Carry On Luggage Question

[Celebrate3]

We're headed to our 2nd cruise in Feb and decided this time we are both going to pack carry-on only for our cruise on the plane. When we arrive at the port, can we just bring our carry on luggage with us until we can get in our stateroom? I remember having to turn our bags over last time and they were delivered to our stateroom later that day. Trying to prevent any issues by keeping it with us both on flight and when we check in.

[valleyvillage]

You can bring it with you as long as it fits in the scanners at port security.

[eser1174]

I just did this in Miami.  We only had our carryon bags from our flight.  The porter there actually told us it would speed up our checkin process.  He must have known what he was talking about because we were the only people in line to check in when we arrived. Had no wait in security and enjoyed the vip lounge for awhile just us!  Once we got on board, we could drop our luggage at of the bars until our cabin was ready.  I really liked being able to unpack as soon as my cabin was ready versus waiting to unpack until my luggage arrived.  

[don't-use-real-name]

If your carry-on fit thru the TSA airport screening machine it will fit thru the NCL security machine.

What you are doing is a WALK-ON with luggage as opposed to end of cruise WALK-OFF.

Bravo that you can accomplish this - usually done with a warm weather cruise when not a lot

of clothing or changes of clothing are required - mix and match etc. Similarly can be done going

to a cold weather cruise with the layering of clothing - when boarding the ship wear layers of your

clothing to peal off as necessary.

Only problem to encounter is after boarding the ship - the stateroom not being available to unload

the carry-on and having to tote it with you until it is ready.

On short cruises packing light works - on the longer ones using the hump day laundry deal makes

this a reality also.

With a medium size luggage suitcase and a backpack this makes a great combination in just

packing the essentials.

The ship has a gift shop to supplement anything else that may be needed and at some port calls

clothing items can be added

So there is no need to pack the kitchen sink and the 100 pound steamer trunk - you are on the

fast track to enjoying your cruise even more. 

[zqvol]

26 minutes ago, Celebrate3 said:

We're headed to our 2nd cruise in Feb and decided this time we are both going to pack carry-on only for our cruise on the plane. When we arrive at the port, can we just bring our carry on luggage with us until we can get in our stateroom? I remember having to turn our bags over last time and they were delivered to our stateroom later that day. Trying to prevent any issues by keeping it with us both on flight and when we check in.

 

IF it is small enough to carry on the plane it is small enough to carry on teh ship.

[Gershep]

Many people do it

[casofilia]

Looking at what some people carry round on the way to have lunch and then keep alongside them as they eat you should have no trouble!!

[NurseJEB]

Having just carry on luggage has nothing to do with when your cabin us ready.  CAN you get to your room before the announcement, yes you CAN.  The doors are not locked between the common areas and the cabin hallways.  SHOULD you go there before the announcements are made, thus getting in the way of the people working hard to get he cabins ready for everyone?  I'll let each person rationalize why it is OK for them to do so and not everyone else.

[Laszlo]

We have been on 9 cruises and always bring our carry on's with us. It's no big deal, it is easier when you have lunch in one of the dining rooms that are open vs the buffet.

[Newleno]

Yeah really ,It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend it.  We have gone on 28 day cruises, extreme hot to extreme cold with just our rollerboard carryon bags and attached tote.

[JamieLogical]

I always just bring one carry-on size roller bag and a shoulder bag for cruises, whether flying or not. But why in the world would you want to lug that thing all around the ship? I am always thrilled to be able to dump mine off with the porters and only have to carry my shoulder bag with my medications, electronic, travel docs, and a change of underwear (just in case!). Frees me up to grab lunch and a few drinks then explore the ship. I would not want to stress about finding places to stow a larger bag while I eat and then have to drag it around with me while I'm adventuring.

[dcipjr]

My wife and I travel light. In the past, we've just gone airline style for cruises: a carry-on-sized bag and a personal item (backpack) each. When we board, we ask if there's a bag drop -- many ships have them, but on some they've told us just to go to our room and drop off the bags.

 

Now that we have a baby in tow, we can't travel as light anymore -- so we just check everything except our small personal bags.

[Laszlo]

15 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

I always just bring one carry-on size roller bag and a shoulder bag for cruises, whether flying or not. But why in the world would you want to lug that thing all around the ship? I am always thrilled to be able to dump mine off with the porters and only have to carry my shoulder bag with my medications, electronic, travel docs, and a change of underwear (just in case!). Frees me up to grab lunch and a few drinks then explore the ship. I would not want to stress about finding places to stow a larger bag while I eat and then have to drag it around with me while I'm adventuring.

I usually carry a bunch of camera gear, laptop etc.... My backpack is not big enough, my carry on with rollers is very easy to get around the ship, its really not a big deal. My camera stuff is not leaving my side Lol

[Newleno]

On two occasions I have seen suitcases floating in the water, on our last cruise they kept making announcements about bags missing and that we should check our rooms to see if a room steward put bags in the wrong room.  Like on an airplane I take everything with me, learned my lesson years ago after an airline lost my bag.

[JamieLogical]

2 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

I usually carry a bunch of camera gear, laptop etc.... My backpack is not big enough, my carry on with rollers is very easy to get around the ship, its really not a big deal. My camera stuff is not leaving my side Lol

 

Yeah, I wouldn't leave electronics in a checked bag either. I travel SUPER light for cruises though. My only electronics are my kindle and my phone (phone goes in the safe as soon as I get to the room and stays there for the duration of the cruise). I work with computers and the internet all day every day of my normal life. On a cruise, I like to live in a universe where that stuff doesn't even exist!

