EZ Bag check questions

We are cruising out of Seattle this summer and I just read about EZ bag check. I would love to use this service! We are flying Southwest, is there a way to find out if they are a participating airline?

Assuming they are, does everyone in the cabin need to participate in the EZ bag check? There are 4 of us and on Southwest we get two checked bags each for free, no way will we have that many bags. Can just DH and I sign up for EZ bag check and check all our bags under our names and then have our kids just walk off with us? We already paid for early bird check in and we are fine just printing their boarding passes at the airport.

I've never seen the EZ Check sign up form for Seattle posted here, but Southwest is always included in Ft Lauderdale so it is reasonably likely. Be sure you have entered your flight information into your cruise personalizer as it is always possible for an airline to be omitted if no independent flyers on that sailing have listed Southwest as their airline.

I don't see any issue with others on your booking walking off with you when you disembark with the EZ Check color group even if you only paid for EZ Check for the two of you. You won't be one of the very first ones off as you cannot sign up for EZ Check if your flight is very early; perhaps someone who knows the precise time will post it. I don't think when you said "walk off" you were referring to Express Walk-Off but of course EZ Check and Express Walk-Off are mutually exclusive; your disembark time will be based on your flight time which as noted must be within EZ Check parameters.

From this link, there is an EZ check in Seattle as of July 2015.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2233010

Maybe you can confirm with PSD if there is still one, and if Southwest is a participating airline, like in Ft. Lauderdale.

Yes I meant walk off with us, as in the kids would be in a separate disembarkation group than us? Since they wouldn't have any bags would they be considered self disembark?

Where can I find out the info for EZ check and if I can use it? I went with a TA so a lot of my info I don't have access to. She also booked our air through Princess if that means anything.

TIA

Where can I find out the info for EZ check and if I can use it? I went with a TA so a lot of my info I don't have access to. She also booked our air through Princess if that means anything.

 

TIA

If it is available to you, they will deliver info a few nights before the end of the cruise. I believe it is only offered for domestic US flights.

Using Eazy Check and time of disembarktation are not connected. You can use the baggage check then leave at your assigned time with all of your family. Just make sure when you fill in the information for when to leave the ship you put all in your party on the list. Have used it before from FLL and it is a great program and it also provides you with your boarding pass so no standing in line at a counter. You will enjoy it if it is available and your flight times meet the specifications.

It is not all that unusual for only one person in a cabin to do EZCheck and have all the bags under their name. $20 per person, not per bag.

I seem to recall that EZCheck had different disembark colors than others and it was kind of after the self-disembark and early flights. This could have been EZCheck with transfers, though. People without bags could do a self-disembark and get off first if they want.

You usually have to show your luggage tag stub to get off the ship and they won't let you off earlier than that assigned time, but if they really don't have any luggage it shouldn't be a problem - the guys checking you off the ship don't know if there are two or ten people in a group.

It is not all that unusual for only one person in a cabin to do EZCheck and have all the bags under their name. $20 per person, not per bag.

Depending on your airline's baggage policy, this method may end up costing more. If you put out the bags under one name on the ship to take advantage of one $20 fee, the bags will also be checked at the airport under that one name and likely incur a 2nd bag fee from the airline.

Depending on your airline's baggage policy, this method may end up costing more. If you put out the bags under one name on the ship to take advantage of one $20 fee, the bags will also be checked at the airport under that one name and likely incur a 2nd bag fee from the airline.

True, but OP says they will have a total of 4 bags and plan to pay for 2 people to do EZ off program...so for Southwest that will work.

I would recommend NOT trying to use this "service" until the kinks are worked out. My experience this week trying to use it was a disaster and it caused me unnecessary stress and money.

When I found the form on our first or second day I was thrilled since I injured my elbow and didn't want to schlep my huge bag around any more than necessary. There were tons of conditions listed on the form and I wish I had a copy to share with you guys, but it's restricted to certain airlines, destinations, and other factors. I fit all the factors, filled out the form, and ran it to the passenger services desk. Since it needed to be turned in my noon at Skagway, I had to turn it in the night before (since I was going to be in the Yukon Territory at noon that day!)

