luggage forward with Royal Caribbean - Rome port

[question221]

Has anyone used Luggage Forward going and return from a cruise with Royal Caribbean at the Rome port?  The shipping to sounds straight forward, but the pick up on the return sounds more complex.   If anyone has used it with Royal Caribbean could you let us know how it went and what you had to do on the last day of the cruise to get your bags to the right place?  Thanks in advance.

[Host Kat]

8 hours ago, question221 said:

Has anyone used Luggage Forward going and return from a cruise with Royal Caribbean at the Rome port?  The shipping to sounds straight forward, but the pick up on the return sounds more complex.   If anyone has used it with Royal Caribbean could you let us know how it went and what you had to do on the last day of the cruise to get your bags to the right place?  Thanks in advance.

 

@question221

 

Hello and welcome to the Cruise Critic message boards!

 

Thank you for your new topic on the Cruise Blogs & Websites forum. However, it is off-topic here since the forum is for our members to post links to tsonal travelogue-type of cruise-related blogs or websites.

 

To help you out I have moved your new topic to the Royal Caribbean International forum where it will be on topic. The majority of your fellow Cruise Critic members that have sailed RCI & possibly used Luggage Forward frequent this forum and provide feedback here. Browse through the thread titles on this forum looking for threads of interest. You will probably find your fellow Cruise Critic members have already posted questions and received answers that may be of interest to you.

 

The Cruise Critic website and message boards are a great resource for new as well as experienced cruisers and we are so glad you found us! Please feel free to browse the Cruise Critic Community categories list for the various message board forums. Read a few threads in the different forums to get a feel for what each forum is about. Make sure you read any pinned threads (aka Stickies) on the top of the first page of threads in most forums. You will find very important instructions or information there.

 

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I sincerely hope this will be helpful to someone new to posting on our message boards. We are glad to have you aboard Cruise Critic! 

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat 

[cruiserhal]

I've used Luggage Forward for many years both to US ports and to European ports.   These were to a port and not from a port to home.  I found the process to send things home was very confusing so I never tried it.  I read another post a few years ago from another CC member who described the process as difficult.  Think about how confusing and disorganized the disembarkation process can be then add that you have to find your suitcases and then try to find the LF rep to turnover the cases and needed paperwork.  In the US, the paperwork is straight forward and they use either Fed Ex or UPS so I assume that maybe they arrange a rep to be at the proper dock.  I don't know.   Shipping internationally is more interesting.

 

International shipping to a port.  You must have the bags ready to ship about 2 weeks before the cruise (8 to 10 days in for a US port).  With the suitcases you must include a customs form for the end country detaining everything in each case (provided by LF).   Customs adds shipping time.  I never had a problem with this.  I have no idea what you need to ship back to the US.  

 

Sorry I can't help with the return shipping process other than my comments above.

 

3 important hints:

1. Take color pictures of the cases you ship and have multiple copies.  One for you and one or more for the cabin steward who may have to go find them.  One time they were delivered to a ship OK but stored on a different deck luggage area.

2. Have a copy of your paperwork from LF and the Customer Service number in case there is a problem.  This is from personal experience this past April.  (We were without 2 suitcases for 10 days on a trans-Atlantic cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Rome.) 

3. Be sure to check with your cabin steward if you don't have your cases 3 hours before sailing!  If they can't find them call LF CS asap and keep calling if the cases don't show up.  I kept calling every 10 to 15 minutes and was told they were delivered over and over.  I finally talked to a CS rep who noticed all my calls and said she would contact the delivery service.   Finally, I was told the driver did not deliver the cases but was on his way.  This was 15 minutes after we left port thus the 10 day delay.  Thank goodness for Celebrity Cruises staff who helped me with the process including contacting LF and customs for me since I don't have international calling on my phone.  Enough of that.  Bottom line is stay on top of the shipment until delivered.

 

Sorry this is so long but I hope it helped a little.

 

[Tin can]

What exactly is luggage forwarding?

 

Ideally we would like to send our luggage home (UK) after departing Explorer in Venice so this sounds interesting if someone could provide some details.

 

Thanks

[cruiserhal]

1 hour ago, Tin can said:

What exactly is luggage forwarding?

 

Ideally we would like to send our luggage home (UK) after departing Explorer in Venice so this sounds interesting if someone could provide some details.

 

Thanks

Luggage Forward is one company of many that will ship your suit cases so you don't have to take them with you.  Sorry, I have no idea how to ship from Venice since I only used them from the US.

[Tin can]

51 minutes ago, cruiserhal said:

Luggage Forward is one company of many that will ship your suit cases so you don't have to take them with you.  Sorry, I have no idea how to ship from Venice since I only used them from the US.

Thank you for that, much appreciated.

 

I found them and they offer just what we are after.

[cruiserhal]

On 6/5/2023 at 3:15 PM, question221 said:

Has anyone used Luggage Forward going and return from a cruise with Royal Caribbean at the Rome port?  The shipping to sounds straight forward, but the pick up on the return sounds more complex.   If anyone has used it with Royal Caribbean could you let us know how it went and what you had to do on the last day of the cruise to get your bags to the right place?  Thanks in advance.

I noticed I did not quote my response to your question about Luggage Forward.   Please read post #3.

cruiserhal