Luggage Valet Service

[familycruiser01]

Has anyone ever used the luggage valet and onboard flight check-in service on the Oasis? We are on Lady O in a few weeks and flying in/out of Ft. Lauderdale. I'm reading about it and it says that you can depart anytime between 8:00 and 10:00 am, once your bags have been cleared by Customs....and then once you depart the ship, you don't need to claim your luggage - simply go through the customs check-point with carry-on bags only and collect luggage at airport at final destination. And then you don't check-in at the airport, since you are checked-in onboard.

 

My question - how does this work? Does Customs search your luggage before it's taken off the ship after it's collected the night before? If I'm packing liquor in my luggage to go home, is it safe? Do I pay the customs fee for that when I go through with my carry-on? If we don't check-in at the airport, how do we get our boarding passes?

[cruisenfever]

Has anyone ever used the luggage valet and onboard flight check-in service on the Oasis? We are on Lady O in a few weeks and flying in/out of Ft. Lauderdale. I'm reading about it and it says that you can depart anytime between 8:00 and 10:00 am, once your bags have been cleared by Customs....and then once you depart the ship, you don't need to claim your luggage - simply go through the customs check-point with carry-on bags only and collect luggage at airport at final destination. And then you don't check-in at the airport, since you are checked-in onboard.

 

My question - how does this work? Does Customs search your luggage before it's taken off the ship after it's collected the night before? If I'm packing liquor in my luggage to go home, is it safe? Do I pay the customs fee for that when I go through with my carry-on? If we don't check-in at the airport, how do we get our boarding passes?

With Luggage Valet your flight must leave no earlier than 11:30AM and in some cases 12 Noon. You must fill out a form midway through your cruise and return it to Guest Relations.

 

You will receive your luggage tags and boarding passes the night prior to debarkation. The fee is $20pp for 2 checked bags each. If your airline charges you additional baggage fees, that will appear on your SeaPass Account.

 

Once your bags are at the airport they will be scanned as they would had you dropped them off. If anything looks suspicious they will open and inspect. As far as packing liquor, you would pack it the same as as if you were dropping off your luggage yourself.

 

As far as Customs Fees, you fill our your Customs Forms and that is collected by Customs and Immigration prior to leaving the terminal.

Edited October 23, 2014 by cruisenfever

[cruzeluvr]

Has anyone ever used the luggage valet and onboard flight check-in service on the Oasis? We are on Lady O in a few weeks and flying in/out of Ft. Lauderdale. I'm reading about it and it says that you can depart anytime between 8:00 and 10:00 am, once your bags have been cleared by Customs....and then once you depart the ship, you don't need to claim your luggage - simply go through the customs check-point with carry-on bags only and collect luggage at airport at final destination. And then you don't check-in at the airport, since you are checked-in onboard.

 

My question - how does this work? Does Customs search your luggage before it's taken off the ship after it's collected the night before? If I'm packing liquor in my luggage to go home, is it safe? Do I pay the customs fee for that when I go through with my carry-on? If we don't check-in at the airport, how do we get our boarding passes?

We used luggage valet getting off the Allure a couple of years ago. Very easy, and I wouldn't hesitate to use it again. It was $20/pp plus any airline baggage fees. You get your airline luggage tags and boarding passes the last night on board the ship. Attach the airline luggage tags to the luggage and leave everything outside your door, as you ordinarily would. The next time you see your luggage will be when you land at your final destination. We were able to walk off the ship at 8:00 AM, and breezed through customs.

[jamesr3939]

Haven't done it on RCL, but did it in January on Carnival. It's is wonderful! Just don't miss the deadline for getting your info back to guest services. They printed out everything we needed and all the tags we needed and boarding passes where in our cabin the night before. I just keep a small backpack with stuff I wanted to have on the plane and didn't want to chance checking. I packed a bottle of tequila and it came through just fine.

[niceguy6505]

We plan on using this service on our upcoming Oasis cruise never used it and looking forward to it. It will be very nice getting off the ship and not worry about luggage or printing boarding passes the day before the cruise ends. Well worth it.

[Sky616]

How does this work with 4 of us including two children? Both of us adults will only have one checked bag each. Can we use the kids' checked bags (2 also) as ours and then not have to pay for them? Guess I'm asking if this would be $40 for all four of us. We are flying SW so no additional bag fees.

[Ashland]

With Luggage Valet your flight must leave no earlier than 11:30AM and in some cases 12 Noon. You must fill out a form midway through your cruise and return it to Guest Relations.

 

You will receive your luggage tags and boarding passes the night prior to debarkation. The fee is $20pp for 2 checked bags each. If your airline charges you additional baggage fees, that will appear on your SeaPass Account.

