Luggage question from NCL newbie

[Bkmat]

First time traveling with NCL soon, when we arrive at the port, will our luggage be taken from us at that point?  I recall on other cruise lines arriving at the port and then handing over our luggage.  The luggage then made it’s way to our cabin.  In reading over some NCL posts, it sounded as if folks had their luggage with them while they waited for their rooms to be ready.  Thanks!  

[laudergayle]

If your luggage is airplane carry on size you can carry it on to the ship.  There is typically a venue onboard where you can store the luggage until your cabin is ready.

 

If your luggage is larger, or you don’t want to carry it on board, there will be porters as soon as you arrive at the port.  Make sure your bags are tagged with the NCL luggage tags before handing it off to the porter.  Porters like to be tipped…that’s up to you…it doesn’t affect whether your bags make it on the ship.  Also, have any meds, valuables, etc. in a small bag you carryon and keep with you.

[debenson0723]

7 minutes ago, Bkmat said:

First time traveling with NCL soon, when we arrive at the port, will our luggage be taken from us at that point?  I recall on other cruise lines arriving at the port and then handing over our luggage.  The luggage then made it’s way to our cabin.  In reading over some NCL posts, it sounded as if folks had their luggage with them while they waited for their rooms to be ready.  Thanks!  

Yes, the porters who work at the port will take your luggage and it will appear outside your cabin sometime in the afternoon. Some people prefer to keep their carryons with them (you should always keep a bag with your docs, medications, jewelry, etc with you). I was carryon only once and took it on board with me...it was a pain so I never did that again, just took a small tote onboard. It appears that most of the ships now have a drop off for carryons onboard but if I was going to do that, I would just give to the porter.

[JandC_Cruising]

We always give our bags to the porters outside and simply each carry a backpack with essentials (including swimsuits and lotion) to enjoy the 1st afternoon on-ship.  

We have no desire to drag our bags all over creation or even look to find a place to store them while we wait for our room. 

In all our cruises we've never waited past 5pm for our bags and never needed anything until showering and changing for dinner the first night.

 

[Bkmat]

Many thanks for the quick replies!

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, laudergayle said:

If your luggage is airplane carry on size you can carry it on to the ship.  There is typically a venue onboard where you can store the luggage until your cabin is ready.

 

 Also, have any meds, valuables, etc. in a small bag you carryon and keep with you.

 

1 hour ago, debenson0723 said:

Yes, the porters who work at the port will take your luggage and it will appear outside your cabin sometime in the afternoon. Some people prefer to keep their carryons with them (you should always keep a bag with your docs, medications, jewelry, etc with you). 

PASSPORTS:  About two weeks ago, grandaughter left her passport in the bag she checked.  almost didn't make the cruise.  fortunately she had picture of her birthcertificate in her phone.

Edited December 31, 2023 by RocketMan275

[cruiser2015]

1 hour ago, Bkmat said:

First time traveling with NCL soon, when we arrive at the port, will our luggage be taken from us at that point?  I recall on other cruise lines arriving at the port and then handing over our luggage.  The luggage then made it’s way to our cabin.  In reading over some NCL posts, it sounded as if folks had their luggage with them while they waited for their rooms to be ready.  Thanks!  

I'm fairly certain that the posts you are referring to referenced smaller, carry-on bags, not the main baggage.

[hallux]

1 hour ago, Bkmat said:

In reading over some NCL posts, it sounded as if folks had their luggage with them while they waited for their rooms to be ready

These are the people that clutch their luggage like they clutch their pearls.  As others said - bags can be handed over to the porters.  Shoot - I took an NCL shuttle from LAX to San Pedro and the porter took the bags right from the bus!!

[ChiefMateJRK]

22 minutes ago, hallux said:

These are the people that clutch their luggage like they clutch their pearls. 

Easy to spot.  They have three NCL luggage tags on each bag and a copy inside for backup.  

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, Bkmat said:

First time traveling with NCL soon, when we arrive at the port, will our luggage be taken from us at that point?  I recall on other cruise lines arriving at the port and then handing over our luggage.  The luggage then made it’s way to our cabin.  In reading over some NCL posts, it sounded as if folks had their luggage with them while they waited for their rooms to be ready.  Thanks!  

First, make sure that you are carrying your passports.
 

The cruise line advises to carry valuables and meds. we never do that. We are on vacation and are not carrying “expensive” jewelry that require an armed guard. 
 

The vast majority of people will leave their bags with the porters on the curb and get on the ship and get their vacation started. 
 

Yup, there are those people who “know better” and insist on dragging their luggage through crowded buffet lines, lines at bars, in crowded elevators and halls. In general, they are miserable and complaining about how crowded things are since they can’t drag their bags, side by side, in the ship. 
 

Check your bags with the porters at curbside. Your bags will be deliveeed to your room. Tip the porter a buck or two a bag. Enjoy!

 

[zqvol]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

First, make sure that you are carrying your passports.
 

The cruise line advises to carry valuables and meds. we never do that. We are on vacation and are not carrying “expensive” jewelry that require an armed guard. 
 

The vast majority of people will leave their bags with the porters on the curb and get on the ship and get their vacation started. 
 

Yup, there are those people who “know better” and insist on dragging their luggage through crowded buffet lines, lines at bars, in crowded elevators and halls. In general, they are miserable and complaining about how crowded things are since they can’t drag their bags, side by side, in the ship. 
 

