Luggage Tags New Cruisers Beware

[mollyeilis]

I didn't know any mass market cruise line still

mailed luggage tags free.

 

Disney does. Of course, you're paying through the nose for them. They just aren't a line item on the invoice.

 

Take a screen shot of it and you don't even have to turn on your data or wifi

.

 

If you have an iphone add the boarding pass to your Passbook. No data or wifi. Not sure what to do with Android etc.

[KiwiGal117]

This is somewhat off topic, but if you book through a TA do they generally print out the docs and send to you? My prior cruise that came after this $35 change was booked directly. My next cruise, we booked through a TA.

[davekathy]

The issue is that it was free by mail before they decided to charge 35$ for it. I get my insurance declaration every 6 months with more pages and is free. For some reason Royal decided to stop sending their documents for free and charge $35 for it. I still can figure out how 10 pages and 2 for luggage a tag plus envelop and stamp for regular mail cost 36$.

 

As Bob Daylen sings "the times they are a changin".

[davekathy]

This is somewhat off topic, but if you book through a TA do they generally print out the docs and send to you? My prior cruise that came after this $35 change was booked directly. My next cruise, we booked through a TA.

 

Our TA doesn't!

Edited February 27, 2016 by davekathy

[Cindy]

My DH and I are scheduled for Grandeur of the Seas on March 20. We are Diamond members on Royal and the equivalent on Celebrity. We had not received our luggage tags yet so I called Crown and Anchor today. Was told it now costs $35.00 for luggage tags. We knew we could print them off or get ones at the dock. You can also buy cheap clear plastic tag holders on line. On our last Celebrity cruise, we got the nice tags in the mail so we were not aware this new cost! I asked to speak to the supervisor who gave me the same price. I was just shocked. New cruisers, dont spend the money. Not worth it!

Royal, shame on you as this is indicative of more penny pinching like the huge increase on alcoholic beverages on board with added 18% gratuity.

 

Celebrity is the only line I've sailed in the last few years that still sends luggage tags. RCI, HAL, Princess, and Carnival all require you to print your own. With the exception of Royal Caribbean, even suite guests print their own.

 

It's not a big deal. In the general scheme of things, it's certainly not worth getting all worked up because you have to print tags.

[BND]

I'm not sure why there is so much outrage about this considering it has been this way for several years. We print our tags, use the clear tag holders and go. No big deal, at all, not even a blip.

 

It's just luggage tags and it's hardly been noticed by most people. No one makes anyone spend $35 to get tags as everything you need, tags, documents, etc. you can print yourself.

[Anton]

Royal, shame on you as this is indicative of more penny pinching like the huge increase on alcoholic beverages on board with added 18% gratuity.

 

Celebrity charges 18% gratuities on drinks too.

[DrD]

I was one of those who was mad went they stopped sending that stuff.

 

But I actually like the present system much better because you don't have to worry about losing them. Just print them again. And now one can access e-mail and print off stuff from any business center, so if you leave them home it's no problem, just print them at your hotel or wherever.

 

Now when I travel I have all my docs on iPad as PDF, and also copies on Dropbox. So as long as I can get internet I have access. And that includes copies of passports, credit cards, etc. Very secure feeling.

[N41EF]

Disney still does the mailed documents, in a small spiral bound book. There are usually 4 bag tag stickers similar to airline tags, preprinted with name and cabin number.

[mr walker]

When you fly, you use your phone screen or print your boarding pass at home.

 

Or when you buy tickets to shows and movies and concerts etc, they send your tickets as pdf via email & you print them or scan your phone at the venue.

Some sellers still have provision to mail tickets out, or collect 'real' tickets at the box office, but they have a surcharge on them.

 

This is modern life. And it's still a thrill when you get word that your e-docs are available & you can print your tags!!!

[RocketMan275]

We were in a suite on Oasis last November so we did receive the complementary (free) luggage tags. Guys, these tags are so overrated. Just like the ones you print for yourself. They're really nothing to get excited about. We would certainly not take the trouble to request them again.

[Clarea]

This is somewhat off topic, but if you book through a TA do they generally print out the docs and send to you? My prior cruise that came after this $35 change was booked directly. My next cruise, we booked through a TA.

Been booking with a TA for years, never got the paper docs except once when Royal could not get our electronic docs to post to the website and they send the paper docs for free.

[Big_G]

...and all this time the tags were only $35. Thinking of all the money I could have saved. [emoji33][emoji1]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Desert Cruizers]

Our TA would normally print out everything for us, but she knows I take care of it so she assists others with their Set Sail Pass etc. I figure I can do it just as easily as she can, so let her help others who might need her assistance in that matter.

[actuarian]

I didn't know any mass market cruise line still

mailed luggage tags free.

 

Disney still does and, as the OP pointed out, so does Celebrity. Whether those are "mass market cruise lines" is unclear.

[Paulxyz2004]

The issue is that it was free by mail before they decided to charge 35$ for it. I get my insurance declaration every 6 months with more pages and is free. For some reason Royal decided to stop sending their documents for free and charge $35 for it. I still can figure out how 10 pages and 2 for luggage a tag plus envelop and stamp for regular mail cost 36$.

