Luggage Tags on Viking

[Scootoir]

I was encouraged to repost here so Viking passengers could weigh in.  DH and I will be on our first ocean cruise this summer and I have read references to luggage tags and special holders for them.  As I understand it the Cruise Line will put tags on our luggage to get the bags to our room.  We are sailing with Viking Ocean and our room will be available when we land and Viking transports us from the airport.  May we take our bags to our cabin ourselves?  If not do we need special holders to protect the luggage tags?  We travel light with rolling carry-on sized bags and a smaller bag that stacks (each).

[ropomo]

Viking will provide tags with your final docs about a month before you leave.  However, you may hand carry what ever you wish to your cabin.

[cocopico]

23 minutes ago, Scootoir said:

I was encouraged to repost here so Viking passengers could weigh in.  DH and I will be on our first ocean cruise this summer and I have read references to luggage tags and special holders for them.  As I understand it the Cruise Line will put tags on our luggage to get the bags to our room.  We are sailing with Viking Ocean and our room will be available when we land and Viking transports us from the airport.  May we take our bags to our cabin ourselves?  If not do we need special holders to protect the luggage tags?  We travel light with rolling carry-on sized bags and a smaller bag that stacks (each).

Viking mails you pre-printed luggage tags with your name and cabin number that you put on your luggage when you pick it up from baggage claim.  They don’t require any special cases — they just wrap around the luggage handle. The Viking reps at the airport will take the bags you want them to transport and the next time you see them will be in your cabin.  (The bags typically arrive in your room sometime after you get there, depending on your time of embarkation.  It can be several hours.)  If you don’t want the baggage handlers to deal with your smaller bags, keep them with you and you will have the choice of giving them to the bus driver to put in the under-the-bus storage area or you can keep them and carry them on the bus. There is typically only very small overhead storage on the bus, so if you’re taking your carry-on, don’t expect it to fit up there. Keep in mind that all the stuff you keep with you will have to go through security screening in the port departure area or on the ship as you board, depending on local arrangements.  I think most folks just give their large suitcases to the Viking folks to deal with and are happy to have them show up in their cabin.  With carryon-size bags, some people keep them with them and let the driver put them in the bus storage compartment.  I tend to have camera gear in my carryon, so that stays with me on the bus.  From your description, it sounds like you could “check” your carryons with the bus driver and take your smaller bags on board with you if you don’t want Viking to handle them for you. 

[Ready to Sail!]

They are nice tags. 

[cocopico]

47 minutes ago, Ready to Sail! said:

They are nice tags. 

These are leather luggage tags that Viking gives passengers as gifts. They are not the baggage tags that are used to identify your bags for transfer to your cabin.  The transfer tags, which you attach after retrieving your bags, are pre-printed with your name and cabin number. They are also colored coded (and disposable).  

[Ready to Sail!]

4 minutes ago, cocopico said:

These are leather luggage tags that Viking gives passengers as gifts. They are not the baggage tags that are used to identify your bags for transfer to your cabin.  The transfer tags, which you attach after retrieving your bags, are pre-printed with your name and cabin number. They are also colored coded (and disposable).  

yes, after I sent the above I realized that I was mixing up the two.  Well, the printed ones with cabin # etc. Viking sends are nice also, better than some we have had to print out ourselves with other lines.  

[Peregrina651]

17 hours ago, Scootoir said:

I was encouraged to repost here so Viking passengers could weigh in.  DH and I will be on our first ocean cruise this summer and I have read references to luggage tags and special holders for them.  As I understand it the Cruise Line will put tags on our luggage to get the bags to our room.  We are sailing with Viking Ocean and our room will be available when we land and Viking transports us from the airport.  May we take our bags to our cabin ourselves?  If not do we need special holders to protect the luggage tags?  We travel light with rolling carry-on sized bags and a smaller bag that stacks (each).

 

While I almost categorically refuse to hand my luggage over to the airlines, I gladly hand over our carry-ons to Viking for transport. Not the bags with our drugs and electronics, just the suitcases that contain our clothing. At the end of a long journey, I'm  just as happy not to be bothered, especially if we have Viking transfers. 

 

On the other hand, we have also carried our own luggage on board. Your luggage does have to be scanned first. In Barcelona, it is scanned as you walk in the door of the terminal before check in and thus we kept it with us. However, in Rome they collected our luggage at check in to scan and deliver to our cabin. 

 

In other words, you may or may not have the choice and if you don't, at least you have some assurance that you will see your bags again. 

 

P.S. Do not attach the personalized baggage tags until you are ready to hand your bags over to Viking. They can tear off in transit and they advertise too much personal information. 

 

 

Edited May 6, 2019 by Peregrina651

[Cienfuegos]

Having a small carry on with swim suit and Sun block is helpful on embarkation day.

[Scootoir]

This is all really helpful info for us, thank you.

[Peregrina651]

19 hours ago, Cienfuegos said:

Having a small carry on with swim suit and Sun block is helpful on embarkation day.

