Suitcase Limits?

[Bgonzalez]

okay...
So I got my package in the mail today and noticed that we could only bring one suitcase per person. Called ABD as we will be going eariler and leaving later so 1 per person is going to be a challenge.

The girl advised me that nope 1 per. One big reason why I booked a tour is because I tried the solo traveler w/ luggage and hated schlepping my own stuff.

Here I am paying for a tour group and I'm being told that anything xtra I need to move myself. Blech! What a PITA.

Has anyone had a different experience once there?

Thanks so much!

 

[Beth]

There was some earlier discussion on this board that they permitted others who had similar situations (extended stays after the ABD tour) to bring more than one... Maybe you should call back and see if you get a more cooperative rep?

We don't go until September... Does your pamplet mention carry-ons? I'm curious if they allow those in addition to this "one bag."

Thanks!

 

[msec]

Hi,

We are also in the same situation as we will be in France proir to our "Viva Italia" trip and then are on the 10 Med cruise right after - no way we can fit everything we need in 1 suitcase per person!!! We called and explained the situation and they told us they 'request' one suitcase per person and will not send more 'luggage grips' but they will accomidate our extra bags when we arrive - we are only bringing 2 bags over the 'requested' limit - we are a family of 4... So hopefully we will not have an issue when we arrive with 6 bags versus 4...

 

[MJGirl]

I'm in the same boat, and I think I was the one that said they would accommodate us. I called back after I got my goodies (on a separate issue) and asked again about the extra bags. This time I was told they would not accommodate my extra bag. I guess like DCL, it depends on who you talk to.

My solution! I'm going to bring two big suitcases (there are two of us) and pack a small suitcase inside one of them with stuff for the cruise. I'm also going to pack a softsided bag inside that so that I can buy water in Barcelona for the cruise. Now I'll have two extra bags for all the souvenirs I'm going to buy

This is my plan, I just hope that it works out as I planned!!!

 

[jrj130]

Another way to deal with extra luggage for an extended trip is to use a service like LuggageFree and ship some of your bags ahead and/or send some home early. We did this a few years ago when we visited Disneyland as part of an extended trip to Southern California, so that we didn't have to haul all those bags. It isn't cheap, but it is easy.

 

[MJGirl]

Hi,

We are also in the same situation as we will be in France proir to our "Viva Italia" trip and then are on the 10 Med cruise right after - no way we can fit everything we need in 1 suitcase per person!!! We called and explained the situation and they told us they 'request' one suitcase per person and will not send more 'luggage grips' but they will accomidate our extra bags when we arrive - we are only bringing 2 bags over the 'requested' limit - we are a family of 4... So hopefully we will not have an issue when we arrive with 6 bags versus 4...

Hi msec ... I'm in the same boat with the Med cruise and ABD suggested shipping one of my bags to the cruise. I called DCL and here is the response they gave me!

On a side note, I was speaking to DCL about shipping a parcel to the ship and here is the info I got.

1. You can only ship packages or gifts. You cannot ship luggage, beverages or food.
2. You must include the contents of the package on the packing slip. You must also include your name, sail date, ship, and cabin number on the packing slip.
3. You must ship the package to the following address at least 10 days in advance.

Address:

Bluewater Shipping Espana S.A.
c/Atlantic, 109-111
ZAL. Zona Actividades Logistica
08040 Barcelona
phone 34-93-295-4848​

Hope this will come in handy for some of you. I checked, and for me to send a 15 pound parcel would cost around $250 Canadian. I think the charge for the overweight luggage may be cheaper.

So if you want to pack some stuff in a box and ship it, you might be okay, but they will not allow you to ship suitcases!

 

[JulieWent]

Just got back last night from London / Paris. No one worried about suitcase limits. Virtually everyone had more than the allotted number. (We had one more, I think.) But it was NEVER an issue. (We moved once. I know some of the trips move more, but it just never came up.)

Julie

No one ever even looked at the "luggage grips." We moved by EuroStar (the Chunnel) and were given paper tags to put on each bag. They just asked us how many we needed.

