Question about luggage tags when you have guaranteed cabin

[snopls]

We are cruising Holland America for the first time (have been on Celebrity 5 previous cruises). This is the first time we are using a "guaranteed" room, but it is unasssigned. We have been told it will be assigned when we check in. But how do we handle luggage tags if we don't know what cabin we will be in until we get to the ship? We probably will have at least 4 bags, so what is the process that Holland America uses for this kind of situation?

 

I would appreciate any comments from people who have done this before with HA and know what they do.

 

Thanks!

 

Phil

[cdkempton]

They will have a list showing your cabin number. As long as you have shown your name, ship, sailing date, they will fill in your cabin number for you. If you have received your baggage tags prior to the cruise, your tags will have the ship's name on them and you will just write in your name and sail date.

Bon Voyage!!

[sail7seas]

When you arrive at the ship, ask the stevedores who take your luggage to check their manifest and give you cabin number. They always have the manifest and always can tell you the cabin number.

 

[sail7seas]

HAL has announced starting September, only World and Grand Voyages will receive paper docs and get the usual luggage tags sent along with the docs.

 

All others can either print their luggage tags from the HAL site, make their own or wait until you arrive at the dock.

 

I have seen the new style they are using and it takes just a moment to write your name and cabin number.

 

The stevedores will give you those tags.

 

[arzz]

We were on the Amsterdam on July 18 -- this was our first time on HAL with real e docs (not just pre-registered embarkation) and can veriify that

 

1 -- there were lots of folks around with a list of names and cabin numbers

 

and

 

2 -- the tags are easily available at the pier, REALLY simple to fill out and even simpler to attach to your luggage -- HAL said all we needed to put on the tag was the cabin number, but we felt that prudence required our name also -- worked like a charm!

 

In terms of e-docs in general, all we received after our brief check in at the pier was a small wallet that held our key cards -- any other info was in our cabin on board -- embarkation was fast and smooth -- kudos to the new system!

[jtl513]

It's the same with e-docs as before e-docs: in both cases, if you don't know your cabin when you get to the pier it gets filled in there! :)

 

However, most likely you will know your cabin # before leaving home.

[Krazy Kruizers]

You can still print out the luggage tags for your cruise -- now.

Then all you will need to do at the pier is check with the porters who will have a manifast and then just fill in your cabin number.

On the luggage tags that you run off from the internet -- your name, sailing date will already be on the tag -- just have the porter cross out 00000 for your cabin number and they will fill in the correct number.

Personally I think these internet tags are terrible!!

[cdkempton]

I should add, we received our baggage tags in the mail prior to our upcoming cruise because they were explaining to us about US Direct in which case you need to attach your tags before your bags leave the airport. At least this is in Vancouver, Canada. Since we are arriving a few days ahead of sailing, we won't be using US Direct but we will be using the baggage tags before we take our bags down to the pier. :) If we don't have our cabin # yet, we will let the Stevadore assist us with that.

[jtl513]

- just have the porter cross out 00000 for your cabin number and they will fill in the correct number.

:confused: Ours are just blank there.

 

Personally I think these internet tags are terrible!!

They're not meant to be collectables - they're just something to get your bag to your cabin, and are fine by me! :p

[sail7seas]

I have a number of tags from previous cruises on HAL..... some used and some unused.

 

As long as they are still in adequate condition, I intend to continue using them. Many times we have the same cabin number on a given ship so not much info I need to change. ;)

 

[pipedreams62]

[snopls]

I appreciate everyone's replies, and wanted to say "thanks" to you all. Now I do know what to expect to do when we get to the dock!

Thanks again - Phil

[cruisecrasy]

You can still print out the luggage tags for your cruise -- now.

Then all you will need to do at the pier is check with the porters who will have a manifast and then just fill in your cabin number.

On the luggage tags that you run off from the internet -- your name, sailing date will already be on the tag -- just have the porter cross out 00000 for your cabin number and they will fill in the correct number.

Personally I think these internet tags are terrible!!

 

I agree that these internet tags are terrible and as far as filling this in at the pier -

What about luggage like mine if I book a guarantee, that goes from a bus directly to the ship?

What are the odds they don't check bags for the cabin numbers if I'm not there to ask them to do so?

 

They will end up on the ship w/o a number on them and I will be searching for them at midnite... :(

[SHERGIB]

Have left bags with stevedores on pier and not known cabin # til we got to the counter. We always just wrote GUAR. on the tags and the luggage has never failed to arrive. We also had our name on the tags.

