Luggage

[lionking1969]

My wife and I are looking to purchase a new set of luggage for our cruise in July. After looking at the usual places (Wal-Mart, JC Penney etc.) most of it looks like it might not hold up. So I was wondering what luggage you would recommend,that has proven to be dependable and durable enough to with stand the demands of cruise and airline travel. Please let me know where you purchased yours and the price if you don't mind sharing it. Thanks for your help.

[brooklynfc]

My wife and I are looking to purchase a new set of luggage for our cruise in July. After looking at the usual places (Wal-Mart, JC Penney etc.) most of it looks like it might not hold up. So I was wondering what luggage you would recommend,that has proven to be dependable and durable enough to with stand the demands of cruise and airline travel. Please let me know where you purchased yours and the price if you don't mind sharing it. Thanks for your help.

 

I've used my luggage on two cruise (airlines and all) and several road trips. Its American Flyer, which it is not the top brand of luggage, but I think its probably a medium.

 

I got a 4 piece set (polka dots, so its easy to find):

 

28 inch

24 inch

19 inch

12x12 duffle

 

About $139, free shipping. It was on sale.

 

It was fully lined, had sturdy handles, wipe down material, expandable, pockets, sturdy wheels, light materials, but durable so far (3 years).

 

Google Luggage Pro. They have lots of choices besides this type and pretty good deals and I didn't have any trouble with them. Of course, I only needed them once, lol.

[elaineb]

If you have a Home Goods store, the luggage there is very reasonable. Also have some at TJ Maxx for a good price.

[lbow2006]

I was actually wondering this same thing so thank you for asking. I hope you don't mind me adding another question to your thread, but I thought it may seem silly to start a new luggage thread. We busted out the bottom of the luggage set I got on our second trip with it. Of course I got it clearanced out at 90% off so I can't really complain, plus we stuffed it super full on our honeymoon.

 

That being said waht are people's experiences with hard case luggage vs soft case luggage? Which are better in your opinion? And if hard case is better will it fit under the beds on a cruise ship?

 

I found a kind of cool (maybe a bit over the top though) hard case luggage set at TJ Maxx of all places that has a tropical beach design on it and I kind of want it, but I'm wondering if it's just going to get all scraped up as soon as I take it on an airplane, lol.

[lbow2006]

If you have a Home Goods store, the luggage there is very reasonable. Also have some at TJ Maxx for a good price.

 

Haha yup TJ Maxx is where I was looking. Home Goods of course too since they're sister companies w/ Marshalls. I love all three stores. :D

[Kamloops50]

My wife and I are looking to purchase a new set of luggage for our cruise in July. After looking at the usual places (Wal-Mart, JC Penney etc.) most of it looks like it might not hold up. So I was wondering what luggage you would recommend,that has proven to be dependable and durable enough to with stand the demands of cruise and airline travel. Please let me know where you purchased yours and the price if you don't mind sharing it. Thanks for your help.

 

We bought a three piece Heys luggage at Costco.

The price of the three was less then buying two of the luggage's in

a store including Wal-Mart. We gave the largest to a young couple that

is going overseas to do humanitarian work this year.

[NHNEV2003]

I've got a set called Protocol from JC Penney that I've had for about 5-6 years, and it's gone through an annual trip to Vegas, two business trips a year, and two cruises.

 

Still holding up with no problems.

[hattack]

Dillard's usually have great sales. Purchased my 22inch carry on bag made by Delsey for $99.? Love it...it replaced my 25year old Samsonite

[Boozebabe]

My advice (from personnal experience) is DO NOT buy good expensive lugage if you plan to travel a lot, or by plane or cruise ship. NO ONE---ANYWHERE cares about what condition your stuff ends in. I get so frustrated while sitting on a plane after boarding and seeing the baggage handlers throwing luggage around and dropping luggage on the wet ground and leaving it lay until they have everything else loaded.

 

And when you get to the ship they use a large cage that I would estimate at 5ft x 5ft x 5ft and stack it FULL of luggage. Someones has to be on the bottom (caution-don't pack anything valuable).

