Luggage on an extension

[ClevelandKid]

We are signed up for a Panama Canal cruise with a pre-cruise extension in Fort Lauderdale.  An easy question: if requested will Viking hold our main luggage overnight?  It would be nice not to have to cart it up to a room only to return it unopened the following morning (they are fair size - it is after all a 15 day cruise).  I would like to just have our carryon luggage in the room since it is only one night.  However, I don't know if Viking would do that, plus I don't know if the transport company is Viking or subcontracted out.  Or, can I drop our main bags off with the hotel storage?  Thanks for anyone with some insight into this less than thorny problem! 🙂

[Cadodge]

Usually different transport vehicles from airport and from hotel. Ship is not in so probably no place for Viking to store your luggage. Ask the desk at the hotel if they could hold it until you check out and get the transfer to the ship.

[TayanaLorna]

When we did a Viking pre extension we never touched our luggage after we took it off the conveyer belt at the airport.  The Viking airport greeters put them on a cart, put them in the vehicle and took them to our hotel room.  We never opened our big bags and used what we put in our carryons.  The day of embarkation we had to have them outside our hotel room door by 7 am where they were picked up, put on the bus number to which we were assigned. The next time we saw them was in our stateroom.

 

Now we had a 9:30 am excursion before drop off at the ship so that may be the reason for early pick up.  But we had time for a nice breakfast beforehand.

 

We found the service when taking the Viking extensions to be premium.  More so then on the included transfers when booking Viking Air.

[Squawkman]

All you should have to do is push your unpacked luggage that was brought to your room out the door when you check out. This has been the case each of the 4 times we had a pre-extension (ocean and river).

[ClevelandKid]

Thanks mightly!  I didn't know Viking would bring the luggage to the room and pick it up in the morning!  I thought I would be doing the carting - this greatly simplifies my life.  I will pack the carryon for the one night (plus things I absolutely can't lose - like the passport) and essentially let Viking handle the rest.

[Frenchberet]

1 hour ago, ClevelandKid said:

Thanks mightly!  I didn't know Viking would bring the luggage to the room and pick it up in the morning!  I thought I would be doing the carting - this greatly simplifies my life.  I will pack the carryon for the one night (plus things I absolutely can't lose - like the passport) and essentially let Viking handle the rest.

Secure your passport in your money belt, not your carryon.

[SailorPaulH]

1 hour ago, Frenchberet said:

Secure your passport in your money belt, not your carryon.

This is the very best of advice!

[Cadodge]

2 hours ago, Frenchberet said:

Secure your passport in your money belt, not your carryon.

Except... I  found out the hard way if you carry a money belt under your pants and around your waist through TSA, you may be subjected to a strip search. They look for people trying to smuggle large sums out of the country. Take it off and put it in your carry on until past the check.

[Frenchberet]

On 3/21/2022 at 3:37 PM, Cadodge said:

Except... I  found out the hard way if you carry a money belt under your pants and around your waist through TSA, you may be subjected to a strip search. They look for people trying to smuggle large sums out of the country. Take it off and put it in your carry on until past the check.

Correct!  I take everything (money belt, watch, rings) off while going through Security then find a restroom immediately afterwards and put it all back on.