Definition of Carry On Luggage

[Pete Wells]

My wife and I are booked on the Oosterdam to Alaska on 2 August. Although we have traveled extensively through the US and Europe, we have never cruised before. I read in the blogs that once should take a carry on with you when you board and check the rest of the baggage. Because we are primarily air travelers, we normally travel with a roll-a-board and a personal item. This time, we are also checking a large suitcase.

 

Should we board with the roll-a-board and the personal item while checking the large suitcase or should we restrict ourselves to the personal item (computer bag for me and makeup bag for her)?

 

Pete Wells

[summer slope]

We check all our bags except the one with the laptop and personal items. Makes it easier to just have one small bag to carry around if our cabin is not ready.

[POA1]

That sounds about right. Your carry on needs to fit through a security scanning machine, and you have to be able to transport it yourself. We usually have a small rolling suitcase each. I top mine with my computer bag. DW has a zippered tote that stacks on hers.

 

We also have our wine with us. It's a two handed affair.

Edited April 12, 2015 by POA1

[sail7seas]

If your roll aboard contains valuable electronics, needed Rx medications, jewelry and the like, roll it on the ship with you. If it contains clothes and other mundane items, check it if you wish.

 

Anything you carry on must be of a size that fits in a regular airport type scanner.

[JCrewz]

Pete:

 

I hope you really enjoy your first cruise. If you are traveling on your own to the pier, there will be porters to take your bag(s). You will want to have your luggage tag on the baggage so the crew will know which room to send it to. You will be without your "checked in" luggage for a few hours. It will show up in your room at some point after you check in.

 

The only point to having a small carry-on or two, in my opinion, is to have the items that may be fragile, your papers to check in with, a carton of sodas, your allowed bottle of wine, cameras, binoculars, etc. While it is often necessary to have your share of carry on items, the less the better.

 

Your cabin may not be available as soon as you check in. You will want to have your hands as free as possible to start exploring the ship and, more importantly, to eat at the Lido deck buffet. Check all of the luggage that you can. Hold on to valuables and passports. Have a lot of fun.

[Pete Wells]

Thanks. Since we fly a lot, the roll-a-boards fit through the scanners and the personnel items comfortably attach for rolling through airports so we should be good just checking the one large suitcase.

 

Thank you all for the advice. We're looking forward to our 1st cruise and to visiting Alaska.

[POA1]

Have a great cruise Pete! Alaska is truly stunning, and we think a HAL cruise is a great way to experience it.

[Susie51]

We check all our bags except the one with the laptop and personal items. Makes it easier to just have one small bag to carry around if our cabin is not ready.

 

We do the same thing.

[DaveOKC]

On a recent cruise we had a VERY tight airline connection and I was concerned about our luggage not making it, so we ended up checking one large bag and took two carryons on the plane. Of course, all went fine with the airline.

 

When we got to the port, I just gave all 3 bags to the porter, even though my DW thought we should take the 2 carryons on ourselves. Well, naturally it took FOREVER to get our bags onboard - we were the last ones on our deck to get ours (we supposedly had Priority luggage service) and by the time they arrived (after muster drill even though we were the first ones onboard), I was certain they had gotten lost somehow (all my DW's fault of course)!

 

So, next time I am going to take any carryons onboard myself!

Edited April 12, 2015 by DaveOKC

[serendipity1499]

We always put a complete change of clothes in our carry on luggage, especially long pants & clean shirt for my husband & slacks or skirt & blouse for me, just in case we don't get our luggage in time for dinner, (which is rarely).. Sometimes airlines loose luggage, so were careful about checking bags when we fly to the port.. In addition, we cross pack in all our suitcases in case one is missing..

 

We carry our own meds, shaver & some personal toiletries ourselves as well as all valuables such as laptops, all my jewelry, phones etc..

 

My carry on is a 21 inch roll on & my purse holds passports, money, credit cards, cell phone etc. & DH's roll on is just a 21 inch & possibly our lap top.. Anything larger we check..

 

You will never forget your first cruise & hope you have a fantastic time..:D:D[

 

Alaska is awesome!/SIZE]

Edited April 12, 2015 by serendipity1499

[Krazy Kruizers]

Congratulations on booking your first and to Alaska.

We have small carry-ons for prescriptions, camera, etc.

As a rule HAL has the cabins ready by 11:30 so that once you are on the ship, you can take your carry-ons to your cabin and drop them off. That way you don't have to lug them to lunch or to whatever you want to do.

