How do you manage your house, pets, etc. while on such a lengthy cruise?

[xrvlcruiser]

Luggage Forward "perk" for Full Cruisers only on Regent (both ways) - it makes no difference which cabin category you are booked in.

Peggy

[Go-Bucks!]

On 12/23/2018 at 1:04 AM, Scrapnana said:

On Holland America it is based on cabin categories and when you book (usually at least six months in advance to qualify). 

 

That's too bad.  The great thing about the Oceania world cruise is that so many necessary services are included in the cruisefare for everyone....one of the biggest reasons we booked with them.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

On 12/22/2018 at 6:38 PM, Heidi13 said:

Viking provides included luggage forwarding to the ship, but not post cruise.

 

I don't believe many, if any of the mega ship mainstream lines provide this service. On our last WC with Princess, it was not included for balcony cabins.

 

Too bad it's not both ways.  And post-cruise perhaps makes even more sense, especially if you want to acquire items on your cruise.

[Heidi13]

32 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

Too bad it's not both ways.  And post-cruise perhaps makes even more sense, especially if you want to acquire items on your cruise.

With the cruise ending in London, it isn't an issue for us. We will use the same service that we used returning from London last year.

 

Provided we fly BA, we have AirPortr pick up our bags and they deliver them to BA baggage handlers at LHR. Next time we see them is Vancouver airport, where we are picked up by one of the kids.

[Scrapnana]

12 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

Too bad it's not both ways.  And post-cruise perhaps makes even more sense, especially if you want to acquire items on your cruise.

If you qualify on HAL it does cover pre- and -post cruise.

[xrvlcruiser]

Go Bucks,

 

Was it you who had some issues with Luggage Forward? I think I remember you're sailing on oceania's WC. If you did, did they get resolved?

And another question: how far are you from the sailing port?

TIA . . .

Peggy

[Go-Bucks!]

2 hours ago, xrvlcruiser said:

Go Bucks,

 

Was it you who had some issues with Luggage Forward? I think I remember you're sailing on oceania's WC. If you did, did they get resolved?

And another question: how far are you from the sailing port?

TIA . . .

Peggy

 

Yes, I'm still having issues with them!  .  Not resolved yet....I'm waiting for corrected luggage tags and papers. Yes, I'm on the Oceania world cruise. 

 

I'm leaving from Los Angeles but live nearly all the way across the country from there.

Edited December 27, 2018 by Go-Bucks!

[xrvlcruiser]

Go Bucks,

 

I'm having issues as well - I'm on the Regent WC, leaving from LA and live on the East Coast. My bags are supposed to be at the Luggage Forward warehouse tonight or tomorrow but the last post on UPS was 12/19!. So I have my finger - and toes - crossed that the bags will get there. And then to the ship on January 4th.

Please let Oceania know about your issues . . .I plan to tell Regent.

Not a happy camper re: Luggage Forward.

Peggy

[Go-Bucks!]

3 hours ago, xrvlcruiser said:

Go Bucks,

 

I'm having issues as well - I'm on the Regent WC, leaving from LA and live on the East Coast. My bags are supposed to be at the Luggage Forward warehouse tonight or tomorrow but the last post on UPS was 12/19!. So I have my finger - and toes - crossed that the bags will get there. And then to the ship on January 4th.

Please let Oceania know about your issues . . .I plan to tell Regent.

Not a happy camper re: Luggage Forward.

Peggy

 

Yes, I plan to call Oceania if the luggage tags either do not arrive this week or if they have the wrong date on them again.

 

We embark at the last of the 3 embarkation ports (first is NYC on Jan. 11 and the second is MIA on Jan. 14) in Los Angeles on Jan. 30.  I don't understand why they keep telling me 3 different dates for the luggage pickup...and the earliest one would make my luggage sit at the dock for 3 weeks---> not happening! 

[xrvlcruiser]

I just checked the UPS/Luggage Forward web site and both my cases are in Bell, CA. I have no clue where that is in relation to Inglewood.

Go Bucks, you situation is much more confusing than mine. I agree - you need to get the date fixed and talking to someone at Oceania is a good start.

I'll be following your saga . . . .

Peggy

 

[Scrapnana]

On ‎12‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 11:56 PM, Go-Bucks! said:

 

Yes, I plan to call Oceania if the luggage tags either do not arrive this week or if they have the wrong date on them again.

 

We embark at the last of the 3 embarkation ports (first is NYC on Jan. 11 and the second is MIA on Jan. 14) in Los Angeles on Jan. 30.  I don't understand why they keep telling me 3 different dates for the luggage pickup...and the earliest one would make my luggage sit at the dock for 3 weeks---> not happening! 

Both this year and last year my bags were picked up about 18 days prior to the start of the cruise.  I had no problems.  I was able to track my bags and know when they got to the warehouse where they were stored until the start of the cruise.

