My luggage tag rant...

[Bruin Steve]

Okay...it's been 2 and a half years since my last RCCL cruise and I know things have changed...

I know I've got to print my own luggage tags. I know I've got to wait until about 7 weeks or so before my cruise for them to show up on the check-in web pages. I know It's good to have those little plastic tag holders to stick them in...and so on...

 

When I cruise on Celebrity, they still send me the old fashioned sticky-backed pre-printed tags...upon request. At least they did last cruise with them. I'm waiting for that to change as well.

 

On Princess, they've been doing that "print your own" thing for years--why I bought my first set of those plastic holders. I am on my second set now. The great improvement first set to second is that, on the first set, they attached to your luggage handle with a small plastic loop that you had to be a contortionist to properly twist it around and back through itself with the tag and luggage handle. The newer ones attach with a small metal cable with a screwable joint.

 

Anyway, even though I was pretty sure this was the current status on RCCL, I thought I'd check the website to see if there might be an exception...like "on request"...or "Diamond C& A member" or some category cabin or above...

 

So, I get to the website and go to "Already booked", then to "Before you go" and, voila, there's this line:

 

"Luggage Tags

Royal Caribbean's Luggage Tag program conveniently lets qualified guests request their personalized ship tags before leaving home."

 

I'm thinking "Great...they have a 'program'. What makes me 'qualified'? And let's get them."

So, I see that the words "Luggage Tags" are clickable...So, I click and this comes up:

 

"LUGGAGE TAGS

In an effort to be environmentally conscious, we no longer offer Luggage Tags by mail. We encourage guests to download and print their electronic Guest Ticket Booklet, which will include a luggage tags guests may adhere to their luggage."

 

Okay, RCCL giveth and RCCL taketh away. You would think they could be a little clearer on both parts of their website...maybe just move the second reference to where they have the first one and do away with the click?

 

Then, I am thinking..."Wait a second...The reason they've done this is to be "environmentally conscious"? So, YOU printing them at home saves more trees than them printing them? Have they seen my family members wasting paper and toner screwing up print jobs on my home printer? I always though the reason they did this was to save themselves money and effort...They save on printing, they save on postage, they save on employee time. Why not be honest RCCL? Say, "in order to save money--and remember, we'd likely pass those expenses on to you anyway--we'd like you to do us a favor and print your own..."

 

Anyway, that's my rant for today...

[Paulxyz2004]

I´m sorry, but I have to tell you, you are totally out of the Loop. Luggage tags complaints and rants are history. These days you have to rant about room Service fees or whine about DD ruined By whiners.

 

Luggage tag rants are just so yesteryear.:rolleyes:

[ksws64]

They may be old rants but I enjoyed reading it. Update their site and be honest.. I agree completely! It also reminded me to buy new luggage tag covers for my cruise in May!! So thanks :)

[Scotty G]

I´m sorry, but I have to tell you, you are totally out of the Loop. Luggage tags complaints and rants are history. These days you have to rant about room Service fees or whine about DD ruined By whiners.

 

Luggage tag rants are just so yesteryear.:rolleyes:

 

Ditto!

[chape19714]

It does have several environmentally friendly results. With the cruise line providing sticker-like tags sent home, they are printing normally 2 per person, on sticker paper with backing, along with envelopes and possibly a letter to go along with just to be sent to the home. Whereas at home, you are only printing what you need (normally less than 2 per person) and you are printing on plain (usually at least partially recycled paper), and saving the envelopes and other collateral being printed.

[Bruin Steve]

It does have several environmentally friendly results. With the cruise line providing sticker-like tags sent home, they are printing normally 2 per person, on sticker paper with backing, along with envelopes and possibly a letter to go along with just to be sent to the home. Whereas at home, you are only printing what you need (normally less than 2 per person) and you are printing on plain (usually at least partially recycled paper), and saving the envelopes and other collateral being printed.

...but purchasing petroleum-based plastic tag holders...over the internet...which are being sent to you in a large envelope, etc.

[johnjen]

"Environmentally concious" so print out your own tags.

 

Yeah, I agree with OP.

 

Just make sure you don't re-use towels. We pay enough money for cruises as it is. I too, am tired of hearing the "green" excuses. It's just a ruse by the cruise industry to same themselves on finances.

[Scottee25]

It does have several environmentally friendly results. With the cruise line providing sticker-like tags sent home, they are printing normally 2 per person, on sticker paper with backing, along with envelopes and possibly a letter to go along with just to be sent to the home. Whereas at home, you are only printing what you need (normally less than 2 per person) and you are printing on plain (usually at least partially recycled paper), and saving the envelopes and other collateral being printed.

 

To add onto what you stated, there are even more environmental impacts of RCCL producing luggage tags for us. In addition to the sticky back labels and the additional materials required to produce them, RCCL also needs to mail those to our home. The environmental impact there is the USPS doesn't run on solar power. The need to burn fossil fuels to get those tags from point A to point B. Sure, this does save the line money by having us print them out ourselves. But there is an environmental benefit to us printing the tags ourselves.

[luvscruising2007]

Much ado about nothing!

[Bootman4U]

How environmentally safer might it be if you

 

1. Show up at the pier

2. Ask the porter to either hand you a blank luggage tag that you can fill out OR

3. Have them tag the bag for you

4. Arrive with carry-on baggage only (yes, people do it all the time now)

[chape19714]

...but purchasing petroleum-based plastic tag holders...over the internet...which are being sent to you in a large envelope, etc.