 

My most recent bad experience was on the Pride last summer. I put our perfectly functioning piece of luggage out on the last night as instructed. Next morning when we claimed it at the port it was destroyed. The whole bottom wheel section was crushed. There were black tire marks on it (it was pink) . Looked like the end had been run over. I showed it to the authorities at the port and filed a claim with Carnival. Didn't get a penny. They said there was no way they did it. END OF DISCUSSION . So I had to replace it and I did not buy a good piece. In my mind I am prepared to only use it once. I am sure there are multitudes of good stories but believe me you will remember the one bad one when it happens to you.

 

I now plan on taking photos of my luggage along the way to prove its condition if anything similar happens.

 

Good luck with your luggage quest.

[Lady Librarian]

My advice (from personnal experience) is DO NOT buy good expensive lugage if you plan to travel a lot, or by plane or cruise ship. NO ONE---ANYWHERE cares about what condition your stuff ends in. I get so frustrated while sitting on a plane after boarding and seeing the baggage handlers throwing luggage around and dropping luggage on the wet ground and leaving it lay until they have everything else loaded.

 

And when you get to the ship they use a large cage that I would estimate at 5ft x 5ft x 5ft and stack it FULL of luggage. Someones has to be on the bottom (caution-don't pack anything valuable).

 

My most recent bad experience was on the Pride last summer. I put our perfectly functioning piece of luggage out on the last night as instructed. Next morning when we claimed it at the port it was destroyed. The whole bottom wheel section was crushed. There were black tire marks on it (it was pink) . Looked like the end had been run over. I showed it to the authorities at the port and filed a claim with Carnival. Didn't get a penny. They said there was no way they did it. END OF DISCUSSION . So I had to replace it and I did not buy a good piece. In my mind I am prepared to only use it once. I am sure there are multitudes of good stories but believe me you will remember the one bad one when it happens to you.

 

I now plan on taking photos of my luggage along the way to prove its condition if anything similar happens.

 

Good luck with your luggage quest.

 

On the flip side, a good luggage company will stand by their product and help you if your luggage is damaged. We have a set of luggage from Delsey that we bought nearly 10 years ago. Twice in the last few years, we had pull tabs gone missing. One call to Delsey and within a week, a set of pull tabs were sitting in our mailbox.

 

Yes, we have scuff marks on the luggage (which is red) and if anything really bad happened like the post quoted above, I would think Delsy would do something to help us out.

 

So I'd say to go for a good name brand that will stand behind their product.

Here is Delsey's website: http://www.delsey.com/

[sunny4jj]

My wife and I are looking to purchase a new set of luggage for our cruise in July. After looking at the usual places (Wal-Mart, JC Penney etc.) most of it looks like it might not hold up. So I was wondering what luggage you would recommend,that has proven to be dependable and durable enough to with stand the demands of cruise and airline travel. Please let me know where you purchased yours and the price if you don't mind sharing it. Thanks for your help.

 

We use LL Beans carryall. Have had one set for years with lots of use. Just bought a second set for a very long vacation and can hardly tell the difference between the old and the new. Very light and sturdy.

[shazzie44]

With my experience I have had expensive one's, cheap ones and anything in between and NOTHING stands up to airlines and cruise ships.

I usely fly between Australia and USA 4 times a year and brand new ones cheap or expensive come out looking the same at the other end.

I had a pink brand new Desly one and that was completely covered in black grease on one flight. I have a Kathy Van Zealand one with a V ripped in it ect, ect. Get my drift.

[Surfwench]

I highly recommend the Swiss Army line sold by Target. Very reasonable for the quality. I travel for business extensively and these pieces hold up very well. Typically my rolling carry-on will last a good 6 to 7 years before it starts looking worse for wear. I have pieces in all sizes so I can mix and match according to the trip. I find the every-directional wheels worth the extra cost.

[jaxonboy]

My wife and I are looking to purchase a new set of luggage for our cruise in July. After looking at the usual places (Wal-Mart, JC Penney etc.) most of it looks like it might not hold up. So I was wondering what luggage you would recommend,that has proven to be dependable and durable enough to with stand the demands of cruise and airline travel. Please let me know where you purchased yours and the price if you don't mind sharing it. Thanks for your help.