[dcipjr]

56 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

I work with computers and the internet all day every day of my normal life. On a cruise, I like to live in a universe where that stuff doesn't even exist! 

 

You and me both! I work in technology and I love cruises because I get to disconnect, and spend entire days without electronic devices. I usually bring paper books so that I don't have anything with a battery on me. 🙂

Edited November 13, 2018 by dcipjr

[kochleffel]

15 hours ago, eser1174 said:

I just did this in Miami.  We only had our carryon bags from our flight.  The porter there actually told us it would speed up our checkin process.  He must have known what he was talking about because we were the only people in line to check in when we arrived. Had no wait in security and enjoyed the vip lounge for awhile just us!  Once we got on board, we could drop our luggage at of the bars until our cabin was ready.  I really liked being able to unpack as soon as my cabin was ready versus waiting to unpack until my luggage arrived.  

 

I don't see how keeping all your bags with you would speed up checking in. When I've had a bag to leave with a porter, one was always immediately available. (If you are trying to avoid tipping a porter, I guess I understand that.)

[kochleffel]

1 hour ago, dcipjr said:

 

You and me both! I work in technology and I love cruises because I get to disconnect, and spend entire days without electronic devices. I usually bring paper books so that I don't have anything with a battery on me. 🙂

 

Oh, PLEASE don't turn this into another electronics-vs.-no-electronics thread! There are enough long threads about that already.

 

I know that I am supposed  to admire all you virtuous people who never look at a phone, tablet, or computer for the entire duration of the cruise, and that I am supposed to praise you all lavishly. But I like to keep slightly in touch with the news even during a cruise, and I would rather read it than watch it on television. And I have several times used navigation on my phone on shore, while sightseeing on foot.

[BirdTravels]

16 hours ago, Celebrate3 said:

We're headed to our 2nd cruise in Feb and decided this time we are both going to pack carry-on only for our cruise on the plane. When we arrive at the port, can we just bring our carry on luggage with us until we can get in our stateroom? I remember having to turn our bags over last time and they were delivered to our stateroom later that day. Trying to prevent any issues by keeping it with us both on flight and when we check in.

You CAN keep your hand carry with you. Most people don’t want to be dragging bags through dining rooms, in elevators and halls with hundreds of people. 

[kochleffel]

14 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

You CAN keep your hand carry with you. Most people don’t want to be dragging bags through dining rooms, in elevators and halls with hundreds of people. 

 

I thought it was bad enough to have a large bag with me for self-disembarkation last month, when docking was delayed and they wanted us out of our staterooms by 8:30 anyway. Often you can self-disembark without a delay, but at embarkation it's a given that there will be some time before cabins are ready.

[casofilia]

Now that we have a baby in tow, we can't travel as light anymore -- so we just check everything except our small personal bags.

 

How did the porters deal with the child when you checked him/her in?  VBG

 

Had to smile!!

[don't-use-real-name]

YES this is going astray from the OP's post.

 

The OP was inquiring about bringing his carry-on luggage with him from the time he goes to the

airport and flies to the port and boards the ship - no CHECKED baggage. Pure and simple.

The security devices that NCL uses are basically the same that the TSA uses at the airport.

The carry-on luggage fitting the airport scanners will fit the NCL scanners.

The only problem with this is the restricted articles that the TSA won't let you bring on board the

airplane as carry-on baggage and any items that NCL objects to bringing on the ship.

If it passes the TSA restriction the NCL restriction should not be a problem.

The problem of carrying the carry-on pieces thru the registration area and up the gang plank and

toting around ship until the cabins are cleared for occupancy is the OP's personal problem as

well as the contents of the carry-on luggage.

As I noted earlier it is the WALK-ON version of the WALK-OFF with luggage scenario.    

[eser1174]

51 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

 

I don't see how keeping all your bags with you would speed up checking in. When I've had a bag to leave with a porter, one was always immediately available. (If you are trying to avoid tipping a porter, I guess I understand that.)

I am not sure what the porter meant by it would speed up checking in.  This porter encouraged us to keep our bags with us and not use a porter.  He was immediately available when we were dropped off.  That day we didn't see as many porter as normal so maybe there was something going on with the luggage.  I have no idea.  Just sharing my experience.  So we just carried our bags with us and left them at the designated bar until our cabin was ready.  I absolutely do not mind tipping the porter for taking my bags.  And while we sat in the lounge we actually discussed we should have just given the porter who told us to keep our luggage the tip we had for a porter to take our luggage.  

[Newleno]

1 hour ago, kochleffel said:

 

Oh, PLEASE don't turn this into another electronics-vs.-no-electronics thread! There are enough long threads about that already.

 

I know that I am supposed  to admire all you virtuous people who never look at a phone, tablet, or computer for the entire duration of the cruise, and that I am supposed to praise you all lavishly. But I like to keep slightly in touch with the news even during a cruise, and I would rather read it than watch it on television. And I have several times used navigation on my phone on shore, while sightseeing on foot.

you just did

[dcipjr]

20 hours ago, casofilia said:

Now that we have a baby in tow, we can't travel as light anymore -- so we just check everything except our small personal bags.

 

How did the porters deal with the child when you checked him/her in?  VBG

 

Had to smile!!

 

I should have specified that we don't check her with the porters! 😄