Onboard checkin and luggage valet

[Silashenry]

Anyone use this ? The way I understand it when you place your luggage outside your room on the last nite of the cruise you dont see it again till your get to your final destination airport. Is this good for all airlines?

 

Royal Caribbean & Celebrity Launch Disembarkation Program

Royal Caribbean and sister cruise line Celebrity are launching a new program that will allow passengers on some voyages to bypass traditional airport check-ins. "Onboard Check-In and Luggage Valet" is being rolled out in conjunction with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Border Patrol in ports across North America. There is a charge -- from $10 to $20 per passenger -- to participate.

 

"Onboard Check-In and Luggage Valet" is now available to Celebrity travelers whose cruises end in Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, San Diego, and San Juan; it's also functioning in Vancouver and Seattle though those ports, primarily utilized during Alaska itineraries, aren't in use in winter.

 

For those sailing on Royal Caribbean, voyages that wind up in San Juan are in luck; the program is also operational in Seattle and Vancouver

[dougp26364]

There was a thead on this sometime back. You might do a search for it to read all the posts there.

 

From what I remember, there is a charge ($10 per person?) and you will receive you airline boarding passes onboard. Most posted they still had to pick up their luggage once they got off the ship and take it to the airline reps at the pier. From there everything was done and all they had to do was make it to the gate on time.

 

However, in reading some of the posts I wasn't always convinced that we weren't just talking about the AA check in at the pier option that's been available in the past. I tried a search for luggage valet on RCI's web site and came up with nothing. Our next cruise isn't until Sept. and it's sailing out of Seattle, which is one of the ports you've listed in your post. While I'm still confused about this service and even if it's really offered, I'll be asking about it after we get onboard.

[golfer1966]

You have to go to the Guest Relations Desk and sign some papers no later than Thursday am. Then youll get your boarding passes and luggage tags Thursday night too. Then, when you put your bags out Friday night they will be in the ships terminal Sat morning. You still have to pick them up and go through customs. Once you go through customs, the porter will take you and your bags to the airline check in and thats it. Then your bags will go to your final destination airport. We used American and it worked out great. Well worth the 10 bux not to lug the luggage around with you till your flight.

 

Good luck...

[Phamer55]

The fact that you have to get your bags at the pier and go through customs makes this not so convenient. Basically, all your saving is having to carry luggage from the taxi to where your dropoff your bags at the airport. Doesn't seem worth it to pay $10 to carry your bag that short distance. Now if you could skip the stop of going through customs and not see your bags until you get to your home airport, I could see it being worth it. I am wondering if you still have to go through customs with your bags if your last port is St Thomas coming into San Juan, like it is on the AOS Southern Carib. cruise???

[njoyndride]

Phamer55 - You go through immigration in St. Thomas (checking passports, birth certs., etc.) customs deals with your luggage/purchases. Basically it's just handing over the customs form once you get to San Juan. The last time we flew out of SJU we had to go through the agriculture check, then the TSA check then to the counter. To me it's worth the $10 to leave it at the port and go directly to the gate.

[dougp26364]

The fact that you have to get your bags at the pier and go through customs makes this not so convenient. Basically, all your saving is having to carry luggage from the taxi to where your dropoff your bags at the airport. Doesn't seem worth it to pay $10 to carry your bag that short distance. Now if you could skip the stop of going through customs and not see your bags until you get to your home airport, I could see it being worth it. I am wondering if you still have to go through customs with your bags if your last port is St Thomas coming into San Juan, like it is on the AOS Southern Carib. cruise???

 

It would depend on the lines at the airport. Sometimes they can get pretty long on cruise days. I suppose bypassing the airport lines for check in might be worth the $20 ($10X2).