Any advantages to check bags at terminal?

[LGinPA]

We each have 1 medium bag and a backpack or tote with a trolley sleeve. They are easy for us to roll aboard. If we decided to roll-them on ourselves I understand there would likely be a location on board the Breakaway for us to store them while eating lunch and enjoying the ship while waiting for our cabin to be ready. We're good with this process. 

 

Are there any advantages to check them with the porter at the terminal? Do they get to the room before the cabin is ready?   

Edited June 12, 2023 by LGinPA
Edited to add: We're cruising noobies 😎

[BirdTravels]

There is not likely a place to store them onboard. You are more likely going to have to push your bags around the crowded lines to book shows, book restaurants, halls, elevators, buffet lines, and pool areas while you wait for your room to be ready between 2:00 and 3:00. 

 

Your bags will have to fit in a standard airport x-ray machine for screening, should you decide to carry them onboard.

 

Your bags are only brought to your room after the room stewards have finished cleaning all of the rooms and they are made available to you. The stewards do not want them obstructing the hall ways while multiple departments work to get your room set up. 

 

Your fellow passengers would greatly prefer that you check your bags with the porters. There are a lot of people that think that bags are "easy for you to roll aboard", but end up struggling with them in the very crowded embarkation day. 

[NW Pacific]

On cruises 10 days or less we only take carry ons, plane and Ship.    our comfort Zone.  On last 5 cruises, always have gotten a "flier" has anyone seen this baggage?  Obviously did not make it onto the Ship or lost somewhere.  It really isn't in my opinion a hassle to take a plane size roller board and a back pack on.   Everybody has their own way of doing boarding.  Just our experience.

[complawyer]

yes, the advantage is you dont need to schlep your luggage with you. trust me, if you check it in with a porter, most likely it will appear in front of your cabin before the evening is over. if you need something essential, it is advisable to keep it in your carry on. on the off and very unlikely chance it doesnt show up, this occurs in airlines also.  in 25 cruises i have never had a problem getting my bag, and have never been advised there is a place to check it while youre enjoying the 1st day of the cruise.

we normally take either 7 day b2b cruises, 10-14 day cruises, and were booked for b2b 19 days this july, 21 days in march and 20 days oct 2024. add in the few days prior and after the cruise in the port cities, and that's an awful lot to carry. so my vote always goes to the porter  (and a $10 bill)

[Firstin87]

41 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

There is not likely a place to store them onboard. You are more likely going to have to push your bags around the crowded lines to book shows, book restaurants, halls, elevators, buffet lines, and pool areas while you wait for your room to be ready between 2:00 and 3:00. 

This alone is a reason to check your bags with the porter.  Embarkation day is hectic for everyone and the crowded areas The Bird mentioned above are not helped by having people bringing their luggage with them - makes the lines longer, the processes slower, and more chaos for everyone to get around.  We board with just a backpack that contains anything we need for the afternoon as we're only without our luggage for a few hours.

[RB9643]

1 hour ago, LGinPA said:

 I understand there would likely be a location on board the Breakaway for us to store them while eating lunch and enjoying the ship while waiting for our cabin to be ready.

 

Your understanding is incorrect. You will be hauling your luggage with you wherever you go prior to your room being ready. As previously mentioned, not advised for a myriad of reasons.

 

 

 

[ChiefMateJRK]

36 minutes ago, NW Pacific said:

On last 5 cruises, always have gotten a "flier" has anyone seen this baggage? 

Really?  I've never seen such a thing.  Can you post an example or two?

[insidecabin]

With the new system that has cabins ready very late, on the Star UK where most(all?)have boarded before the rooms are ready there was a baggage storage area in Bliss.

 

[NW Pacific]

Wish I could, did not save fliers, even if I did would not know how to post it.  Sorry.  But i will guarantee you for what's it worth, this has happened, so be it.  Also to OP,  we drop off our carry ons in our cabin after boarding.  Never been a problem.  Just put them in there, if we see room steward say, just dropping off, out of here until room is ready.  Know this is probably not acceptable to some, but we have figured out away for less stress.  If you ever get on a cruise without your luggage, especially a really expensive one, you may understand my OCD!!  Everyone has their own unique way of travelling.  Jut mine!

[julig22]

29 minutes ago, NW Pacific said:

Wish I could, did not save fliers, even if I did would not know how to post it.  Sorry.  But i will guarantee you for what's it worth, this has happened, so be it.  Also to OP,  we drop off our carry ons in our cabin after boarding.  Never been a problem.  Just put them in there, if we see room steward say, just dropping off, out of here until room is ready.  Know this is probably not acceptable to some, but we have figured out away for less stress.  If you ever get on a cruise without your luggage, especially a really expensive one, you may understand my OCD!!  Everyone has their own unique way of travelling.  Jut mine!

Yes, I've seen notices for lost luggage on a cruise or two, but it's not common.

