Suitcase question

[Boston6]

If air and transfers are booked through Carnival, will your suitcases go directly from the airport to your cabin or do you need to retrieve the suitcases from the airport and re-check them at the pier? Haven't used fly & sail since before 9/11 so I don't know if this has changed.

Thanks in advance.

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Sovereign of the Seas (11/89)
Monarch of the Seas (8/99)
Norwegian Sea (7/02)
Carnival Glory (4/17/04)

[loops]

You will need to claim your baggage when you get off the plane and then when you get to the pier hand them over to the porter.

[oma&opa]

I read very mixed messages about the pier porters, tipping, hassling, etc.
With all the "has anyone had access to your bags" questions, why on earth would I turn my bags over to someone on the pier just because he says I should? And pay him, besides!!!
Can I just pull my suitcase along with me when I get off the bus from the airport and stand in line to check in???

[marklodi]

If your luggage is carry-on only, then yes, you can hold on to it all the way onboard the ship. However, if it is NOT carry-on size, then you must check your luggage with a Porter at the dock. There is no luggage drop-off inside the cruise terminal, like there is with airlines. Two different creatures completely.

My understanding is that the porters do wear uniforms and are pretty easy to identify. Can anyone confirm this? How do you make sure the person standing there asking for your luggage is really a porter?

Mark ºoº

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[RWolver672]

They are all dressed alike and if I'm not mistaken, they do have ID badges on their shirts. For one thing, you hand them your luggage and they immediately put it in bins right beside where the bus unloads. They don't handle it for more than a few seconds. The porters will be the least of your worries. You luggage will be handled by forklift drivers, crewmembers, stewards, sniffed by dogs, you name it. But, it will arrive 99.99% right to where it belongs, on time, and in great shape. There is very little to worry about. You are paying the porter for a service of putting your luggage in the right bin so that it goes to the right ship and right deck.

Dick
"To Sea or Not To Sea"
~~^~~Sea Ya!~~^~~
Destiny 02-28-99
Victory 02-24-01
Conquest 02-09-03

[Tactics]

RWolver called it. No problems what so ever. Things at the port are pretty strict and go smoothly. You'll be all set. http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Carnival Imagination 4/20/96
Carnival Destiny 4/20/97
Carnival Triumph 4/20/02
Carnival Victory 4/13/03

[jedgar]

Below from Carnival's web site.

Embarkation Baggage Procedures -

Three bag tags per guest are mailed with cruise documents for cruises of 7-days or longer; two bag tags per guest are mailed with cruise documents for cruises of 6-days or less. After arriving at the pier, all guests will follow the same procedure with their luggage, whether they arrive by taxi, car, or transfer bus. Guests with a stateroom assignment are given tags that are color-coordinated to the deck assigned and location on that deck (forward or aft). Guests booked on a TBA basis receive gray bag tags; the porter will re-tag these bags with the corresponding tag according to the stateroom assigned. Additional tags can be obtained at curbside from the porter, if necessary.

Each piece of luggage must be locked and have a colored bag tag listing the guest's name, ship and stateroom number.Guests must identify their bags with a curbside porter who will place the bags on the ship; the customary tip for the curbside porter is $1.00 per bag.

NOTE: There is no curbside porter service on 2/3-day Cruises-to-Nowhere.

For security purposes, Carnival limits the size of hand-carry luggage to 11"X 17" which is the dimension of the opening of the X-ray security machine (similar to those at the airport); there is no measurement for length as the hand-carry luggage will lay flat on the conveyer belt. Luggage larger than 11"X 17" will not be permitted through the security machine and must be checked-in with a curbside porter. Once on the ship, the luggage will be delivered to the guests' stateroom by 7:00pm that night.

[august1963]

So, you have to have your bags locked to give to the porter? And the airport wants your bags unlocked? Which one is it? Thanks.

Jubilee 1988
American Family 1994
Imagination 1997
Sensation 1998
Elation 6/2001
Inspiration 2/2002
Triumph 4/2004

[august1963]

[QUOTE]

[oceantravel]

First off don't worry about your bags they'll be fine. Jsut be sure you tip or you may not se them for a while. LOL

As for the bins, on the Conquest last week there were no bins visible to us. The porter took the bags and we did not even see where he went with them. This was new to us, because usually the bin is right there in plain view.

As for locking you luggage. Use the small cable ties to lock your bags. Keep a clippers in your unlocked outside pocket of your suitcasae so you have a way to clip them off later. I always send my bags locked through the airport (with cable ties). If they need to search they clip the cable tie and then replace it with another one. At least that has been my experience.

Patti

http://images.animfactory.com/animations/animals/dolphins/dolphins_jump_md_wht.gif

http://www.gifs.net/animate/aadog.gif

Conquest...Waiting for the time of my life!

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[RWolver672]

"So, you have to have your bags locked to give to the porter? And the airport wants your bags unlocked? Which one is it?"

It's both. Unlocked at the airport, then when you pick them up at your final destination, lock them before you turn them over to the porters. As mentioned earlier, just put cable ties on them before the airport and you won't have to worry. They will replace them if they cut them off.

Dick
"To Sea or Not To Sea"
~~^~~Sea Ya!~~^~~
Destiny 02-28-99
Victory 02-24-01
Conquest 02-09-03

[Boston6]

Thanks for the responses.

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Sovereign of the Seas (11/89)
Monarch of the Seas (8/99)
Norwegian Sea (7/02)
Carnival Glory (4/17/04)

[august1963]

Thanks for your responses. Any idea where to buy cable ties? Walmart? And, if so, what department would they be in? Thanks.

Jubilee 1988
American Family 1994
Imagination 1997
Sensation 1998
Elation 6/2001
Inspiration 2/2002
Triumph 4/2004

[RWolver672]

"Any idea where to buy cable ties? Walmart? And, if so, what department would they be in?"

WalMart, KMart, Meijer's, any hardware has them. They are usually in the hardware department around the electrical stuff. They even have them in neon colors. I bought a bag of the neon ones two cruises and a trip to Florida ago and keep the bag in my carry-on. If I have to get into a bag, I have one to replace it with. Also, we have them for when we return.

Dick
"To Sea or Not To Sea"
~~^~~Sea Ya!~~^~~
Destiny 02-28-99
Victory 02-24-01
Conquest 02-09-03