Another luggage question!

[Ms.Fixit]

Questioning about what to do with the luggage on the night before debark. I opted out on RCCL transfers to the airport. The question is do I take my own luggage off the ship or leave it out the night before and let RCCL take it to the airport and catch up with it later?

 

My flight is not until 5:10 p.m., so I am planning a possible morning excursion also. I have heard different things and just wanted to know the best way to go with the luggage.

 

Thanks for all your input.

[Shanafan]

Questioning about what to do with the luggage on the night before debark. I opted out on RCCL transfers to the airport. The question is do I take my own luggage off the ship or leave it out the night before and let RCCL take it to the airport and catch up with it later?

 

My flight is not until 5:10 p.m., so I am planning a possible morning excursion also. I have heard different things and just wanted to know the best way to go with the luggage.

 

Thanks for all your input.

Not sure I understand your question. I have never heard of RCCL taking your luggage to the airport---but if that is possible I'd like to hear about it.

 

We always leave our bags in the hallway the night before. Once in port, you have to find your bags when they call your color. One year we didn't have a flight out until after 5 pm. We ended up taking a cab to the airport, checking our bags, and then taking a cab to South Beach where we hung out all day until it was time to go to the airport. The porter at the airport said he was not supposed to take the bags that early, but a bit of politeness and a few extra bucks go a long way. He didn't even charge us for our bag that was obviously over the weight limit.

[Ms.Fixit]

Not sure I understand your question. I have never heard of RCCL taking your luggage to the airport---but if that is possible I'd like to hear about it.

 

We always leave our bags in the hallway the night before. Once in port, you have to find your bags when they call your color. One year we didn't have a flight out until after 5 pm. We ended up taking a cab to the airport, checking our bags, and then taking a cab to South Beach where we hung out all day until it was time to go to the airport. The porter at the airport said he was not supposed to take the bags that early, but a bit of politeness and a few extra bucks go a long way. He didn't even charge us for our bag that was obviously over the weight limit.

 

Hi Lisa, I have always taken my luggage from the pier the next morning also, but my TA confused me a bit about this. She mentioned that she actually left the luggage with RCCL and went on an excursion in San Juan (the Bacardi Rum Factory) and her luggage went to the airport in a special truck where she picked it up later. After hearing this, I am a bit confused and reluctant to just "leave" it to catch up with it later. I would assume if I do in fact take an excursion, that they would actually find a place to store it for me until I am done with that excursion.

[karen_g]

Hi Lisa, I have always taken my luggage from the pier the next morning also, but my TA confused me a bit about this. She mentioned that she actually left the luggage with RCCL and went on an excursion in San Juan (the Bacardi Rum Factory) and her luggage went to the airport in a special truck where she picked it up later. After hearing this, I am a bit confused and reluctant to just "leave" it to catch up with it later. I would assume if I do in fact take an excursion, that they would actually find a place to store it for me until I am done with that excursion.

I think that what your travel agent is refering to is this: if you purchase, THRU RCI, an excursion that takes place on debarkation day THEN you get to go on the excursion and your luggage gets taken to the airport for you. You then get dropped off from your excursion at the airport, not back at the ship, so you are reunited with your luggage at the airport. I think sometimes your luggage even gets taken with you in the cargo hold of your tour bus, if in fact your tour does use a large bus.

[emilygrace]

Karen G is right.....we just took the Boston City Tour after our Canada/New England cruise on the Jewel, mainly because our flight out wasn't until 4 pm. We picked up our bags on the pier (we had put them out the night before) and they were put on the tour bus with us. When we got to the airport after the tour (they drop you off according to your airline) we retrieved our bags and checked them in.

[anniversary_cruisers]

I think that what your travel agent is refering to is this: if you purchase, THRU RCI, an excursion that takes place on debarkation day THEN you get to go on the excursion and your luggage gets taken to the airport for you. You then get dropped off from your excursion at the airport, not back at the ship, so you are reunited with your luggage at the airport. I think sometimes your luggage even gets taken with you in the cargo hold of your tour bus, if in fact your tour does use a large bus.

In a case like this, what would you do with valuables, like a laptop computer? I wouldn't want to cart it around on an excursion, nor would I entrust it to them with the rest of my luggage. Our flight home doesn't leave until 10 hours after the ship docks in Miami.

[Ms.Fixit]

I think that what your travel agent is refering to is this: if you purchase, THRU RCI, an excursion that takes place on debarkation day THEN you get to go on the excursion and your luggage gets taken to the airport for you. You then get dropped off from your excursion at the airport, not back at the ship, so you are reunited with your luggage at the airport. I think sometimes your luggage even gets taken with you in the cargo hold of your tour bus, if in fact your tour does use a large bus.

 

Karen - I think that is the case with what the TA did. I wish there were more excursions through RCCL for San Juan. I have done the fort, the rain forest, but I haven't done the Bacardi Rum Factory....maybe that would be nice, but I don't think it is one of RCCL's excursions. I am not going to worry about it!

 

Happy cruising! Six days to go!

[gerif]

In a case like this, what would you do with valuables, like a laptop computer? I wouldn't want to cart it around on an excursion, nor would I entrust it to them with the rest of my luggage. Our flight home doesn't leave until 10 hours after the ship docks in Miami.

 

Anything of value (jewelry, laptop, etc.) should never leave your possession. DH just bought me a "travel jewelry box" for my birthday - it's about 4" x 12" hard-sided and somewhat heavy. I said what am I supposed to do with this? He said put your jewelry in it for the cruise. Don't think so. Everything I take must fit into a small ziplock bag and go into my purse.