which is only 5 minutes from Station, or get a cab to the terminal.

[rrunner]

Hello,

 

We are relocating back to the US via the TA on 13th June.

 

We'll be travelling down from Scotland & staying in a Southampton hotel the night before. I will need to drop my husband & our cases off at the terminal around 10.30am on the 13th, so that I can return the rental car by 11am and then get a taxi back to the terminal.

 

My question is: how soon have you been able to drop your luggage off at the terminal? I know that boarding starts from noon and we have no problem waiting to check-in at all but it would help to know if we can at least get rid of our luggage any sooner than this.

 

Many thanks in advance for your time & advice. We are very excited first timers :D

In September we arrived at the Southampton terminal around 11am. They took our bags and we checked in. We were not first - there were passengers ahead of us.

[Mrs Puddleduck]

Dear Cunard Rules, Stowaway2k, jp2001, Capn, & Rrunner,

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question. Sounds like we don't have much to worry about at all :)

 

I really appreciate all of your advice.

 

Thanks again.

[jp2001]

I think that you are correct about Red Hook but the OP is departing from Southampton, drop luggae and husband at terminal to wait and then return car, or return car and see if Car Hire company operate a shuttle to the port which is only 5 minutes from Station, or get a cab to the terminal.

 

You're totally right, I don't know how I missed this essential information. Sorry about the confusion.

[capnpugwash]

You're totally right, I don't know how I missed this essential information. Sorry about the confusion.

 

No sweat