Due to bad timing, I was trying to turn it in when people were getting back from Juneau and there was LOUD music playing in the piazza. (Jimmy Buffet in Alaska, really, Princess???) Anyhow, I could barely hear/understand the lady at the desk, but she pointed to my missing flight confirmation code on my form and I ran downstairs to the internet cafe. I signed up for pay-as-you-go internet access to retrieve it from my Delta account, filled in the code, ran it back upstairs to the desk.

Got another lady this time (again, it was LOUD in the piazza) and she asks me "Where is your printed confirmation?" I was like "printed?" There is an app on my phone with my flight confirmation, but I do not have a printed copy." She shook her head at me like, "Oh, this won't do." (There was nothing on the form indicating a printed confirmation was required or I wouldn't have messed with this.) She tried explaining that it depends on the airline and if I wrote down one wrong letter or number this wouldn't go through. I told her I assumed the airline would have to accept it before taking my luggage and that I figured we were doing all of this four days in advance so that everything would be confirmed by all parties.

She took my form, but was still shaking her head that I was doing something wrong. I just tried to move on with vacation and hope everything turned out okay. It didn't.

A luggage tag and a print copy of my boarding pass arrived the evening before disembarkation and I noticed at the last minute that the luggage tag did not match my flight. My name and cabin number were correct, but the disembarkation rank, flight number, and flight time were all different. My husband valiantly rescued the bag before it got rolled to the bowels of the ship, but I was so stressed out I may have raised my voice to the manager at passenger services. (Okay, I did raise my voice demanding a refund, and I'm sorry about that. I am trying to be better.)

I did get a refund. Everything is fine. My bag and I are home, but it "EZCheck" is a total mess. I just wish I'd packed lighter and I promise to next time. Alaska is very casual and not as cold as I expected.

Hey Guys

Just want to throw this out there for you and any other readers that are following this post. Other than being concerned about whether your airline participates, I want to let you know that just because you fill out and submit the EZ Check form, there is no guarantee you will be able to use the EZ Check service.

My wife and I were on the Regal last November and we opted to use the EZ Check to avoid the lines at FLL. Long story short, my wifes' application for EZ Check was accepted and the room steward delivered her boarding pass for our flight , luggage tags and notification of her debarkation time. My application, that was submitted at the same time and for the same flight, was rejected for some unknown reason. I was given a notification of my rejection, instructed to put my luggage in the hall during the required time frame and was given a different debarkation time from that of my wife.

I checked with the Customer Services Desk and they were unable to explain why my EZ Check application was not accepted, nor did they try to obtain one. They did, however, change my debarkation time so that my wife and I could leave the ship at the same time.

While I was at the Customer Service Desk, I was able to talk to one of the ranking officers there and his explanation was that EZ Check was an independent service subcontracted by Princess and that Princess had no control over it. Essentially "tuff luck"!! Did it ruin our cruise? Hell no!!!! It would take much more than this FUBR to ruin a cruise for us. Stuff happens and you deal with.

I did follow up with a letter to Princess and as of this date, I have not received an explanation for the rejection of my EZ Check. I did, however, receive a letter from Princess stating that they were sorry this happened, that they strive to provide an excellent product/service, blah, blah, blah and that stuff beyond their control happens. Maybe I was the one in a million to have to deal with this problem. Maybe I should have bought a lottery ticket when we got off the ship in FLL.

Morale of this post is that just because you fill out the EZ Check form doesn't automatically mean you'll get to use the service.

Chuck & Sue Ann

"pairodocs"

Sorry you had a bag experience with EZ Check. We used it in March in Fort Lauderdale and everything was great. I did not need to print anything off. I don't recall the exact info they wanted, but everything was in my records from prior to the cruise. The luggage tags and boarding passes were all fine. I put my bags out the last evening and watched as the rolled onto baggage claim at my home airport the next day.

