Carrying luggage onto the boat.

[lidolovers]

We are heading out soon on the Allure from Port Lauderdale. We have often carried our luggage off the boat ourselves at the end, but will we have the option to carry our luggage on the boat ourselves or have to use porters at the start?  We have two very manageable suitcases with good handles and wheels so I don’t feel like we would have any issues. 
 

We have had some bad experiences with lost and misplaced luggage before on cruises and porters threatening us that if we don’t tip we won’t see our bags again. It sort of left a bad taste in our mouths and would rather bring it with us. 
 

thanks for opinions and experiences 

[Joelster123]

Should be able to, so long as they will fit through the xray machines.

[Merion_Mom]

6 minutes ago, lidolovers said:

We are heading out soon on the Allure from Port Lauderdale. We have often carried our luggage off the boat ourselves at the end, but will we have the option to carry our luggage on the boat ourselves or have to use porters at the start?  We have two very manageable suitcases with good handles and wheels so I don’t feel like we would have any issues. 
 

We have had some bad experiences with lost and misplaced luggage before on cruises and porters threatening us that if we don’t tip we won’t see our bags again. It sort of left a bad taste in our mouths and would rather bring it with us. 
 

thanks for opinions and experiences 

 

Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.

It's a ship.

If the cases will fit through the security scanners, you may carry them on.  What size are they?

[Biker19]

7 hours ago, lidolovers said:

thanks for opinions and experiences

Go after 1PM so you can go directly to your cabin.

[lidolovers]

They Are big size travel bags. They won’t fit through an X-ray machine. So I guess we are out of luck. Oh well. 

[Biker19]

5 minutes ago, lidolovers said:

They won’t fit through an X-ray machine.

That depends on the port and maybe even a particular security lane.

[FLACRUISER99]

I saw a lot of large pieces of luggage being carried on to Serenade at pier 18 on Nov 29. I would try, just bring your luggage tags in case they make you check.

[mcase131]

We are cruising out of Tampa in January and have not received our room number yet.  Does anyone know if we can bring our luggage ourselves in the Tampa terminal?

 

Thank you

[Clarea]

1 minute ago, mcase131 said:

We are cruising out of Tampa in January and have not received our room number yet.  Does anyone know if we can bring our luggage ourselves in the Tampa terminal?

 

Thank you

 

Sure, as long as it will fit through an airport type x-ray machine.

[island lady]

I carry my luggage directly to the life "boats"....just in case.  😉 

 

One of the captains once said "A ship can carry a boat, but a boat can't carry a ship".  😄 

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

14 hours ago, lidolovers said:

We are heading out soon on the Allure from Port Lauderdale. We have often carried our luggage off the boat ourselves at the end, but will we have the option to carry our luggage on the boat ourselves or have to use porters at the start?  We have two very manageable suitcases with good handles and wheels so I don’t feel like we would have any issues. 
 

We have had some bad experiences with lost and misplaced luggage before on cruises and porters threatening us that if we don’t tip we won’t see our bags again. It sort of left a bad taste in our mouths and would rather bring it with us. 
 

thanks for opinions and experiences 

Sad about your experience. We NEVER leave our luggage to them. We always take ours with us. two reasons. never have to worry about lost luggage and it is in our room when we get there. No waiting hours for it.

[alfaeric]

5 hours ago, lidolovers said:

They Are big size travel bags. They won’t fit through an X-ray machine. So I guess we are out of luck. Oh well. 

 

You know, it's now a bad thing to start packing lighter.  We've been travelling with carry on only amounts of luggage for about 20 years now- and being able to do that is quite liberating.  For one thing, you don't ever worry about anyone else losing your luggage either on a plane or a ship.  The other- you just have less stuff to worry about.  

 

So for many, many cruises, we've carried our luggage one, and like Biker suggests, walk on at around 1pm- so that we can go directly to our cabin (side benefit is the total lack of lines to get on the ship and avoiding the whole priority boarding bs).  We are totally unpacked by 2pm, and can do anything we want.

 

Packing light rocks.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

28 minutes ago, alfaeric said:

 

You know, it's now a bad thing to start packing lighter.  We've been travelling with carry on only amounts of luggage for about 20 years now- and being able to do that is quite liberating.  For one thing, you don't ever worry about anyone else losing your luggage either on a plane or a ship.  The other- you just have less stuff to worry about.  

 

So for many, many cruises, we've carried our luggage one, and like Biker suggests, walk on at around 1pm- so that we can go directly to our cabin (side benefit is the total lack of lines to get on the ship and avoiding the whole priority boarding bs).  We are totally unpacked by 2pm, and can do anything we want.

