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help dont know what to do with luggage and the porters.


andylad
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I we are off on our first ever cruise soon Carnival liberty 4 day Bahamas. We have booked parking at port canaveral. Dont know what to do once we park up. Do we get approached by a porter ( random stranger) and let them walk off with our luggage or do we have to go to a desk or check in area like a airport them hand luggage over. Thanks in advance for any help

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You will know who the porters are...no worries. Yes...you will hand over your bags...tip $1-2 per bag...make sure you have luggage tags on each checked, LOCKED bag (if you don't have tags, the porters will) and head to the ship to check yourself in. Hand carry everything of value, like jewelry, money, electronics, Rx's.....

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Every cruise I have been on, you pull up to the terminal curb and unload your baggage you are checking. As noted, make sure they are tagged.

 

And my rule of thumb is, expect the worst, that you will never see your checked bag ever again. All important valuable needed stuff stays with you at all times in your carry on.

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I we are off on our first ever cruise soon Carnival liberty 4 day Bahamas. We have booked parking at port canaveral. Dont know what to do once we park up. Do we get approached by a porter ( random stranger) and let them walk off with our luggage or do we have to go to a desk or check in area like a airport them hand luggage over. Thanks in advance for any help

 

Hi, all the answers have been great and helpful. I would just like to add a bit about porters that I only learned after several cruises, and it makes life so easy. After you disembark, one of you look for your luggage and the other find a porter. Having a porter at the end of the cruise helps you get through the customs lines much quicker. It is worth the few bucks you give the porter to breeze through the line.

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After you disembark, one of you look for your luggage and the other find a porter. Having a porter at the end of the cruise helps you get through the customs lines much quicker. It is worth the few bucks you give the porter to breeze through the line.

 

Great tip. The porter will get you through customs a lot quicker than if you are toting all of your bags by yourself.

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Depending where you park, you will either drop the luggage off first, then park, or you'll park and then take a shuttle (or walk if it is short) with your luggage. Either way, make sure your luggage is tagged with your name and cabin number. The cruise line provides the luggage tags -- these days it is usually printed as part of your "set sail" paperwork -- something you'll fill out online and print a couple of weeks before the cruise. Tip: Put some scotch tape over the paper luggage tags on both sides to protect it from the rain. If flying, put the cruise tags on in the hotel you stay at the night before the cruise, rather than at home -- that is, don't have the cruise tags on the luggage when you fly. I'm not sure why because I always drive, but I've read this from many CCers. I usually put my cabin number on each bag in a secondary location with masking tape, in case the luggage tags comes off (it happens sometimes). And it's a good idea to put your cabin number on your carry on bags too, in case you lose them or forget them. Bring some tip money -- 1's, 5's and 10's. You should tip the porter (as another said, 1 or 2 bucks per bag) and your shuttle bus driver (1 or 2 bucks per person). And pay attention where to get your return shuttle when the cruise is over. That's another advantage of a porter -- they know where to go, and take you there after you clear customs. Oh, and bring a 99 cent poncho from Target, Walmart, or similar store. These fold up nicely, and you'll likely need one or more if it is raining. Oh, and also put some clothes (maybe all) in large sealed "baggies" to protect them in case it is raining. On one of my cruises it was pouring on departure day, and my clothes got soaked through the suitcase -- took over 2 days to dry out.

 

Be sure to have your cruise paperwork including your passports in your carry-on. I've heard of people missing the ship because their passport was in their checked luggage, and the porters could not locate their bag before sailing time. Also I think you need to be in line at least 90 minutes before departure time -- I know this was the rule the last time we cruised. Lunch is served on the ship (usually the buffet), so you might as well get there around noon if you can. Plan to lug your carry-on bags until 1 or 2pm -- whenever the cabins are opened up.

Edited by Jimnbigd
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If you're going on a 4 day cruise, you each might think about only bringing a carry on. Then you can just wheel it to your stateroom.

 

We did this on our last four night cruise -- worked great! I hate paying the porter extortion (tip or we'll destroy your stuff)

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  • 2 weeks later...
Whatever you carry-on, make sure it is light. All of the elevators will be used for luggage to be taken to the cabins ONLY. So you will have to use the steps to get up to the higher decks. Happy sailing.

 

That's never happened on any cruise we've been on. It's true that the elevators nearest your embarkation point will be crowded and some elevators may reserved for the porters, but we've always been able to find some that will take us to the buffet or pool decks. If no elevators were available, the entry areas would be jammed with passengers in wheelchairs/walkers who cannot use stairs. On some ships, there are interior elevators for use by service staff. Try heading forward or aft for additional elevators or ask one of the many cruise employees who will be standing around as you board. The advice to keep you carry-on light is still good advice however!

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That's never happened on any cruise we've been on. It's true that the elevators nearest your embarkation point will be crowded and some elevators may reserved for the porters, but we've always been able to find some that will take us to the buffet or pool decks. If no elevators were available, the entry areas would be jammed with passengers in wheelchairs/walkers who cannot use stairs. On some ships, there are interior elevators for use by service staff. Try heading forward or aft for additional elevators or ask one of the many cruise employees who will be standing around as you board. The advice to keep you carry-on light is still good advice however!

 

Oh, that must have been my bad luck and timing :D. Well, I got in a lot of exercise climbing the steps which didn't hurt me at all. And I was always glad I had the light weight cross body purse to have with me for my carry on instead of something heavy.

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Whatever you carry-on, make sure it is light. All of the elevators will be used for luggage to be taken to the cabins ONLY. So you will have to use the steps to get up to the higher decks. Happy sailing.

 

On two dozen cruises on half-a-dozen different cruiselines that has never been the case that all elevators are used by crew for transporting luggage. There has always been at least one bank of elevators available for embarking passengers to use.

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FYI, how things are handled depends on the port.

 

For Baltimore, if you are parking, when you arrive, you will drive down a lane with baggage carts along one side. They will direct you forward, have you stop, and will take your bags. You then pay for parking, park and go into terminal to check in.

 

Upon return, you go through immigration, get your bags, and leave. No customs check. So porters will not help you get out faster.

 

Actually airports have switched, they are no longer taking your paperwork after you pick up your bags, but before.

 

If you drop off at Baltimore, your driver will pull up in front of the cruise terminal. Baggage carts to one side, drop off, then walk into the terminal. On pickup, there is parking to the right (when looking at the terminal from the ship) of the cruise terminal.

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One more tip: your luggage may not be delivered to your stateroom until later in the evening. (Sometimes it's been right away, but sometimes it's been after dinner.) I recommend carrying on a bag that includes your swimsuits, sunscreen, any medications you may need, tablet/phone and chargers, a change of clothes for dinner, and any toiletry items you might need to get ready for dinner.

 

As for the porters getting you through customs much faster, most of the time that's true. Sometimes it's not. When I got off of a cruise in Galveston a few months ago, the porters actually had to stand in the line with everyone else. I felt awful for tying him up for so long and tipped him appropriately.

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The last time I cruised out of Jacksonville, a porter met me at my car and collected our bags right there. It was unexpected but much appreciated! (And we tipped accordingly.) That was in the general port parking, nothing special about the lot.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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The last time I cruised out of Jacksonville, a porter met me at my car and collected our bags right there. It was unexpected but much appreciated! (And we tipped accordingly.) That was in the general port parking, nothing special about the lot.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

They are so great at Jacksonville to do that!!

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