Is Luggage Direct available from Fort Lauderdale?

[liketraveling]

I am taking my first cruise since Covid in a couple of weeks from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale.

 

Is luggage direct available from Fort Lauderdale?

[Crew News]

4 minutes ago, liketraveling said:

I am taking my first cruise since Covid in a couple of weeks from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale.

 

Is luggage direct available from Fort Lauderdale?

Yes,  Here is the form I received in my stateroom describing what was available.

 

FLL Luggage Direct

[liketraveling]

4 minutes ago, Crew News said:

Yes,  Here is the form I received in my stateroom describing what was available.

 

FLL Luggage Direct

Thanks!

[peanutter]

Oh, I just stumbled across this and makes me very happy!  I had given up hope of it coming back before our February cruise.  I will definitely be using.  Thanks OP for asking the question and thanks to crew news for answering!

[Crew News]

1 hour ago, peanutter said:

Oh, I just stumbled across this and makes me very happy!  I had given up hope of it coming back before our February cruise.  I will definitely be using.  Thanks OP for asking the question and thanks to crew news for answering!

Sharing information here gives CC members a big advantage over their fellow passengers.

[Cruisercl]

It was available on the NS Coastal cruise that disembarked in FLL, Oct 8th. Best thing.

Does anyone know if it means it is available for all HAL cruises disembarking in FLL? Should we assume it is?

Just wondering....thx! 😊

[Crew News]

That is a good assumption that Luggage Direct will be available for all FLL disembarking ships.

[kdakda]

What about the "Eligible Criteria:  Due to USCBP regulations, you must be able to disembark at 7:30 am." ?????

We love to have our luggage handled for us, but have no desire or reason to disembark at 7:30.  

 

[Steirisch]

So that's the only fee?  $25 per person and they send all your bags to MIA or FLL and it goes on your flight?  That's one of the best bargains out there.

[regnig]

The service is $25 but you will still have to pay whatever baggage fee the airline would have charged you were you to check them in at the airport yourself.

[Cruising-along]

15 hours ago, kdakda said:

What about the "Eligible Criteria:  Due to USCBP regulations, you must be able to disembark at 7:30 am." ?????

We love to have our luggage handled for us, but have no desire or reason to disembark at 7:30.  

 

Yes, they call for all Luggage Direct passengers right after the self-disembark passengers. This morning on the NS it was 7:15 am. Last week it was 8:00. 
I agree with you, hate having to be ready that early.  On the other hand, it’s been very nice not having all that luggage with us this morning in Fort Lauderdale. Our flight isn’t until 2pm. 

[goldmom]

We were hoping to use this service.  Does anyone know if the 7:30 or 8 am debarkation time on the form means you have to get off at that time, or that is the earliest time you will be able to get off if you choose to.

Our plan was to get off leisurely, then get a day rate hotel and just have our carry-ons.  The day rate check in isn't until 10 am so we weren't planning to rush off the ship.  We have a late flight and figured this service would be great as we wouldn't have to deal with carting luggage around all day.

However, if we have to get off the ship at 7:30 it may not be our best option.

Thank for any info!

[tamsno]

Luggage Direct was NOT available on Oct 30 Rotterdam disembarkation in FLL.

[Cruising-along]

28 minutes ago, goldmom said:

Does anyone know if the 7:30 or 8 am debarkation time on the form means you have to get off at that time, or that is the earliest time you will be able to get off if you choose to.

It could depend....yesterday we thought we had at least until 8:00, because that was the time they started calling Luggage Direct the week before.  So when they started calling our group at 7:15 we were disappointed to say the least!  We weren't ready.

Backing up a bit, when DH asked at the front desk if it was mandatory to get off when called, they said yes.  But in actuality they did start calling those with luggage tags before we could get ourselves down there to disembark.  We still were off before 8, but could have probably stayed longer (waiting in a lounge, we don't like to hold up the work of our cabin stewards on turn-around day). 

[goldmom]

Thank you.  I appreciate the information.  I guess we'll see what they say once we're onboard.

 

I just seems really silly to make us get off that early.  It's not as if we're putting our luggage on a bus or need to collect it in the port.

 

It would seem to me that the whole idea of this is to give you flexibility.

 

Oh well, whatever it is, it is.

 

Thanks again!

[Cruising-along]

1 minute ago, goldmom said:

Thank you.  I appreciate the information.  I guess we'll see what they say once we're onboard.

 

I just seems really silly to make us get off that early.  It's not as if we're putting our luggage on a bus or need to collect it in the port.

 

It would seem to me that the whole idea of this is to give you flexibility.

 

Oh well, whatever it is, it is.

 

Thanks again!

I agree!    Our flight wasn't until 2pm.  We took a taxi to Las Olas Blvd., got breakfast, and window shopped (nothing was open yet).  Then got a taxi to the airport at noon.

[VMax1700]

I believe the specific disembarkation time for Luggage Direct is because of the possibility of Customs examination.  We have used it numerous times (when flying on the required airline/destination) and have never got off that early.  We always do a leisurely disembark at around 9am.

[goldmom]

5 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

I believe the specific disembarkation time for Luggage Direct is because of the possibility of Customs examination.  We have used it numerous times (when flying on the required airline/destination) and have never got off that early.  We always do a leisurely disembark at around 9am.

I guess that makes sense.  Glad to hear you were able to get off later.  Hopefully we'll be able to do the same.

Thanks for the response!

[RuthC]

2 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

I believe the specific disembarkation time for Luggage Direct is because of the possibility of Customs examination. 

This is correct. 
If disembarking in the US, Customs inspection may need to happen for some passengers, so those passengers need to be available before any of the luggage can be transferred to the airport.