Who else doesn't check their luggage?

[MISTER 67]

For the last 20+ cruises we have carried all our luggage onboard instead of checking. We only take 7 day cruises out of Florida and have learned to pack very efficiently with a medium size suitcase and a shoulder carry on, no lost luggage this way, we also do the early walkoff. Works very well as we usually unpack after lunch in the buffet. Sometimes we get grief from the employees of the line who work the port facility, never any trouble with agents at the x-ray machine, they don't care as long as it fits in the machine. We sailed on the Equinoz in June and was surprised with the number of passengers who did the same thing and with larger suitcases.

 

[phoenix_dream]

I have learned to pack much more lightly over many years of cruising but carry-on?  Never.  DH likes to wear a sport coat for Elegant Chic for one thing - takes up a lot of space.  And we have learned to bring a number of nice to haves along with us - like little folding boxes for the nightstands on S class since they don't have drawers, a hanging shoe bag, extra medicines as it only takes being caught once with an illness and no OTC meds available even in port (yes, this happened to us looking for cold meds of all things in Alaska), and the list goes on.  Could I possibly make it work on a 7 night cruise if I really wanted to?  I suppose.  But it would take away some of the enjoyment for us.

[ECCruise]

43 minutes ago, MISTER 67 said:

For the last 20+ cruises we have carried all our luggage onboard instead of checking. We only take 7 day cruises out of Florida and have learned to pack very efficiently with a medium size suitcase and a shoulder carry on, no lost luggage this way, we also do the early walkoff. Works very well as we usually unpack after lunch in the buffet. Sometimes we get grief from the employees of the line who work the port facility, never any trouble with agents at the x-ray machine, they don't care as long as it fits in the machine. We sailed on the Equinoz in June and was surprised with the number of passengers who did the same thing and with larger suitcases.

 

We pack the same as you...1 medium case and 1 carry on.  Always do walk off unless we need to kill time for a late flight or hotel check in.

Almost all of our cruises are 14-30 days and total trips are 30-60 days.  With laundry service on ships and laundry service in hotels and apartments, has never been a problem.  Have learned to be efficient and no more formal nights (thank heavens) has helped a lot.

Edited August 25, 2019 by ECCruise

[ShawninFL]

We've never carried our luggage onto the ship.  I see no purpose in it for us.  We've never had a piece of luggage not arrive on the ship and I always have a change of clothes in our carry on.  Now we always self disembark.  The most we ever have is one large suitcase and one backpack for a long trip 14 - 30 days.  A 10 night or less trip is one large suitcase for both of us as well as a backpack for each.  We started self disembarking probably 10 years ago after we put our luggage out as normal with the 2nd number to be called.  Somehow our luggage, along with a couple of others, got put into a different number's cart.  We were off the ship at 8 AM, but our luggage was not found until after 12 noon.  After that, we said never again.  We always carry our own luggage off the ship now.

[zook50]

I’m with you, Phoenix Dream!  We could easily take plan for and take just a carryon, but we value several things on our holiday, and they require more luggage.  We actually like dressing up and pampering ourselves  - again, more room required!    We have gotten more and more frustrated with more people relying on overstuffed carryons only and the airlines that allow them - it can make for crowding in overhead storage and floor space in the plane.  Last time we stopped in Toronto, the staff took pity on several pax with massive backpacks and let them through without making them check anything.  Then they started asking the next section (ours) to check their regulation size carryons, as they were running out of room.  Considering we paid already to check bags and had correctly sized carryons, we were pretty resentful.

Re:  carrying luggage on, we’ve never even thought of doing it, but might in the future. Thx for the tip!  Last cruise in January, we carried ours off for the first time and were out of there in no time.  Fantastic!!  The only weird thing was some lady in a wheelchair who was at the front of every line (her whole family too).  I looked closely and realized she had worked out in the gym next to me most days.  So unless she broke an ankle the last night...Pretty creative way to get a head start.🤣

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We don't take our own luggage on board and we don't do self disembarkation. Just too much of a headache. We also check our luggage on the plane and use luggage valet when we can.

[jelayne]

35 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

We don't take our own luggage on board and we don't do self disembarkation. Just too much of a headache. We also check our luggage on the plane and use luggage valet when we can.

I’m with you!  

We did self assist twice out of necessity.  The first time was ok but 2nd time the ship was delayed in being cleared by well over an hour.  Those who had luggage tags that would have been called at 7:30- 8 15 were jamming the stairways, elevators and every public space near the exit.  Pushing, shoving, hitting and those doing self assist with luggage couldn’t move.  The crew tried desperately to get control but some guests were literally shoving crew around.  Now we stay an extra night if we can’t get a flight we don’t have to do self assist in order to catch.

[PhoenixCruiser]

We don't take our own luggage on board and we don't do self disembarkation. Just too much of a headache. We also check our luggage on the plane and use luggage valet when we can.