[pms4104]

I agree that these internet tags are terrible and as far as filling this in at the pier -

What about luggage like mine if I book a guarantee, that goes from a bus directly to the ship?

What are the odds they don't check bags for the cabin numbers if I'm not there to ask them to do so?

 

They will end up on the ship w/o a number on them and I will be searching for them at midnite... :(

You mention bus service directly to the pier. I surmise you are arriving by air and taking HAL transfers to the pier? If that is the case, the HAL reps at the airport are supposed to provide you with tags, and you can enter your info before they load your bags onto the bus.

[jtl513]

What about luggage like mine if I book a guarantee, that goes from a bus directly to the ship?

You mention bus service directly to the pier. I surmise you are arriving by air and taking HAL transfers to the pier? If that is the case, the HAL reps at the airport are supposed to provide you with tags, and you can enter your info before they load your bags onto the bus.

I have never yet used a HAL transfer where I didn't have to identify and "claim" my bags outside the bus (on the pier) before a porter took them. That's when you fill in the cabin number.

[sail7seas]

I agree that these internet tags are terrible and as far as filling this in at the pier -

What about luggage like mine if I book a guarantee, that goes from a bus directly to the ship?

What are the odds they don't check bags for the cabin numbers if I'm not there to ask them to do so?

 

They will end up on the ship w/o a number on them and I will be searching for them at midnite... :(

 

 

One thing you could do is when you get off the bus, claim your luggage and check it through yourself with the stevedore.

 

There are 'upsides and downsides' to booking a guarantee. This is a new 'downside'.

 

One way to avoid it is to book a confirmed cabin number if the 'downside' becomes too cumbersome for your taste.

[jtl513]

There are 'upsides and downsides' to booking a guarantee. This is a new 'downside'.

 

One way to avoid it is to book a confirmed cabin number if the 'downside' becomes too cumbersome for your taste.

On NCL my DD & DSiL had a confirmed cabin, but then found out at the check-in desk that they had been upgraded ... which was too late to fix the tags on bags already whisked away by a porter.

 

After dinner they still had not gotten their bags, so they went to their original cabin and found them sitting outside the door. I imagine a similiar thing could happen on HAL, at least until a steward got around to checking.

[sail7seas]

Yes, John. I imagine you are right.

 

Another thing to keep in mind if you should be in such a situation.

Ask the steward on the floor for the room you were to be in to carefully check inside the cabin you initially thought was yours. I have heard of people who held onto luggage they knew was not their's and never saw to it that it was forwarded on to the people it belonged to.

 

REAL NICE FOLKS, HUH!!! Sad, but there are people out there who wouldn't offer the simple courtesy of calling the front office or speaking with their steward but would let the suitcase sit there.

[GmaPajama]

I've followed this thread with interest, as we'll be doing our first guarantee in less than 2 months. For me, the trick is learning to be mellow about things like cabin location and luggage tags. It's a new experience for us, and we've made up our minds that everything is going to work out just fine. We'll use common sense, of course, and appreciate the suggestions here - but it's actually sort of fun planning with a few "unknowns". Reminds me of the spirit of adventure we had in our youth.

[RuthC]

That's a good idea, Donna. As my grandgirl says, "chillax". :D

When we're facing a new procedure with HAL, it's important to remember that, although it's our first time doing it this way, HAL has already done it dozens (hundreds?) of times with each embarkation by the time we get there.

Relax, and trust that someone else knows what they're doing, even if we don't.

[arzz]

For what it is worth ... I have not used an HAL airport transfer in years but when I have done it there has always been someone on the bus with the passenger manifest who could verify stateroom numbers -- that way the bags could be tagged before reaching the pier even on the tansfer buses

 

possibly there is someone out there who has done this transfer this season on HAL and can tell us what the current procedures are

[sail7seas]

I've followed this thread with interest, as we'll be doing our first guarantee in less than 2 months. For me, the trick is learning to be mellow about things like cabin location and luggage tags. It's a new experience for us, and we've made up our minds that everything is going to work out just fine. We'll use common sense, of course, and appreciate the suggestions here - but it's actually sort of fun planning with a few "unknowns". Reminds me of the spirit of adventure we had in our youth.

 

 

You'll do fine, Donna. There truly should be no difficulty, inconvenience or problem.

 

You have a great attitude and all will be well for you. There's little about it that should create a headache.

[ekerr19]

We booked a GTY a few years back on Oosterdam and it was kind of fun not knowing... We knew we'd have at least an SC and we were happy with that - but it gave me something extra to look forward to; and I logged in a couple times a day checking to see if the assignment had come in. :)