Platinum perks

[Mklbee]

I've read the list of perks that one gets with a Platinum Sign and Sail card on the Carnival site, but I didn't see anything that specified that your luggage would be in your cabin when you get there. I thought  had read that years ago though. Can anyone set me straighten me out on this please?

 

Thanks

[Wheels87]

In theory, I believe the bags are supposed to arrive quicker. It does read "Priority" on the luggage tags. It does seem like our bags arrive fairly quickly, although they aren't always there by 1:30.

 

Cheers!

[evandbob]

For Caribbean cruises, I always walk my one small piece of 21" luggage onto the ship myself, not wanting to test when or if I would get it.

[Mklbee]

4 minutes ago, Wheels87 said:

In theory, I believe the bags are supposed to arrive quicker. It does read "Priority" on the luggage tags. It does seem like our bags arrive fairly quickly, although they aren't always there by 1:30.

 

Cheers!

Thanks. I wanted to take my wife to the Steakhouse for our 35th anniversary that first day, but have had times that I didn't get my bags until after 7pm (On the Sunrise during a 14 day Panama Canal Cruise). Thanks for your information.

[Mklbee]

4 minutes ago, evandbob said:

For Caribbean cruises, I always walk my one small piece of 21" luggage onto the ship myself, not wanting to test when or if I would get it.

Yeah, this is an 8 day on the Horizon. A carry on isn't going to work for either of us, but it is an option.

[evandbob]

3 minutes ago, Mklbee said:

Yeah, this is an 8 day on the Horizon. A carry on isn't going to work for either of us, but it is an option.

 

I've used just the one bag for a 21 night B2B Caribbean.  Using another larger bag is an option for us on Alaskan or Med cruises.

 

Come to think of it, when we did a 6 week Australia, New Zealand and Cook Island land vacation that's all I used as well.  Most of the hotels we stayed in had laundry service or guest user machines.

 

Enjoy the Horizon, it's a wonderful ship and doesn't seem affected with issues like the Vista.  (Propulsion, sky ride closures, etc.)

[RWolver672]

16 hours ago, Mklbee said:

I've read the list of perks that one gets with a Platinum Sign and Sail card on the Carnival site, but I didn't see anything that specified that your luggage would be in your cabin when you get there. I thought  had read that years ago though. Can anyone set me straighten me out on this please?

 

Thanks

 

Priority delivery only means that it will be delivered "sooner".   And they don't put it in your cabin.  It will be sitting outside of your cabin in the passageway.  Ours with FTTF and now that we are Platinum have always been delivered within a hour after boarding.  It's never been there when we board.

[CruizCuz]

Well, I am one of those unlucky people who get their bag last.  I have booked FTTF and Platinum and always see the hallways full of other luggage, none marked "priority" and mine isn't delivered until well after sail away.  My dh always gets his first lol!  It's hit or miss I have found.  For that reason, I pack in a carry on and go directly to my cabin upon boarding.  I am enjoying an adult beverage while I unpack and start the vacay!

[NCTribeFan]

Since they initiated FTTF, my bags have arrived later than ever, despite the nice, big PRIORITY notice on the luggage tag.  Still, I've usually had them in time to unpack prior to muster drill.

 

I've wondered whether it's because I arrive at the port early, so my bag is at the bottom of a mountain of later arrivals! 😋

[Djptcp]

When we give our luggage to the porter at the terminal we always say Priority and they have a special tag they add to the luggage tags. We have been Platinum for years and our luggage usually arrives around 2pm or so. Just enough time to get everything put away before the muster drill.

[AmBear]

20 hours ago, Mklbee said:

I've read the list of perks that one gets with a Platinum Sign and Sail card on the Carnival site, but I didn't see anything that specified that your luggage would be in your cabin when you get there. I thought  had read that years ago though. Can anyone set me straighten me out on this please?

 

Thanks

Checked luggage will get there, when it gets there, but you can access your cabin with all the luggage you carry on the ship when you board, so for some that's all of what they bring on board!

[Bookbug53]

20 hours ago, Mklbee said:

I've read the list of perks that one gets with a Platinum Sign and Sail card on the Carnival site, but I didn't see anything that specified that your luggage would be in your cabin when you get there. I thought  had read that years ago though. Can anyone set me straighten me out on this please?

 

Thanks

They are supposed to be priority but there is no way for them to guarantee your particular bags will be in your cabin when you get there. Thousands of pieces of luggage to deliver, loaded by people at the pier into big cages, loaded as they are filled, and there is no way this is happening. Take the essentials in a carry on for the afternoon and early evening. Relax.

 

FYI - my husband and I take a carry on and a small tote each for a 7 day. We carry it on and deliver it to our cabin. 

