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Carry On or Check? Tips


Jwinsted
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Looking for advice on carrying on all of our luggage or checking some of it? We are scheduled on the June 16th sailing out of Long Beach on the Splendor. How long does it take to gain access to your room, or have your luggage delivered after boarding. We are boarding at a later time 2-2:30, for a 4:30 departure.

 

Thanks!

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We always check the bulk of our luggage with the porters and only carry on valuables and certain essentials. Any wine bottles, water, or soft drinks need to be in your carry on. We often bring our toiletries as well as any clothes we may need for dinner that evening in our carry on as well. Jewelry and electronics are other examples of things that we prefer to keep with us when boarding.

 

We try to keep carry ons to a minimum as you will have to tote them around with you on board until your cabin is ready. The elevators are already going to be quite crowded on embarkation day so trying to squeeze in with large suitcases can be a challenge. The same applies to disembarkation day. Try to have the bulk of your luggage out in the hallway with your assigned disembarkation group tags attached before midnight on the final evening so that the porters may collect them.

 

Room access on embarkation day depends on a variety of factors but should be ready by the time that you board. Luggage delivery can occur anytime in the afternoon to early evening.

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I too would check in a larger bag(s) and keep a carry on with you. The carry on should included valuable and medicine and anything else of importance.

 

As mentioned luggage will be delivered sometime to your room in the afternoon or early evening with the bulk arriving in the afternoon of the day you embark.

 

If there is something you need for that first evening keep that in your carry on as well.

 

Keith

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With that check in time you should be able to go straight to your cabin.

Luggage can arrive any time on the first day up until even after dinner but typically is in the cabin by the time you return from the muster drill (430ish)

In addition to valuables, meds etc I always put a change of clothes, a bathing suit and something simple that I could wear to dinner in a pinch in my carry on as well.

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I haven't checked a bag anywhere(plane,ship etc) for years and years!

We have no trouble carrying on our luggage ourselves as we each have one rolling bag and a backpack or large tote.

Your check in time is late enough so that you should be able to go directly to your cabin. I see no point in checking your luggage unless you are UNable to handle it yourself.

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I try to just carry on valuables and what I'll need for dinner the first night. At that time, you should be able to go right to your cabin. But why start your vacation tired from hauling suitcases around if you don't need to?

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I will carry my carry on bag, cpap and maybe a small cooler. not sure I'd want to roll my 2 bigger bags around, not knowing if my room is available. so they will get checked. My first cruise, I didn't think about putting a change of clothes, swimsuit or anything like that in my carryon, but learned that for my 2nd cruise. Now i can afford to wait a few hours for my big bags if needed.

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Looking for advice on carrying on all of our luggage or checking some of it? We are scheduled on the June 16th sailing out of Long Beach on the Splendor. How long does it take to gain access to your room, or have your luggage delivered after boarding. We are boarding at a later time 2-2:30, for a 4:30 departure.

 

Thanks!

Rooms are ready by 130.

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We like to board early, have lunch, and check out the ship while we wait for our rooms so carrying on big bags doesn’t make much sense. We check as much as we can and just carry on essentials and valuables. If you are boarding after 1:30, then it probably doesn’t make much difference. If you carry on you won’t need to wait for your luggage to be delivered.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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We always check our two largest suitcases and carry on the smallest one with pop, wine, meds, and what doesn't fit in the other two. When we disembark, we get a porter to take all three right to our car in valet parking. We get to go in a special line at Customs with the porter and no waiting around in long lines. Very slick. Can't imagine schlepping our suitcases on and off the ships. We are Platinums so our luggage arrives in our cabin within a short time after boarding and we are unpacked before the muster drills.

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I don't think the large full sized suitcase will fit through the scanner, medium sized and carry on sized luggage will fit.

 

The scanners at the port terminal are about the same size as those at the airport. From the "F.A.Q." section on Carnival's home page: https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1373/kw/carry%20on%20luggage%20size/session/L3RpbWUvMTUyMDI2MDk4Ni9zaWQvZlVYOUV4OERuRjV1Sm50M3RhWXpYemlJTGN4M1MxT3V3cHFaS1BBM0JLMFlodHhrNno3OHRnNzBMVTFRQmJFMGJ5WW9KcmhnT0RmdjBGM2ZIaUlNNFg5Tjk1Y1J1elBtdEIzd1UxZExzenVnbVhfdUxtenlLeXF3JTIxJTIx

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We carry on our luggage - medium suitcase each and a carryon tote, backpack. I like to go to my cabin & unpack, not wait for them to deliver. That way, it's over & done with. Plus, I worry that something will happen to my luggage. Hubby did have some cuff links go missing once. Why he didn't put it in carryon is beyond me. The scanner at boarding is larger than the carryon scanner for a plane. If you are not boarding until 2, your cabin should be ready.

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I would check bigger bags, but definitely have the clothes you want to wear for dinner in your carry on. Last time we sailed, my bag got misplaced and we didn't get it until about 10 minutes before we had to leave for meal time. Bless our room steward for tracking it down. He was a Godsend.

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Check the big stuff and in your carryon, along with your valuables/meds, keep a pair of pants and collared shirt for dinner. Alot of people on here seem fixated with their luggage. They will be up on the Lido deck, right after embarking and every 10 mins they are running back to the room to check for their luggage....Relax, you are on vacation. Unpacking takes about 37 seconds. Its not a big deal.

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I don't worry about a whole lot, but checking in my bag sounds like it just adds risk to me. What if it got misplaced or stolen? Especially with having FTTF on my next cruise, I just go straight through the lines, and on the ship. I might carry mine on.

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So if we have FTTF and get early boarding plus can access our rooms right away, it also might make sense for us to take our rolling suitcases with us to avoid delay in luggage arrival. I read heard some reports that even with priority luggage delivery, the luggage may arrive just before or even after dinner.

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We have had FTTF every cruise since it has been offered. We each take one carry-on and one medium sized bag that easily fits in the scanners. We keep it all with us, go straight to our cabin, finish unpacking and organizing in about 15 minutes, and vacation officially begins.

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I also prefer to carry on my luggage after hearing stories of some bags falling into the water between the dock & ship.

 

Wow! While I’m sure this has happened to someone at some time I’m sure it’s not a common occurrence. LOL!

 

I think far more likely is a bag being misdelivered or having a luggage tag come off during handling.

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We have had FTTF every cruise since it has been offered. We each take one carry-on and one medium sized bag that easily fits in the scanners. We keep it all with us, go straight to our cabin, finish unpacking and organizing in about 15 minutes, and vacation officially begins.

 

We’re jealous that you are so efficient with packing!

 

We usually have one carry on sized bag of just camera equipment and valuables. At least full sized suitcase with clothing and a rolling garment bag. Sometimes another carry on bag with wine and or cans of soda.

 

Also we like to participate in all of the theme nights on our cruises. We dress up on formal nights (tux and evening dress) and take white party clothing and shoes to match.

 

On our last cruise they had a superhero theme night so we brought complete Captain America and Wonder Woman costumes with the full sized shield, accessories, and boots!

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