Evening New Orleans flight--what to do with luggage

[kurdav]

We have a flight leaving at 5 pm from New Orleans heading back to Indy. Any suggestions on what to do with our luggage for the day. Everything I have read states that the BAGS program is not available in New Orleans. We will have a dive bag and a suitcase that we will need to take care of before we go explore the city. Our carry-ons will be a backpack each so they can stay with us. Any suggestions.

[dchang]

We have a flight leaving at 5 pm from New Orleans heading back to Indy. Any suggestions on what to do with our luggage for the day. Everything I have read states that the BAGS program is not available in New Orleans. We will have a dive bag and a suitcase that we will need to take care of before we go explore the city. Our carry-ons will be a backpack each so they can stay with us. Any suggestions.

 

 

If you google the Port of New Orleans, under the cruise tab, you will find information on a baggage transfer service which has a service desk in the passenger cruise terminal. According to the site, they will deliver your bags from the cruise terminal to the airport.

[Sargent_Schultz]

http://www.advancecheckin.com/

 

You still have to pick up your bags at the airport and check them in with your airline.

[kurdav]

Thanks for the replies. We will be sure and use this service. It will allow us more time to see the great city of New Orleans.

[Willie T]

Thanks, our flight is at 3, so we will use this. I'am used to the service on the ship, but it's not available this time.

[mkp123]

Well! I must say you might have had a tough time back there. It happens to the best of us. Anyway, I suggest you do not take it as a big deal because there are lots of factors coming into play other than the luggage issue like the availability of seats and the passengers that you have to confront. You should be lucky as you did not have to go through any of these unlike me who had a hard time with all of these three along with some unfavorable medical conditions!

[natlae]

Being unable to take care of your luggage can be a real problem and I am sure that there must be some arrangement for taking care of your luggage like taking a locker on rent or something!! The baggage transfer service idea also seems a possible solution and it would be a good idea to try that one out!!

[caesar68]

We booked a New Orleans excursion through Carnival which was a city tour (parks, cememtary etc) on a nice bus. We were even able to tour by ourselves for an hour or so for lunch and/or shopping. The luggage was kept underneath the bus while we toured. It was the best Pre-flight day. ususally we are jsut hanging out at the airport with our luggage...

[Buffalo Joe Cruiser]

We booked a New Orleans excursion through Carnival which was a city tour (parks, cememtary etc) on a nice bus. We were even able to tour by ourselves for an hour or so for lunch and/or shopping. The luggage was kept underneath the bus while we toured. It was the best Pre-flight day. ususally we are jsut hanging out at the airport with our luggage...

 

Does anyone know if they still offer this tour? Also, anyone know the cost? I check the carival website and I didn't see anything.

[caesar68]

I am thinking it was about $35-40.00 but to me it was well worth it. It gave us something GREAT to do for hours and of course transportation around the city and to the airport while they held our luggage. We heard about it on the ship at the end of the cruise (over a PA announcment or capers) and booked the night before or the morning we left.

[1frayfan]

If the ship you are going on has the luggage express option, do that! It was the best money we spent on our cruise. They will pick up your bags from outside your cabin door and you will not see them again to arrive at your final destination. It is an incredible service and worth EVERY penny!

[terriberri268]

Hi

We have a late flight out of new Orleans too. Has anyone here used rush it/ advance check in?

We just want to be sure they are reliable and easy to get your luggage at the airport.

Thanks

 

Terri

[kycalgal]

I'm in the same situation, not leaving New Orleans until after 8pm. I've made a list of Plantation tours and will be taking an afternoon tour with whichever operator has a group going that day (afternoon tours fill up slower due to the heat). I appreciate you all, as this thread is how I got the idea!

--Jill

[SuperTrooper00]

What my wife and I do might cost a tad more in taxi costs, but we far prefer it over everything else in cities where the airport isn't too far from the cruise terminal (especially in FLL). We exit the ship with our luggage, go to the airport, and check in for our flight. That way our luggage is done and safe, we can possibly get exit row seats with our early check-in, and all we do is head straight to the gate later.