Same here, after all it is a vacation [emoji16]

So wish luggage valet was available in San Juan.

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[mom says]

We could do carryon. In fact we've done 35 day land trips with only a rolling carry on and a backpack/messenger bag. But we don't for cruises since there's no need for frequent packing and moving to new hotels. We like having a couple of nice outfits for elegant nights, and I don't want to bother with laundry. Since our usual cruises are 2 weeks at a time, we do fine with one checked bag and one carry on each. The bags get checked both on the plane and at the pier. I'm on vacation. Let someone else do the heavy lifting.

[keesar]

We are on vacation and why lug around luggage to save a few dollars?   We check bags on the plane, have ground transportation load them in the van or taxi, and then they pass them on to the pier porters.   Then, if available, use the Luggage Valet Program on the way home.   

[oneputt18]

We have never carried on our luggage. We only live 20 minutes from Pt Everglades and 40 minutes from Port of Miami. We board early and can't be bothered schlepping luggage around for 2+ hours until the cabins are done. 

[chemmo]

I can see the OPs point of view to some degree but places like Oceanview are crowded enough just with hand luggage before rooms are declared open, let alone bigger cases. 

 

Re disembarkation...We invariably book a flight with no rush to disembark or stay an extra overnight. However, we are aware that for many people who still work this just isn’t an option. It does seem a bit selfish to me to fill up the self embark queue if you are not in a genuine rush....

[keesar]

I sometimes see these inconsiderate cruisers who push around their carry-ons and suitcases and then they camp out in the dining area until the cabins are ready.   Others cannot find seating because of this.  

[TMLAalum]

1 hour ago, chemmo said:

I can see the OPs point of view to some degree but places like Oceanview are crowded enough just with hand luggage before rooms are declared open, let alone bigger cases. 

 

Re disembarkation...We invariably book a flight with no rush to disembark or stay an extra overnight. However, we are aware that for many people who still work this just isn’t an option. It does seem a bit selfish to me to fill up the self embark queue if you are not in a genuine rush....

 

 

10 minutes ago, keesar said:

I sometimes see these inconsiderate cruisers who push around their carry-ons and suitcases and then they camp out in the dining area until the cabins are ready.   Others cannot find seating because of this.  

 

Agree that suitcases in addition to hand luggage PLUS lingerers at the Oceanview make for an unpleasant start to a cruise!

For those who can drive to a port, check-in after 1pm and the cabins should be just about ready. That's one of the things I loved about the Edge- immediate access to cabins! 

 

We've done self-disembark out of Florida ports when we've got the long drive back to Cleveland ahead of us. Splitting it up with a stop in SC or NC still means 9+ hours on the road so the sooner on the road the better. It is much more relaxing when we can linger longer.

[evestrauss]

I understand the above points about being on vacation and not wanting to shlep, but, after losing my husband's luggage for 12 days of a 14 day trip including a 7 day Baltic Cruise, we are carryon only. There's nothing quite like shopping in a Polish mall for larger men's clothing in June where few employees speak English (not that they should, but our Polish skills weren't up to the task either) trying to procure an entire wardrobe for a trip to cold places while it is 90 degrees outside. Forget about finding EEEE width shoes! It was an adventure and a real cultural experience, but it did add an element of stress to our first few days of vacation. 

 

As a side note: Celebrity was unbelievably accommodating by offering toiletries, tee shirts and multiple free laundry coupons, and by calling the lost luggage people daily to try to locate the bag even though they had no responsibility for this problem. It was impressive.

 

 

[Willow1213]

We’re first time cruisers departing on Equniox in a few weeks and I was debating the checked bag situation myself. Since you can now drop bags before rooms are ready on the Equinox and other renovated ships, I’m sure my husband would rather not lose sight of his bag. We also have specialty dining reservations on the first night and I don’t want to wait or rush to get ready waiting for a suitcase. We are driving from NE Florida, so I don’t anticipate having huge or heavy bags. 

If we do choose to check bags, can the porters take a hanging garment bag? Not luggage folding style, but the kind you would use for a suit. 

[MISTER 67]

1 hour ago, keesar said:

I sometimes see these inconsiderate cruisers who push around their carry-ons and suitcases and then they camp out in the dining area until the cabins are ready.   Others cannot find seating because of this.  

I'm the original poster and we  have never brought our luggage to the buffet or schlepped it around, if the cabins aren't ready most ships have a check bag area where you leave your bags until the cabins are ready. I have no problem with tipping porters, what I have had problems are on 4 different occasions not receiving our luggage until 7 or 8 PM on the first night. From what I saw on our last cruise on the Equinox in June were a lot more people bringing their bags onboard instead of checking them. 

[mom says]

1 hour ago, MISTER 67 said:

most ships have a check bag area where you leave your bags until the cabins are ready

I would love to know which Cruise lines have this service. I have only encountered it once, and that was only for Concierge guests in the MDR on Celebrity.

