Luggage Express

[msstarr22]

Has anyone tried the luggage express. What is the cost? Has anyone ever had a problem with it? I am sailing in March and would like to just have the cruise line handle the baggage situation. It sure would make it nice not to have to worry about the biggest bags. We are only checking one bag down but two bags back. Just more convenient. Thank you for your info.

[GaNavy]

On Freedom, the cost was $20, plus you'll be billed whatever your airline charges for checked bags.

 

Luggage Express is well worth it - you won't see your bag(s) until you arrive at your home airport, which means (hallelujah!!) that you won't have to drag them through the almighty baggage area and Customs.

 

When I consider what else I could get for $20 on my cruise, I'd say it was one of the best bargains of the trip.

[Funseekers]

I used it a couple of cruises ago and thought it was WONDERFUL!! Didnt have to worry about finding/collecting our luggage.. we put it out like usual and didnt see it until we got home. :D

 

I cant remember cost but I am thinking it was around $20 - $25 ?? /per bag. ?? I personally think it is well worth it though. (especially if you are not going straight to the airport) ;)

[misstopgun]

I consisdered baggage express but I need my makeup, toiletries, and curling on the morning of debarkation. It's difficult to get these things in small enough sizes to be allowed in your carry on so would need to be sent with your baggage. Some of us just aren't wash and wear and won't go out without a face.

[msstarr22]

I consisdered baggage express but I need my makeup, toiletries, and curling on the morning of debarkation. It's difficult to get these things in small enough sizes to be allowed in your carry on so would need to be sent with your baggage. Some of us just aren't wash and wear and won't go out without a face.

 

No curling iron here and I can fit my face product in the ziplock 1 quart bag to go home. I have my travel hairdryer and it doesn't blow CCL circuits so I think I am good to go. Thank you all:o

[msstarr22]

On Freedom, the cost was $20, plus you'll be billed whatever your airline charges for checked bags.

 

Luggage Express is well worth it - you won't see your bag(s) until you arrive at your home airport, which means (hallelujah!!) that you won't have to drag them through the almighty baggage area and Customs.

 

When I consider what else I could get for $20 on my cruise, I'd say it was one of the best bargains of the trip.

 

I am loving this idea! Can't wait to cruise!!!!

[MamaParrotHead]

LOOOOOOOOOOOVE Luggage Express. WELL worth the cost.

[JohninDC]

Luggage Express = best $20 I ever spent! :D

[happy cruzin]

We tried to use it for the first time 2 weeks ago - on the Miracle. I have no real idea what happened but luggage express was a DISASTER!! :mad:

 

Many people - us included - had only one in their party "approved" for the luggage express. Guest Services was blaming the airline....the airline was blaming the cruise line :eek:. Guest Service told us that DH was denied because we were part of a group. NOT TRUE!!! There was a large group (70+ ) on board from Pittsburgh - but we were not booked with them. And besides - if being part of a group was the issue - WHY did I get approved when were have the same reservation confirmation code :confused: :mad: .

 

Then - to top it off - they charged our S&S account for DH's luggage even when he was not approved. AND I had to repay my airline baggage fee at the FLL airport when we checked in because they had no record of my bag being paid for although I had been approved and my S&S account charged by Carnival :eek:. So....it was not a good experience for us!

 

Hopefully our experience is an isolated incident. But I am not sure we will ever be brave enough to try it again :o.

[gargoyle999]

We had some issues using it on the Miracle as well. We signed up for it but were given zone 4 luggage tags. Went to ask at Guest Services if we would be able to do self debarkation even though we were given zone 4 tags. Told sure no problem.

 

So the ship starts to debark with the self assist. As we are about 100 feet from the gangway our names get announced to go to guest services. :mad: So after standing in line there to get to the front we are told we have to take a seat in the lobby and someone would be with us. Well turns out DW and I and maybe 4 other couples that were using luggage express were chosen for special customs inspection so we had to sit there about 45 minutes before everyone showed up since the group had to go off together.

 

We are to be escorted by someone from guest services. So I go to get off the ship and they see we only have a couple carryons and they start giving me a hard time thinking I really shouldn't be doing self assist. :rolleyes:

 

Then I explain I am part of luggage express then they say that luggage express hasn't been cleared yet. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

I explain I am part of a group chosen for special inspection and we are being escorted by the guy in the white outfit and hat as I point to him, and they finally let me scan my card.

 

It was nice getting to skip past all the people in the long lines by that point as we were escorted to a special customs section but sure was getting the stink eye. :p

 

So I'm still not sure if I would have been able to do self debark or not with this program if we hadn't been chosen for inspection and in the end it turned out ok.

 

One of our pieces of luggage had an overweight tag put on it (which is BS since I weigh it with a digital scale I bring) so after customs inspected our luggage we moved a couple things and removed the over weight tag. :p

[travelbumsboston]

I used it once and I think it was on the Legend. It was awewome. Well worth the $20.00 each bag. Tried to use it last cruise but my airline was a participant. I will use it again on my April cruise.