We then grab a taxi and head wherever we want to go for the day. We have tried several things, and this has worked best for us. A little more money, but far less headache.

[karoo]

I did that back in 2007, but in 2009, 2010 Miami Airport wouldn't allow me to do that. I was only able to check my luggage in so many hours before hand.

 

This time we are staying the night in New Orleans so we can leave our luggage at the hotel, then wander around, take an afternoon tour etc.

 

Alternatively, in New York, I went back to the hotel I had stayed in prior to the cruise and asked if they would store my luggage for the day. I returned about 5pm to collect my luggage and organise a shuttle to the airport. I think the only cost for this service was a tip.

 

I don't qualify for the book your luggage straight through program as I have an international flight.

[pistachio]

http://www.advancecheckin.com/

 

You still have to pick up your bags at the airport and check them in with your airline.

 

I would not recommend advancecheckin. After reading about them here, I used them in April to pick my bags up at my hotel, and deliver them to the ship. Sounded like a great plan. They said they'd pick them up between noon and 12:30, and that they'd call when they were delivered. Long story short, they weren't delivered to the ship til 8:30, with a sailaway time of 9:00. That was after several phone calls, and much stress!

[NJGem]

I had been researching the same thing for our October repositioning cruise. I had posted a similar inquiry on the Gulf Coast Departures forum. One of my responses was from Herfnerd who had used Advance Check In. The fee of $25 for up to four bags seemed very reasonable. Also, they were able to make arrangements to be picked up at Cafe du Monde for transfer to the airport for $14 pp through Advance Check In. My initial inquiry was how close to the port terminal does the trolley run because without luggage it would be very convenient - on maps it looks really close by. NCL does offer a post cruise tour that is in the $50 pp range. Considering that your luggage is with you, you are getting the tour and transportation to the airport - that is not a bad price. Bear in mind that the airport is in Kenner, which by all I have read is 30-45 minutes away depending on traffic. There is also a public bus that runs to the airport. I believe it stops near Loyola University. So I guess my point would be that you do have options once you decide what to do with your luggage. Happy Cruising!

[travelequalshappiness]

We have a flight leaving at 5 pm from New Orleans heading back to Indy. Any suggestions on what to do with our luggage for the day. Everything I have read states that the BAGS program is not available in New Orleans. We will have a dive bag and a suitcase that we will need to take care of before we go explore the city. Our carry-ons will be a backpack each so they can stay with us. Any suggestions.

 

Whatever you do, don't use Advance Check-In. They were truly the most unprofessional and unhelpful company I have ever encountered. My parents left their luggage with them when they were going on a cruise from NOLA so that they could enjoy a day in the city but then Advance Check-In failed to actually deliver their luggage to the ship! My parents ended up on a one-week cruise sans any of their belongings.

 

To make matters worse, Advance Check-In did nothing to try and rectify this horrible situation. They were unresponsive at first. After multiple attempts to get in touch with them, they said they sent the bags to Cusco, the cruise’s first stop. Having never received confirmation of a flight number of baggage claim number (remember the lack of communication here), my parents spent the entire day at the Cusco airport trying to track down their luggage. To make matters worse, this day was also my mother’s birthday.

 

Finally, they were able to confirm that Advance Check-In never sent the bags. My parents were forced to run around and buy everything they would need for the rest of their vacation costing them hundreds of unnecessary dollars. Advance Check-In destroyed their much needed and well deserved vacation and they didn’t even care. They have refused to provide ANY reimbursement or compensation. What a horrible, horrible company. I implore you to never, ever use them.

[Savlamara]

I'm resurrecting this thread cause I'm thinking about using this service. It appears alot of the problems were with people who tried the service before their cruise. I'm only needing them after we come back to deliver one large luggage to the airport after debarkation. Any thoughts?

[Makimali2]

We used this service on Saturday. First four bags $40, each additional bag $5. They ask you what time you want to meet at the airport, give you a card with cell phone in case of changes, and you're off. It worked great for us as we had a 9:30 flight. You meet in baggage claim near carrousel 8.