 

Packing light rocks.

I really have no idea why so many have giant luggage. Ours are the largest that will fit in the xray machine. The are the kind that have and extension you can unzip. We never had to. Even on our longest cruise of 14 days. We pack sparingly and usually add an extra shirt and shorts just incase of damage. If we must. We just get washed what we need if anything. Long ago I carried on a tux. No longer. On 5 day or less cruises, we only take one.

[matj2000]

I agree,   It is a  "Ship".

 

Port Lauderdale ??

 

I really doubt the porters threatened your luggage will go missing..

[ssb]

Medium size luggage 25+-inches fit through screening machines . Generally not the large 30 +- size . And of course carry 20-+ fits . Thru . 

Edited December 14, 2019 by ssb

[TxShipShape]

I use a large rolling duffle bag.  18"x18" on the end that goes through the x-ray but 42" long so it holds a lot.

[flippergirl]

1 hour ago, twodaywonder said:

I really have no idea why so many have giant luggage. Ours are the largest that will fit in the xray machine. The are the kind that have and extension you can unzip. We never had to. Even on our longest cruise of 14 days. We pack sparingly and usually add an extra shirt and shorts just incase of damage. If we must. We just get washed what we need if anything. Long ago I carried on a tux. No longer. On 5 day or less cruises, we only take one.

In general I agree with you. My husband and took a 16 day land trip with a carry on and a back pack each. We did do laundry once. Now we are taking 2 little kids with us and they require so much stuff so we need a big bag. 

[seaboat]

Carrying our bags/backpacks and getting to the port past 1pm and before of course 3:30 are our plans. It sounds much simplier! 

[loman]

Why not just tip the porter and you wont have to worry about your luggage not making it on to the ship 

I give them 5 bucks for two bags and he makes the tags for us  . And they are happy to accommodate .

The fiver speaks for itself.

 

[island lady]

4 minutes ago, loman said:

Why not just tip the porter and you wont have to worry about your luggage not making it on to the ship 

I give them 5 bucks for two bags and he makes the tags for us  . And they are happy to accommodate .

The fiver speaks for itself.

 

 

We always tip the porters..but find it makes no difference/rhyme or reason ...when and how our bags get to our cabin.  All bags simply tossed onto wheeled luggage racks in the order they are received.  Tips pocketed.  

[Medic5emt]

On 12/14/2019 at 7:45 AM, lidolovers said:

They Are big size travel bags. They won’t fit through an X-ray machine. So I guess we are out of luck. Oh well. 

The swcurity always can have you open the case and spot check it.

[SargassoPirate]

We are able bodied and often roll our Pullman-sized bags onto the ship ourselves. We have had shoreside staff try to tell us that we have to check them because they are not carryons and when that happens I ask to see a supervisor.  On those occasions, the supervisor has confided that they try to discourage people bringing bigger bags through the check in process because some will bring several bags and expect staff to lift them onto the conveyer.  They are the same ones who try to self disembark with a wheelchair and a steamer trunk. 😄

[BirdTravels]

Just because you “can” doesn’t mean you “should”. 
 

Lots of able bodies trying to manhandle bag through the terminal, up the gangway and through the ship. Jamming up the gangway. Banging other passengers. Blocking walkways and table space in the Windjammer. 
 

Leave your bags with the porters. 

[SargassoPirate]

24 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Just because you “can” doesn’t mean you “should”. 
 

Lots of able bodies trying to manhandle bag through the terminal, up the gangway and through the ship. Jamming up the gangway. Banging other passengers. Blocking walkways and table space in the Windjammer. 
 

Leave your bags with the porters. 

Our pullman bags have wheels and are no worse than pulling the next size smaller bag. 

 

Or are you saying we should leave all of our bags with the porter - even the carry on size?

[alfaeric]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

Just because you “can” doesn’t mean you “should”. 
 

Lots of able bodies trying to manhandle bag through the terminal, up the gangway and through the ship. Jamming up the gangway. Banging other passengers. Blocking walkways and table space in the Windjammer. 
 

Leave your bags with the porters. 

Too bad for you.

We are not going to stop anytime soon carrying our luggage on.  Then again, we arrive on the ship at 1pm, so that we can go directly to our cabin.  I just don't get the obsession with being on the ship that early- all you can do is eat and drink- and you have all week to do that.

 

It's so much better to have all of your stuff unpacked and settled in by 2pm.