locked hallways to staterooms

[cheers41]

Hi, I'm travelling on Carnival Freedom soon. I am planning on carrying on my own luggage upon boarding ship. Am I able to get into my stateroom as soon as I board? Someone told me that the hallways are locked to the staterooms, but I hope it is a different cruise line.

[caribsun]

Only Platimun, Diamond and FTTF are allowed early entrance to their cabins. Some ships will store your luggage.

[ducklite]

Check your luggage except a day bag with travel documents, jewelry, electronics, cash, medications, and any other valuables. You might want to also include a swim suit, although we've always been too busy exploring the ship to swim the first day. On the larger ships you should also bring along something to wear to dinner that night if what you wear as you board isn't suitable, in case your luggage doesn't arrive before dinner.

[navybankerteacher]

Hi, I'm travelling on Carnival Freedom soon. I am planning on carrying on my own luggage upon boarding ship. Am I able to get into my stateroom as soon as I board? Someone told me that the hallways are locked to the staterooms, but I hope it is a different cruise line.

 

No.

 

Access to cabins is restricted until they have been made ready and announcement is passed. If you board at 11:00 AM, say, you might have to wait until 1:00 PM. Do you really want to needlessly truck you baggage around with you as you explore the ship and get some lunch. Even if it is OK with you, it would be an imposition on your fellow passengers

[Mary Ellen]

Keep in mind that any luggage you carry on the ship has to fit through the security scanner. If it is larger than what you can take on a plane, it won't fit.

[fischymom]

We have always kept our carry on bags with us when getting on the ship but more and more I am finding that I do not want to drag around my purse, camera bag, and another bag. So once we arrive on ship we do some exploring but we wait until cabins open to do real exploring so that we can drop off our stuff.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Just hand your larger suitcases over to the porters and keep your valuables with you.

[donaldsc]

Hi, I'm travelling on Carnival Freedom soon. I am planning on carrying on my own luggage upon boarding ship..

 

Why?

 

DON

[Bonnie J.]

The doors to the hallways are not locked, just closed. Often the only elevators for your use take you to the lunch buffet. Some elevators are closed for passenger use as they are used to bring luggage on board. Someone will be in the hallway directing you and often a crew member will be in the elevator so you can't go to another deck.

As was said, your suitcase MUST fit in the scanner which is same size as at airports. We never take clothes in my shoulder bag as you will get your suitcase long before dinner. WE each take a carry on size and used to carry them on but it is so much easier to check them so we don't have to lug them around.

[peety3]

Keep in mind that any luggage you carry on the ship has to fit through the security scanner. If it is larger than what you can take on a plane, it won't fit.

Or you have to be ready to let them search it manually.

[sail7seas]

Why do you want to carry on your luggage?

Sure, valuables and medications should be kept in our control but your clothes can be safely checked.

[LrgPizza]

Hi, I'm travelling on Carnival Freedom soon. I am planning on carrying on my own luggage upon boarding ship. Am I able to get into my stateroom as soon as I board? Someone told me that the hallways are locked to the staterooms, but I hope it is a different cruise line.

Do not carry on your own luggage. It's completely unnecessary.

[Bonnie J.]

When you give your luggage to the porter, give then a couple of bucks- $1 or $2 per bag. Then you won't lose any luggage tags. That doesn't happen much but I have seen it happen.

[spookwife]

Hi, I'm travelling on Carnival Freedom soon. I am planning on carrying on my own luggage upon boarding ship. Am I able to get into my stateroom as soon as I board? Someone told me that the hallways are locked to the staterooms, but I hope it is a different cruise line.

 

if all you are bringing on is a carry on that's fine( but most of the time the cabin will not be accessible until noon or later. I think the norm is 1/130.

 

if you have larger bag you will NOT be allowed to bring it on board yourself.. as the x ray scanners are the same size as airport ones. I wanna say Princess is one lie that has the cabins ready immediately.

[boogs]

When you give your luggage to the porter, give then a couple of bucks- $1 or $2 per bag. Then you won't lose any luggage tags. That doesn't happen much but I have seen it happen.

 

Tipping or not tipping the porters makes no difference either way. There are people who have tipped and people who have not tipped who have had their bags "lost" and delivered late. I have never heard of luggage being permanently lost after they have been turned over to a porter. Claims that they will toss your luggage overboard or make them disappear if you don't tip them are a myth.

[Mytime2014]

Tipping or not tipping the porters makes no difference either way. There are people who have tipped and people who have not tipped who have had their bags "lost" and delivered late. I have never heard of luggage being permanently lost after they have been turned over to a porter. Claims that they will toss your luggage overboard or make them disappear if you don't tip them are a myth.

 

i was watching a sail away a month or so ago from FLL - there were two HAL ships in port and one families bags ended up on the wrong ship! Made me wonder if someone had been extra rude to the porter [surely not on embarkation day - there is no rudeness!!!]

[ducklite]

Tipping or not tipping the porters makes no difference either way. There are people who have tipped and people who have not tipped who have had their bags "lost" and delivered late. I have never heard of luggage being permanently lost after they have been turned over to a porter. Claims that they will toss your luggage overboard or make them disappear if you don't tip them are a myth.

 

 

That said, it is the polite thing to tip the porters. Contrary to public opinion, they are not paid what the stevedores are. The stevedores are the people who handle the freight on and off the ship. The forklift guys. The porters are responsible for taking and tagging your bags, and getting them to the stevedores, and their compensation is far lower.