 

I´ve said this before and it´s true here as well - There is nothing for free!

 

 

The docs they sent were included in your cruise fare and I am grateful they got away with paperdocs being included in my cruise fare. Those who want or Need them great they have an Option to pay for the Service. I prefer the edocs and would have even paid them in the past to get edocs over paper docs.

 

If you think your insurance gives you anything for free I have an ocean front property in Arizona to sell to you.

[Mark-Sheffield]

We get our luggage tags sent to us for being in a suite, but in any event our travel agent has also offered to print the tags off for us as well.

[FLACRUISER99]

Thank you for being so gracious and understanding about my ignorance. Our last few cruises have been with Celebrity and they indeed have sent us the luggage tags. It was fun to do the doc dance. I am sure Celebrity will follow soon with the same policy to save money. I was suprised about how some of you (not all) were very rude. I truly appreciate those who were polite and informative. Thank you!

When you use words like "beware" in your title about a policy that has been in effect for years and used by most other mass market lines you automatically put folks on the defensive!

[goneclear]

Been booking with a TA for years, never got the paper docs except once when Royal could not get our electronic docs to post to the website and they send the paper docs for free.

 

Same as us. Travel agent usually sends a link to the docs when they are ready but I have usually accessed them by then through my account.

 

In recent years we have been staying in GS's and still have never received the free printed docs and tags. I just put it down that they don't post to the Caribbean. Never called or made an issue of it. I have a printer :)

[Clarea]

Same as us. Travel agent usually sends a link to the docs when they are ready but I have usually accessed them by then through my account.

 

In recent years we have been staying in GS's and still have never received the free printed docs and tags. I just put it down that they don't post to the Caribbean. Never called or made an issue of it. I have a printer :)

It's funny, it's all what you get used to.

 

I was disappointed when they stopped sending the adhesive tags. Didn't want to pay extra, so I printed the tags and attached them with tag holders I bought on Amazon. Many cruises later, we were in a suite, so were eligible for the free mailed tags, so I got them. Put the adhesive tags on our bags and they felt flimsy to me, like it would be easy to tear off. I went back to the downloaded paper tags in the tag holders.

Edited February 27, 2016 by clarea

[CRUISEFAN0001]

It's funny, it's all what you get used to.

 

I was disappointed when they stopped sending the adhesive tags. Didn't want to pay extra, so I printed the tags and attached them with tag holders I bought on Amazon. Many cruises later, we were in a suite, so were eligible for the free mailed tags, so I got them. Put the adhesive tags on our bags and they felt flimsy to me, like it would be easy to tear off. I went back to the downloaded paper tags in the tag holders.

I think you're first sentence says it all Bob!

 

In our case...we await our cruise documents PDF package online...when its ready...I print and save it.

 

I also have a small program someone developed years ago that takes the cruise docs and "strips out" the page with the luggage tags to create from 1-4 tags that can even be personalized our names on them.

 

Those paper tags then get inserted into the clear Cruise Critic tags and attached once we're at the port.

 

The whole process to end up with a Cruise Critic clear tag containing a colored tag inside (the cruise line-issued one) with our deck number, cabin number, and name -- it takes perhaps 3-4 minutes. Easy Peasy...and it looks good and works well every cruise.

Edited February 27, 2016 by CRUISEFAN0001

[Paul65]

Don't take it personal. Many times you have to filter the helpful responses from the unhelpful.

 

Sometimes true. In this case, I don't think there were any responses that were "very rude." About as rude as it got was some people saying they were surprised the OP wasn't aware, because of how long this policy has been in place.

[Aquahound]

But I actually like the present system much better because you don't have to worry about losing them. Just print them again. And now one can access e-mail and print off stuff from any business center, so if you leave them home it's no problem, just print them at your hotel or wherever.

 

I like the present system too. I made a one time purchase of luggage tag holders for only a few bucks and I've been using them ever since....on all cruise lines except Celebrity. It's actually better because the tags are more secure now and don't get ripped off accidentally by the handlers.

[Paul65]

I like the present system too. I made a one time purchase of luggage tag holders for only a few bucks and I've been using them ever since....on all cruise lines except Celebrity. It's actually better because the tags are more secure now and don't get ripped off accidentally by the handlers.

 

I think the current print-your-own system works well, too, and I have never even bothered with buying luggage tag holders. I just fold them as instructed, wrap around a handle and secure with a little clear packing tape. Not that the tags are expensive or anything - just never thought them necessary.

[susancruzs]

Wow, four pages! :) An interesting read though! :D Someone mentioned the plastic carriers, the wide ones Princess uses works fine for RCI, even though tags are narrower.

 

When I moved from Illinois to Wisc. 8 years ago, I gave up my printer thinking I didn't need it. After not cruising for 5 years, I missed cruising so I bought a printer to print my stuff! Local library up here in NE Wisconsin did not have a color printer (now they do).

 

I didn't think much about it. I like going to the website, looking at info, not having to wait for the mail. When I think back to all my cruises (since 1982), I don't remember keeping much out of the stuff the cruise line sent, filled out a form, used the luggage tags, probably threw the rest out.