 

Once your bags are at the airport they will be scanned as they would had you dropped them off. If anything looks suspicious they will open and inspect. As far as packing liquor, you would pack it the same as as if you were dropping off your luggage yourself.

 

As far as Customs Fees, you fill our your Customs Forms and that is collected by Customs and Immigration prior to leaving the terminal.

We have used Luggage Valet...and sorry but your bags "are" inspected before they transfer them to FLL...We got the random "ding" when my SeaPass card was inserted as we departed the ship..we were escorted past everyone and to an area where I identified my bag and opened it..after a quick search it ended up being my bottle of well packed (bubble wrapped) Rum Jumby that they were interested in..once they saw exactly what it was..they closed my bag I locked it and we were sent on our way..my bags were transfered to FLL and I didn't see them again until I landed in LAX..We have used the Luggage Valet many times..and this has only happened once...so be aware...they are scanned.

[joey1]

Can anyone tell me if Southwest is included in the program and do they do this on all cruises?? Have never done this, but we have a 1:40 flight from Tampa after getting off Brilliance and we are not going to go straight to the airport.

Thanks!

Jodi

[Big_G]

We have used Luggage Valet...and sorry but your bags "are" inspected before they transfer them to FLL...We got the random "ding" when my SeaPass card was inserted as we departed the ship..we were escorted past everyone and to an area where I identified my bag and opened it..after a quick search it ended up being my bottle of well packed (bubble wrapped) Rum Jumby that they were interested in..once they saw exactly what it was..they closed my bag I locked it and we were sent on our way..my bags were transfered to FLL and I didn't see them again until I landed in LAX..We have used the Luggage Valet many times..and this has only happened once...so be aware...they are scanned.

 

We've been told that they are random checks of luggage valet baggage and not every bag is scanned. On one trip, they actually pulled a child's bag to be checked and only allowed one parent to go with the child. We thought it odd that they would split up the family during debarkation.

[boscobeans]

Can anyone tell me if Southwest is included in the program and do they do this on all cruises?? Have never done this, but we have a 1:40 flight from Tampa after getting off Brilliance and we are not going to go straight to the airport.

Thanks!

Jodi

 

We used it on our last cruise and although Southwest was not listed we were told to fill out the form anyway and we would be notified.

 

We got our luggage tags and boarding passes the last night of the cruise and everything worked out very smoothly.

 

I guess it depends on whether or not there are enough passengers signed up for the particular airline or airport to make it worth their while?

 

OMO

 

bosco

[sleepless]

How does this work with 4 of us including two children? Both of us adults will only have one checked bag each. Can we use the kids' checked bags (2 also) as ours and then not have to pay for them? Guess I'm asking if this would be $40 for all four of us. We are flying SW so no additional bag fees.

 

 

If you do not sign your children up for the Luggage Valet service (pay the $20.00 fee), they will not not be checked in with the airlines, and will not receive their boarding passes. While you will be checked in, with a boarding pass, thus avoiding the check in process at the airport, you will still have to stand in the line to take care of your children. Kind of defeats the purpose.

 

I would pay the $20.00 per person fee, and avoid all lines.

[cruisenfever]

Can anyone tell me if Southwest is included in the program and do they do this on all cruises?? Have never done this, but we have a 1:40 flight from Tampa after getting off Brilliance and we are not going to go straight to the airport.

Thanks!

Jodi

Yes. Here is the list of participating airlines that accept Luggage Valet

We've been told that they are random checks of luggage valet baggage and not every bag is scanned. On one trip, they actually pulled a child's bag to be checked and only allowed one parent to go with the child. We thought it odd that they would split up the family during debarkation.

You are correct, it is a random check. I apologize for not mentioning that in my response above.:o

Edited October 24, 2014 by cruisenfever

[ahecht]

If you do not sign your children up for the Luggage Valet service (pay the $20.00 fee), they will not not be checked in with the airlines, and will not receive their boarding passes. While you will be checked in, with a boarding pass, thus avoiding the check in process at the airport, you will still have to stand in the line to take care of your children. Kind of defeats the purpose.

 

I would pay the $20.00 per person fee, and avoid all lines.

 

With Southwest, if you don't have bags you can use the self service kiosk at the airport to get your boarding pass without waiting in line. If you have smart phones, Southwest also has mobile boarding passes, so you can check your kids in from your phones and just show the barcodes at security and the gate.

Edited October 24, 2014 by ahecht

[saltycat]

Can anyone tell me if luggage valet is offered in Tampa?

[Sky616]

We are renting a car for the day at Fort Lauderdale so that is mostly why we would get it. Not have to worry about big suitcases. We have a 4:30 flight home to Baltimore so if we have to wait in line for kids' boarding passes or just use a smartphone that is no biggie. So using that route would we still be able to do this for $40?