[lady_cruiser]

That said, it is the polite thing to tip the porters. Contrary to public opinion, they are not paid what the stevedores are. The stevedores are the people who handle the freight on and off the ship. The forklift guys. The porters are responsible for taking and tagging your bags, and getting them to the stevedores, and their compensation is far lower.

 

This is interesting to know. Thanks

[fortinweb]

That said, it is the polite thing to tip the porters. Contrary to public opinion, they are not paid what the stevedores are. The stevedores are the people who handle the freight on and off the ship. The forklift guys. The porters are responsible for taking and tagging your bags, and getting them to the stevedores, and their compensation is far lower.

 

Actually, you are incorrect about that. In most ports, especially in the US, the porter jobs are bid on by the stevedores (more commonly called "longshoremen") as overtime assignments. These jobs are part time hours, and per union rules, the union members doing those jobs would have to be paid for a full day's pay, even if the passenger loading process only takes three to four hours. To circumvent that, the jobs are bid out as overtime. They usually go to seniority level union members who are already making the highest wages, sometimes well into the 6 figures with overtime.

 

Whether you tip them or not is a personal choice. But be aware that the person you are tipping may have a higher annual income than you and probably has a much better benefit package, especially pensions.

 

Disclaimer: I tip them a couple of dollars per bag. It is pocket change considering how much I will be spending for the cruise, travel expenses, excursions, etc.

Edited May 14, 2014 by fortinweb

[chengkp75]

Actually, you are incorrect about that. In most ports, especially in the US, the porter jobs are bid on by the stevedores (more commonly called "longshoremen") as overtime assignments. These jobs are part time hours, and per union rules, the union members doing those jobs would have to be paid for a full day's pay, even if the passenger loading process only takes three to four hours. To circumvent that, the jobs are bid out as overtime. They usually go to seniority level union members who are already making the highest wages, sometimes well into the 6 figures with overtime.

 

Whether you tip them or not is a personal choice. But be aware that the person you are tipping may have a higher annual income than you and probably has a much better benefit package, especially pensions.

 

Disclaimer: I tip them a couple of dollars per bag. It is pocket change considering how much I will be spending for the cruise, travel expenses, excursions, etc.

 

In days gone by, the stevedores were the workers who loaded the ship, on the ship. The longshoremen were the workers who loaded the ship, on the dock. In today's general parlance, stevedore is more commonly used to describe the company that hires the longshoremen. And, yes, generally anyone who handles "cargo" (including baggage) on a public dock in the US is a union longshoreman, and many senior members make six figure incomes, with what President Obama calls "Cadillac health plans" and 40%+ pension plans. Longshoremen are also the ones who tie up and untie the ship, and while you may see 4 men at each end of the ship on the dock, the company has paid for 6 men, and the two senior members just "phone in the job".

 

The real difference makers in when you get your bags to your cabin is the ship's crew. They, in particular the bar staff and wait staff (most venues are not open at embark, are available for schlepping bags. Another reason to leave the DSC in place. (ducking under cover now, for the tipping flames :eek:)

[ducklite]

Actually, you are incorrect about that. In most ports, especially in the US, the porter jobs are bid on by the stevedores (more commonly called "longshoremen") as overtime assignments. These jobs are part time hours, and per union rules, the union members doing those jobs would have to be paid for a full day's pay, even if the passenger loading process only takes three to four hours. To circumvent that, the jobs are bid out as overtime. They usually go to seniority level union members who are already making the highest wages, sometimes well into the 6 figures with overtime.

 

Whether you tip them or not is a personal choice. But be aware that the person you are tipping may have a higher annual income than you and probably has a much better benefit package, especially pensions.

 

Disclaimer: I tip them a couple of dollars per bag. It is pocket change considering how much I will be spending for the cruise, travel expenses, excursions, etc.

 

 

That is not the way it was explained to me by my customer at Port Canaveral. I also doubt they have a higher income or better benefits, and if they do, I don't begrudge them for having to deal with all sorts of weather.

Edited May 14, 2014 by ducklite

[YubaSutter]

That said, it is the polite thing to tip the porters. Contrary to public opinion, they are not paid what the stevedores are. The stevedores are the people who handle the freight on and off the ship. The forklift guys. The porters are responsible for taking and tagging your bags, and getting them to the stevedores, and their compensation is far lower.

 

The porters are unionized and make about $45/hr.

[fortinweb]

That is not the way it was explained to me by my customer at Port Canaveral. I also doubt they have a higher income or better benefits, and if they do, I don't begrudge them for having to deal with all sorts of weather.

 

Whether or not you believe it, it is still true. I have many people in my extended family of relatives all over the country that are in various unions, including three cousins on the East coast who are longshoremen. Don't assume you know better than they how the system works. :rolleyes:

[cruisead]

Hi, I'm travelling on Carnival Freedom soon. I am planning on carrying on my own luggage upon boarding ship. Am I able to get into my stateroom as soon as I board? Someone told me that the hallways are locked to the staterooms, but I hope it is a different cruise line.

 

Can't get into your cabin early, and sometimes it's even later than 1 if there's any kind of inspections. The fire doors are locked.

 

Your luggage must fit through an airport size scanner---larger bags won't fit.

 

No reason to carry your bags on board. It's just a big hassle.

[navybankerteacher]

That is not the way it was explained to me by my customer at Port Canaveral. I also doubt they have a higher income or better benefits, and if they do, I don't begrudge them for having to deal with all sorts of weather.

 

You have customers at Port Canaveral who are longshoremen?

 

The fact is: unions have a pretty strong lock on virtually everything that goes on at marine cargo and passenger terminals.