Prefer not to check any bags...

[tnshsms]

I agree with the post that said to just get to the port at 1. Then you can go straight to your room. ANd yes, you will want to go up the stairs with those pieces of luggage but if you really want to do it, it can be done. I agree that you should just condense what you are worried about breaking into one luggage and carry that one on and let the porters take the rest but it can be done if you really want to do it. Have a great cruise!

 

[MSPeeler]

What the heck are you bringing on that needs bubble wrap?

LOL.

I'm not normal. I know.

 

[Quellman]

LOL.

I'm not normal. I know.

Don't worry about it, you do what is comfortable to you.
I will explain a little about the baggage drop off process if you drive your own car, which if I remember is what you are doing.

After you go through the security with your car, you proceed to the drop off. You pop the trunk, and help identify which bags the porter will take from your car. They usually place them on a dolly and then pull them behind the wall. If there is no dolly, they will wheel them under their own power behind the wall. Once behind the wall, they load them onto huge carts. The attached image is the best I can get of the carts in the red circle.

.
They are loaded into the boat and sent up service elevators in the crew areas. This is the area where you will find them "strewn about". They are off loaded from the elevator on each floor. The staff shifts and moves and stacks them into groupings and then delivers to your state room.

The process is similar in reverse to get your stuff off the ship.

I will say that in one of my former jobs, I slugged luggage for an airline. When you only have a limited amount of time you will certainly be more rough. But generally not more than if you were to let a luggage fall out of the back of your SUV. Pack breakables well, and I also tape the ends of bottles and put in a plastic ziplock bag. You just never know!

 

[bumbershoot]

My father in law wants to avoid porters, lol

We have the 21" spinners, so it may fit.

FIL is being silly. If it's a tip thing, just take charge of that. My cousin doesn't like to tip so I just do it. Couple bucks for her stuff is a good price to pay to keep everyone happy.

Those will fit.

I didn't realize there wasn't a limit! I retract the "Darn" comment

Fwiw the first reply to you said there are no limits except what you can carry.


So here's the thing. I get a little funny about having my stuff with me. If I could glue things to my body I'd be happy. It's like security blankets in the form of paperwork, kindle, knitting, camera, dresses, my shoes, etc. I do tend to pack those things in carryon (plus swimsuit coverup and sunscreen). So I have those with me the first day of a cruise.

I also have checked bags.

But there I am, "personal item" type bag, carryon spinner, trying to maneuver and see the shop, trying to get food, to find a place for my bags, and it's all super awkward.

Then I see people less burdened, and I'm jealous.

If you can unburden yourself it will feel better.

You won't be able to maneuver Cabanas to get food if you guys have a cruise worth of carryons with you.


If you consider luggage to be a permanent purchase, buy the GOOD stuff. The stuff that's in the high hundreds for a carryon. If you're not buying that, luggage is a temporary ownership situation. Eventually it will crack or lose a wheel. I haven't had anything happen to our bags from cruises. 7 so far with the same group of bags. But flights, jinkies. But then if I paid more than $40 at costco for those Ful bags, maybe I would have bags that lasted longer.

 

[sambycat]

The thing you should be concerned about that I can imagine a person thinking of bubble wrap for would be liquids. Don't do that. Otherwise you can get your luggage to security/drop off yourself without tipping if that's some kind of priority. And arriving close to 130 and it will be sort of doable. But yeah, with a big group and kids and the first day and everything, carrying on everything can get a little crazy. Good luck!

 

[jeepnjudy]

As a family of 4 we limit our carry-ons as we arrive early to the port and want to enjoy the whole experience. With that being said, we do opt to walk-off with our bags when we disembark as that makes the process quicker for us so we can drive home.

 

[Keyser]

Let me add a couple of details to what's been said so far:
1) The last two times I've gone out of ports other than Canaveral, so maybe it's different there, but we were not required to use porters to check our bags. In one, we went to a separate luggage drop-off section, in the other, we went to the "gate agent" and checked them as if we were checking luggage at an airport. Port Canaveral might let you do that, if you

2) I second what everyone has said about it being far more convenient to check your large bags when boarding. We like to board as early as possible to maximize time on the ship, and it would be tough to go around the ship with luggage (the ship minimizes wasted space, so that means narrow hallways and such...). The only way I'd even consider not checking is if I had a late check-in where I could go straight to my room with my luggage (in that case, I might consider not checking).

