Bit of a luggage snafu at the pier

[Marie51]

That sounds great. I just don't understand why the luggage does not have to be check by customs. But it sure sounds a lot easier.

 

Annieeee

 

We were told that our luggage goes through customs......without us........go figure.

[SherriZ366]

Is this change from colors to numbers just in Miami or is it fleet wide?

[Desert Cruizers]

Marie, this will be our first overseas flight and that sure would save alot of luggage handling. We are thru a local TA here in our home City, so I could arrange that with them, once we decide on whether we go Cruise Air or Custom. It all depends on best connections, as we prefer to fly out of our home city then LAX. FT lauderdale isn't the problem, we can get direct flights thru Dallas to Palm Springs, its the going over to Barcelona.

[Valchie]

Is this change from colors to numbers just in Miami or is it fleet wide?

 

Not sure

[Marie51]

Marie, this will be our first overseas flight and that sure would save alot of luggage handling. We are thru a local TA here in our home City, so I could arrange that with them, once we decide on whether we go Cruise Air or Custom. It all depends on best connections, as we prefer to fly out of our home city then LAX. FT lauderdale isn't the problem, we can get direct flights thru Dallas to Palm Springs, its the going over to Barcelona.

 

We signed up for luggage valet on the ship; I don't know if you can do it ahead of time or if it is even offered on all ships /itineraries.

[24butterfly]

Maybe by the time we go in July they will have realized the error of their ways.....In any case, we have brightly colored tape on the top of our luggage so it makes it e-zier to see in a sea of black.......We have an 11:30am flight out of SJ to LA on a Sunday.......I'm hoping all goes well.....

[Krin]

Is this change from colors to numbers just in Miami or is it fleet wide?

Just off Oasis in Ft Lauderdale on 4/17 and the new luggage tag system was in place. No problem for us in Ft Lauderdale.

[centurycruiser]

I've had problems with luggage 3 times. Two times were luggage carousels at Miami and Port Canaveral. Each of those times RCI employees told me to check other carousels. They were not much help at all. The 3rd time was the colored tag in the big room thing where someone apparently picked up my bag, realized it wasn't theirs before they got to the door and left it in the middle of the floor. Didn't put it back with the color tags. I hunted until most of the bags were gone and noticed a lone bag sitting all alone. Turned out to be mine. Each of these situations took well over an hour. If I was aware RCI would ship my bags home, I would have left.

 

I always carry off if they permit it. Do not want to go thru either situation again.

[Into the Sun]

We have also had to search for hours to find a luggage. Four cruises ago I promised my DH that I would attempt to pack only what I could carry off myself. Since then we have carried off our luggage. Of course schleeping huge bags is not ideal, (imagine 10 pairs of shoes + all of my liquids) but, I am getting better at it.

We also use lime green straps around all of our luggage with our name imprinted in BOLD letters. This helps alot with fellow passengers at the airport so that we can recognize our bags as they come off the carousel. We bought the straps years ago and they are invaluable to us. Just a suggestion. Not sure where we purchased them but, I am sure they can be found on the internet. As far as the numbering system, we will not use it as

it is so much easier to carry off your own luggage (if your physicaly able).

[pcur]

You guys have me sooooo nervous now !!!! (But THANKS for the heads up!) How about if we "decorate" our luggage on top of using those tags? What about bringing our own colored paper and writing the number on the colored paper ?? Any other suggestions to alleviate this executive decision ????

 

I suggest you buy some brightly colored, large stickers (like kiddee stickers) and put them around the outside edges of your luggage. These are the parts that show when luggage is upright and next to other bags. This way they are easier to spot.

 

We have burnt orange colored luggage (that was the color it came in and it was on sale), so ours jump out at us immediately.

[setsail]

Does the luggage valet work if you arrive at POM but fly out of FLL??