Luggage Direct - Seattle

[Linda&Vern]

I am sorry this is a bit long ... but I'm really looking for experience from someone on CC.

At the end of a cruise I know there is a certain minimum time for departings flights in order to use Luggage Direct (i.e., noon or something close to that). HERE IS OUR PROBLEM: When the Amsterdam arrives back to Seattle (in the morning on May 27) our flight to the East Coast is not until 11:15pm. Not wishing to drag luggage all over for 14 hours we are hoping to use Luggage Direct. Does anyone know if this is possible with such a late flight?

(1) I have communicated with SEA airport authorities. They just keep referring me to a "storage service" ... which means we would have to go to the airport, store the luggage, and then return to downtown to kill time. We will NOT have a rental car.

(2) I have written to Luggage Direct (BAGS, Inc.) with my question but so far have no response.

(3) I know when I get on the ship I will get info that may tell me if this is possible. But we would love to know beforehand so we can plan our departure day. If we have to sit from 9:00am to 11:15pm at the airport, then so be it. :(

For anyone who asks, the 11:15pm was the only flight that worked without getting our nerves on edge with a morning flight. We refuse to end our vacations rushing off a ship. Because we are going to Seattle three days pre-cruise we did not wish to spend another night and fly Saturday morning (and it is Memorial Day weekend).

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I am sorry this is a bit long ... but I'm really looking for experience from someone on CC.

At the end of a cruise I know there is a certain minimum time for departings flights in order to use Luggage Direct (i.e., noon or something close to that). HERE IS OUR PROBLEM: When the Amsterdam arrives back to Seattle (in the morning on May 27) our flight to the East Coast is not until 11:15pm. Not wishing to drag luggage all over for 14 hours we are hoping to use Luggage Direct. Does anyone know if this is possible with such a late flight?

(1) I have communicated with SEA airport authorities. They just keep referring me to a "storage service" ... which means we would have to go to the airport, store the luggage, and then return to downtown to kill time. We will NOT have a rental car.

(2) I have written to Luggage Direct (BAGS, Inc.) with my question but so far have no response.

(3) I know when I get on the ship I will get info that may tell me if this is possible. But we would love to know beforehand so we can plan our departure day. If we have to sit from 9:00am to 11:15pm at the airport, then so be it. :(

For anyone who asks, the 11:15pm was the only flight that worked without getting our nerves on edge with a morning flight. We refuse to end our vacations rushing off a ship. Because we are going to Seattle three days pre-cruise we did not wish to spend another night and fly Saturday morning (and it is Memorial Day weekend).
Linda, I am looking forward to find out what you hear. We too have a late flight although not quite as late, we fly out at 4:30 and would really like to have our luggage sent to the airport because we have friends picking us up that have a small car and luggage and two more people do not fit very well.

[wowzo]

Why don't you get your luggage at the customs/immigration - take a taxi to the nearest UPS/Fedx office (I choose UPS) and mail it !! No worries about Luggage direct or anyone. It WILL be delivered.

There is one about 1 mile from the ship.

Have fun , M.A.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Why don't you get your luggage at the customs/immigration - take a taxi to the nearest UPS/Fedx office (I choose UPS) and mail it !! No worries about Luggage direct or anyone. It WILL be delivered.

There is one about 1 mile from the ship.

Have fun , M.A.
I personally would never consider this because there are many items in my luggage I want to have arrive home with me that evening. Plus my problem is the "No room" in the car that is picking us up so going a mile would not work. Plus our cruise is on a Saturday. I think this might be an OK solution if you were coming home from a World Cruise and would have numerous pieces of luggage but a 7 day cruise would be a whole lot of money to be spending to ship luggage home. Plus on SW Air Bags Fly Free :D I just need to send them to the airport seperately :)

[wowzo]

That may be fine for you, Lisa, but you did not ask for advise. Linda & Vern did. That may be fine for them.

Anything or any cost is up to the OP first. And getting the luggage by Luggage Direct may get it there at the same time or UPS that would get it there is only a matter of a day or 2.

Bring your important stuff in your tote bag and let all the other stuff - go!

Happy Cruisn', M.A.

[Linda&Vern]

Lisa ... I'll let you know if I find out anything before the cruise. UPS would be too cost prohibitive. We will have clothing for a 17 day trip packed into two 30-inch suitcases ... that will weigh one ounce under 50 lbs. each. :eek:

[MARENY]

I am sorry this is a bit long ... but I'm really looking for experience from someone on CC.