 

I have used travelpro luggage for many years. Look at their website to get an idea of the different choices, we usually go with a 21" carry on, and a 26" checked bag each. My wife will often use a "deluxe tote" instead of the 21" roll aboard. An advantage of travel pro is that the hardware is bolted on, and they have a complete parts catalog on the internet so you can replace anything that gets damaged, (and it will) with little expense, and the luggage will look good. Handles get ripped off, we even had a wheel get flat spotted somehow, and we were able to replace everything that was damaged, bolt on/off. Other inexpensive brands don't seem to hold up as well and can't be repaired by yourself.

 

They come with a strap so you can piggyback the little one on the big one and not have to struggle.

 

Can't tell you about prices because there are usually sales going on, but the last time, (December, 2011) we bought a crew 8 26" roll aboard suiter it was less than $150 with free shipping. Luggagepros is a good place to start. We don't go over 26" because it is too easy to exceed the 50 lb airline limit, and the clothes slop around and get wrinkled in the bigger case.

 

Put a short colorful piece of yarn or ribbon on the handle, because travel pro is very popular and you will have a hard time picking yours out. We put some red electrical tape on strategic locations, works well.

[musicgal]

I will only buy good quality spinner sets from now on because of the extremely good performance of my (now discontinued) Samsonite x'ion suitcases. I waited too long to get the spinner garment to replace my old inline garment bag- so got one in the Samsonite family and will see if the wheels hold up as well. My first bag has been on numerous trips and looks brand new, with the exception of the ID card holder which some airline handler ripped during it's first trip:rolleyes: It is also very light. Telescoping handles are well made- don't jam like the cheaper cases do sometimes.

 

The advantage to spinners is enormous in terms of convenience. We rode trains in Peru where spinners could be pushed sidewise down a narrow corridor... same thing on airport trams. When checking in you can roll your suitcase in front or to the side of you, creating a narrower and more controlled profile- and avoiding hitting other people accidentally. You can stack items on top of bags more efficiently since the bag rolls upright.

 

We keep bag sets for years when we find a wellmade bag. And we travel a lot. Had a friend ask me the other day if I ever stay home.:D

[CruzCrazy]

I saw a post on Carnival's Facebook page recently about how a lot of luggage was left out in a torrential downpour by the porters at embarkation. The soft-side luggage and its contents were soaked, and lots of passengers ended up doing laundry right away. I can't even imagine what happened to shoes and dry-clean-only items and/or formal wear in that luggage. I'm thinking of buying some hard-side luggage, which would certainly help if the luggage ever got wet. Also, the American Tourister set that I have now is about 10 years old and starting to show signs of wear. There is a 3-piece set on QVC today (their TSV) by Heys that looks pretty nice, and the price is right.

[Shaded Lady]

 

My most recent bad experience was on the Pride last summer. I put our perfectly functioning piece of luggage out on the last night as instructed. Next morning when we claimed it at the port it was destroyed. The whole bottom wheel section was crushed. There were black tire marks on it (it was pink) . Looked like the end had been run over. I showed it to the authorities at the port and filed a claim with Carnival. Didn't get a penny. They said there was no way they did it. END OF DISCUSSION.

 

I know that each circumstance is different but I had a completely opposite situation. We flew my daughter and her boyfriend into San Juan to meet us for her college graduation present cruise. We'd bought her a brand new Samsonite oversize suitcase for the trip. When it arrived in SJ it was a mess- the outside pocket zipper was broken, the top pocket was ripped. The plastic handle no longer worked right and the wheel on the bottom was broken so you could only lift this large suitcase, not roll it. Bear in mind she pulled the store tag off at the airport, it was so new... but Delta insisted that it must have been given to them in that condition and would do nothing to help her.

 

When we got on the cruiseship, Guest Services asked us to bring the suitcase down and they'd see what they could do about it, so we did. 4 days later my DD got her suitcase back- zipper fixed, pocket sewn (unusable but at least it would get no worse), the handle had been repaired somehow and they'd replaced the wheel- with a hand-made wooden replica! not very pretty but very functional! And they apologized for not being able to make it perfect and gave her a Carnival duffle bag to make up for it!

