Luggage Forward

[Kruzkrazy]

Has anyone used Luggage Forward prior to a Viking Ocean cruise? We are considering it for our British Isles cruise in April. Some input on this service would be welcome. Thanks in advance.

KK

 

 

 

 

 

 

[oskidunker]

Cost is prohibitive from the US. I looked at it. Especially since free luggage when flying business. 

[millybess]

32 minutes ago, Kruzkrazy said:

Has anyone used Luggage Forward prior to a Viking Ocean cruise? We are considering it for our British Isles cruise in April. Some input on this service would be welcome. Thanks in advance.

KK

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is an earlier thread on that topic 

 

We have booked to use them in May.  By all accounts it's very efficient.  My only concern is sending luggage unlocked.  But many people have done it with good results.🙂

 

 

[SantaFe1]

1 hour ago, Kruzkrazy said:

Has anyone used Luggage Forward prior to a Viking Ocean cruise? We are considering it for our British Isles cruise in April. Some input on this service would be welcome. Thanks in advance.

KK

 

 

 

 

 

 

We usually use this service.  In fact, our luggage was picked up on Thursday, and is currently waiting for us in Greece.  It can be a bit expensive internationally,  but Viking gets you a 20% discount.  We have had nothing but good experiences with them!

[ClayAyers]

We used them last summer for a Viking River Cruise because we had a real tight connection in Frankfurt.  It was nice not having to lug our bags around through airports, but it is a little expensive.  When we got to our room, the bags were there.  We also put airtags in them so we could track where they were.  There were a couple of anxious times when it looked like our bags were not in the same place.  I would use it again.

[Heidi13]

6 hours ago, Kruzkrazy said:

Has anyone used Luggage Forward prior to a Viking Ocean cruise? We are considering it for our British Isles cruise in April. Some input on this service would be welcome. Thanks in advance.

KK

 

We used them prior to our last cruise. They sent a package with labels, instructions and a list of prohibited items about 6 weeks before departure. We were provided a number of options for pick-up, so contacted them directly to reserve a 3 hr pick-up window.

 

Place a label inside the case and attach another on the outside. You are provided with a tracking number so you can track the case(s). After being picked up from your door, you next see them in the cabin.

 

If not included with the cruise, it can be  costly, but it is a great service. When flying First/Business, cases are included in the flight cost, but using Luggage Forward saves lugging cases to the check-in and picking them up at arrivals.

 

Great service, which we will use again.

[millybess]

7 hours ago, oskidunker said:

Cost is prohibitive from the US. I looked at it. Especially since free luggage when flying business. 

That's true, but in our case we will be touring the Galicia region of Spain via train for 10 days before we join our cruise in Barcelona, so just having carryons for that bit of the trip is very convenient.  It is expensive, even with Viking's 20% discount, but it beats getting on and off trains with heavy luggage.  Been there done that many, many times over the years.

[SantaFe1]

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

If not included with the cruise, it can be  costly, but it is a great service. When flying First/Business, cases are included in the flight cost, but using Luggage Forward saves lugging cases to the check-in and picking them up at arrivals.

Yes, this always gives me pause.   But, it is just a question of what you want to spend your money on.  As we get older, we want to spend money to make  things easier for ourselves.  I know we are privileged, but if it saves my husband’s back, then it is worth it to us.  And they are very reliable.  

[SempreMare]

8 hours ago, ClayAyers said:

We used them last summer for a Viking River Cruise because we had a real tight connection in Frankfurt. 

 

Tight connections, either due to unanticipated delays or planned tight connections, is THE reason to use Luggage Forward.  

I absolutely would have missed my connection in Chicago if I had to clear customs with my luggage.

 

Mega expensive and not without flaws. 

 

100% agree with your AirTags suggestion.  

Example:  On the return leg, I saw that the DHL was bringing me 1 suitcase but left my second identical suitcase at Austin airport.

I put a big sign on my front door: Hello DHL:  I have a question -  please knock before leaving suitcase.

 

DHL carrier stopped, read the sign, left the suitcase, and quickly (much quicker than the approach) walked away. 

Doorbell camera notified me of a human, so I sprinted to the door and out the door, to catch up with the carrier.  Carrier said she didn't know about the second suitcase.  

I asked if she could look for it and bring it tomorrow, and also called DHL. 

 

I eventually received the second suitcase, but at a non-trivial extra time cost to me.

Edited February 7, 2023 by SempreMare

[SempreMare]

One other big negative surprise re: Luggage Forward

 

NO travel insurance covers your luggage if lost or damaged when shipped by a carrier service like Luggage Forward.

 

So you either buy even more insurance from Luggage Forward, or be prepared to eat the cost if lost, damaged, delayed, etc.

 

I believe that longer thread linked above contains this info also.

[sundaycreek]

We used it to send luggage ahead for our World Cruise in December……bags were in our cabin upon arrival but 1 of the TSA locks had been removed.  We had borrowed them from friends so will have to buy another for them upon our return.

