Luggage tags

[DenNJill]

This is probably a very silly question - but do we use the luggage tags we recd. in our doc package on our suitcases when we get to the airport?, or are those strictly for use on the ship?

:o :rolleyes:

Thank you!

[Orlandocruiser]

Put them on before you fly - if you have to pick your luggage off the carousel at the airport they are a great help to ID your stuff. In fact we just leave them on our luggage for other air trips (as long as we aren't flying into a port - not too many cruise ships leaving from Burlington, VT!)

[grannynurse]

On our first HAL cruise in 2002 we flew into NJ day of sailing, went to collect our luggage and it wasn't there. We went through all the hassles with AA, paged the HAL rep etc. Long story short, HAL rep was very busy and didn't show up for an hour, AA couldn't find the bags, later found out that the very industrious HAL shuttle driver had taken them to the ship and the bags got to our cabin 3 hours before we even got to the ship. Now we don't fly in day of sailing anymore, and wait to put the HAL tags on in the hotel.

GN

[Randyk47]

We don't put the luggage tags on until we reach the embarkation city....in fact, since we fly in the day before, it really means we put them on in our hotel in the morning before we leave for the ship.

[Desdemona01]

we have always put ours on before we leave for the airport. They have never come off and they do make them easier to identify on the carousel.

[jhannah]

We also fly in the day before, so we wait until we head to the port. But if we happen to occasionally fly in the day of (only if we go over to LA or San Diego where there's little risk of not getting there in time) I will put them on before we reach the airport. That way if the bags are mis-directed then the airline has additional info as to where to send them.

[lougee1043]

luggage tags on your luggage other then the ones put on by the airline could be removed by airport personnel --- if i am going directly to the ship i put the tags on after i claim them --if i come in a day or two early i put them on the morning i leave the hotel for the ship

 

even if i use ship transfers i want to claim my luggage personally so im sure they all made the trip and nothing is lost -- if you dont do it this way and you let the cruiseline claim your luggage and when you get to your cabin and there is a piece missing how do you know if it was lost by the airline or misplaced by the cruiseline

[noblepa]

On our recent Oosterdam cruise out of San Diego, the airlines misdirected one of my bags. We had flown in the day before the cruise.

 

Before we left the airport, we filed a missing bag report with the airline. The next morning, still no bag. Called the airline and their computer told me that it had arrived at 10:00 and would be put on a truck and delivered to my hotel within eight hours. Since the ship sailed at 4:00, we would be long gone from the hotel by then.

 

The HAL rep at the hotel got on the phone and called one of her colleages at the airport. That person was able to go to the baggage claim area and quickly identify the bag by the HAL luggage tag that was on it. She had it put on the bus that was going directly to the ship with the pax who had flown in that day.

 

In short, the HAL tags may possibly have made the difference between getting the missing bag to the ship on time and missing the connection, altogether.

 

I've always put them on at home, before we leave. The airlines do not have any formal requirement for exactly what kind of tag you should have. Any tag with your name, address and phone number on it will satisfy the airlines. The HAL tags are as good as any.

 

Paul Noble

[Spikesgirl]

We usually do a pre cruise and we put our tags on in the room just prior to leaving for the ship and immeidately remove them when we get on the ship. #1 - you don't have to worry about the tags getting ripped off at some point in the airline ride and not having replacements. #2 It doesn't identify you as a cruiser and alert would-be theives that possible goodies reside within. #3 - we don't have to worry about the bags being shipped some place before their time. It takes but seconds to slap those tags on and I'd rather be cautious.

 

Charlie

[Randyk47]

Just curious.....does anybody who puts their tags on before they leave home worry about "advertising" to the airport personnel (mostly the baggage handlers since the airline agents obviously know or can get your return flight information) that they're going to be gone? I've heard this but not given it much thought.

[grannynurse]

Randy,

Your idea has crossed my mind. I also wonder about baggage handlers who are less than honest looking for expensive items. We never put anything in packed luggage that we value (cameras , jewelry etc), but the advertising "we'll be on a cruise for # of days" concerns me.

Apart from 1 or 2 exceptions, we have had TSA go through our bags. We use the TSA locks, and yes, they do leave a notice inside the opened bag. At first I thought the itinerary was a trigger (Europe) but it happened on one of our NE/Canada trips too.

GN

[Desdemona01]

nope, that's not something I'm going to be too concerned about. I do not have my newspaper or mail held because I know that doing those things can result in break-ins while we are gone but I don't know that the baggage handlers have enough time to read the tags, write down the address and return date, etc. We were told by an airline employee that having the tags on the bags would probably make it easier to get them to us or the ship if they went astray and I see from a previous post that this may have been the case. Plus we usually fly out of an airport a good distance from our home so I think that would also reduce the desire for mischief by an airline employee.

[sail7seas]

No....they probably don't take that time to mark all that info down but what is to stop anyone from ripping the tag off the bag and pocketing it. Ooops,,,,,,,,tags missing. So not only does the bag no get directed to where it should be going but this potential thief has pocketed name and address info.

 

[Copper10-8]

10 cents for what it's worth: if you're flying in on the day of embarkation, put them on after claiming your bags at your destination airport. That way, there is no risk of losing them in transit and/or scheming dishonest airline bag belt or pit monkeys;) having a look at your info and setting in motion their elaborate plan to rip off your valuables at home. If you're flying in the day before, put them on in your hotel room. If you're driving in on the day of embarkation, put them on whenever you want. Have a great cruise and no worries!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Even though we fly to our embarkation port a few days early, we do not put HAL's luggage tags onto the suitcases until we are ready to leave for the airport.

 

I place 2 regular luggage on each suitcase. They have our names on them and the address of the hotel that we are going to. Once on the ship, I change the tags to read our home address. Others use their business addresses but we are retired so that doesn't work for us.

[dakrewser]

WE never put them on until just before starting our last leg - the trip to the ship (from the airport, hotel - or if we're sailing from San Francisco, the house!).

 

I'm not terribly worried about theft, but I do worry that the tags will get ripped off in transit...

[bepsf]

I go for Copper/John's rationalle - tho I can certainly understand the benefit of having them on the bags from the very beginning when one is arriving for a pre-cruise stay of a day or less.

Airlines won't remove luggage tags purposely, although airline workers might. I keep a couple tags on my luggage so that if one comes off somehow (as it did one time - one of those nice leather tags that comes w/ Tumi luggage) there's another one to help identify my bag.

Luggage Tag Tip of the Day:

Get those DIY business cards from an office supply store and using a clear picture of yourself, your home address, cell phone number and e-mail address, make your own "business cards" at home. Use these not only to keep in touch w/ your new shipboard friends, but for your luggage tags too - not only does your face on the tag make your bag more clearly identifiable, but observant stewards and bellhops have an opportunity to address you by name.

:)

[kbert92069]

For me the decision is made.

 

If you fly into Vancouver, B.C. on the day of your cruise and have a cruiseline transfer to the ship, having those tags on the luggage can save you a lot of time going through customs (twice)

 

Apparently Vancouver airport has a new service called US Direct which I hope to test in a couple weeks