At the end of a cruise I know there is a certain minimum time for departings flights in order to use Luggage Direct (i.e., noon or something close to that). HERE IS OUR PROBLEM: When the Amsterdam arrives back to Seattle (in the morning on May 27) our flight to the East Coast is not until 11:15pm. Not wishing to drag luggage all over for 14 hours we are hoping to use Luggage Direct. Does anyone know if this is possible with such a late flight?

(1) I have communicated with SEA airport authorities. They just keep referring me to a "storage service" ... which means we would have to go to the airport, store the luggage, and then return to downtown to kill time. We will NOT have a rental car.

(2) I have written to Luggage Direct (BAGS, Inc.) with my question but so far have no response.

(3) I know when I get on the ship I will get info that may tell me if this is possible. But we would love to know beforehand so we can plan our departure day. If we have to sit from 9:00am to 11:15pm at the airport, then so be it. :(

For anyone who asks, the 11:15pm was the only flight that worked without getting our nerves on edge with a morning flight. We refuse to end our vacations rushing off a ship. Because we are going to Seattle three days pre-cruise we did not wish to spend another night and fly Saturday morning (and it is Memorial Day weekend).

YES ; it will be possible to utilize Luggage Direct services for late flights ...we got off the Zaandam at 930ish in the morning and then proceeded to enjoy a day in Seattle.( did the Underground tour in Pioneer Square) before going to the airport at 9pm for an 1145 pm flight without having to schlep our bags thru the streets or go back and forth to the airport (shudder)...a couple of tips though..

1. You can sign up for luggage direct before you embark in/at the ship's terminal but please check and recheck your return flight info ...the chickie there(not a HAL employee but Terminal or Luggage Direct ) was not astute and wound up putting our arriving flight info instead of our returning...but that was easily changed.( or you can sign up for this the first few days onboard )
2. You will receive luggage tags in your room prior to disembarkation and check and recheck those ( this was actually where we found out we had the wrong flight info)
3. Pack or pick up a backpack ...this made it so much easier to carry extra sweater etc...for flight home...and kept our hands free...

Our luggage made it to our destination without a problem and was there when our flight landed. Of course always have proper id in and on luggage...the front desk on board will charge you 19.00 for each bag that is luggage direct and will also tack on the baggage fee the airline charges you ...no you will not get a double charge from cruiseline and airline...
I absolutely loved the service...hope this helps and Happy Sailing

[RuthC]

...the front desk on board will charge you 19.00 for each bag that is luggage direct and will also tack on the baggage fee the airline charges you ...
Not quite. The Front Desk will charge you $19 for each person using the service, not each bag. If your airline allows two free bags (luv Southwest :D), it's the same $19 basic fee.

[alpal1993]

We had a 2:20 pm flight and had no problem with Luggage Direct Didn't see our Luggage until we arrived in FLL.Great service and well worth every penny

[Linda&Vern]

YES ; it will be possible to utilize Luggage Direct services for late flights ...we got off the Zaandam at 930ish in the morning and then proceeded to enjoy a day in Seattle.( did the Underground tour in Pioneer Square) before going to the airport at 9pm for an 1145 pm flight without having to schlep our bags thru the streets or go back and forth to the airport (shudder)...a couple of tips though..

1. You can sign up for luggage direct before you embark in/at the ship's terminal but please check and recheck your return flight info ...the chickie there(not a HAL employee but Terminal or Luggage Direct ) was not astute and wound up putting our arriving flight info instead of our returning...but that was easily changed.( or you can sign up for this the first few days onboard )
2. You will receive luggage tags in your room prior to disembarkation and check and recheck those ( this was actually where we found out we had the wrong flight info)
3. Pack or pick up a backpack ...this made it so much easier to carry extra sweater etc...for flight home...and kept our hands free...

Our luggage made it to our destination without a problem and was there when our flight landed. Of course always have proper id in and on luggage...the front desk on board will charge you 19.00 for each bag that is luggage direct and will also tack on the baggage fee the airline charges you ...no you will not get a double charge from cruiseline and airline...
I absolutely loved the service...hope this helps and Happy Sailing
Thank you so much for responding with positive news. It will greatly help us in making plans for our disembarkation day. Our return flight is a different airline than our arrival flight - so I will make sure those details are correct.

Ruth - I do understand that the cost is $19 each person (not bag). As you keep saying ... it will be so worth it not to have to drag those bags!