[surus]

We plan to use this service in September when we go on our Italian Sojourn cruise. We are doing 3 days in Rome pre cruise on our own and 3 days in Venice after.  The idea is to each take a small carryon for Rome and Venice (with laundry done before disembarking). We are in our mid 70s and DH has two artificial shoulders. We are not schlepping suitcases through airports and onto busses, boats or whatever. Expensive but worth it for us. 

[Vagabond51]

Of note: they do not do busines in Turkey....

[Carolfay]

I'll probably use Luggage Forward for my cruise in July, especially since there appears to be a 20 percent discount for Viking - but I had a negative experience with them when I concluded my Silversea cruise last October.  My bag apparently sat somewhere in Costa Rica for nearly a month (my cruise ended there), and the Luggage Forward folks were very poor at communicating with me during that time.  I had to nudge them repeatedly for information about my bag's whereabouts.  I'm pretty sure they had no idea what had happened.  The bag eventually founds its way to my home, contents intact, but I was very dissatisfied with their customer service.  The convenience of their service is very alluring, but their performance is not without hiccups.

[LindaS272]

Apple AirTags. We used them last year for the first time and will use them going forward.

[CannyScotTor]

If you read their terms of service, you’ll find that you are not allowed to place airtags in your luggage (lithium ion batteries are forbidden). In fact, the list of things that are prohibited is quite long.

 

No liquids, gels, electronics, medicines, aerosols, medical devices (apparently a face mask is a medical device), batteries etc.

 

So, you can’t put things like toothpaste, shampoo, hairspray, shaving cream, perfume, liquid makeup, hand sanitizer etc in your luggage.

 

Given that these liquids and gels are also strictly limited in carry on luggage, how are you supposed to take them with you.

 

We ended up having to check a bag with the airline containing these restricted items which kind of makes the idea of luggage forward less appealing.

 

Also, it ain’r cheap.

 

YMMV

 

[OneSixtyToOne]

1 hour ago, CannyScotTor said:

 

If you read their terms of service, you’ll find that you are not allowed to place airtags in your luggage (lithium ion batteries are forbidden). In fact, the list of things that are prohibited is quite long.

 

The US FAA has ruled that AirTags are not a hazardous material as has Lufthansa Airlines.

https://www.travelersunited.org/can-air-travelers-use-apple-for-luggage-tracking/

Edited March 10, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[OneSixtyToOne]

dup deleted

Edited March 10, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[Jazmyn49]

We also had our required TSA locks removed as well as the zipper tab holding them on.  Luggage Forward said they do not/will not cover that loss, despite that the suitcase cannot be opened without a tool of some kind.  This is very annoying so we'll not be using them for the return home.

[CannyScotTor]

OneSixtyToOne, yes I understand that you can place air tags in checked luggage, however, luggage forward explicitly forbids then in their shipped luggage, I have no idea why.

[millybess]

9 hours ago, Jazmyn49 said:

We also had our required TSA locks removed as well as the zipper tab holding them on.  Luggage Forward said they do not/will not cover that loss, despite that the suitcase cannot be opened without a tool of some kind.  This is very annoying so we'll not be using them for the return home.

Were you travelling between 2 countries?  Or within the US?

[millybess]

29 minutes ago, CannyScotTor said:

OneSixtyToOne, yes I understand that you can place air tags in checked luggage, however, luggage forward explicitly forbids then in their shipped luggage, I have no idea why.

You are right.  I just read their Terms of Service and they specifically mention no AirTags.  That's disappointing  

[coljack]

Always worked great for us but expensive.  We're older and if we have pre or post cruise activities, it is worth it to us.  Be sure to get the 20% discount by going through Viking.  Go to MVJ, click on "Before You Go", and click on LF.  For first time user, can be a little confusing so call them if you have a question on the forms they send you--they are easy to get ahold of and friendly.

[bookbabe]

6 hours ago, millybess said:

You are right.  I just read their Terms of Service and they specifically mention no AirTags.  That's disappointing  

I always get suspicious of any courier, carrier or airline that forbids AirTags.  My assumption, whether accurate or not, is that they are worried about you seeing what’s going on with your luggage, since it’s been established that they are safe for travel.  If they don’t want me to see where my stuff is, obviously it’s someplace it shouldn’t be.  Unless they provide their own detailed tracking like American Airlines, I won’t be using Luggage Forward unless there’s no other option.

[millybess]

6 minutes ago, bookbabe said:

I always get suspicious of any courier, carrier or airline that forbids AirTags.  My assumption, whether accurate or not, is that they are worried about you seeing what’s going on with your luggage, since it’s been established that they are safe for travel.  If they don’t want me to see where my stuff is, obviously it’s someplace it shouldn’t be.  Unless they provide their own detailed tracking like American Airlines, I won’t be using Luggage Forward unless there’s no other option.

I agree with you.  On their website they say they will provide the "most updated" tracking information.  As much as I don't want to send our luggage forward, we might have to bite the bullet on this one for our trip in May because we'll be spending 10 days before the cruise departs Barcelona driving and taking the train around the Galicia region and Madrid.