HAL tags on luggage

Guess this question is a little late, but we are leaving Nov. 1 AM for Rome to get on the Prinsendam. We are using HAL hotel transfers. Should we put on our luggage tags when we leave home, or do we have to claim our bags in Rome anyway, and just put them on when we put the bags out at the hotel the day of the cruise?

Thanks for any info.

The very earliest I would put them on would be at the hotel the day of the cruise. But that is ONLY if you are taking a ship or hotel transfer to the port. If you're taking a taxi to the port, I'd wait to put them on at the pier.

If they are just the paper tags, without any plastic holders, you should wait until you get to the pier because they are really fragile- unless you are on a HAL organized transfer which will take responsibility for your bags when they pick you up at your hotel.

We use those plastic CC sleeves, and will put them on just before being picked up at the hotel on Tuesday by our privately arranged group transfer ----

see you on Prinsendam.

When my luggage was lost it was suggested that I shoukd have put them off before I left home. I still don't do that. I staple my luggage tags onto a mailing label and attach the mail label with a pipe cleaner. I attach it at the hotel and haven't lost one yet. Enjoy your cruise.

I cover the paper tags with thick tape and take a small stapler with me. I then attach the tags at the hotel the night before boarding.

Guess this question is a little late, but we are leaving Nov. 1 AM for Rome to get on the Prinsendam. We are using HAL hotel transfers. Should we put on our luggage tags when we leave home, or do we have to claim our bags in Rome anyway, and just put them on when we put the bags out at the hotel the day of the cruise?

 

Thanks for any info.

I always put them prior to boarding. So if luggage gets lost they know which ship to send the cases too.

We cover the flimsy HAL paper tags in heavy clear tape and use a hole punch to make a hole for the zip tie we use to secure the tag to the bag. Often use 2 tags per bag: one on the top handle and one on the side handle.

Love the zip ties! Also use them to 'secure' the bag zippers as security can easily cut the tie if they want to examine the bag and it may deter anyone else from taking a peek.... TSA did not seem to mind as we did get 1 bag returned with a zip tie cut and the TSA note inside telling us they had examined the bag and all was okay.

We cover the flimsy HAL paper tags in heavy clear tape and use a hole punch to make a hole for the zip tie we use to secure the tag to the bag. Often use 2 tags per bag: one on the top handle and one on the side handle.

 

Love the zip ties! Also use them to 'secure' the bag zippers as security can easily cut the tie if they want to examine the bag and it may deter anyone else from taking a peek.... TSA did not seem to mind as we did get 1 bag returned with a zip tie cut and the TSA note inside telling us they had examined the bag and all was okay.

We do exactly the same things, but only one tag per bag. Use a longer, heavier zip tie for the HAL tag and shorter ones for the bag zippers. Works great! Decided to put on the tags before bag pickup from the the hotel. Reread HAL pre cruise info and it says we claim our baggage then meet the transfer bus. By the way, we are still at home. Our first leg flight was cancelled due to mechanical problems early Sat. morning and the only flights we could get leave Sunday; we arrive the next day. Disappointed we had to cancel a preplanned Rome tour for Monday.:(

Thanks for everyone's responses.

Penny

We usually laminate ours and use cable ties.

We usually laminate ours and use cable ties.

That's exactly what we do too!!;)

I just print out extra paper tags. I put tags on my luggage before I leave home, then just replace them with my extra ones at the hotel if I need to.

Just completed my online check-in and printed the luggage tags. It looks like the tags as much bigger than any I've had before. I would estimate at 3.5" x 7 if folded over as it is designed. I'm sure earlier ones we've had before were smaller. So my questions are, is this size correct? and does it matter to HAL? Probably being really anal about this. I can try and reprint if necessary using a different browser or get them at the port but like to have them ready to go before leaving home.

Thanks for you input.

Just completed my online check-in and printed the luggage tags. It looks like the tags as much bigger than any I've had before. I would estimate at 3.5" x 7 if folded over as it is designed. I'm sure earlier ones we've had before were smaller. So my questions are, is this size correct? and does it matter to HAL? Probably being really anal about this. I can try and reprint if necessary using a different browser or get them at the port but like to have them ready to go before leaving home.

 

Thanks for you input.

That is the new size. We noticed it last July for Alaska.