[MARENY]

Not quite. The Front Desk will charge you $19 for each person using the service, not each bag. If your airline allows two free bags (luv Southwest :D), it's the same $19 basic fee.
whoops you are right didn't catch myself:p thanks

[mamaofami]

Just want to point out to you that if there is an earlier flight than the one you are taking at 11PM, your luggage could arrive at your destination before you . The following is what I posted yesterday:

Home from the Maasdam yesterday and we used luggage direct for Jet Blue. Like a good CC listener, our flight was for 1:36pm so we didn't have to worry about missing it because we got off the ship too late. With luggage direct, we were the second group off the ship (after those people carrying off their own luggage). We thought of changing to an earlier flight, and could have gone standby at noon but were afraid we'd have to wait for our luggage at JFK anyway. When we arrived at JFK, our luggage seemed to be the first off the plane until we realized it was the only luggage on the carousel. It arrived on an earlier flight and we considered ourselves lucky that no one else decided to pick it up since it was going around for over an hour and there was no one to check that you had your own luggage. Yet, there it was and we didn't have to touch it from 1PM the night before until we arrived at JFK. Next time, we will book a noon flight.
__________________

[sfels]

We used Luggage Direct last May when we returned to Seattle. It was great. No waiting at the terminal for your bags. No customs inspection (that we had to deal with). We didn't see our bags until we landed in Spokane. My only gripe is that I was charged airline baggage charges even though I'm an Alaska Airlines MVP and get free bags. Calls to Alaska and to HAL were fruitless. So, aside from $50 extra for bags, it was very nice.

[Modern_Viking]

BTW, last year in Seattle when disembarking from the Oosterdam, the information for the luggage direct stated that all passengers using it MUST disembark during the earliest disembarkation time slot. I don't know if that is strictly enforced, but the policy seemed to be based on the need for all bags and their owners to go through US Customs together before other passengers (not using the luggage direct) began leaving the ship and heading for customs.

I did not use the service, and I was in one of the later disembarkation groups, so I don't have any pier-side experience with luggage direct to report.

When I previously disembarked in Ft. Lauderdale, the luggage direct process seemed a bit different, but then, you are going to be in Seattle, so that won't matter to you.

[sfels]

We were able to disembark at will in Seattle last May and never even saw our bags until we arrived at our home airport.

[Linda&Vern]

I am sorry this is a bit long ... but I'm really looking for experience from someone on CC.

At the end of a cruise I know there is a certain minimum time for departings flights in order to use Luggage Direct (i.e., noon or something close to that). HERE IS OUR PROBLEM: When the Amsterdam arrives back to Seattle (in the morning on May 27) our flight to the East Coast is not until 11:15pm. Not wishing to drag luggage all over for 14 hours we are hoping to use Luggage Direct. Does anyone know if this is possible with such a late flight?

(1) I have communicated with SEA airport authorities. They just keep referring me to a "storage service" ... which means we would have to go to the airport, store the luggage, and then return to downtown to kill time. We will NOT have a rental car.

(2) I have written to Luggage Direct (BAGS, Inc.) with my question but so far have no response.

(3) I know when I get on the ship I will get info that may tell me if this is possible. But we would love to know beforehand so we can plan our departure day. If we have to sit from 9:00am to 11:15pm at the airport, then so be it. :(

For anyone who asks, the 11:15pm was the only flight that worked without getting our nerves on edge with a morning flight. We refuse to end our vacations rushing off a ship. Because we are going to Seattle three days pre-cruise we did not wish to spend another night and fly Saturday morning (and it is Memorial Day weekend).

I received the following answser regarding Luggage Direct:
"Thank you for your interest in Bags, A Plus Services Company! According to your specifications you are eligible to participate in the Remote Airline Check-in program. Our cut off time for departing flights is 11:59pm. Please be sure to see your customer relations desk once onboard for enrollment instructions.

Please let us know if you have any more questions."

Safe Travels,

Bags / Cars / Serv / Care
Plus Services Company
O 407.849.0670
F 407.423.8197
E info@airportbags.com (info@airportbags.com)
www.plusservicescompany.com (http://www.plusservicescompany.com/)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Thanks so much for this information :)

[NMLady]

BTW, last year in Seattle when disembarking from the Oosterdam, the information for the luggage direct stated that all passengers using it MUST disembark during the earliest disembarkation time slot. I don't know if that is strictly enforced, but the policy seemed to be based on the need for all bags and their owners to go through US Customs together before other passengers (not using the luggage direct) began leaving the ship and heading for customs.

I did not use the service, and I was in one of the later disembarkation groups, so I don't have any pier-side experience with luggage direct to report.

When I previously disembarked in Ft. Lauderdale, the luggage direct process seemed a bit different, but then, you are going to be in Seattle, so that won't matter to you.

