Desembark Luggage to Airport Question

[CruiseMob]

I'm driving in to our port a few days before our cruise and my sister is flying in - also a few days before so we can have some fun before our cruise. My question is: When our cruise is over <sob> does she need to pick up her luggage and get it back to the airport herself or does Celebrity offer anything that would have them take the luggage to the airport so she just needs to get herself there? We're in a suite and I did see they have Prioirity Luggage Delivery - but I took this to mean delivery to the stateroom upon boarding. Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

[Jimsgirl]

Luggage is usually put outside your room by midnight prior to dis embarking next day. It goes off the ship into a large "hanger", there you claim it (I would suggest bright tags, or some other means of easily picking out your case from the hundreds of others.). I always hold up in the air a $5 bill , this gets attention from a porter to help with your luggage, you do have to go through immigration/customs line.

 

If your sister booked through the cruise line, transport to the airport is usually included. If she booked her own flight I do suggest she purchase transportation from the Customer Service desk in the main lobby several days BEFORE the cruise ends. If she does that her luggage will be put on a bus, (after going through immigration etc.) she gets on, and is taken to the airport, where once again she gets her luggage (the $5 bill in the air works here also to obtain a porter to take the luggage to the check in desk etc.)

 

Have a wonderful trip.

[LX 470]

I always hold up in the air a $5 bill , this gets attention from a porter to help with your luggage

 

FYI $3.00 to $4.00 is the going rate per bag. So if the porter is helping you with 4 bags you really ought to be tipping him a minimum of $15.00. Keep in mind that once you get a porter he sticks with you through the customs line and the customs inspection and then takes you out to the curb to your ride.

 

At the airport most curbside check-in is now charging a flat fee of about $4.00 a bag. If you give them anything less than that you should immediately start worrying about what city your bag is going to arrive at.

 

I know how sensitive everybody on these boards is about tipping the proper amount and how they react if they have knowledge somebody did not tip appropriately so I just thought I would give you a heads up.

[hancock]

You didn't tell us which port. At some ports,( with some airlines, ) there is a luggage valet/transfer service available on the ship.

[first celebrity cruiser]

I always hold up in the air a $5 bill , this gets attention from a porter to help with your luggage,

 

I hope, like the other poster said, you gave them more than five bucks.

[SandyMc]

If it's offered at your port, your sister should definitely take advantage of the luggage pickup offered by Celebrity. In San Diego we had a late flight so signed up, paid $20 per person and never had to worry about our bags. We got our boarding passes the night before, they picked our luggage up at our door and we never had to deal with it again. Spent the day sightseeing and not worrying about lines at the airport - what a great service!! :D

[Lsimon]

At the airport most curbside check-in is now charging a flat fee of about $4.00 a bag. If you give them anything less than that you should immediately start worrying about what city your bag is going to arrive at.

 

The curb site check-in fee, per bag, is posted by the check in spots there. I've seen $2 or $3 per bag. But my understanding is that this fee is going to the airline, not the porter/agent. So if you pay only that you're stiffing him. last March we were checking in at LAX. Woman in front of us paid him the posted fee for 3 bags, and after giving her her boarding pass and luggage tags he told her where to drag her bags to, in order to get them into security. We gave him an appropriate tip over and above the posted fee and he took our bags and sent us on our way to the gate - letting us know he'd get them to the security drop off area for us.

[tuggers]

I can't even remember when $5 would get you anywhere with a porter! Tips now are more like $10 to $20.

I do sort of object to the charge by the airlines for using curbside check-in . Most places I have seen the signs it clearly states: Gratuities Not Included. So only paying that fee stiffs the porter.

[LX 470]

The curb site check-in fee, per bag, is posted by the check in spots there. I've seen $2 or $3 per bag. But my understanding is that this fee is going to the airline, not the porter/agent.

 

Thanks for the heads up. I did not know this. Maybe thats why one of my bags didn't make it to Rome the same day I did. We gave the airline porter $20.00 for four bags which means the porter himself only got $8.00. Since it was an international flight he had to take the bags from the curb to the check-in line on the inside - alot of work for only $8.00.

[Jimsgirl]

No I did not stiff the porter. I only had one case. I carried my carryon. However I did see that most others in fact only paid $1 per bag, to go through the immigration to the bus. the porter had many other cases on the trolley by the time we reached the immigration line.

Yes I did tip the driver of the bus also when he unloaded the luggage - though again many did not.

 

As you say tipping is a difficult subject. At my table were 5 other females, they went to the casual dining in the Oceanview Grill one night and BOASTED that they did not pay the "suggested $2 pp tip" . Since I changed my table I do not know if they paid the waiter etc at end of cruise.

[CruiseMob]

Thanks everyone, all the information is very helpful - sorry I forgot to post the port. :( It's San Diego - so can we use their luggage pickup even if we aren't booking her flight through Celebrity or using luggage pickup before the cruise?

 

Thanks again for all the information.

[hancock]

It depends on the airline. Not all airlines are part of the program.

[bsa63]

We are going to Hawaii Oct.22. Does anyone know what the charge is in LA?