Luggage question

[Gus12]

My soon-to-be wife and I are flying to the port for our cruise and refuse to check bags. We will each have a regular backpack and a small rolling bag to carry on the plane. For the ship, do you advise us to print off luggage tags for the rolling bags for after we board? Or is it not that big of a deal to roll it through lunch and the initial process of getting our bearings? Or might they make us check those bags? We just aren't familiar with cruises so we don't know.

 

We tend to like to hang on to our bags, but we also don't want to be "that guy" or "that girl" who bogs everything down because they're rolling a bag around. Thanks!

[BaumD]

If the bags are sized such that they will fit thru the scanner at the airport, then you can carry them on the ship. They use a similar sized scanner. I would put luggage tags on them in case you get separated from one of the bags either on the way or on the ship, they will find their way to your cabin.

[jamiebytes]

You CAN keep your bags with you but it could be a pain for you and other cruise goers until staterooms are ready. You'll clog up elevators, won't be as easy to check things out (touring the spa, checking out the MDR or pool, etc.), and if you grab lunch at the buffet your bags will make the crowd seem much worse, not to mention it'll be extremely hard to carry luggage and grab food at the same time. So if you keep them, be prepared for them to annoy others and yourself. Drop them off the second your stateroom opens. :)

 

What I do is give the baggage guys my carry on but I keep my large bag (backpack sized) with me, which I almost always have a change of clothes and various essentials in in case it takes forever for my carry on to arrive.

[kitty9]

Will you get through TSA with your liquids in your carry on? I'm only asking because at times, when people don't want to check bags, they forget things like shampoo and other liquids they need for a trip, which could be taken from you if they are too large via the TSA rules.

[Gus12]

I've never had trouble with liquids, though I generally just use the soap and shampoo at the hotel I'm staying at. We have some travel-sized containers of everything to use, but thanks for checking!

[Blueboss]

Speaking of soap and shampoo, Carnival provides those in your bathroom, so no real need to bring those.

[Krazy Kruizers]

JMO -- but when you get to the cruise terminal I would put the luggage tags on your smaller suitcases and let the porters get them on the ship. Also lock the suitcases you check-in at the pier.

Keep your pack backs with you with any medications and valuables you have.

[Kerry&LuAnn]

We always travel with carry-on size luggage. We take them with us on the plane, and then carry them with us to the ship, without any problem. We have always found that our cabin was ready when we boarded, so we simply carried our bags to our room and then went off to lunch or to explore the ship. At the end of the cruise, when others set their luggage outside their cabins the night before disembarkation, we get to keep ours with us. Then in the morning we carry our bags with us and walk off the ship. It's all very easy and very convenient. The only trick is to learn to pack appropriately and take only what we know we will really need.

[Colorado Kat]

If you hand off the rolling suitcases to the porters, make sure any electronics, ipods, cameras, meds, and money are not in them.

[SadieN]

Speaking of soap and shampoo, Carnival provides those in your bathroom, so no real need to bring those.

 

But not conditioner and the shampoo is, IMHO, icky.:p

[martinclm]

We were going back and forth about having a checked bag or just having carry-ons. We've decided to go ahead and check a bag.

 

We will have our 2 carry-ons and a checked bag. So 3 bags total. Can we still carry them off ourself or do we HAVE to set them out to be taken by staff?

[RikkuCat]

I generally prefer to keep my bags with me as well, but there's no way I'd drag my luggage around a cruise ship while waiting for the cabin to be ready. Heck, I feel fairly tied-down just carrying a backpack until we can drop it off! One of my favorite things about being on a cruise is NOT having to carry a bunch of crap with me all the time! A small tote bag to carry sunglasses, kindle, sunblock, and my cruise card is about all I'm willing to carry. As soon as I'm on the ship, I want to ditch everything related to the real world ASAP!

 

And while I never check bags when traveling for work or to non-beach destinations, if I'm going on vacation somewhere sunny, I'll check a bag for the sole purpose of being able to pack sunscreen in containers larger than 3oz. I know a lot of cruisers travel to their departure city a day early and find a Walmart, but it's easier for me to just pack it than it would be to find a Walmart just to buy sunscreen, as I wouldn't need anything else. Oh, and aloe - we always pack aloe as well and usually end up needing it despite our best efforts to reapply our sunblock regularly - but we are both pretty fair-skinned.

 

Other than sunscreen and aloe, I wouldn't have a problem packing toiletries for a cruise in a carry-on. I pack my own shampoo and conditioner because I don't want to use the mystery brand shampoo on the ship (and no conditioner) but we don't need more than 3oz for a week. We definitely don't need to lug full-sized products on vacation, and what we need for a week could easily fit into a quart-sized bag each.

[martinclm]

I was referring to the end of the cruise. I did speak to someone with Princess and they said that as long as we can carry the luggage ourselves (ours have rollers and we can tie them together) then we don't have to leave them for staff.

 

That is the reason we are checking a bag...don't want the added expense of buying shampoo and conditioner in FLL and I prefer my own to the "mystery" shampoo and conditioner as well! :)

 

Plus, we getting a bottle of wine and water or pop to put in our carry-on when we get to FLL. We'll probably just bring a little bit smaller checked bag as to avoid overpacking.

 

Simply can't wait to go. We are going out on Feb 3 on the Ruby Princess to the Eastern Caribbean! Our first EVER cruise! We have 4 boys and have never had a trip just by ourselves.

[kitty9]

Oh yes, you can carry off your bags at the end of the cruise.

 

I agree with those who say the shampoo and conditioner they have on ships is wayyyyyyy icky. If I use that stuff my hair looks like I put my finger in an electric socket and fried my hair. The only cruise line that uses great shampoo and conditioner is HAL, as they use Elemis products, which are great, and expensive if you buy it yourself.

[Packedready]

I don't like to check my "good" carryon luggage because they distroy luggage at the port. I have had many pieces ruin. I have seen the baggage guys pick up luggage over their heads and then throw them.

[paul929207]

I don't like to check my "good" carryon luggage because they distroy luggage at the port. I have had many pieces ruin. I have seen the baggage guys pick up luggage over their heads and then throw them.

As long as they fit thru the airport size scanner, you can carry them on. Depending on the cruise line and when you board, you may have to carry the luggage around for a while.