San Pedro luggage valet, PCL post cruise

[The Bun Mom]

Hi Everyone,

 

Has anyone used Princess Cruises luggage valet service upon return to San Pedro? Their website says you need to claim your luggage first, then past customs and go to a predetermined drop off point to leave your bag being shipped. But my dilemma is: we're booked on PCL transfer to LAX post cruise. So how do we go through customs and find the drop-off location without missing our transport bus?? :confused:

 

If anyone has first hand experience with this service at San Pedro port, please help!! We have to book the service, like -- in two days fi we're going to use it! :eek:

 

Thanks so much!

[Cruisin' Chick]

Isn't it either or? I have never used the Princess transfer but wouldn't taking care of your luggage to get it to the airport be included?

[Astro Flyer]

Isn't it either or? I have never used the Princess transfer but wouldn't taking care of your luggage to get it to the airport be included?

Are you thinking of the Princess transfer or EZCheck opinions?

 

The OP is asking about the Luggage Valet service that ships bags via DHL:

 

http://www.princess.com/learn/answer/before_you_leave/luggage.html

 

"For post-cruise shipments' date=' you will be instructed to follow standard disembarkation procedures, which requires you to proceed through immigration and customs formalities. A drop-off area for Princess Luggage Valet will be located just outside the customs area. [b']You will receive specific instructions onboard regarding your disembarkation and specific drop-off location, as this may vary from port to port[/b]".

 

'The Bun Mom'...I don't think that many passengers use this service so you may have to inquire about the procedure on the ship. The way I read it, everything is the same except you drop off your luggage between exiting the cruise terminal & boarding the bus.

Edited September 8, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[The Bun Mom]

Isn't it either or? I have never used the Princess transfer but wouldn't taking care of your luggage to get it to the airport be included?

 

Sorry - I perhaps should have made my request more concise. I meant we are considering using the PCL luggage valet service' date=' which is designed to have an EXTRA piece of luggage that we do not want to have to haul around through the airports ourselves, picked up at home and delivered to the ship, then reversed at the end of the cruise.

 

So outbound - no problems -- the extra bag will be in our cabin we when board the ship in San Pedro. (Sweet! :D)

 

But upon our return to San Pedro port, I am requesting first-hand info from someone who can advise me exactly how PCL will deal with the extra bag to be shipped back home via this (rather pricey!) service.

 

The CC forum of 2013 indicates it was a breeze from Venice to the USA -- they were given the shipping label on board, and simply put the bag outside the cabin door as usual, and it was shipped home with no effort no their part.

 

[i']HOWEVER --- [/i]this contradicts the PCL website that says we must claim that EXTRA bag at the port along with our other bags, prior to passing through Customs. Then, after clearing Customs with all our luggage, we need to find a special PCL drop-off location to leave the EXTRA bag for shipment home via their service.

 

Seems to me the homebound part of this defeats the whole concept of the service. And my concern is that having to deal with an extra bag (that we thought would be handled without any cares on our part) may cause us to miss our pre-arranged PCL bus transfer to the airport, especially if we have to go hunting around for the drop-off location.

 

Does anyone have info they can offer to assist on this?

 

Thanks much!

[The Bun Mom]

Are you thinking of the Princess transfer or EZCheck opinions?

 

The OP is asking about the Luggage Valet service that ships bags via DHL:

 

http://www.princess.com/learn/answer/before_you_leave/luggage.html

 

"For post-cruise shipments, you will be instructed to follow standard disembarkation procedures, which requires you to proceed through immigration and customs formalities. A drop-off area for Princess Luggage Valet will be located just outside the customs area. You will receive specific instructions onboard regarding your disembarkation and specific drop-off location, as this may vary from port to port".

 

'The Bun Mom'...I don't think that many passengers use this service so you may have to inquire about the procedure on the ship. The way I read it, everything is the same except you drop off your luggage between exiting the cruise terminal & boarding the bus.

 

Thanks, Astro-Flyer. You are likely correct that many people don't use the service. But it's a real blessing when you're headed out on a long cruise and don't want to schlepp a lot of bags through the terminals. I'm under the impression it all is amazingly seamless --- but if we still have to struggle with the extra piece in the cruise terminal and Customs, well --- maybe we should just arrange an outbound one-way transit, and just continue the struggle through LAX! :(

 

I'd really love to hear from someone who has actually used this particular PCL service in San Pedro, and can clue me in as to where that "drop-off location" might be, how long it takes to walk there with luggage in tow, will the bus wait for us, etc etc.

