Put Water and Soda in checked luggage or tape the luggage tag on top to bring it on?

[sunrse1014]

Hi All

I am a first time cruiser and have noticed that people talk about bringing on a case of water and soda.

I wanted to know if I had to put it into my checked luggage or do you tape one of the luggage tags that we print out now (as of Aug 09) to the top of the water and soda?

I am sailing on the Carnival Freedom in Sept to the Caribbean.

Thanks for all your help

Dawn

[firefly333]

Many porters will just plain refuse it if you slap a luggage tag on it (can you actually blame them?). I know if you post this on the Carnival threads, there will be a few who say they fashion a handle out of strapping tape to make it easier to handle and give the porter a big tip and it makes it onto the ship.

 

Find some luggage to put it in. Make it easier for the porters to handle.

 

Probably because so many have gone to extremes, Carnival has added a 12 X 12 X 12 inches limit on hard sided coolers. You can bring a collasible cooler in your luggage. Personally, Iv never brought more than a few cans of soda for my sister, but I know some bring quite a bit. Carnival says you can bring a "reasonable amount".

[Keith1010]

I would either place it in a piece(s) of luggage or carry it on the ship in a carry on.

 

Keith

[patseacruiser]

I have a rolling carry on that I put my soda and/or water in and take through as carry on. The cabins are usually open within an hour if you're an early boarder and you can drop it off in the cabin and start icing it.

[firefly333]

Carnival lately the cabins havent been open until 1:30 pm (later than RCL who usually opens the cabins at 1 pm). Since we board about 11 am .... we got to the buffet and eat and sit and watch the ocean or try to move out by the pool until the cabins open.

 

Good to carry them on yourself if you can manage it. I know many do this too.

[JanineM]

I would be pretty careful about putting it through as checked luggage or in luggage. I've seen how they treat the luggage, and it can be thrown across an elevator lobby, or lobbed on top of a pile of luggage. Would NOT be good to have bottles break and damage your clothing, or the luggage of others!

 

If you feel you need to bring some on board then just carry it. You can pick up more supplies when you hit other ports, so you probably don't need to carry enough for the entire cruise.

[Hamburg Avon Lady]

:) Personally, the water on the ships is fine --- just refill your travel bottles

either from the cafes or from the water pitcher in your room. (Not sure

about using the water in the bathrooms for drinking ???).

 

We carry our Pepsi on board in a rolling bag --- we always fly in the day

before and make a stop at a local supermarket ---- I certainly would NOT

pack it in my checked luggage --- your bags are loaded into large metal cages with about 500 bags on top of them --- the weight would certainly

make the bottles split open. Unless you drink A LOT --- probably 12 bottles (20 or 24 oz.) would be fine for the two of you for a week.

[firefly333]

If I drank a case of soda a week, Id just buy the soda card ....

 

We bring a empty water bottle to fill up in the buffet area to take with us into ports, because my sister has to take pills.

[cruiserking]

Unless you really plan on drinking a lot of sodas in your cabin, it's so much easier just purchasing a few during your port visits. We have often bought three or four sodas while ashore and have brought them aboard without any difficulty at all.

 

Jonathan

[sunrse1014]

Thank you all for your answers. I greatly appreciate them!