 

And a change of underwear (even if you do just carry-on luggage, just in case you are forced to check a bag) and if you have room in the "personal items" after you have filled them with your jewels, electronics and drugs, a change of outfit.

[Scootoir]

Just an FYI the cruise begins in Bergen Norway and our flight lands about 4:30 in the afternoon.  That's why I was hoping to be able to change clothes before dinner since we will have been wearing them since leaving home the day before.  Our ship remains docked in Bergen until early evening the next day so we have a full day there and a cushion should either of our flights be delayed.

[agnesd]

We are arranging our own airfare to Montreal.  Can we arrange pickup with Viking-or do we have to arrange our own transport. 

[Granny27]

41 minutes ago, Scootoir said:

Just an FYI the cruise begins in Bergen Norway and our flight lands about 4:30 in the afternoon.

This is our schedule also... July 20, Into the Midnight Sun.

[cocopico]

17 minutes ago, agnesd said:

We are arranging our own airfare to Montreal.  Can we arrange pickup with Viking-or do we have to arrange our own transport. 

You can purchase transfers from Viking and they will take care of getting you and your luggage from the airport to the ship, providing your arrival fits in their schedule of arrivals.  It generally costs $50 per person, so may or may not be a good deal depending on taxi or other transportation costs and whether you feel comfortable doing it on your own.  If you decide to do it, you generally need confirm with Viking and complete and return a Viking Transfer Request Form with all your flight information more than 30 days from your cruise departure.  Call Viking Customer Service to confirm details and deadlines.  

[agnesd]

Thanks for the info.  I think we can do better on our own.  

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, agnesd said:

Thanks for the info.  I think we can do better on our own.  

 

And probably get there quicker in the bargain.

 

[Dauntless]

8 hours ago, agnesd said:

Thanks for the info.  I think we can do better on our own.  

 

In Bergen, yes you can.  The Flybussen leaves from the airport and goes as far as the Radison Blu which is the hotel Viking uses and fro there you will the ship is a short walk.  I forget the price but you can pay by card on the bus

[bobitegirl]

We, too are arriving in Bergen for the Into The MIdnight Sun cruise on Jul 20.  Have arranged our own flights and will have a night in a hotel the night before boarding the ship.  So just wondering about luggage. Assume we will  just show up at the ship with all of our luggage.  WE plan to take the light rail from the airport to our hotel and then either walk or get a taxi to the ship.  

[cocopico]

5 hours ago, bobitegirl said:

We, too are arriving in Bergen for the Into The MIdnight Sun cruise on Jul 20.  Have arranged our own flights and will have a night in a hotel the night before boarding the ship.  So just wondering about luggage. Assume we will  just show up at the ship with all of our luggage.  WE plan to take the light rail from the airport to our hotel and then either walk or get a taxi to the ship.  

Yep, just show up with your luggage and Viking will get it on board — it has to be screened for security.  

[zitsky]

I have luggage tag holders bought for NCL.  Does anyone know the size of the Viking luggage tags, or a picture?  I'm wondering if I can/should reuse my luggage tags.  Somewhere I think I have the Viking tags for airline use.

[Scootoir]

Received our cruise packet this week and the Viking luggage strips for the cruise are very sturdy paper, 2"x8.75".  There are also 2 red leather(ette?) tags that buckle onto your checked luggage for the flight.  Not sure we'll use the latter as our bags are already tagged.

Edited May 31, 2019 by Scootoir

[Dauntless]

1 hour ago, Scootoir said:

Received our cruise packet this week and the Viking luggage strips for the cruise are very sturdy paper, 2"x8.75".  There are also 2 red leather(ette?) tags that buckle onto your checked luggage for the flight.  Not sure we'll use the latter as our bags are already tagged.

 

So on my 2 cruises with Viking, I never saw those strips.  Using the red leather tags is up to you but it does make it easy for Viking people if they are trying to identify your luggage.  I used Viking air the last time but since I deviated there were no Viking people dealing with my luggage at the airport. 

[Peregrina651]

19 minutes ago, Dauntless said:

 

So on my 2 cruises with Viking, I never saw those strips.  Using the red leather tags is up to you but it does make it easy for Viking people if they are trying to identify your luggage.  I used Viking air the last time but since I deviated there were no Viking people dealing with my luggage at the airport. 

 

That's strange. Something similar has been in every packet I've gotten even if I was deviating. Even if you don't hand over your luggage until you get to the cruise terminal, they are the tags that Viking uses to get your luggage to your cabin.

 

What I don't understand about the tags in Scootoir's picture is that they are solid black and not the bright colored. pre-printed tags that I receive.

 

Also, the red leather tags are a great way of starting conversations in the airport as you wait for boarding.

[Scootoir]

1 hour ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

 

What I don't understand about the tags in Scootoir's picture is that they are solid black and not the bright colored. pre-printed tags that I receive.

 

 

 

Um that’s the back of the tag.  The front has a lot of personal info on it.  😉

[Peregrina651]

10 minutes ago, Scootoir said:

 

Um that’s the back of the tag.  The front has a lot of personal info on it.  😉

 

That is the answer I was hoping for.