 

I appreciate your feedback, though, and yes - ITA - Maui IS the best! :D

 

Aloha nui loa

[Astro Flyer]

I've never needed EZCheck to LAX since we drive to the Port of LA but I seem to recall reading on CC that it may not be available in LA.

 

If so, I don't understand why not...pay $20 to get a boarding pass & leave your luggage outside your cabin on the last night & get it from the luggage carousel at your destination is another way to not have to schlep around our luggage.

 

Yes, Maui NKO :)

Edited September 9, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[notentirelynormal]

I've never needed EZCheck to LAX since we drive to the Port of LA but I seem to recall reading on CC that it may not be available in LA.

 

If so, I don't understand why not...pay $20 to get a boarding pass & leave your luggage outside your cabin on the last night & get it from the luggage carousel at your destination is another way to not have to schlep around our luggage.

 

Yes, Maui NKO :)

 

I think you are thinking about something else. They don't want to get it to or from the airport. They want it shipped directly from their cabin to their home with no other touching from them involved. For the beginning of their cruise they will have it picked up at their home and won't see it again until it arrives at their cabin. That way they are only handling two suitcases instead of three. Forget the $20. This service could cost in the hundreds. Overseas shipping is not cheap or fast.

[The Bun Mom]

I think you are thinking about something else. They don't want to get it to or from the airport. They want it shipped directly from their cabin to their home with no other touching from them involved. For the beginning of their cruise they will have it picked up at their home and won't see it again until it arrives at their cabin. That way they are only handling two suitcases instead of three. Forget the $20. This service could cost in the hundreds. Overseas shipping is not cheap or fast.

 

And you'd be "Entirely" correct! Ha! (Don't get that $20 reference from Astro, though. Golly if it was that cheap, they'd be beating people off with a stick!)

 

Since this is an all-domestic USA shipping deal, it should be pretty easy. I just don't understand how it works when the cruise is over. Yes - we will have been in foreign countries on the cruise. But if the US citizens in the 2013 CC post could leave the bag to be shipped outside their cabin door with a freight slip on it, and it gets sent from Venice to the US, why do we now have to deal with the extra bag all through the port of San Pedro?

[notentirelynormal]

And you'd be "Entirely" correct! Ha! (Don't get that $20 reference from Astro, though. Golly if it was that cheap, they'd be beating people off with a stick!)

 

The $20 fee refers to people that put their suitcase outside their cabin on the last night. Their bag is picked up and taken to the airport, checked in and you don't see it again until you land at your ending airport. So, if I cruise from FLL and live in LA I place my bags outside my cabin door and pick them up at the luggage carousel at LAX. The only distance I carry my bag is from carousel to car to front door.

[The Bun Mom]

The $20 fee refers to people that put their suitcase outside their cabin on the last night. Their bag is picked up and taken to the airport, checked in and you don't see it again until you land at your ending airport. So, if I cruise from FLL and live in LA I place my bags outside my cabin door and pick them up at the luggage carousel at LAX. The only distance I carry my bag is from carousel to car to front door.

 

Oh wow!!!! 16 cruises under our belts and I never knew THAT was an option!!! (Of course, we usualy drive to our cruises, tho.) But for the next flight, I will most definitely be booking that...IF it still exists!

 

Thanks for "'splaining it me, Lucy". :D

 

 

Meanwhile --- is there ANYONE out there that's done the PCL Luggage Valet (handled by Luggage Forward) into and out of San Pedro????

[notentirelynormal]

Oh wow!!!! 16 cruises under our belts and I never knew THAT was an option!!! (Of course, we usualy drive to our cruises, tho.) But for the next flight, I will most definitely be booking that...IF it still exists!

 

Thanks for "'splaining it me, Lucy". :D

 

 

Meanwhile --- is there ANYONE out there that's done the PCL Luggage Valet (handled by Luggage Forward) into and out of San Pedro????

 

It still exists. Years ago, my moron son put out six items with four luggage tags. When we got to LAX his car seat didn't appear. Umm, that's because you didn't apply a luggage tag. Ohhhh but they only gave me four! Yup, still in FLL. It is the best thing since sliced bread. You are welcome Ricky! It is not available in all airports but if you check out the website you will figure it out. For example, not in Vancouver because there are immigration/custom issues.

 

For us, traveling with a group, it is a great thing. The only thing we had to worry about was our carry on items. When you have small children and all the crap that goes with them it makes travel so much easier.

Edited September 9, 2015 by notentirelynormal