[crochetcruise]

I was told, by an experienced cruiser on another forum, to make sure paperwork, medication, swimsuit, overnight kit and toiletries, and a change of clothes was in my carry on bag so I could change if the weather was too cold or hot. Great tip, and I settled in easily.

 

 

[evandbob]

Great advice

12 minutes ago, crochetcruise said:

I was told, by an experienced cruiser on another forum, to make sure paperwork, medication, swimsuit, overnight kit and toiletries, and a change of clothes was in my carry on bag so I could change if the weather was too cold or hot. Great tip, and I settled in easily.

 

 

Great advice for a newbie cruiser.  The OP is asking about a platinum perk, so they have at least 75 days experience  on Carnival ships.

[WPTNGirl]

We have been lucky twice out of New Orleans and our bags were waiting for us outside the room when we boarded.  We are Platinum and both times we were some of the first to board.  I guess our bags were on the top of the first cart to be unloaded.   

[Indiansbaseball]

I would carry on a bag with my dress clothes for the steakhouse. This will ensure you have what you need and probably make you luggage arrive early 🤣

[pianoplayerla]

It is pretty much "hit and miss" how soon you can get your luggage. We have had all of ours as early as 1:30-2:00; we have had part of it delivered early and not received the rest until after dinner. If I was making steak house reservations for embarkation night, I would pack a carry on with a change of clothes and what I would need for that night. (That's my two cents. 😉)

[CorvetteLady]

On our first cruise in 2003 we didn't get our luggage until after dinner!  Luggage arrives much faster now on all cruise lines. Even on the 6000 passenger Oasis of the Seas we had our luggage before muster and we are at the basic level on RCCL.

Edited August 4, 2019 by CorvetteLady

[Shaded Lady]

When you have priority for luggage, they are supposed to add a bright orange tag to your suitcase which id's it as supposing to go in the priority buggies for luggage delivery. The only times I've failed to get my suitcases early when I'm supposed to are the times the porters failed to put that orange tag on my bag.

 

This orange tag is in addition to your luggage tag- the FTTF or Priority or whatever it says is not sufficiently eye-catching enough to guarantee early delivery, but the orange tags appear to be. So IF you check your bags, and IF you're supposed to get priority luggage delivery (FTTF or VIPs) then take a second when you hand your bags over to the porter to ensure the orange tag is secured.

[2Shoes2Go]

Haven’t seen those orange stickers in over a year now. Maybe some ports, where we don’t board, use them?

[Banditswife]

I haven't seen an orange tag either.  My printable tags are basically red, depending on the fullness of our printer's ink cartridge.  

[Anyislandwilldo]

I asked this question a while back as well.  There were suitcases in the hallway on our deck that had regular tags on them and ours still did not arrive.  We are platinum.  We checked in early and tipped the porter and still don'[t know why ours took so long to get to our room.  Hit or miss I guess.

[RWolver672]

10 hours ago, 2Shoes2Go said:

Haven’t seen those orange stickers in over a year now. Maybe some ports, where we don’t board, use them?

 

10 hours ago, Banditswife said:

I haven't seen an orange tag either.  My printable tags are basically red, depending on the fullness of our printer's ink cartridge.  

 

Our last cruise out of Miami on the Horizon (Feb, 2019), they were still putting the orange tags on the FTTF but not for Priority/Diamond.  I asked the porter and he said P/D didn't need it because the tags already said Priority.  

[NCTribeFan]

The FTTF tags also already say Priority, so that's just nonsense.  I also have not seen the orange tags in several years and I've sailed from several different ports.

 

There's no need to dress up for the steakhouse on the first night.  I always "dress" at least a bit for dinner, even on the first night in the MDR, so I make sure I have at least a nice top in my carry-on that I can put on over jeans (which is typically what I'm wearing when I board.  Yes, I've been known to get a bit warm that first afternoon but I'm not a sit in the sun and bake sort of cruiser and since the interiors of the ships are usually sufficiently chilled, I manage.

[evandbob]

13 hours ago, Anyislandwilldo said:

I asked this question a while back as well.  There were suitcases in the hallway on our deck that had regular tags on them and ours still did not arrive.  We are platinum.  We checked in early and tipped the porter and still don'[t know why ours took so long to get to our room.  Hit or miss I guess.

 

Tipping the porters, while certainly a good idea, only gets one's luggage onto a rolling rack.  Then the rack has to be rolled or fork lifted to the ship, where it gets staged until another lift driver loads it onto the ship.  Carnival employees will unload the rack, sort by floor and ship position and get the luggage onto an elevator.  

 

From there other crew members will offload the  luggage from the elevator, and someone will bring the luggage to just outside one's cabin.

 

With so many numerous chances for delays, loss, mis-routing and damage, I choose to bring my 1 piece of luggage for a Caribbean cruise onto the ship myself, thus avoiding any mishaps.