We don't put on HAL's luggage tags until we are ready to go to the ship.

When we had to run off the luggage tags for the first time a few years ago, I made plastic sleeves to slide HAL's paper ones in. I am still using those same sleeves. So the size has not changed. It was back in 2009 when we had to run off the luggage tags. I punch a hole in each end and attach them with cable ties.

Some one mentioned you could buy plastic sleeves for the HAL tags (and other cruise lines) on Amazon. Went and looked; liked the look of the heavier ones with metal rings and attachments so purchased those. They have arrived and look like they will be a great addition to our travel 'stuff'. Thanks for the heads up on these.

The very earliest I would put them on would be at the hotel the day of the cruise. But that is ONLY if you are taking a ship or hotel transfer to the port. If you're taking a taxi to the port, I'd wait to put them on at the pier.

Good advice.

Good advice.

Be careful about putting these on at the pier as it can be a bit chaotic and the porters could just grab a bag and load it into the metal cages before you get a chance to get the tag on. Personally, we put these on at the hotel just before we leave for the ship or after the bags are collected from baggage claim back when we would fly in and go directly to the ship.

Be careful about putting these on at the pier as it can be a bit chaotic and the porters could just grab a bag and load it into the metal cages before you get a chance to get the tag on. Personally, we put these on at the hotel just before we leave for the ship or after the bags are collected from baggage claim back when we would fly in and go directly to the ship.

I've never seen a porter just grab the bag and load it without first checking for the tags, or the owner of the bag -- if only because the porters want the tips. I'm not saying it hasn't ever happened, but I have never seen it. And I've never been at a port that was so chaotic the porters would not wait for me to get organized, again, if only so that I can tip them. Most porters I've seen on recent cruises have even had staplers and/or tape to attach the tags to bags. I wouldn't worry too much about the bags being taken without proper identification.

If you are traveling with other people, it's easy enough to assign one the responsibility of watching all the luggage while another attaches tags or gets the porter.

Eons ago we used to put our luggage tags on our bags when leaving home. That was the early to mid 90's and our first two cruises we flew in the day of the cruise. Back then HAL had porters in the airport who would pull bags off the conveyer at the airport. Sure it was still advised you monitor that to make sure your bags were claimed. We then started flying in the day before and still put our tags on our bags because we were using HAL hotels. Somewhere along the line we decided to start booking our own hotels and I think about the same time HAL stopped pulling bags. I don't remember if those changes happened at the same time but I think I remember thinking I didn't want any confusion and didn't want HAL pulling bags if I wasn't using their hotels and transfers. I also think there were some stories, and I have no references to share and it may have been nothing more than rumor, that baggage handlers were gathering information from the tags and targeting homes for breakins based on that information. Long story short we now put our tags on the morning we go to ship in the relative calm of our hotel room.

Have a question about the zip ties. Haven't flown in 25 years - things have certainly changed. I am flying into Vancouver on a Fri and don't board ship til Sun. I don't think I can put scissors in my carry on for the flight. How did you manage to undo the zip ties.

From the TSA web site:

Scissors - metal with pointed tips and blades shorter than 4 inches are allowed, but blades longer than 4 inches are prohibited.

Have a question about the zip ties. Haven't flown in 25 years - things have certainly changed. I am flying into Vancouver on a Fri and don't board ship til Sun. I don't think I can put scissors in my carry on for the flight. How did you manage to undo the zip ties.

I carry a small pair of nail clippers, big enough to cut the zip ties but small enough not to violate TSA rules. Of course I can also put them in my checked luggage as I use TSA locks on my luggage. Over the years we've collected a number of TSA locks as most luggage makers often throw them in now for free. Yes zip ties work for luggage but with a surplus of locks I don't need to bother.

Have a question about the zip ties. Haven't flown in 25 years - things have certainly changed. I am flying into Vancouver on a Fri and don't board ship til Sun. I don't think I can put scissors in my carry on for the flight. How did you manage to undo the zip ties.

ATM - You can bring fingernail clips in your carry on now. TSA has expanded their list of acceptable items:

http://www.tsa.gov/press/releases/2002/04/30/tsa-issues-guidelines-help-passengers-through-security-and-expands-list

Probably should check Canadian travel restrictions.

Enjoy your cruise!!!!