can we carry our carry on suitcases onto the ship?

[jrblach]

we are each bringing just 2 carry on suitcases - 20 or 21 inch - can we carry these onto the ship instead of checking them?  also, at end of cruise can we carry them off ourselves? we are going on Sky and Regal in Southampton. thanks

[Thrak]

16 minutes ago, jrblach said:

we are each bringing just 2 carry on suitcases - 20 or 21 inch - can we carry these onto the ship instead of checking them?  also, at end of cruise can we carry them off ourselves? we are going on Sky and Regal in Southampton. thanks

 

Yep. That size of suitcase will fit through the scanners so you can definitely take them aboard yourselves as long as you can do so without assistance. As for disembarkation, as long as you can handle the luggage without assistance you can select "walk off" disembarkation and schlep your own luggage off the ship.

Edited August 15, 2023 by Thrak

[Steelers36]

20 minutes ago, jrblach said:

we are each bringing just 2 carry on suitcases - 20 or 21 inch - can we carry these onto the ship instead of checking them?  also, at end of cruise can we carry them off ourselves? we are going on Sky and Regal in Southampton. thanks

How long is your voyage?  😉  Oh, forget it now.  I see you are bringing four suitcases and not just two.

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by Steelers36

[Jadn13]

21 minutes ago, jrblach said:

we are each bringing just 2 carry on suitcases - 20 or 21 inch - can we carry these onto the ship instead of checking them?  also, at end of cruise can we carry them off ourselves? we are going on Sky and Regal in Southampton. thanks

Yes, do it all the time.

I only travel in carry on. 

[PacnGoNow]

1 hour ago, jrblach said:

we are each bringing just 2 carry on suitcases - 20 or 21 inch - can we carry these onto the ship instead of checking them?  also, at end of cruise can we carry them off ourselves? we are going on Sky and Regal in Southampton. thanks

Yes, however, you may want to see if you can drop them off in your cabin so you can go have lunch, if your room isn’t ready.

 

You’ll want self assist to get off with your bags by yourself. No worries.

 

[david63]

Out of curiosity why would you want to lug two cases each around when there is an easy option?

[voljeep]

if you use an escalator, you must have one free hand to hold onto the railing.

[memoak]

4 minutes ago, voljeep said:

if you use an escalator, you must have one free hand to hold onto the railing.

If memory serves the Southampton terminal is all on one level

[memoak]

41 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

Yes, however, you may want to see if you can drop them off in your cabin so you can go have lunch, if your room isn’t ready.

 

You’ll want self assist to get off with your bags by yourself. No worries.

 

Sometimes the doors are closed until rooms are ready

[memoak]

Seems like a lot of trouble for no reason unless you are afraid they will lose them 

 

 

[maiseric]

Depends on which terminal at Southampton. I know at least one that has an escalator

6 minutes ago, memoak said:

If memory serves the Southampton terminal is all on one level

r 

[david63]

1 hour ago, memoak said:

If memory serves the Southampton terminal is all on one level

That depends on which terminal is being used. Princess usually use Mayflower or Ocean Terminal and both of those are on two levels.

[Mike07]

3 hours ago, memoak said:

Seems like a lot of trouble for no reason unless you are afraid they will lose them 

 

 

 

I tend to agree with this advice.

 

As long as I've read this board and from watching YouTube videos from many uploaders, I've never heard of people getting their bags poached. In the history of cruising, I can imagine there has been at least one instance of a porter stealing a bag though.

Edited August 16, 2023 by Mike07

[beg3yrs]

5 hours ago, voljeep said:

if you use an escalator, you must have one free hand to hold onto the railing.

That's certainly true at Fort Lauderdale where there's a staff member or two assigned to oversee that. I think it must be some kind of local regulation. Anyway, there are also elevators available at Fort Lauderdale.

[caribill]

9 hours ago, david63 said:

Out of curiosity why would you want to lug two cases each around when there is an easy option?

 

Boarding: Be able to unpack as soon as you get to your cabin. No need to possibly wait untilafter dinner to get suitcases delivered to cabin.

 

Disembarking: Easy to get off without having to search a pile of luggage on shore to find your luggage.

[Honolulu Blue]

4 hours ago, caribill said:

Boarding: Be able to unpack as soon as you get to your cabin.

YMMV on this.  Some cruise lines mention that the cabins won't be ready before a given time (usually 1 or 1:30).  If the room isn't ready, most of the time you'll be able to dump your bags, but any more unpacking is discouraged.

[david63]

12 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

most of the time you'll be able to dump your bags

But if not then you will have to have them with you wherever you go on the ship which will involve using the lifts which in turn will slow everyone else down.

 

Not sure what the saving is in unpacking as soon as you get to your cabin - it still takes the same amount of time whenever you do it.

[1965]

We travel with one carryon & one personal item each. We carry our bags on & off ourselves. After boarding we go to our cabin & leave our bags. More often than not the cabin is ready for us. 

[coo359a2]

Las March in Fort Lauderdale, you could drop of your luggage (we had two carry one) at the dining room on deck 5 if you wanted.  They tagged your luggage and gave you a copy of tag.  Had lunch on deck 6 and room was ready by the time we finished.

[Fortunate 2 travel]

14 hours ago, memoak said:

If memory serves the Southampton terminal is all on one level

The Ocean terminal has an escalator to the check-in are

[tonit964]

Some ships will hold your bag until rooms are ready. I know the Emerald did in the Explorers lounge that we took advantage of.

[MissP22]

It's so nice to have your luggage available to unpack as soon as your finished with lunch. If they bring it on for you ,sometimes it won't arrive till late afternoon. 

[jrblach]

thank you everyone for your thoughts and info.

[Bwana Tom]

It is so much easier to just drop them off at the dock then go and enjoy the ship. We usually travel with a checked bag and a carry-on bag for the flight, but when we get to the dock we drop all of the bags off for them to handle. The only exception is I have a backpack which has my computer and valuables in it. That I will carry on. I wish I could drop it off as well, but unsure if I would trust them with its contents. It is so nice however to not have to lug suitcases around when at times the elevators and passageways can be quite crowded. 

[PacnGoNow]

On 8/15/2023 at 3:16 PM, jrblach said:

we are each bringing just 2 carry on suitcases - 20 or 21 inch - can we carry these onto the ship instead of checking them?  also, at end of cruise can we carry them off ourselves? we are going on Sky and Regal in Southampton. thanks

Another tip.  Use the aft or forward elevators to drop off your bags in your cabin, less crowded.