RCCI Cruise Air Luggage Handling

[cruisintraveler]

I am taking Voyager on July 19 from Barcelona. We couldn't work out the night before departure in Barcelona because of all the extra charges (almost $500+ per person without hotel) in deviations and air charges. But we are desperate to take a short, 3-4 hr private tour of BCN (the other 3 in my group have never been to BCN). I have found tour companies, but my problem is the luggage transfer.

 

When we are greeted by RCCI at the BCN airport, we would LIKE to claim our luggage and then turn it over to the RCCI Voyager Rep. I know it sounds slightly risky. Has anyone ever done this or known someone who has? When I called to ask about this, they wouldn't commit. They said that it would be up to the individual rep at the time. This makes a difference in our reserving a vehicle and in what we can see and do.

 

OR is there a place at the airport we can check our bags, and then have our driver pick them up before taking us to the ship? OR, maybe we could take them directly to the ship with the transfer, check in our bags, and then have the tour guide pick us up at the ship and return us to same? We have 8 hours before departure to do all this.

 

Any suggestions or advice? :confused: Thank you!!

 

Linda

[CruisesOnMyMind]

Quick question,

What times does your flight arrive and the ship leave? I know you said 8 hrs, but if it arrives at 6:00am that might put a different slant on your choices.

[cruisintraveler]

Our flight arrives in BCN at 8:25am on Saturday, July 19. We have to be on board ship at 5p and ship departs at 7p if I recall correctly.

 

I figured by the time we get thru everything at the airport and collect our luggage, could be 9:30a or 10a. If we took at 3-4 hours tour, it would still get us to ship by 2. We are really only going to take in a small area in town. I would actually hope to get on board NO later than 4 just want to allow enough time.

 

Being able to send our luggage on to the ship would definitely make it easier to book a driver and some flexibility.

 

Thanks for any help or advice!

 

Linda

[scgirlatheart]

I am taking Voyager on July 19 from Barcelona. We couldn't work out the night before departure in Barcelona because of all the extra charges (almost $500+ per person without hotel) in deviations and air charges. But we are desperate to take a short, 3-4 hr private tour of BCN (the other 3 in my group have never been to BCN). I have found tour companies, but my problem is the luggage transfer.

 

When we are greeted by RCCI at the BCN airport, we would LIKE to claim our luggage and then turn it over to the RCCI Voyager Rep. I know it sounds slightly risky. Has anyone ever done this or known someone who has? When I called to ask about this, they wouldn't commit. They said that it would be up to the individual rep at the time. This makes a difference in our reserving a vehicle and in what we can see and do.

 

OR is there a place at the airport we can check our bags, and then have our driver pick them up before taking us to the ship? OR, maybe we could take them directly to the ship with the transfer, check in our bags, and then have the tour guide pick us up at the ship and return us to same? We have 8 hours before departure to do all this.

 

Any suggestions or advice? :confused: Thank you!!

 

Linda

 

May I ask what tour companies you've been dealing with in Barcelona? We're in the same situation as you, and I hadn't thought of just taking a short tour of the city. I thought we would have to go directly to the ship, but this is our only chance to see Barcelona, and to even have a short tour would be wonderful.

[cujosmom]

The Airport, the touristy area of Barcelona and the port where the Voyager will be are NOT close to each other.

 

Haven't flown INTO Barcelona but have recently flown OUT (May 10). On an early Saturday morning (no heavy traffic), it was an approx 30 minute drive and 30 euros for a taxi. Your traffic may be heavier later in the morning.

 

Even though you "arrive" at a certain time, that doesn't mean the transfer to the port will happen as soon as you've gotten your luggage. There may be some waiting around time at the airport until the buses arrive and they have enough people to fill them up. They probably don't want people at the port any earlier than 11 AM.

 

The tour company....what kind of vehicle do they have? How many people are going on this tour with you?

 

If it just the two of you plus your luggage, I'd suggest the tour company pick you up at the airport along with your luggage. Do the tour and then have the tour company take you to the port. Keep in mind, the vehicles in Barcelona are small and there is not alot of room in their trunks for luggage (pack light !!)

 

I've also read that a taxi from a hotel in Barcelona (touristy area) costs approx 25 euros to the port.