Check your bags with the porters at curbside. Your bags will be deliveeed to your room. Tip the porter a buck or two a bag. Enjoy!

 

Tip at least $5 per bag

[schmoopie17]

Classic "Seinfeld" episode (who am I kidding, they're all classics):

 

Jerry and Elaine are flying back to New York. They get into a disagreement about how much to tip the porter at the airport. Jerry ends up tipping the porter...Elaine doesn't.

Next scene shows the porter putting the airport luggage tags on each bag. Porter puts one on Jerry's and says, "JFK". He then puts one on Elaine's and says, "Honolulu".

 

Lesson learned.

 

 

[SailorJoe22]

This a newbie question, but how do we tell if the porter is legit? 

[debenson0723]

54 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

Classic "Seinfeld" episode (who am I kidding, they're all classics):

 

Jerry and Elaine are flying back to New York. They get into a disagreement about how much to tip the porter at the airport. Jerry ends up tipping the porter...Elaine doesn't.

Next scene shows the porter putting the airport luggage tags on each bag. Porter puts one on Jerry's and says, "JFK". He then puts one on Elaine's and says, "Honolulu".

 

Lesson learned.

 

 

Totally agree.  I consider myself a 'normal' tipper but the 2 times I overtip is the airport skycaps and the porters at the cruise port. And (knock on wood) never had a bag lost. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

I just hand them five bucks for our three bags.  That likely puts me in the top 20%.

[IAcruising]

16 minutes ago, SailorJoe22 said:

This a newbie question, but how do we tell if the porter is legit? 

 

Watch him until he puts your luggage on the rack. If all the other tags are your ship, you're good.

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, schmoopie17 said:

Classic "Seinfeld" episode (who am I kidding, they're all classics):

 

Jerry and Elaine are flying back to New York. They get into a disagreement about how much to tip the porter at the airport. Jerry ends up tipping the porter...Elaine doesn't.

Next scene shows the porter putting the airport luggage tags on each bag. Porter puts one on Jerry's and says, "JFK". He then puts one on Elaine's and says, "Honolulu".

 

Lesson learned.

Traveler at airport checkin tells agent:  I'm going to Miami and I want to send this bag to San Diego, the second bag to Chicago, and the third bag to Detroit.

Ticket agent says: I can't do that.

Traveler asks: Why not?  You did it last week.

Edited December 31, 2023 by RocketMan275

[cruiser2015]

13 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Easy to spot.  They have three NCL luggage tags on each bag and a copy inside for backup.  

Hmmmm

How does the Chief know about the extra copy INSIDE the bag?

Are you actually Clark Kent?

[cruiser2015]

9 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Traveler at airport checkin tells agent:  I'm going to Miami and I want to send this bag to San Diego, the second bag to Chicago, and the third bag to Detroit.

Ticket agent says: I can't do that.

Traveler asks: Why not?  You did it last week.

Rim shot!

    🥁

[ChiefMateJRK]

10 minutes ago, cruiser2015 said:

Hmmmm

How does the Chief know about the extra copy INSIDE the bag?

Are you actually Clark Kent?

LOL.  Not really.  These folks actually brag about how smart they are attaching 15 tags to the outside of their bags and adding three more inside along with actual DNA samples to ensure that they don't become victims of the "missing luggage syndrome" that has plagued thousands of cruisers.

[cruiser2015]

14 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

LOL.  Not really.  These folks actually brag about how smart they are attaching 15 tags to the outside of their bags and adding three more inside along with actual DNA samples to ensure that they don't become victims of the "missing luggage syndrome" that has plagued thousands of cruisers.

Probably one of those passengers mysteriously disappeared (overboard?).

But their baggage was saved!        😏

[BirdTravels]

Neither the cruise line nor the port rent-a-cop security screeners are TSA. They do not have pass keys to open luggage, nor will they. Information inside a bag is only interesting for the person who buys the unclaimed luggage at auction. 

[BirdTravels]

5 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

LOL.  Not really.  These folks actually brag about how smart they are attaching 15 tags to the outside of their bags and adding three more inside along with actual DNA samples to ensure that they don't become victims of the "missing luggage syndrome" that has plagued thousands of cruisers.

And yes, the minimal risk mitigation done by The Bird is to place a luggage tag on the top and side handles of luggage. Costs nothing and mitigates the risk of one tag going missing and having to spend time in the unclaimed luggage office (naughty room). 

[cruiser2015]

16 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Neither the cruise line nor the port rent-a-cop security screeners are TSA. They do not have pass keys to open luggage, nor will they. Information inside a bag is only interesting for the person who buys the unclaimed luggage at auction. 

Some sort of inside ID tag is still advisable, depending on what your entire journey consists of.

Luggage moves in places other than on board - airports, buses, trains, etc.

[JGmf]

I'm part of the majority who likes to have my vacation start as soon as I walk up the ramp at embarkation, meaning, carrying only a backpack with essentials and documents and letting the pros handle the luggage. 

 

Yes, there are those that roll their multiple bags on to the ship and carry them around until the room is ready at 2:00+ pm.  What fun is that? 

 

Yes, bags do get "lost" or misplaced (i.e., tag falls off and is sitting in unclaimed luggage area on ship), but it's a tiny fraction of a fraction of the thousands and thousands of bags loaded on to the ship.