[xlxo]

Yes, I too feel about bringing at least one piece of carry-on that fits an airline scanner. Wheeled is preferred so it's not so heavy. Unlike a plane.... there is no weight limit, so I unzip the expansion joint and load it with bevvies and valuable electronics.

 

My wife and I are booked on the Oosterdam to Alaska on 2 August.

Looking at your date.... August 2nd is a Vancouver departure during the peak congestion of the Pride Parade.

http://vancouverpride.ca/events/pride-parade/

 

If you are not staying at one of the cruise ship terminals (Pan Pacific, Fairmont Waterfront, or Fairmont Pacific Rim)... do seriously budget extra time to get into the cruise terminal after 11am. I expect major downtown grid lock.

 

There is also traffic congestion the night before for the annual fireworks competition between 5pm and midnight.

Edited April 12, 2015 by xlxo

[Typhoon1]

If it fits through the X=ray machine, you are free to carry it aboard.

[Pete Wells]

Well, the festivities will certainly make getting from the airport to the hotel more time consuming. We land at 6:30 PM. We are staying at the Delta Vancouver Suites and that doesn't seem to be too far from the terminal.

[Boytjie]

When we got to the port, I just gave all 3 bags to the porter, even though my DW thought we should take the 2 carryons on ourselves. Well, naturally it took FOREVER to get our bags onboard - we were the last ones on our deck to get ours (we supposedly had Priority luggage service) and by the time they arrived (after muster drill even though we were the first ones onboard), I was certain they had gotten lost somehow (all my DW's fault of course)!

 

What is Priority luggage service?

[DaveOKC]

What is Priority luggage service?

 

We were in a suite and our HAL luggage tags had the word PRIORITY on them in a yellow and black color.

[HealthyTouch101]

We only travel with carry-on luggage. Even if we check it on a flight, it meets the criteria. Easy enough to pack for 12 days. Haven't tested it for more.

 

We then carry it onto the ship, which is little issue. We leave it in the room and go have lunch. Then we unpack. When we leave, we have it all with us, so no looking for luggage, which is not that hard, to be honest. We just like keeping it simple.

[sail7seas]

We were in a suite and our HAL luggage tags had the word PRIORITY on them in a yellow and black color.

 

Wow,,,,, this is the first I ever heard of this.

We were always in Neptune Suites, are Five Star Mariners and never had Priority Luggage tags. :D I guess it didn't mean much seeing you waited for the luggage. :eek:

 

[DaveOKC]

Wow,,,,, this is the first I ever heard of this.

We were always in Neptune Suites, are Five Star Mariners and never had Priority Luggage tags. :D I guess it didn't mean much seeing you waited for the luggage. :eek:

 

 

First time we ever had it as well - maybe thats why they were so late - the crew did not know what to do with them!

[take us away]

You should have an awesome time - what a great adventure for your 1st cruise. Recommend you bring your roller bags with you when you get on the ship. The terminal's scanner should be just like an airport's scanner. If you are like most people, you will have your bathroom 'stuff', drugs, jewelry, electronics, Kindles, cameras, etc in there so keep it with you. We also pack the 1st night's dinner clothes and the 1st full sailing day clothes so we do not have to worry about getting our luggage before dinner or have to feel rushed to unpack.

[Pete Wells]

Thanks. We're looking forward to it.

[PathfinderEss]

Wow,,,,, this is the first I ever heard of this.

We were always in Neptune Suites, are Five Star Mariners and never had Priority Luggage tags. :D I guess it didn't mean much seeing you waited for the luggage. :eek:

 

 

Sails, it is something new Hal is doing. We got them on our last cruise. I presume for suite passengers, we didn't see any difference in service.

[ithaca gal]

We drive to the port so we are not restricted to carry-ons. We each have a 25 inch suitcase and then I have a totebag and my husband has his computer bag. Everything fits in the scanner and we carry it on ourselves. The way we figure it, what we don't give to someone else can't be lost!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Wow,,,,, this is the first I ever heard of this.

We were always in Neptune Suites, are Five Star Mariners and never had Priority Luggage tags. :D I guess it didn't mean much seeing you waited for the luggage. :eek:

 

 

These new tags appeared around the first of this year.

We had them for our PS on the Zuiderdam in February/March. All PS and Neptune Suites get them.

We didn't see any difference in when luggage was delivered. Luggage arrived about 1/2 hour before lifeboat drill so we only got partially unpacked before the drill.