3) ***BUT*** for leaving the ship, we prefer NOT to check our bags. There's no security scanner when leaving so you don't need to worry about sizes. We find that it takes us (OK, it's actually my wife doing the work...) a couple of hours to repack everything, and we don't like "rushing" to do that on our last night. We also find it easier to pack our stuff that we need in the morning in our bags (we usually have one bag per person, rather than one that we would all share for the morning), so the thought of having most of our luggage gone does not seem convenient. Finally, we don't have to worry about the debarkation time - we can basically leave when we want to. You then don't have to hunt around in a big room for your luggage after you're off - you just go straight out through customs. Really, the only downside is that you have to keep up with your bags in the morning and tote them around yourself, which can be inconvenient (and does not work too well if you do the sitdown restaurant your last morning). Our last morning, we usually prefer to get food from the buffet and eat outside one last time, where there is, coincidentally, plenty of room to have our luggage.

 

[cedricandsophie]

I wouldn't bring big bags on board with me but we never schlep our carry on bags around. As soon as we get on with our carry one we find a table by the pool and set our stuff down until the cabins open. We leave our stuff, go get lunch, bring it back to the table, change into swimsuits, etc. it wouldn't occur to me to eat inside on what is usually a
Lovely day and we have never worried about our stuff while we are away from the table.

 

[bumbershoot]

We leave our stuff, go get lunch, bring it back to the table, change into swimsuits, etc. it wouldn't occur to me to eat inside on what is usually a
Lovely day and we have never worried about our stuff while we are away from the table.

Wow. You are FAR more trusting than I am.

 

[Pooh2]

We were also thinking of doing carry-on as that is what we do on the plane and we have have some medical equipment that we do not want to hand off to luggage handlers.
What time do they allow you to go to your room to drop bags?
I think our PAT time is noon.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We were also thinking of doing carry-on as that is what we do on the plane and we have have some medical equipment that we do not want to hand off to luggage handlers.
What time do they allow you to go to your room to drop bags?
I think our PAT time is noon.

Rooms usually are available at 1:30.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

I actually watched a large family do this exact thing. The parents were soooooooo overwhelmed keeping their kids in line and worrying about their backpacks etc. They all looked miserable. Sorry, but it was kind of comical to me as an observant. We then bumped into them at the airport after the cruise. They just looked unhappy. Personally, I would NOT tackle it unless I was boarding AFTER the rooms are available.

 

[bumbershoot]

and we have have some medical equipment that we do not want to hand off to luggage handlers.

Oh absolutely do not hand those over. DH carries his CPAP with him, for instance.

 

[MSPeeler]

Our PAT is 12:30, I chose that time specifically because we wouldn't need to wait long to board and rooms open. If I need to push it back to 1, I can I guess.

I actually watched a large family do this exact thing. The parents were soooooooo overwhelmed keeping their kids in line and worrying about their backpacks etc. They all looked miserable. Sorry, but it was kind of comical to me as an observant. We then bumped into them at the airport after the cruise. They just looked unhappy. Personally, I would NOT tackle it unless I was boarding AFTER the rooms are available.

I can TOTALLY see this as me and my poor family. Happens every time, traveling with kids and In-laws just gets stressful and hectic. I'll try to talk everyone into just bringing backpacks, purses and the diaper bag as carry-on!

My kids just got cute new luggage from the Disney store, and they are afraid of it breaking. Irrational fear? For kids... Maybe so, but we're a family of over-thinkers.

 

[MSPeeler]

I was reading over the cruise contract, and ran across this. are you all saying that they do not enforce this rule any longer?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I was reading over the cruise contract, and ran across this. are you all saying that they do not enforce this rule any longer?

Yeah, that's been in there for years. It's never been enforced that I know of.

Wow! You really are over-thinking it, aren't you? Even reading the cruise contract.

 

[MSPeeler]

Yeah, that's been in there for years. It's never been enforced that I know of.

Wow! You really are over-thinking it, aren't you? Even reading the cruise contract.

LOL! You got me there. I'm so paranoid something will go wrong and this "relaxing" vacation will be ruined by my own negligence! Can you tell I'm very a detail oriented type of person???

Thanks for answering all my questions!!

 

[kmix78]

It's been a few years since I cruised, but can you do all carry-on for the plane and then "check" it once you get to the ship? I feel like that's what we did when we cruised out of Long Beach.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

It's been a few years since I cruised, but can you do all carry-on for the plane and then "check" it once you get to the ship? I feel like that's what we did when we cruised out of Long Beach.

You can hand over whatever bags you wish to the porters at the port. I will, however, point out that those bags are not treated particularly gently, and I wouldn't give them any bags that contain valuables (jewelry, electronics, etc). This is one of the luggage distribution locations on the Fantasy (yes, some of those bags were just tossed into the pile):

 

[FigmentSpark]

You'd think they'd have some type of organization system so that wasn't necessary. Like why aren't there bins for each floor or something like that?