[FreezingInMichigan]

We used it in November on the Liberty out of Miami and thought it worth the money. $20pp plus the cost of your airlines checked baggage fee.

 

Pros:

You put your luggage out on the last night and pick it up at your final destination airport.

They took our luggage express group directly to Customs and opened a line for us. Less than 5 minute wait.

At the airport we felt sorry for the winding line of people at the counter checking luggage. We walked over to the security line with only 3 people in front of us.

 

Cons:

We had to report to the theater and couldn't leave until everyone in our luggage express group was there. That meant waiting 20 minutes for a lady who couldn't get her act together.

We were the first group off the ship. Mandatory debarkment time. No leisurely last morning.

 

We thought the Pros outweighed the Cons enough to use the program whenever it's offered and we have a same day flight to catch.

[crusin okie]

Used it in Dec on the Miracle. What a wonderful program. No problems at all.

[DOTTE]

We used luggage express in San Juan and it was great. We are going on the Dream does anyone know if Southwest participates in luggage express?

 

Thanks.

[cruiselover 43]

We used luggage express in San Juan and it was great. We are going on the Dream does anyone know if Southwest participates in luggage express?

 

Thanks.

Southwest is not on list for this service

[DOTTE]

Southwest is not on list for this service

 

Thanks. That's a bummer.

[Keishas2Dads]

How exactly does the luggage express work. I have read some places where people say they had to wait til a specific time before they could leave the ship and I have also read where people have said you can just leave the ship whenever you are ready same as self debarkation. Can anyone tell me what the process actually is:confused:

[ladyd11933]

How exactly does the luggage express work. I have read some places where people say they had to wait til a specific time before they could leave the ship and I have also read where people have said you can just leave the ship whenever you are ready same as self debarkation. Can anyone tell me what the process actually is:confused:

 

 

I am not sure if the service varies from ship to ship.On the Valor, we had instructions to meet at a certain time in the theater (which was early) but on the Liberty, we didn't see any instructions and since our flight was so much later we just waited and were some of the last ones off the ship. I kept waiting for my name to be paged overhead because I wasn't where I was supposed to be...but thankfully that never happened.

 

I agree that it is so worth the money, especially if you have a later flight. Our last flight didn't leave until 6 p.m. and we actually had enough sun on our trip so we went to the mall and went to the movies and ate before our flight - all with our small backpacks for carry-on.

[JohninDC]

How exactly does the luggage express work. I have read some places where people say they had to wait til a specific time before they could leave the ship and I have also read where people have said you can just leave the ship whenever you are ready same as self debarkation. Can anyone tell me what the process actually is:confused:

 

We used it on Destiny and were not part of a group; we had a late flight and wanted not to be burdened with bags while we explored Miami Beach.

 

Paid $20 each +AA fees and filled out our forms -- Carnival checked us in for the flight and printed our boarding passes (saving us slow internet connection time on the ship). :cool:

 

We attached the tags to our bags and placed then outside our cabin the night before returning to Miami. With no bags and a late flight we had a high number, but who cares.

 

Slept in, enjoyed breakfast in the MDR and finally wandered off the ship about 9:00 with almost no lines at immigration. Next time we saw our bags was at our home airport. BEST $20 I EVER SPENT! :)

[Katfncy]

I was on the Dream last year and I flew out on Southwest and we did luggage express with no problems. I'm not sure if that changed but it was super nice not to see my luggage until I got to Baltimore. This year I'm going out of Fort Lauderdale and I know they have luggage express but don't know if Southwest participates there or not. I guess I'll have to wait and see.

[carnival or bust]

We used the service on the Miracle last week, and loved it! Had a little mixup initially in that all the boarding passes weren't delivered to us but a quick trip to the guest service desk fixed that. We normally leave with the VIP group but were told we had to wait until group 5 left the ship but that meant we were able to enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the Bacchus dining room so we didn't mind. Our only concern was that there were not tags for the connecting flight, we were assured that they would be applied at the airport, and they were all all bags arrived at the proper airports without any problems.

 

I will definately do it again, great value for $20 a person plus airline bag fees, it was nice to avoid gathering the bags as we debarked, look for a porter to haul it out to transportation and in our case keep it with us for hours, we had late flights out of FLL and the airport usually won't allow you to check your bags until 4 hours before your flight!

[Sherrybaby412]

If I remember correctly, Southwest doesn't participate in Luggage Express BUT has their own version they do participate in.

[jessed]

If I remember correctly, Southwest doesn't participate in Luggage Express BUT has their own version they do participate in.

 

 

Yes they do participate, we used it with them on the Freedom in January.

[billyblaze]

Is Delta on the list? If so how do you let them know that as a Delta Skymiles AMEX card holder gets 1 bag free per person booked in reservation? Anyone have a similar experience?

[PunkinsDad]

We have never used it, we drive to the ports we use. (One of the perks of living on the AL Gulf Coast)

 

But my wife's parents, who usually cruise with us, have used it a couple of times and they seem to be well satisfied with it.