 

Personally, I'd want to make sure my luggage made it to the port and handled properly. Have you considered what you will do with your hand luggage? I wouldn't leave ANYTHING OF VALUE to be handled by the bus or port people.

 

Good luck.

[CruisesOnMyMind]

What is it that you want to see most. They have the wonderful hopon/hopoff bus that is right out side the cruise terminal. It takes about 3 hrs to do the trip and is well worth the nomimal pricel

I would suggest getting your luggage to the pier and verifying it is yours, then go out on your own. You have plenty of time to see barcelona. Even La Ramblas is a walk from the pier. A wonderful walk for the first time in Barcelona. I love that place and cannot wait to get there again this Nov.

[cruisintraveler]

I wouldn't let loose of my luggage until signed for by someone with RCCL and that I felt pretty good about it.

 

We have made arrangements with tour guide for 4 hr tour, their vans have place for all our luggage that isn't visible. There are 4 of us. The others are not seasoned travelers, and I don't want to have to keep rein on them so this will work for us. I would have loved to do the Hop On Hop Off bus, but not this trip. Since we can't verify that RCCL will take our bags, we'll just keep them in our guide van. I wouldn't take a chance on going to the port and turn them in (if they are not ready for you it could be disasterous, then go back down town.

luggage, but it is not as common since 9-11 and I don't blame them.

 

Much appreciate everyone's comments - we used them all in our thinking and planning!

 

Linda

[suekay]

IMHO you've done the right thing to maximise your Barcelona experience. Enjoy:)

[CVU]

We just came back in April from Barcelona on the Navigator. We were on a B2B. You can walk to the end of Las Ramblas and get a Hop on Hop off bus there. It was about a 20 min. walk from the ship. Between our B2B we had a full day in Barcelona, so we walked into town.

 

There were huge line ups to check in at the pier with luggage to board the ship, when we came back from our day in town later in the afternoon. We are doing this cruise again in Oct. and will now be at the pier before 11 AM to miss this line up which was out into the parking lot. If they are not checking in yet, we will be at the beginning and not out in the parking lot in the sun.

 

There were city buses for transportation into town at the pier. I don't know about cabs.

 

So, you could check in at the pier early and then leave for a tour on the Hop on Hop off. They have free ear phones on the bus that you plug into your language.

If you want to sit up on top, take the bus even if there is no room up top as some get off at each stop. It was very, very busy for the 5 days were were there with huge line ups for this bus at the main Las Ramblas stops. Waiting for the special seat on top can cause you to miss many buses if they are full. There were angry passengers because they were missing buses that were full.

 

It was 20 ? Euros for 1 day I believe, as we paid 26 Eu. each for 2 days. There are 3 routes so you have to change to see them. Red, blue and green.

It was busy like I said so we managed 2 routes Red and Blue but the green one we passed on. It was busy and we knew we would have to change buses to get back to our hotel area.

 

Maybe a private tour would be better for the amount of time you have. We were on the bus at the Las Ramblas square by around 9 AM but later the line up was like an "S" it was SO long.

 

Barcelona is a wonderful clean city and well worth a tour. Leave all valuables on the ship, as there are pick pockets. We stopped one in our Hop on Hop off line up. She butted up beside me in the line and was moving her fingers under her coat over her other arm to pick the bag of the fellow in front of me. Very brazen as I was beside DH in the line! She left us and went to the back of the line to try again.

 

Enjoy your cruise and you will fall in love with Barcelona!!

[cruisintraveler]

I seem to have lost the post I just typed. Hope it doesn't appear twice.

 

Anyway, sorry I didn't see your request for the tour companies until now. I am using Marie Montcourt (email: mariemontcourt@fastmail.fm) but another highly recommended (I used several years ago for taxi service only at that time) was Angie's Taxi (you'll have to use search on here to get her email - something about taxiinternationale). These companies all have vans that hold you luggage secure.

 

If you come in a day early, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, and stay close to Place de Catalunya, you can walk to most everything and take the bus. Antonio Gaudi's Casa Batlo and LaPedrera (or Casa Mira) are practically across the street from each other, and Sagrada Familia just a bus ride away - they are NOT to be missed. We did cruise air this time and never again, too many restrictions and extra charges for anything. I'll try and write a review after we return and get settled again. Good luck!

 

Linda