Luggage Direct—Have You Used It?

[GeorgiaPeach51]

We are interested in using Luggage Direct in Ft. Lauderdale.  If you have used it, and if is currently operating, can you give your input?  We’ve never used a luggage service before and it sounds like what we would need in October.  Thanks,

 

Joanie

[Seasick Sailor]

33 minutes ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

We are interested in using Luggage Direct in Ft. Lauderdale.  If you have used it, and if is currently operating, can you give your input?  We’ve never used a luggage service before and it sounds like what we would need in October.  Thanks,

 

Joanie

 

Yes. Use Holland America Luggage Forward going to ship, Luggage Direct back. They will pick your bags up at your door.

[VMax1700]

Luggage Direct only covered specific airlines and at pre determined times.  (ie not before 11am FLL or 2 pm MIA - (approx times only)).

Also you are required to disembark early in case of customs inspections.

Found a link to the LD form from December 2019 thanks to Roger Jett Photography @Crew News.  https://rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Luggage-Direct-FLL.pdf

If you fit into the parameters then it is great!  Leave your bags outside stateroom on last night and pick up from luggage carousel at your home airport.

 

 

[Paulinda]

Our opinion is that it is worth using Luggage Direct.  You won't have to haul your suitcases at the airport until you pick them up at the carousel.  We used them whenever possible.  

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Thanks to all who responded.  I have contacted them.  However, I am afraid our flight is too early to qualify.  For reasons I cannot fathom, my husband booked us on a 9:55 flight out of Ft. Lauderdale.  Talk about ending a trip with high stress!

[CM1984]

2 minutes ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

Thanks to all who responded.  I have contacted them.  However, I am afraid our flight is too early to qualify.  For reasons I cannot fathom, my husband booked us on a 9:55 flight out of Ft. Lauderdale.  Talk about ending a trip with high stress!

 

Then you will know next time to book your flight after the designated time for Luggage Direct.  We love it!  The one tip - make sure you turn the form back in to the Guest Services desk on time - we missed by a day and did not get to use it!

[SML123]

I used a luggage service on HAL that took over once I CHECKED MY BAGS in Fort Lauderdale...  I created an account and added my bag info and once checked in at FLL, they took over and picked them up at baggage in Seattle. 

 

Once I checked them curbside in FLL,  I didnt see my bags again until we walked into our suite. It was the best thing I ever did but I was scared to death turning my bags over for worry they wouldnt be on the ship when we set sail.  

 

It turned out to be a blessing as our evening connecting flight from Minneapolis was cancelled and IF we had not used baggage forwarding, we would have had to have hauled our bags to the airport hotel and schlepped them back in the morning to check them again then upon landing, retrieve from baggage and find a taxi in Seattle big enough for everything. 

 

We used www.MakeTravelEasier.com I looked up the confirmation emails from 2018 and they are only for domestic flights. 

 

The process was seamless and I highly recommend them. Since they are retrieving bags you check yourself, there is no time frame or cutoff. 

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Thanks, SML123.  I will look into it.  Luggage Direct will only work with flights 10:30 a.m. or later, so that is out for us.  I can’t imagine how in the world we will make a 9:55 takeoff.  Even if we line up to self-disembark at 5 a.m. and get off by 7 a.m., we still have to get there, get thru customs, claim our bags, etc.  Stresses me just thinking about it!

 

Joanie

[SML123]

We put our luggage outside our room the night before we left the ship and the luggage company took it from there. It is all pre arranged, even our flight check in was in advance.  

 

I know that our bags were automatically transported to the airport and loaded onto our flight because I remember taking a HAL bus tour of Seattle to kill time because I booked a late departure flight. The driver was such a sweetheart he went out of his way to drop us off at the airport in the tour bus. We did not have our luggage with us, it was already en route to home. 

 

Using this company REMOVED a tremendous amount of stress...  my husband is quite a bit older than I, so I have to really plan every detail. It was not even expensive. Ive been looking at other cruises for next year and to use this service in Europe is CRAZY expensive. 

