Has anyone ever shipped luggage to Alaska?

[seaver]

Traveling from the lower 48,and not needing a lot of my "stuff" till the cruise portion (DIY 9 days before),just wondering if anybody has shipped luggage to the last hotel,in my case Seward. PLEASE ONLY answer if you have done it or looked into it.Thanks

[Putterdude]

I have never done it but I watched a man pick up his golf clubs at our local post office here in AZ earlier this week....he said it was cheaper to mail them then to pay extra luggage charges on the plane. So why not Alaska?

[PennyAgain]

Whenever I go into my local UPS office there are suitcases waiting to be shipped out. UPS/FED-Ex have boxes for suitcases or you can ship them as they are.

 

Shipping to Alaska is expensive so verify the costs well ahead of time.

 

Verify that Seward is in the delivery zone for the shipper you choose. Not all of Alaska is served by UPS/FED-Ex.

 

Also consider a US Post Office flat rate shipping box. You can get a lot of clothes into the larger size boxes and the US Post Office serves Seward, AK.

[Coral]

While not Alaska, we were going to ship some items "USPS ground" to a hotel in CA. A new charge which seems to be common in hotels which we hadn't experienced before was a "$10 acceptance fee" and then $10 for every day they have to store the package. Since we were shipping it "ground" we didn't know when it would arrive and in the past, we shipped things early to make sure they arrived before our cruise, this defeated the purpose as it was cheaper to just pay for luggage.

 

In our case, we were going on a cruise with my mom's Seeing Eye dog for 3 weeks and were going to ship her food, treats and a few toys. We were staying at a Marriott hotel. I did a google search and this is now a frequent charge that didn't used to exist as I have done this for years.

 

I am guessing if you stay at a mom and pop hotel, you will probably not be charged for this. The previous year we stayed at a Pan Pacific and did not have problems.

 

Just one thing to ask at the hotel you will be shipping the items to.

[seaver]

Thanks for all the USEFUL advice!

[PennyAgain]

While not Alaska, we were going to ship some items "USPS ground" to a hotel in CA. A new charge which seems to be common in hotels which we hadn't experienced before was a "$10 acceptance fee" and then $10 for every day they have to store the package. Since we were shipping it "ground" we didn't know when it would arrive and in the past, we shipped things early to make sure they arrived before our cruise, this defeated the purpose as it was cheaper to just pay for luggage.

 

In our case, we were going on a cruise with my mom's Seeing Eye dog for 3 weeks and were going to ship her food, treats and a few toys. We were staying at a Marriott hotel. I did a google search and this is now a frequent charge that didn't used to exist as I have done this for years.

 

I am guessing if you stay at a mom and pop hotel, you will probably not be charged for this. The previous year we stayed at a Pan Pacific and did not have problems.

 

Just one thing to ask at the hotel you will be shipping the items to.

 

I've been experiencing acceptance and storage fees when I've shipped ahead books and materials for meetings.

 

About the dog's needs: can you purchase locally when arriving at your hotel? Too much bother?

 

Also do the airlines actually charge for luggage that is for service dogs? I would telephone and verify.

[Coral]

I've been experiencing acceptance and storage fees when I've shipped ahead books and materials for meetings.

 

About the dog's needs: can you purchase locally when arriving at your hotel? Too much bother?

 

Also do the airlines actually charge for luggage that is for service dogs? I would telephone and verify.

 

I guess we have been lucky as we didn't encounter this issue until last summer. I have encountered other problems in the past such as sending the food to a Canadian hotel and having to pay extra at customs (they called me) to get the dog food through Canadian customs.

 

The dog food must be bought at a pet store and this last time, we were arriving in the evening and staying at the LAX Marriott hotel and then getting on our cruise the following morning. I doubt there were many pet stores near LAX. Sometimes I have purchased food in FLL before a cruise. This summer - I put all of her dog food in my carryon hoping it wouldn't get weighed. We were gone for 24 days and brought enough food for a 75 lb German Shepherd.

 

We don't get any extra luggage allowance for her but there are times when our luggage is overweight and we blame it on her toys, bowls, grooming items, lifejacket, etc... Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It is weird that "medical supplies" are supposed to be exempt but I have not encountered anything that gives us extra allowance. Heck, we have enough problems getting through TSA and getting bulkhead seats with her. It is like people are not trained how to deal with service animals.

[PennyAgain]

I asked a good friend of mine who is totally blind and travels a great deal with a guide dog. She insists that the guide dog's essentials are considered 'medical equipment' and she has never paid a penny for the dog's luggage on any flight in the USA.

 

She does not cross pack any of her own items with the dog's items so the dog's luggage is all for the dog's needs.

 

She makes sure that the dog's luggage is not overweight.

 

She says there are resource materials available that define this. Check out the National Federation of the Blind for details.

[Coral]

I asked a good friend of mine who is totally blind and travels a great deal with a guide dog. She insists that the guide dog's essentials are considered 'medical equipment' and she has never paid a penny for the dog's luggage on any flight in the USA.

 

She does not cross pack any of her own items with the dog's items so the dog's luggage is all for the dog's needs.

 

She makes sure that the dog's luggage is not overweight.

 

She says there are resource materials available that define this. Check out the National Federation of the Blind for details.

 

Thanks. I have often thought it would be defined that way but run into enough problems when traveling with TSA, etc... that I haven't pushed this point. It is good to know. I may try that next time. We have always crossed packed and I can see why one would not want to do that. I consider her items the same as a "cpap machine" or whatever. When we travel, it is usually for a minimum of 2 weeks and often 3 weeks, so it is quite a bit of weight.

[PennyAgain]

Thanks. I have often thought it would be defined that way but run into enough problems when traveling with TSA, etc... that I haven't pushed this point. It is good to know. I may try that next time. We have always crossed packed and I can see why one would not want to do that. I consider her items the same as a "cpap machine" or whatever. When we travel, it is usually for a minimum of 2 weeks and often 3 weeks, so it is quite a bit of weight.

 

Coral, evidently my friend has learned that cross packing invalidates the 'medical equipment' exemption from baggage fees. As my friend does 100% of her own packing, the dog's suitcase has clearly defined areas for each item. Her guide dog is about 40-45 pounds and is small enough to fit under the seat in front of her 'person' so that a bulk head row is actually a disadvantage.

 

Good luck in your travels. Remember that when you and your mother-in-law stand up for what is right, you are helping others to get their fair rights but may be less skilled in communication.

[Coral]

 

Good luck in your travels. Remember that when you and your mother stand up for what is right, you are helping others to get their fair rights but may be less skilled in communication.

 

We do - I am a huge advocate. We have been traveling with my mom and her guide dog for about 15 years (or more) with 2 different dogs over that time period. We were some of the first to cruise and were written up in Cruise Travel Magazine. I think we were the first ones to bring a service dog on Celebrity and Princess (not sure about RCCL). It is just trying when we get TSA people who don't know how to deal with the dog, people in US Virgin Islands who don't know what ADA is or when airlines change our seats 5x (bulk heads) before we get to the airport. Or have issues at hotels. I feel like we are constantly educating people. It is definitely worth it and we have made a difference. I just hadn't tacked the dog food issue as it always seemed easier to just mail the food as it is one less thing for me to carry as I carry all the luggage, until this last trip!

[Kycruisefan]

Interesting information. I had shipped to a port in Florida once so that a box of my thing would be in my stateroom when we arrived. We were cruising with Disney t the time. Anyone ever tried this with RCCL out of Seward?