Luggage delivery to ship in Rome

[gallerygirl]

We are taking the fall transatlantic on Noordam and I was wondering if anyone has shipped their luggage to the cruise line in advance of their departure. We are going to enjoy a land vacation for 8 days prior to our sail date and it would be wonderful not to have to shlep all of our bags around Italy! Any info on shipping or airport/train locker storage would be most helpful!
Thanks so much in advance to your kind replies! :)

[kryos]

We are taking the fall transatlantic on Noordam and I was wondering if anyone has shipped their luggage to the cruise line in advance of their departure. We are going to enjoy a land vacation for 8 days prior to our sail date and it would be wonderful not to have to shlep all of our bags around Italy! Any info on shipping or airport/train locker storage would be most helpful!
Thanks so much in advance to your kind replies! :)
I'm sure you could ship your luggage in advance, but I hear it's very, very pricey. I'd sooner pack lighter and make plans to use the onboard laundry facilities. Why not just pack for the eight-day land vacation, and then have all your laundry sent out once you arrive on the ship? You would need to shlep the bags containing your clothing for the land portion of your vacation anyway. Just use most of those same clothes for your cruise.

Just an idea.

Also, wouldn't baggage handling be provided during the land portion of your trip? If you're on an organized tour, I would imagine there would be porters at each hotel to shlep the bags from the bus to the room in each city. If you are doing your own tour, why not just keep the bags in the trunk of the rental car?

As for a storage locker at an airport or a train station, I don't think I'd want to keep my luggage somewhere like that for eight days. I just don't think it would be secure enough.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do ...

Blue skies ...

--rita

[Aussie Gal]

gallery girl,

We did the reverse of what you are intending to do last July. We did the 17 day Boston to Rotterdam leg of the cruise and then spent over a week in Europe.

We managed to fit everything we needed into our suitcases and my husband carried his dinner suit and reefer jacket in a Plastic overbag. We only had one suitcase each and a carry on bag. We have travelled extensively over the past 13 years including lots of cruises and we always manage to fit in all our clothes including our formal wear. We always have a minimum of 5 weeks away from home and in January/February spent 7 weeks in Sth America cruising for over 3 weeks of this time.

It is doable, you just need to work out what mixes and matches and do not take every pair of shoes that you possess as they are the objects that make ones case too heavy too lift.

We always take advantage of the laundry packages on the ship and together with taking the right combinations of clothes I have always been well dressed.

Jennie

[Logoladytcs]

I just did the Panama Canal transit from Ft. Lauderdale to California and we used Cruise Shippers.com - they were great - they picked them up the week before I left and they were in my stateroom waiting for me when I arrived on the ship.

They shipped them via Fed Ex and the cost was $1.35 a pound. I can not lift anything heavy as I recently had a hip replacement so this was heaven sent for me.

Go to http://www.cruiseshippers.com and check it out.

Barbara

[gallerygirl]

I want to thank you all for the great ideas! I love this forum! You all are the best!

[jhannah]

They shipped them via Fed Ex and the cost was $1.35 a pound. That's within the US or Canada. To Europe it's $6 per pound. A 50-pound bag would be $300. :eek: No thanks!

[dsawyer]

I'm with you - no thanks!

[kryos]

That's within the US or Canada. To Europe it's $6 per pound. A 50-pound bag would be $300. :eek: No thanks!
You can take a couple of really good shore excursions for that kind of money.

I'm with you. No thanks. I'd sooner pack light and just wear the same outfit a few times. Believe me, no one will notice.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[Logoladytcs]

I agree - it's not for everyone, but it was a lifesaver for me.

It's really hard for me to lift anything heavy so I dread wrangling all that luggage - and if I don't listen to my orthopedist, I could end up in a heap more trouble than I already am . So the extra money was worth it.

Unfortunately there comes a time when some of us can't do the things we used to - and to top it all off, I am widowed, so unless I can import one of my son-in-laws, it's up to me to manage all the logoistics.

I do agree tho that I couldd try packing lighter!

Barbara

[elmorejj]

I`m with you Barbara, you do what you have to do. I know travelling with a disabled husband puts a lot of stress on me and I am thinking of pre shipping our luggage...........jean:cool:

[scopewest]

Barbara: I mentioned cruise shippers to my husband and much to my shock he said we should try it for our next cruise just to see how it worked because in his words, "I'm tired of lifting heavy bags." Thank you for posting this idea!

[Logoladytcs]

Scopewest - I don't think you'll be disappointed - the next best thing would have been if they unpacked for me :-) Or better yet, re-packed after the cruise was over.

Seriously - if you need to talk to them I spoke to Herb in their office and he was very helpful.

Good luck
Barbara

[scopewest]

Barbara: I did call Herb to ask re pickup and he was very helpful. Too bad we have to wait until December to use his services! I also mentioned it to my sister who's planning a November cruise and she said she'd look into it. So your post is now doubly appreciated!