[mdjohn5]

I am curious about what people do for the last night / morning of departure..

 

Do people hang onto one smaller bag to pack their toiletries and PJ's etc and carry that onto the plane? can you check one extra bag when you get to the aiport.

 

Just trying to figure out the best logictics for that last morning.

[cruisenfever]

I am curious about what people do for the last night / morning of departure..

 

Do people hang onto one smaller bag to pack their toiletries and PJ's etc and carry that onto the plane? can you check one extra bag when you get to the aiport.

 

Just trying to figure out the best logictics for that last morning.

Yes that would be carry-on luggage which does not get put out the night before and that's were the items you mentioned would be packed the morning of debarkation.

[deanna41]

Car parking valet service. porters will meet you at the car. If you mean to the airport not sure, but would think so call and ask.

[Host Jacquelyn]

With Southwest, if you don't have bags you can use the self service kiosk at the airport to get your boarding pass without waiting in line. If you have smart phones, Southwest also has mobile boarding passes, so you can check your kids in from your phones and just show the barcodes at security and the gate.

 

Yes, you beat me to it.

 

The family can pay $40 for the 4 luggages and receive boarding passes for the 2 adults. They can check the kids in at the self-serve kiosks (or with the Diamond Concierge if applicable) so that they do not need to wait in long lines at the airport.

[Sky616]

Yes, you beat me to it.

 

The family can pay $40 for the 4 luggages and receive boarding passes for the 2 adults. They can check the kids in at the self-serve kiosks (or with the Diamond Concierge if applicable) so that they do not need to wait in long lines at the airport.

 

Thanks Jacquelyn for clearing that up. That's what we will do.

[Ashland]

We've been told that they are random checks of luggage valet baggage and not every bag is scanned. On one trip, they actually pulled a child's bag to be checked and only allowed one parent to go with the child. We thought it odd that they would split up the family during debarkation.

I believe I said "random" in my post...sorry you misunderstood...but best for participants of luggage valet to know there is that possibility...and by how many people and their luggage we saw that were "randomly" chosen and in that area...it would surprise you :eek:

[Ashland]

With Luggage Valet your flight must leave no earlier than 11:30AM and in some cases 12 Noon. You must fill out a form midway through your cruise and return it to Guest Relations.

 

You will receive your luggage tags and boarding passes the night prior to debarkation. The fee is $20pp for 2 checked bags each. If your airline charges you additional baggage fees, that will appear on your SeaPass Account.

 

Once your bags are at the airport they will be scanned as they would had you dropped them off. If anything looks suspicious they will open and inspect. As far as packing liquor, you would pack it the same as as if you were dropping off your luggage yourself.

 

As far as Customs Fees, you fill our your Customs Forms and that is collected by Customs and Immigration prior to leaving the terminal.

Also..if incorrect excess baggage is charged to your SeaPass card..you may have to call RCI when you get home to get that charge reversed...we did since we flew first class and there was no charge for our extra bags.

[Big_G]

I believe I said "random" in my post...sorry you misunderstood...but best for participants of luggage valet to know there is that possibility...and by how many people and their luggage we saw that were "randomly" chosen and in that area...it would surprise you :eek:

 

My bad. The way you worded it made it sound like everyone's luggage was inspected. Other than delaying your departure, did the inspection have any other adverse effects?

[Ashland]

My bad. The way you worded it made it sound like everyone's luggage was inspected. Other than delaying your departure, did the inspection have any other adverse effects?

I was very surprised at just how many people and how many pieces of luggage where in this area...and customs agents...I lucked out we were actually treated very nicely (some other's were not) got a nice female agent..she even complemented me on how well my luggage was packed and my Rum Jumby :D I believe they just wanted to be sure it wasn't an illegal bottle of booze (although not sure what that would be) purchased during our 8 nighter..San Juan, St Thomas, St Maarten & Labadee. The whole process moved so efficiently and quickly I don't think we were delayed at all...as a matter of fact we may have even got through customs quicker ;)

[Big_G]

I was very surprised at just how many people and how many pieces of luggage where in this area...and customs agents...I lucked out we were actually treated very nicely (some other's were not) got a nice female agent..she even complemented me on how well my luggage was packed and my Rum Jumby :D I believe they just wanted to be sure it wasn't an illegal bottle of booze (although not sure what that would be) purchased during our 8 nighter..San Juan, St Thomas, St Maarten & Labadee. The whole process moved so efficiently and quickly I don't think we were delayed at all...as a matter of fact we may have even got through customs quicker ;)

 

Good to know. We've done LV around a half dozen times without an inspection. I'm just planning ahead that at some point my number will come up.