Edited August 17, 2021 by SML123

[Tampa Girl]

8 hours ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

Thanks to all who responded.  I have contacted them.  However, I am afraid our flight is too early to qualify.  For reasons I cannot fathom, my husband booked us on a 9:55 flight out of Ft. Lauderdale.  Talk about ending a trip with high stress!

 

Aren't you cutting it pretty close with a 9:55 flight out of FLL?  Is it possible to change it to a later flight?  BTW, where in the Georgia mountains?  We have our second (first in DH's opinion) home near Blue Ridge.  Looking forward to some cooler weather in about 10 days.

[GeorgiaPeach51]

2 hours ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

Aren't you cutting it pretty close with a 9:55 flight out of FLL?  Is it possible to change it to a later flight?  BTW, where in the Georgia mountains?  We have our second (first in DH's opinion) home near Blue Ridge.  Looking forward to some cooler weather in about 10 days.

Yes we are, and believe me, I have squawked at my husband about it.  Ugh.

 

We live in Big Canoe, between Jasper and Dawsonville.  Very familiar with Blue Ridge....we were last there for a chili cook off pre-covid.  It was a lot of fun.  😃

[St. Louis Sal]

14 hours ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

Yes we are, and believe me, I have squawked at my husband about it.  Ugh.

 

We live in Big Canoe, between Jasper and Dawsonville.  Very familiar with Blue Ridge....we were last there for a chili cook off pre-covid.  It was a lot of fun.  😃

Have you tried changing the flight? The airlines have changed and/or canceled a lot of flights. They changed one of mine in February 2020 (made it into a 3 stopover flight!) and I was able to get them to change it to a better one for us. Of course I was negotiating from strength (original change was theirs), they may not be willing to do it just because your husband messed up on the time 😁. Doesn’t hurt to ask though. Hope it all works out.

 

St Louis Sal

[Seasick Sailor]

There are airlines that have no change fees. Alaska, Delta, Southwest comes to mind.

[kevingastreich]

On 8/16/2021 at 5:35 PM, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

We are interested in using Luggage Direct in Ft. Lauderdale.  If you have used it, and if is currently operating, can you give your input?  We’ve never used a luggage service before and it sounds like what we would need in October.  Thanks,

 

Joanie

We used it and it was great!

[GeorgiaPeach51]

10 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

There are airlines that have no change fees. Alaska, Delta, Southwest comes to mind.

Seasick, I’m working on him!  🤗. He thinks we can make it.  I think it is impossible/off the charts stressful/not worth the hassle and unmitigated stress.  I have some time to win him over.  He generally ascribes to the “happy wife/happy life” philosophy!  I’m counting on it for this scenario.  I can’t think of a worse way to end a great vacation than to get up with the sun, blast off the ship, run for a cab, race thru the airport dragging luggage and trying to get thru customs and rechecking bags.  🤔🧐😜. And then if we didn’t make it he’d have to listen to me complain about it.  Just sayin....😁

 

Joanie

[RuthC]

34 minutes ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

Seasick, I’m working on him!  🤗. He thinks we can make it.  I think it is impossible/off the charts stressful/not worth the hassle and unmitigated stress.  I have some time to win him over.  

You can always just change your ticket, and let him take his chances by himself. No reason you have to put up with that stress if you don't want to. And no reason you have to fight about it. 

[esther e]

I have used Luggage Forward a couple of years ago.  I flew from Orlando to FLL and since I'm alone and elderly I  didn't want to mess with a carousel and luggage.  I was able to track my luggage from my home to the hotel and it was put in the luggage room, waiting for me.  I have since discovered a driver so I don't use it any longer.  But if I had to, I wouldn't hesitate.

[CineGraphic]

On 8/17/2021 at 9:36 AM, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

For reasons I cannot fathom, my husband booked us on a 9:55 flight out of Ft. Lauderdale.

 

We've made a 9:55am flight easily in the past. Just be in the first walk-off group with your luggage and hop in a cab. You'll be at the airport within minutes.

 

As for Luggage Forward, we used it to have our suitcases brought to the ship, since we were hopping around town to pick up wine for our cruise. Our bags ended up being some of the last ones delivered to cabins....a waste of money.