 

I'm sorry your luggage was so misused- I always think of the ad with the apes throwing the suitcases around when I see some of the luggage coming off the carousel at airports! :)

[geckog]

I have a mish mash of pieces picked up from Marshall's, Ross, and Burlington Coat Factory. For me, the swivel wheels are important. I saw a very broke piece of Heys luggage at one of those stores once, and it kinda turned me of the Heys and hard cases in general.

[gertiesmom]

Our only luggage that has held up is our luggage from kohls that we got on sale with coupons. I think it's polo or something like that. They always have sales, use a coupon and it was very affordable.

[Mxlady]

I think the only thing that is truely able to last these porters would be to buy some sheet metal get a welder and make your own carry a fork lift to move it and pray. With that being said we usually buy the sale sets in the after Thanksgiving sales and put them away until needed. Khols luggage has been the winner so far, I seem to get a couple of trips out of them before some airline or cruiseline tears it up.:eek:

[Ehpride]

My Grandma gave me a set of Pierre Cardin luggage for my high school graduation 10 years ago. This luggage has held up extraordinarily well through a trip to Europe, several flights to cruises and home, 4 cruises, and land vacations. It has a couple black marks and one little tear but nothing major by any means.

[beachbum53]

Last fall, I knew that we would need new luggage for our cruise that we took in this past May. I, like you, started asking questions and doing my own research. I narrowed down my choices to Delsey, Samsonite, and American Tourister. Of those three, American Tourister had a lot of poor customer reviews. I liked the way the Samsonite was made just a little better than the Delsey (but both are good brands). We ended up buying Samsonite luggage from Marshall's. Keeping in mind that your luggage will not stay pristeen, choose something that is well constructed and durable. Stay from off-brand cheapie luggage. And don't be surprised when your brand new luggage gets a few scrapes on it. Think of them as travel souvenirs.

[loubetti]

Ultimately, you get what you pay for, but don't pay for any "designer" luggage.

 

I've had good experience with Travel Pro, and my mother has Hartmann (excellent and expensive).

 

Did anyone mention Tumi? That's often the choice for the "road warriors". Not cheap either.

 

It all depends on how much you travel. Buy good quality at the start and the luggage might just last a life time depending upon how much you travel.

 

Another excellent choice is Zero-Halliburton. Yes, most are mostly aluminum hard sided cases, but they have other options too. I have a ZH brief case and camera case. NASA used ZH to bring the moon rocks back from the Apollo missions.

 

They can be excellent choices for a carry on, or a full case for check in. In other words, mix and match as required. I never cared about matched luggage sets. I get the best for the required job.

 

http://www.zerohalliburton.com/luggage.html

 

This one is not aluminum but polycarbonate, it is also $550 but built like a tank.

 

[CruisefromNY]

We both just got new luggage from TJ Maxx, and Marshall's I found three piecea to my new Kathy Van Zeeland in two different stores. Jeff just got some Samonite, both sets with spinner wheels.

 

I saw the hard sided luggage and loves the designs, but am not a fan of the hard sided luggage,

 

We were on the 15 Hawaii cruise where the luggage got soaked at Long Beach pier. Ours stayed dry.

I always place plastic bags in my luggage before I pack. Mostly the garment bags you get from Dress Barn or JC Penney. You can use the ones you get from the dey cleaners, too.

Travel alot, all over the country and to Europe and have never had any wet clothes.

[wizzie]

I saw a post on Carnival's Facebook page recently about how a lot of luggage was left out in a torrential downpour by the porters at embarkation. The soft-side luggage and its contents were soaked, and lots of passengers ended up doing laundry right away. I can't even imagine what happened to shoes and dry-clean-only items and/or formal wear in that luggage. I'm thinking of buying some hard-side luggage, which would certainly help if the luggage ever got wet. Also, the American Tourister set that I have now is about 10 years old and starting to show signs of wear. There is a 3-piece set on QVC today (their TSV) by Heys that looks pretty nice, and the price is right.

 

 

I make sure that all of our clothes and shoes are wrapped in plastic bags, etc. or placed in 2-1/2 gallon baggies to avoid getting wet.