 

Perhaps we've been lucky, but we've always received our bags before dinner. Even so, our carry ons always contain a change of clothing. And in our experience, the first night is always relaxed dress codes in the restaurants.

Edited August 25, 2019 by mom says

[hrhdhd]

2 hours ago, evestrauss said:

I understand the above points about being on vacation and not wanting to shlep, but, after losing my husband's luggage for 12 days of a 14 day trip including a 7 day Baltic Cruise, we are carryon only.

 

I feel your pain, having had a bag take a few days to catch up with me on a land tour in Spain several years ago. In the future, if you need to check bags, you should cross-pack: put half of your stuff in his bag and vice versa.

 

1 hour ago, Willow1213 said:

If we do choose to check bags, can the porters take a hanging garment bag? Not luggage folding style, but the kind you would use for a suit. 

 

They will take it, but it won't be treated with special care. They use giant metal cages on wheels for the bags, and if your bag ends up at the bottom of the pile (or even in the middle), it wouldn't be good.

 

17 minutes ago, mom says said:

I would love to know which Cruise lines have this service. I have only encountered it once, and that was only for Concierge guests in the MDR on Celebrity.

 

HAL used to have an area on the pool deck that was roped off for dropping carry-on bags, and I have dropped a bag on Azamara as well. We have not had to use that service on Celebrity.

[MISTER 67]

31 minutes ago, mom says said:

I would love to know which Cruise lines have this service. I have only encountered it once, and that was only for Concierge guests in the MDR on Celebrity.

 

Perhaps we've been lucky, but we've always received our bags before dinner. Even so, our carry ons always contain a change of clothing. And in our experience, the first night is always relaxed dress codes in the restaurants.

Princess, Holland America and MSC. Not sure with Celebrity as we were able to proceed to our cabin immediately after boarding.

Edited August 25, 2019 by MISTER 67

[goofysmom99]

I take a rollaboard packed ONLY with clothing (black, lots of scarves and an extra pr of shoes), a tote bag with meds and electronics, and check a medium bag with the rest of my clothing and whatever else I like to bring (collapsible boxes, beachball, etc).  That way, if the airline loses or misdirects my checked bag, and it's happened to me more than once, I can still enjoy the cruise without total panic.  Most people only see me from the waist up at meals, and then there's that unpleasant truth that after a certain age, no one notices much about you anyway. 

[C 2 C]

We each have a 24" and a 20" suitcase that we roll onto the ship.

We can now take our luggage directly to our cabin when we arrive around 11 am. (or park them in the Retreat)

Once the cabins are cleared for occupancy after 1pm we can unpack at leisure and are able to start our vacation without a pre-dinner rush.

There have been too many cruises when we received our luggage just before dinner and too many when a wheel was broken or a zipper separated not to mention scratches and dents.

Just watch how your suitcases are thrown out of the crew elevator onto a pile as they arrive.

When one gets a little older, it's tough lifting those 26" and 27" fully loaded suitcases into the car.

We all do what works for us.  No one has to follow any hint of what might work better for others.

 

[cruise kitty]

We do a mix,  if we arrive, & things look chaotic, we'll carry our cases onboard.  One time when embarking in Barcelona there was a pretty strong storm,  & it didn't look like the luggage was being organized too well, we carried on board.    We always self carry our luggage off the ship, had a piece go missing years ago & don't wish to repeat that :)

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, MISTER 67 said:

Princess, Holland America and MSC. Not sure with Celebrity as we were able to proceed to our cabin immediately after boarding.

We've had 8 cruises with HAL over the past six years and there has never been a bag check area as you describe. Nor has there been any need for one, as one's cabin has always been accessible to drop off one's bags upon boarding. The sole exception was on the Nieuw Statendam this summer when we boarded quite early in Amsterdam and had to wait a few minutes for our cabin to be ready.

[MisterMet]

21 hours ago, MISTER 67 said:

For the last 20+ cruises we have carried all our luggage onboard instead of checking. We only take 7 day cruises out of Florida and have learned to pack very efficiently with a medium size suitcase and a shoulder carry on, no lost luggage this way, we also do the early walkoff. Works very well as we usually unpack after lunch in the buffet. Sometimes we get grief from the employees of the line who work the port facility, never any trouble with agents at the x-ray machine, they don't care as long as it fits in the machine. We sailed on the Equinoz in June and was surprised with the number of passengers who did the same thing and with larger suitcases.

 

I'm taking a solo cruise on the Navigator of the Seas for 4 nights on 9/16 and was wondering if I could get a "tweener" (bigger than a carry on, but smaller than a giant roller) through the xray machine?  Think I'll give it a try since now RCI now let's you drop off your bags in your room after you've boarded.  If it doesn't fit, I'll check it.  Thanks for your help Mister 67!  You're a genius😀