Ever tried shipping your luggage to a port?

[elena7seas]

We found out this past Monday that our flights from Vancouver to San Juan had been cancelled several weeks ago without our being informed. We have since been rescheduled, but are now on three different airlines, one for each leg of the flight (YVR-LAX, LAX-PHL and PHL-SJU). We are flying down on Thanksgiving, and at this point, I figure there is almost no chance that our luggage will make it to San Juan with us. :o

 

We are pretty efficient packers, and can take most of what we need for a 7-day cruise in 2 carry-ons with us, but my concern is my clothes for formal nights and our shoes. Has anyone ever tried fedexing themselves luggage ahead of a cruise? Is there a destination address at the port that we could ship to? Is this a completely crazy idea?

 

Thanks!

[xtopher_66]

From what I understand, the Cruise line won't accept shipped luggage for check in, meaning you have to bring it to the port yourself. The only way I see this working is shipping it to your hotel if you have one booked prior to the cruise or maybe you have relatives or friends in PR?

 

Chris

[Longboysfan]

From what I understand, the Cruise line won't accept shipped luggage for check in, meaning you have to bring it to the port yourself. The only way I see this working is shipping it to your hotel if you have one booked prior to the cruise or maybe you have relatives or friends in PR?

 

Chris

 

Post 9/11 theis is the policy. I did ship things to myself in the past - before 9/11.

 

You may want to contact the port authority in the home port. They may have a place to send to. But the hotel option fits better.

[sasset]

I did it once, to Barcelona in 2003, to our hotel. It was a nightmare. Customs holdup, duty equal to the shipping, almost didn't get it before we were to board.

 

Maybe it's better now.

 

Regards

[gracecarmo]

What would I do? Well, I would pack as much as I could into a carry-on, and plan to buy some items while in port or on the ship. The cost would probably be just as much or just a little more than shipping.

But, then again, I tend to pack lite and use the ship laundry.

[mason525]

I shipped my luggage to my Venice hotel this past summer using Luggage Free. This service was expensive but because I was already traveling in NEurope & didn't want to lug my cruise only items, I thought it made sense.

I orginally was having them send it to the ship via the port mamager. Then my plans changed & I went to Vencie 2 days early. My bag was in my hotel room when I checked in. However my cruise 7/12 was cancelled. So I guess something has to go wrong. LOL. Meg

[elena7seas]

Thanks for your replies. I know there is no easy answer to this one.

 

It was my DH's suggestion to ship what we can't carry on board. I just wanted to explore the idea to see if anyone had done this successfully.

 

We don't really have time in San Juan to go shopping...and its the last thing I would want to do with my time there. Shopping "under the gun" never works out well for me. :p

 

But thanks again to those who made suggestions. I so appreciate all the wisdom that is shared here on the CC boards. :)

[woodofpine]

Luggage usually moves around airports as quickly or more quickly than passengers. If the connections are so tight you don't think your luggage will make it, you may have more to worry about that the luggage... If not, it probably isn't an issue.

 

I did it once, to Barcelona in 2003, to our hotel. It was a nightmare. Customs holdup, duty equal to the shipping, almost didn't get it before we were to board.

 

Also in 2003, I shipped a Hoyer bed lift for my mother to my hotel in Barcelona. I had no real problems. Duty may not have been an issue because it was deemed medical for personal use and I used a commercial freight forwarder which handled that side of it. The box was about the size of medium size refrigerator!

 

Both the hotel and the cruise line (Princess) were very helpful. Princess crewman moved it from the hotel to the ship as part of standard luggage 'transfer' even though the thing needed its own vehicle.

 

Later in Venice, the freight forwarder arranged for hotel pickup. Princess again transferred the doggone thing from the ship to the hotel on a canal barge. That alone is why I've got a soft spot for the 'Passenger Logistics' department at Princess (other cruisers' grievances aside) as well as their arranging private wheelchair van/guide in Livorno and Istanbul.

[sasset]

Luggage usually moves around airports as quickly or more quickly than passengers. If the connections are so tight you don't think your luggage will make it, you may have more to worry about that the luggage... If not, it probably isn't an issue.

 

 

 

Also in 2003, I shipped a Hoyer bed lift for my mother to my hotel in Barcelona. I had no real problems. Duty may not have been an issue because it was deemed medical for personal use and I used a commercial freight forwarder which handled that side of it. The box was about the size of medium size refrigerator!

 

Both the hotel and the cruise line (Princess) were very helpful. Princess crewman moved it from the hotel to the ship as part of standard luggage 'transfer' even though the thing needed its own vehicle.

 

Later in Venice, the freight forwarder arranged for hotel pickup. Princess again transferred the doggone thing from the ship to the hotel on a canal barge. That alone is why I've got a soft spot for the 'Passenger Logistics' department at Princess (other cruisers' grievances aside) as well as their arranging private wheelchair van/guide in Livorno and Istanbul.

 

Nothing in our shipment was new, just dressy and formalwear since we had been in France for a week before boarding in Barcelona. I used FedEx. The suitcase got held up in Paris (I guess that is the main European arrival city for FedEx). It had been in Paris for several days before we got to Barcelona. After three dasy in Barcelona we finally got the bag a few hours before we left for the ship thanks to a FedEx guy in Barcelona who made it his sole purpose to get that bag to us.

 

Regards

[kitty9]

I ship my luggage for every cruise. It's just so nice not to have to lug all that stuff. Since Celebrity doesn't accept shipped bags or boxes, you have to be pretty creative. I have shipped to my pre-cruise hotel and I have shipped via a service such as Pak Mail or Wrap and Ship. My local Pak Mail store makes all arrangements for my bags to be shipped to another Pak Mail store and then I make arrangements to meet the manager of that Pak Mail store at the terminal. He delivers the luggage right to the various ports. As a matter of fact, I'm shipping my bags for our upcoming Panama Canal cruise. My PM guy picks up my bags, and is shipping them to another PM store in San Diego. When we arrive at the terminal, I'll call the local PM store and make arrangements to meet him at a specific time.

[denb]

Trying to ship it by regular carriers can be 'dicey'.

Perhaps what you're looking for is someone who specializes in this service since 9/11, like luggage shipping experts luggagefree.com or luggageforward.com