Luggage transfer, airport to pier

[karlsselindh]

We're planning a May Alaska roundtrip out of Seattle and plan to book our own flights and take a cab between airport and pier, because the $$$ savings are significant for our group of 4.

Two years ago we did a similar cruise, that time with HAL air and transfers. I recall that in the airport, near the baggage claim, many cruise lines had luggage drop-offs, where you could leave your luggage and it would show up later in your cabin. (Probably 95% of the airport traffic on Saturday morning was cruise passengers.)

Is this luggage drop off only for those who purchased HAL transfers, or can anyone on that cruise use it?

Thanks.....

[Krazy Kruizers]

That luggage drop off is only for those that have bought HAL's transfers.

You will be responsible to get your own luggage to the pier.

Four people and luggage will not fit into one cab.

[garydm]

On the way to the cabs you will see some Lincoln Town Cars and some stretch limos for hire to the ship. I think we paid around $50 for a limo and there was plenty of room for 4 people with luggage. We had them pick us up on return and take us to the airport.

Gary

[Jemima]

There are advantages to HAL transfers. We always take HAL transfers if we are arriving on embarkation day or flying out on debarkation day. For us, it works more smoothly and it is also also enjoyable to meet fellow passengers during the transfer. However, we usually go a day or so early and stay over after disembarking and can't use transfers unless we do HAL hotels.

[Mary Ellen]

Even if you do your own air you can still buy the HAL transfers if that is easier for you (not necessarily cheaper, but easier).

[Newcruiser06]

Hi - I have an additional question.

We have a HAL transfer for our luggage - is that just for the luggage that went thru luggage on the airplane - or can we also put carry-ons on that cart?

C

[Randyk47]

I guess you could but quite frankly if I was concerned enough about putting stuff in my carry-on in the first place for fear of breakage or loss or whatever I'd certainly not give it to HAL to transfer. I've watched them load luggage and it's been everything from gentle to standard airport drop and toss.

[Jemima]

Transfers vary. Usually you take the luggage to the transfer bus, watch it loaded and ride the bus to pier. You can have carryons put in the bus luggage compartment or you can take them on the bus with you. At the pier you'll get your luggage, give it to a porter and take your carryons onto the ship yourself.
Sometimes luggage is collected by the HAL rep in the airport, but you are still supposed to watch in loaded onto the transfer bus.
Hotel to ship transfers are different. Luggage is picked up in the morning at your hotel room and you will next see it at the pier.

[Newcruiser06]

Thank you for your replys!

[Krazy Kruizers]

In Seattle we always use AlreadyThereTownCar -- it is one of the Lincoln town car services. We reserve ahead of time.

This past spring it was only $50. Cabs run about $45.

[Randyk47]

Might add that we've done three cruises out of Ft Lauderdale staying at HAL arranged hotels with transfers. Twice our luggage has gone on the bus from the hotel to the pier and once the bus company actually brought a separate truck. When we had the luggage on the bus with us we got off and made sure it got to a porter and off to scanning and eventual delivery to our cabin. The other, and it was the last time we used a HAL hotel, they loaded the cargo truck and off it went. We didn't handle the luggage again at the pier and didn't see it until it was delivered to the cabin.

[Giorgi-one]

I would never let anyone else handle my luggage. There have been several posts/threads on these boards where luggage never made it to the ship. Particulary a bad idea if the cruise line is picking up your luggage from the airline. You have no way of knowing if your bags made it on the flight. This is all really a moot point because you should never fly the same day as your cruise. In that case, you would have your luggage at the hotel you stayed at. We made that mistake once and my wife had no luggage for 4 days. Luckily someone on the ship tracked the luggage down and had it flown to a port. If you had to do this yourself, you would spend hundreds of dollars for phone calls at sea. Most ships do not perform this service. We found out that there were many people on our cruise without luggage and that there are people on every cruise without luggage.

[karlsselindh]

Originally Posted by Krazy Kruizers

In Seattle we always use AlreadyThereTownCar -- it is one of the Lincoln town car services. We reserve ahead of time.

This past spring it was only $50. Cabs run about $45.

________________________

Thanks for everyone's help. HAL's one-way transfers are $28/person the last I checked, or $112 for our family.

Krazy Kruizers, did your cruise leave from the new Pier 91? That's several miles further from the airport than the pier HAL used previously.

Thanks again....

[Randyk47]

Originally Posted by Giorgi-one

I would never let anyone else handle my luggage. There have been several posts/threads on these boards where luggage never made it to the ship. Particulary a bad idea if the cruise line is picking up your luggage from the airline. You have no way of knowing if your bags made it on the flight. This is all really a moot point because you should never fly the same day as your cruise. In that case, you would have your luggage at the hotel you stayed at. We made that mistake once and my wife had no luggage for 4 days. Luckily someone on the ship tracked the luggage down and had it flown to a port. If you had to do this yourself, you would spend hundreds of dollars for phone calls at sea. Most ships do not perform this service. We found out that there were many people on our cruise without luggage and that there are people on every cruise without luggage.

Actually I'm kind of surprised that there is cruise line still picking up luggage directly from the airline. I do remember the days when they did that but that was back in the early 90's. Even then I didn't trust the airline or the cruise line and always claimed my own bags. One tag ripped off during the flight(s) and you're toast. As I said, I haven't seen HAL claim bags since 1998 though there might be exceptions or other lines that still do that.

[Newcruiser06]

I"m confused - what am I getting for my Airport to Ship transfer?
Will there be someone down by the luggage with a sign saying Eurodam and then I bring my own luggage to a bus?

[Randyk47]

There should be one or more HAL representatives in or near the baggage claim area. They will direct you to the right pick up point once you've claimed your luggage. Typically they'll load your luggage on the same bus that they'll take you to the cruise terminal on. Sometimes, and it's only happened once to us and that was from a hotel, they use a separate cargo truck to haul the luggage.

[nannie70]

What about your luggage back to the airport from the cruise ship? Does Holland America have the option to take it direct to the airport and to your airline home? Last year on Celebrity it was taken from outside our cabin direct to the airline (American) and we didn't see it till we got to our destination.

[Mary Ellen]

Originally Posted by nannie70

What about your luggage back to the airport from the cruise ship? Does Holland America have the option to take it direct to the airport and to your airline home? Last year on Celebrity it was taken from outside our cabin direct to the airline (American) and we didn't see it till we got to our destination.

On the HAL site: Signature Express Baggage Service

[nannie70]

Thanks Mary Ellen for the info.