 

Which can be re-used time and time again, instead of creating them for each and every cruise.

 

But using these is also your choice, and does cut down on Royal's environmental impact. I personally don't use them, and have never had an issue.

 

To add onto what you stated, there are even more environmental impacts of RCCL producing luggage tags for us. In addition to the sticky back labels and the additional materials required to produce them, RCCL also needs to mail those to our home. The environmental impact there is the USPS doesn't run on solar power. The need to burn fossil fuels to get those tags from point A to point B. Sure, this does save the line money by having us print them out ourselves. But there is an environmental benefit to us printing the tags ourselves.

 

Exactly! Thank you!

 

Environmental impacts are not something that companies just claim to save money. It may seem like something small to you, but multiplied over the hundreds of thousands of Guests who sail with Royal Carribean over the coarse of even a month, this is an astronomical impact.

[ONECRUISER]

Which can be re-used time and time again, instead of creating them for each and every cruise.

 

But using these is also your choice, and does cut down on Royal's environmental impact. I personally don't use them, and have never had an issue.

 

 

 

Exactly! Thank you!

 

Environmental impacts are not something that companies just claim to save money. It may seem like something small to you, but multiplied over the hundreds of thousands of Guests who sail with Royal Carribean over the coarse of even a month, this is an astronomical impact.

Agree.

[johnjen]

Oh, speaking of luggage tags, this reminded me to print mine off.

 

But I can't find where it's done, or have they changed something? Just printed off our set sail passes and on pg3 there's a depiction of one but it says "they are not real luggage tags" so where's the luggage tags at where I can print them myself?

[pspercy]

Make as many tags as you want & customize too:

http://www3.zansstuff.com/luggage-tags

 

 

Thanks to CC member AHecht

[Clarea]

Oh, speaking of luggage tags, this reminded me to print mine off.

 

But I can't find where it's done, or have they changed something? Just printed off our set sail passes and on pg3 there's a depiction of one but it says "they are not real luggage tags" so where's the luggage tags at where I can print them myself?

Luggage tags usually appear around 7 weeks before the cruise. Check the page where you did online check-in.

[Deeliteful]

How environmentally safer might it be if you

 

1. Show up at the pier

2. Ask the porter to either hand you a blank luggage tag that you can fill out OR

3. Have them tag the bag for you

4. Arrive with carry-on baggage only (yes, people do it all the time now)

Have never quite understood the hoo ha about luggage tags! :rolleyes: The above is what I do every time. No hassle, really easy, what's all the fuss about?

[Pratique]

Environmental impacts are not something that companies just claim to save money. It may seem like something small to you, but multiplied over the hundreds of thousands of Guests who sail with Royal Carribean over the coarse of even a month, this is an astronomical impact.

 

The whole green impact argument seems dubious to me. Yes, printing tags at home is measurable to the cruise line but not in the aggregate effect to the environment. It shifts the impact from the company to the consumer. The tags are printed one way or another, the only difference is the elimination of postal mail when printed at home. In any event, the impact is more than offset by the emissions and fuel consumption of the fleet. Not to mention they still print tags for unloading the baggage from the ship. Moreover, paper is a renewable resource, unlike the ships' fuel. I have never thought of cruising as a "green" activity anyway.

 

If anyone really cares about the impact of luggage tags then think about the millions of monster sized tags the airlines use everyday, compared to the small paper ones they used in the old days.

 

Also what about the thousands of Cruise Compasses they print everyday. Reducing that might be a better place to stake a claim for going green.

Edited April 3, 2017 by Pratique

[cb at sea]

Just get REAL tags from the porters...they have plenty!

[sparkinator99]

How environmentally safer might it be if you

 

1. Show up at the pier

2. Ask the porter to either hand you a blank luggage tag that you can fill out OR

3. Have them tag the bag for you

4. Arrive with carry-on baggage only (yes, people do it all the time now)

 

3500 people all having their bags tagged at the pier? And people complain about airport security lines. Can you imagine the back up of people asking how to fill it out, attach it, do you have a pen? Does it have to be printed? etc

[George C]

Suite had luggage tags mailed up to ,about 2 years ago, another perk gone

[dcgrumpy]

I prefer printing FAKE tags beforehand. It's quicker for me to hand them off to a porter.

[Cruisegirl91579]

You can fix all that by booking with a travel agent. They'll have them for you with all your paperwork and tickets nicely organized in a folder for free

[Sancho_proudfoot]

The template page with the printable tag is included within the guest ticket documentation, which they now release once your departure is less than 45 days away (not 7 weeks).

 

I got ours yesterday, which was exactly 6 weeks out.

[MsMarley]

Not related to the rant but to the luggage tags.. my travel agent just sent black & white poorly made tags so I printed mine out, trimmed, and just used clear plastic tape on both sides to protect the paper, trimmed again and they work like a charm.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Big_G]

To add onto what you stated, there are even more environmental impacts of RCCL producing luggage tags for us. In addition to the sticky back labels and the additional materials required to produce them, RCCL also needs to mail those to our home. The environmental impact there is the USPS doesn't run on solar power. The need to burn fossil fuels to get those tags from point A to point B. Sure, this does save the line money by having us print them out ourselves. But there is an environmental benefit to us printing the tags ourselves.

 

LOL! Agree because the mailman only comes to my house when I order luggage tags...oh wait??? :o

 

 

Sorry Scott. Couldn't resist. :D