The ABD reps didn't meet us at the baggage handling areas in the airports, either, so it didn't matter. (They aren't allowed back in that area. They must wait outside customs.) We retrieve our own luggage and they take it once we meet them outside of customs.

 

[whanna]

We just returned (yesterday) from Quest for the West, and we also were in WY for a few extra days, but we (just) managed to stay at one suitcase each. I asked a guide what they would have done in the event of extra luggage, say five bags for four people, and I think in his/her very Disney correct answer to me it was conveyed that it would have been O.K. We used the large size suitcases for each of use (2 adults and 2 children) with each approaching fifty pounds and used the Disney backpacks for carryon's and this worked great. Everyone started with his own suitcase, on day three or four the children were sharing a bag with one of theirs now carrying nothing but dirty clothes, half way through we had two dirty suitcases we hardly had to open again and my wife and I shared one with the boy's sharing one etc, etc... My wife had calculated out our clothing perfectly. We did not even take the luggage handles and everything was fine. Except for the airport, ABD did not touch the bags (that we saw) this was all taken care of by the hotel bellboys.
Fantastic trip will do a ABD trip

 

[Ga_friend]

Just returned from the Imperial Cities tour. I kinda' looked at the "1 bag per person" thing as a request, not a requirement. We had 4 people - with 5 bags when we arrived and 6 when we left, not to mention each one of us had a carry-on. We extended our stay in Europe also, so we needed to pack more.

No one ever mentioned that we had too many bags, they even asked us when we were changing hotels if we needed more bag tags. Don't know - guess I am just a rule breaker

 

[wdwsos]

Also just back from Imperial Cities -- since my boys spent over a week in London/Paris/Amsterdam before the trip, I brought an extra suitcase with clean clothes for them. (Jonl, you probably appreciated that!) We didn't have any trouble at all.

 

[bicker]

Can someone explain what the point is behind having a suitcase limit and then not enforcing it?

 

[LisaTex]

I think the limit was set based on going just on that trip. We too were staying in Europe for 2 extra weeks and with permission by ABD (we called) took a few extra. If we would have been going for just thoses 7-8 days 1 suitcase each would not have been a problem.

 

[bicker]

We are going on the Southwest trip, and we were warned about 1 + 1 as well.

 

[battenburg]

Sounds like this is a guideline. Can you imagine someone getting to the airport and the guide saying, "I'm sorry, you have two pieces and you are only suppose to have one." What would they do at that point? Probably graciously say that it was okay.

 

[bicker]

It's not the airport -- it's the tour itself. The airlines allow 2 + 1.

When we visited Egypt we had a similar restriction, imposed by Globus. They were gracious, but were also firm. I think the real issue is that we would all like to have an extra suitcase with us, but if the busses cannot carry that much extra, how do you fairly allocate the available space? I cannot understand the logic behind hoping only a certain percentage of people won't comply.

 

[Lewisc]

An option is to take a large suitcase, that just qualifies under airline rules. You can't fully pack that bag or you'll go over weight. Pack a collapsible duffel (no frame no wheels) and transfer the bag and contents to your large suitcase when you arrive.

 

[puggymom]

We just returned (yesterday) from Quest for the West, and we also were in WY for a few extra days, but we (just) managed to stay at one suitcase each. I asked a guide what they would have done in the event of extra luggage, say five bags for four people, and I think in his/her very Disney correct answer to me it was conveyed that it would have been O.K. We used the large size suitcases for each of use (2 adults and 2 children) with each approaching fifty pounds and used the Disney backpacks for carryon's and this worked great. Everyone started with his own suitcase, on day three or four the children were sharing a bag with one of theirs now carrying nothing but dirty clothes, half way through we had two dirty suitcases we hardly had to open again and my wife and I shared one with the boy's sharing one etc, etc... My wife had calculated out our clothing perfectly. We did not even take the luggage handles and everything was fine. Except for the airport, ABD did not touch the bags (that we saw) this was all taken care of by the hotel bellboys.
Fantastic trip will do a ABD trip

Will you be doing a trip report? I would love to hear about your trip (I am going the end of August).

What was the white water rafting like? Did they give you stuff to wear or did you bring a chagne of clothes for afterwards.

Any details you would like to share I would love to read.