For us it was great.

Just an FYI - EZ check was NOT available out of Seattle for our Alaskan cruise May 21-28.....a reputable source said it would be back up and running mid to late June. Also, you can submit more than one name on the sheet - seems less likely to have one person approved and one not if on the sane sheet....

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We tried to use e-z bag check last week in seattle and it wasn't available for our date.

long cruiser

I would recommend NOT trying to use this "service" until the kinks are worked out. My experience this week trying to use it was a disaster and it caused me unnecessary stress and money.

 

When I found the form on our first or second day I was thrilled since I injured my elbow and didn't want to schlep my huge bag around any more than necessary. There were tons of conditions listed on the form and I wish I had a copy to share with you guys, but it's restricted to certain airlines, destinations, and other factors. I fit all the factors, filled out the form, and ran it to the passenger services desk. Since it needed to be turned in my noon at Skagway, I had to turn it in the night before (since I was going to be in the Yukon Territory at noon that day!)

 

Due to bad timing, I was trying to turn it in when people were getting back from Juneau and there was LOUD music playing in the piazza. (Jimmy Buffet in Alaska, really, Princess???) Anyhow, I could barely hear/understand the lady at the desk, but she pointed to my missing flight confirmation code on my form and I ran downstairs to the internet cafe. I signed up for pay-as-you-go internet access to retrieve it from my Delta account, filled in the code, ran it back upstairs to the desk.

 

Got another lady this time (again, it was LOUD in the piazza) and she asks me "Where is your printed confirmation?" I was like "printed?" There is an app on my phone with my flight confirmation, but I do not have a printed copy." She shook her head at me like, "Oh, this won't do." (There was nothing on the form indicating a printed confirmation was required or I wouldn't have messed with this.) She tried explaining that it depends on the airline and if I wrote down one wrong letter or number this wouldn't go through. I told her I assumed the airline would have to accept it before taking my luggage and that I figured we were doing all of this four days in advance so that everything would be confirmed by all parties.

 

She took my form, but was still shaking her head that I was doing something wrong. I just tried to move on with vacation and hope everything turned out okay. It didn't.

 

A luggage tag and a print copy of my boarding pass arrived the evening before disembarkation and I noticed at the last minute that the luggage tag did not match my flight. My name and cabin number were correct, but the disembarkation rank, flight number, and flight time were all different. My husband valiantly rescued the bag before it got rolled to the bowels of the ship, but I was so stressed out I may have raised my voice to the manager at passenger services. (Okay, I did raise my voice demanding a refund, and I'm sorry about that. I am trying to be better.)

 

I did get a refund. Everything is fine. My bag and I are home, but it "EZCheck" is a total mess. I just wish I'd packed lighter and I promise to next time. Alaska is very casual and not as cold as I expected.

Sorry for your bad experience but we use it all the time with no problems. One thing we do is attach a printed airline confirmation receipt with all the needed information to the EZ Check form. Makes it easier for Passenger Relations when processing.

Here is the EZ Check paper from last week's Crown Princess sailing. It won't upload so, if allowed, I've provided a direct link to the form on my blog:

http://debzdays.blogspot.com/2016/06/princess-ez-check-form.html

We are cruising out of Seattle this summer and I just read about EZ bag check. I would love to use this service! We are flying Southwest, is there a way to find out if they are a participating airline?

 

Assuming they are, does everyone in the cabin need to participate in the EZ bag check? There are 4 of us and on Southwest we get two checked bags each for free, no way will we have that many bags. Can just DH and I sign up for EZ bag check and check all our bags under our names and then have our kids just walk off with us? We already paid for early bird check in and we are fine just printing their boarding passes at the airport.

SWA does participate but don't know about Seattle.

You usually have to show your luggage tag stub to get off the ship.

I have never been asked to show this when disembarking.