 

As to putting your luggage in your cabin - that's a maybe.  I've been able to do it a couple of times, put it in the closet out of the way.  But on many of the cruises they shut the fire doors and you might not be able to get to your cabin.

[LGinPA]

Thanks to all providing their opinions and experiences. We'll likely decide when we get to the port. 🚢

 

 

9 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

There is not likely a place to store them onboard.

 

I was basing my statement of "there would likely be a location on board the Breakaway for us to store" because I dug up the following Topic with a post that indicated on the Getaway the storage is at the Casino.  Also several other ships offered this storage, including the one you posted the signage for (the Escape)? 

 

 

[Muckyduckway]

I can't speak to the situation on the larger ships, but we have dropped off bags at a designated storage area on the Star, Jewel, Jade and Gem. All of these were either in Europe or Australia. Not much use to OP but may be helpful to others.

[UKstages]

some ships provide storage, some do not. recent data point from a few weeks ago: the prima uses "the improv" for storage of luggage on embarkation day.

 

but whether or not your ship provides embarkation day storage is beside the point. the OP indicated  that there are two people each of whom has "1 medium bag and a backpack or tote with a trolley sleeve."

 

tote with a trolley sleeve, no problem.

backpack, no problem.

medium bag... problem!

 

as noted upthread, your carry on bag must be able to fit into a standard airport-style x-ray machine. "medium" sized bags will not. the medium bags must therefore be checked.

 

as for passengers dropping bags in their rooms prior to rooms being announced as ready, my experience is yes, for suites and the haven. (although you might have difficulty getting past the fire doors for suites.) no, for "regular" rooms.

[LGinPA]

Given that our bags may not fit in the scanner and we don't want to take the chance on a storage area, we will check-in our 25" rollers, and schlep our backpack and tote which contain electronics and essentials.  

 

Thank you to everyone who replied.   👍  This board is AWESOME!  😎

Edited June 12, 2023 by LGinPA

[fredflint]

if you have checked bags I strongly suggest  using an Apple  Air tag for each bag if you have an Apple phone if not there are other tags   available.  Being a nerd last cruise we used a Tile and Airtag in each bag to keep track of where they were and ensure they were on the same flight we were on.  Of course since  we had the tags our bags were never missing and were brought right to our door.

 

Check you bag(s) at the dock and enjoy your time on the ship!

[quagmire0]

I've seen way more complaints about how it was a hassle to drag luggage around than complaints that luggage never made it to the room. 😂

[julig22]

2 minutes ago, quagmire0 said:

I've seen way more complaints about how it was a hassle to drag luggage around than complaints that luggage never made it to the room. 😂

Yup.  Although I do have a smaller roller bag or backpack that I keep with me for meds, camera, etc.  Operative word - roller!  For me, rolling is much better than carrying whenever possible.

[quack2]

I have to say that in Vancouver, I really like the Pan Pacific's luggage pick up and transfer to the ship.  Well worth the tip amount to have this service

[Sand and Seas]

Just completed 43rd cruise with NCL and we have never had a problem with luggage checked with porters.  As a pre-caution, anything irreplaceable (jewelry, medications, etc.) is kept with us in a shoulder bag.   Also easy to keep another set of clothing in the shoulder bag.

 

We also 'cross-pack' so that we each have complete sets of clothes in each others suitcase.  Then, we a bag is lost/misplaced, we will be able to get by with extra laundry service.  We use packing cubes which makes it super-easy to cross-pack.   

 

Finally, we take a picture of our luggage.  It's funny how hard it can be to describe your lost luggage from memory.  (Airlines misplaced a bag for us a couple of times!)

[eileeshb]

The recent dailies I’ve seen listed a location on embarkation day for bag storage. It has probably become a necessity due to the delays in rooms being ready for guests. I’d keep an eye on postings of day 1 newsletters for your ship to see if that facility is being offered. 

[julig22]

5 minutes ago, eileeshb said:

The recent dailies I’ve seen listed a location on embarkation day for bag storage. It has probably become a necessity due to the delays in rooms being ready for guests. I’d keep an eye on postings of day 1 newsletters for your ship to see if that facility is being offered. 

Now if they just handed you the daily as you boarded (which they apparently were supposed to do but didn't on my last cruise) ...

[ChiefMateJRK]

9 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Now if they just handed you the daily as you boarded (which they apparently were supposed to do but didn't on my last cruise) ...

Yep.  They actually had them at the checkin counters in Seattle in April.  They were NOT in plain sight, and I had to ask for one.

[Laszlo]

We always check one for two large bags with the porters. We also carry on a smaller carry on and usually backpacks. We have always found a place to put our bags, usually under the table we are having lunch in

[Laszlo]

33 minutes ago, Sand and Seas said:

Finally, we take a picture of our luggage.  It's funny how hard it can be to describe your lost luggage from memory.  (Airlines misplaced a bag for us a couple of times!)

Funny, I thought I was the only person who did that. A take a photo of our bags right before the porters take them