When we disembarked in Seattle after our roundtrip Alaska cruise on the Amsterdam, we did not have to go through customs with our luggage. We had put it out the night before and that was it until we took it off the conveyor belt at our final destination airport. Our disembarkation time was dependent on our flight time.

[RuthC]

When we disembarked in Seattle after our roundtrip Alaska cruise on the Amsterdam, we did not have to go through customs with our luggage. We had put it out the night before and that was it until we took it off the conveyor belt at our final destination airport. Our disembarkation time was dependent on our flight time.
Same port, same ship. Same process. That was Southwest Airlines last August.

[vbmom87]

I have tried googling and browsing through the HAL site, but can't find a list of airlines that participate in Luggage Direct out of Seattle. Any suggestions where I can find this?

[svalbard]

I got off the Statendam in SanDiego a week ago after a Panama Canal cruise and found that Alaska Airlines was not participating in the program, so I could not use the luggage direct service. Maybe it was not available for that ship and that itinerary. Anyway, it is a great service.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I have tried googling and browsing through the HAL site, but can't find a list of airlines that participate in Luggage Direct out of Seattle. Any suggestions where I can find this?

Luggage Direct:
Flight after 11:30 AM for Ft Lauderdale
Flight after 2 PM for Miami

$19 per person up to bags

You must disembark and proceed to the terminal between 7:30 and 8:15 AM.

AirTran Airways
American
Delta
United
Jet Blue
Continental
US Airways
Southwest

Of course you still have to pay whatever your airline charges for each piece of luggage you checkin with them.

And now keep in mind that US Airways will be charging an extra $90 for each piece of luggage that is over 50 pounds.

from HAL's web site:
Holland America Line is offering Luggage Direct in:



Fort Lauderdale
Los Angeles
Seattle
San Diego
Vancouver (on select dates only)
Tampa


On the following fourteen (14) vessels only:


ms Amsterdam
ms Eurodam
ms Oosterdam
ms Maasdam
ms Nieuw Amsterdam
ms Noordam
ms Ryndam
ms Rotterdam
ms Statendam
ms Veendam
ms Volendam
ms Westerdam
ms Zaandam
ms Zuiderdam


Please note the following general information about Luggage Direct:


Cost is $19 per person at all ports
Airline assessed baggage fees will be applied to guests' onboard account - fees vary by airline and all pricing is communicated directly from the airline to our partner company, BAGS, Inc. These fees are collected onboard and are then distributed to the airlines.
Guests are able to check no more than 2 pieces of luggage per person.
Upgrade Requests, Seat Assignment Requests, and Flight Changes cannot be accommodated onboard.
There are restrictions established for each homeport city.
Restrictions include: participating airlines, earliest and latest flight times, and citizenship requirements.
All flights must be Domestic (inclusive of U.S. Territories).
In Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada all flights must be bound for the U.S.

[vbmom87]

KK, thanks for the info, esp. the list of airlines. I assume those airlines are the same for all ports?

[Linda&Vern]

I have tried googling and browsing through the HAL site, but can't find a list of airlines that participate in Luggage Direct out of Seattle. Any suggestions where I can find this?
I see KK answsered your question while I was out shopping for my waterproof shoes for Alaska.:D We plan to use Luggage Direct in Seattle after our May cruise as our flight is not until almost 11:30pm. I can let you know how that all works out.

[vbmom87]

I see KK answsered your question while I was out shopping for my waterproof shoes for Alaska.:D We plan to use Luggage Direct in Seattle after our May cruise as our flight is not until almost 11:30pm. I can let you know how that all works out.

My sisters used it out of Anchorage in 2008 and it was great. Like you, they had the red-eye flight home and this was just perfect. They were able to spend the day in Anchorage and not have to deal with their luggage.

[Watson's aunt]

Hi I am leaving at 11:30 PM, my ship arrives in Seattle at 7:30. I did not want to take a chance on the 11:30 AM flight (non stop). there are about 4 or 5 flights after this with stops until my 11:30pm flight. If my bag is put on one of the flights before mine it will arrive after me. How can I make sure my bags are put on my flight?



Mary

[AZWTRLVR]

We used Luggage Direct out of Seattle last September with Alaska Airlines. They were not included on the list of airlines above. I'm wondering of they do not participate in the program anymore OR if they are not on the list because the season hasn't started yet for Alaska cruises.

We're sailing on the Westerdam May 21 and have been counting on Luggage Direct
service. With my husband's accessibility needs I surely do not want to worry about schlepping around four suitcases in addition to his medical equipment.