[xrvlcruiser]

Scrapnana,

I'm curious: Luggage Forward? UPS?

 

I too have had my bags picked up 3 weeks before my trip but was able see far more detailed tracking and it was with a company I've used for many years.

Peggy

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I'm thinking about all those clothes sitting inside a suitcase for a month!  Nice if you had free pressing, perhaps, but would worry about mildew.  I guess one could line the suitcase with a plastic bag perhaps?

[xrvlcruiser]

Wendy,

I'm told by Luggage Free that the warehouses they use are temperature controlled. I've never had an issue. And as you said - included pressing is good!

Peggy

[Smokeyham]

It sounds like most people have friends or family check their mail for them while on an extended cruise. Is there anyone who has not gone that route, but is using one of the mail scanning/forwarding services (ST Brendan's Isle or similar)?  If you are using one of these services, what has your experience been, positive or negative?

 

Thanks.

[Go-Bucks!]

14 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

Both this year and last year my bags were picked up about 18 days prior to the start of the cruise.  I had no problems.  I was able to track my bags and know when they got to the warehouse where they were stored until the start of the cruise.

 

Glad you had no problems, but I am.....was told by 4 different people that the pickup dates would be either (depending on who I was talking to) Dec. 26, Jan. 14 or Jan. 17.  And the luggage tags said Dec. 26.  Well, it's obvious that that date was wrong since no one arrived to get them on that date, but I now don't have any tags and don't know which date to expect someone.  Makes me have no confidence in this company which I'm entrusting my belongings to.

 

Would you be happy with that kind of service???  And each person gives a different story, but all keep saying "Oh, so sorry for the mixup....but now it's right."  Then the next person contradicts it.  I have no desire to have my bags sitting in some warehouse for weeks, no matter whether it's temp controlled or not.  Perfect storm for a problem to occur.

[BarbaraM]

10 minutes ago, Go-Bucks! said:

 

Glad you had no problems, but I am.....was told by 4 different people that the pickup dates would be either (depending on who I was talking to) Dec. 26, Jan. 14 or Jan. 17.  And the luggage tags said Dec. 26.  Well, it's obvious that that date was wrong since no one arrived to get them on that date, but I now don't have any tags and don't know which date to expect someone.  Makes me have no confidence in this company which I'm entrusting my belongings to.

 

You said you had the luggage tags,  now you don't?  I didn't see any pick up date on my tags, unless it was super small print,  just the letter inclosed with the tags confirming my pick up date -- I got several emails from them the closer the date came for the pick up.  UPS came a few hours early, 10 minutes after they were good to go.  Hopefully you can get this cleared up next week.  See you on board!

[HotRoot]

We used the luggage tags they sent us but the Fed Ex driver printed a new bar code and put it on top of the original one.

[Go-Bucks!]

1 hour ago, BarbaraM said:

You said you had the luggage tags,  now you don't?  I didn't see any pick up date on my tags, unless it was super small print,  just the letter inclosed with the tags confirming my pick up date -- I got several emails from them the closer the date came for the pick up.  UPS came a few hours early, 10 minutes after they were good to go.  Hopefully you can get this cleared up next week.  See you on board!

 

Yes, I got tags with the wrong pickup and delivery dates....it has a pickup date of Dec. 24 on the actual tags!  And it also says that the delivery date to Insignia at Los Angeles is Jan. 7!  My cruise doesn't begin until Jan. 30, so that means they would be sitting around for 24 days (3.5 weeks) at the port....no way that makes sense.

Edited December 29, 2018 by Go-Bucks!

[xrvlcruiser]

HotRoot,

Are you saying your luggage sent via Luggage Forward was picked up by FedEx?

 

I asked for that, the tags I got were for UPS and when I spoke to someone at Luggage Forward I was told I was wrong, they didn't use FedEx.

 

Were yo able to track your cases to CA, to the warehouse?

 

I'd really appreciate the information since my experience was not happy.

 

TIA . . .Peggy

 

 

 

[HotRoot]

Our bags were sent via Luggage Forward.  Fed Ex picked them up.  We tracked them to a warehouse in California.

[xrvlcruiser]

Thanks HotRoot,

I appreciate the details.

See you next week!

Peggy

[Scrapnana]

15 hours ago, xrvlcruiser said:

Scrapnana,

I'm curious: Luggage Forward? UPS?

 

I too have had my bags picked up 3 weeks before my trip but was able see far more detailed tracking and it was with a company I've used for many years.

Peggy

FedEx picked them up.  I do not believe it was Luggage Forward.  All it said on the label was "Holland America Luggage".

Edited December 30, 2018 by Scrapnana

[xrvlcruiser]

Scraonana,

Luggage Forward was the service Regent contracted with for their Luggage shipping service. I don't know which firm HAL uses.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Good grief, this all sounds so fraught!  Looking forward to hearing that all luggage arrived safely and in good condition once you board your cruises!