Paper Luggage Tags

[MrsCruiseBabe]

Looks like HAL has switched over to paper luggage tags you print at home. This can be a nightmare loss, tag falls off you don't get your bag till you go down and pick it out of a lineup. Not a great way to start a cruise so.......... Our last cruise I took some of the clear box tape that sticks like the best glue ever. Taped the tags front and back like a pro, I am a lady so this was something like inventing the wheel for travel bags. Clear taped paper luggage tags never break.:D

 

Vacation Nightmares pre Holloween let us know of your vacation troubles and if you did or there was anything you could have done to FIX IT.

 

Ours was the tag story we had the paper printout tags stapled to the handles of our luggage. Thinking back a butterfly could have tore that tag off. We lost two bags and didn't get them back till we did have to go down and ID them. We even had our other name tags but we still had to go ID them, my DH was not a happy camper so thats how I invented: Clear boxtape luggage tag covers.

 

Hope this helps, I'll never leave home without it.

[sail7seas]

If you wish, you can get tags when you arrive at the dock.

All stevedores have plenty of tags onto which you only need enter your name and cabin number.

Takes but 10 seconds or less.

Name, cabin number and attach to suitcase. :) Easy.

 

[JennyandJoeS]

Those paper luggage tags are a joke. :confused:

[Australian family]

We have just done our docs online and received these paper tags. I was nlot impressed, makes me wonder how many other corners Holland America have cut.

 

How do they expect them to last! Pathetic is all I can say. I thought tags would come with our tickets. My husband is wondering is the printout the only ticket that we will receive, I said I hope there is more to come.

[sail7seas]

No more paper docs in the mail. HAL only has e-docs now. What you print from on line is all there is.

 

 

 

[serendipity1499]

We have just done our docs online and received these paper tags. I was nlot impressed, makes me wonder how many other corners Holland America have cut.

 

How do they expect them to last! Pathetic is all I can say. I thought tags would come with our tickets. My husband is wondering is the printout the only ticket that we will receive, I said I hope there is more to come.

 

Unless you are embarking on a grand voyage or a world cruise, you will not receive anything in the mail..

Your on-line documents, which you printed up are all you need to check in..As Sail Seven Seas mentions, no need to even worry about luggage tags either..When you check in at the ship the porters will have luggage tags..All they need is your name & cabin number & your bags will not be lost...

There are several threads on Cruise Critic with the pros & cons of on line documents & the baggage tags..

Some posters are using the clear tape method, others are laminating them, We printed ours on card stock, sprayed them with clear varnish, punched a hole in them & tied them on with tie wraps..They can't come off unless they are cut off...Still other posters are waiting until they check in at the ship & have the porters put their tags on their bags..

You might wish to read this thread for info about your on line documents & the baggage tags...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1060142&highlight=

Most of the cruise lines are now doing it this way as postage rates & printing is becoming quite expensive...This way is simple & easy! No need to print up the know before you go booklet & all you need to print is page one of your documents..

Yes, we all will miss the lovely new HAL wallets but have to admit most of the info which was mailed such as the "Know Before you go Booklet" & "tickets" was useless.. We danced when we received the documents in the mail, but we can still do that, when you print them.:):). Everything you need can be accessed on-line now..

Most of us realize that Cruise Lines must find ways to cut costs if they are going to survive..This is one way of doing it..People in the U.S. are not spending $$$ on vacations like they used to...The cruise lines will go out of business unless they cut back on expenses or raise their fares..We do not want fares to increase, so we accept these minor changes & are willing to do whatever it takes to keep HAL, our favorite cruise line in business..

Enjoy your cruise & don't worry about tickets or baggage tags..:):)

Betty

[iancal]

We used print yourself luggage tags on another cruise line. I have to admit, I though that it was not very secure. But, we followed the instructions, folded the paper in three, and then double stapled prior to boarding. Maybe it was dumb luck, but everything worked out well and we got our bags in our cabin.. I like edocs. It allows us to fill out everthing in advance. The cruise line really only wants id-a passport- and the MOST important thing to them is your credit card (preferably with lots of room on it). Easiest thing to do is get the luggage tags and fill them out at the port...not really a big deal.

[pipedreams62]

[Krazy Kruizers]

I laminated mine -- punched a hole where it indicates that you are to staple.

 

When we are ready to leave the hotel we will attach them to the suit case handles by using cable ties.

[GmaPajama]

We were perfectly happy with the self-print luggage tags. Put a little packing tape on them to reinforce, punch a hole, and tie them on with a piece of cord. It's not like they have to survive airline handling. Worked out just fine - no problems at all.

[Randyk47]

I laminated mine -- punched a hole where it indicates that you are to staple.

 

When we are ready to leave the hotel we will attach them to the suit case handles by using cable ties.

 

We've decided to do exactly the same thing. It's not required, it's just something we want to do and have the time to do. Call it a crafts project or whatever. Some of us worked together on this thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1070246&highlight= and even modified the tags to include "Mariner". Again, not required just a fun project. The fall back, and maybe easiest, answer is to get tags from the porter at the cruise terminal.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I'm hoping that by my doing the tags I will relieve some stress for the porters at the pier who will be swamped with lots of people without tags.

[Randyk47]

I actually was thinking of reducing our "stress". The last cruise out of Ft Lauderdale we took the hotel shuttle over to the terminal. There were probably 20 of us on the shuttle. Before we could all get off a couple of porters were already unloading the back of the big van. I can just see trying to sort that out and was glad our tags were already on our bags. I stayed around long enough to make sure all our bags were off the shuttle and into the terminal. Our next cruise is out of a foreign port and I haven't the faintest idea what that's going to be like so tags will definitely go on our bags before we leave the hotel in Rome.

[Boatdrill]

 

 

Yes, we all will miss the lovely new HAL wallets but have to admit most of the info which was mailed such as the "Know Before you go Booklet" & "tickets" was useless..

 

Actually they were valuable, and used often at check-in when pasengers complain they "were never told" about proof of citizenship requirements, required identification for children, airport transfers, etc. Also in the ticket booklet was their cruise contract - a vital legal document.

 

Those items - the booklet and paper tickets - were the only proof that the info had been given to passengers.

[Bill HaHa]

They work fine with me...After I got on the ship I had a hard time ripping them off. I stapled them about 4 or 5 times. They worked great.

[catl331]

How do they expect them to last! Pathetic is all I can say. I thought tags would come with our tickets. My husband is wondering is the printout the only ticket that we will receive, I said I hope there is more to come.

The ability to print paper tags is there for the convenience of those who wish to pre-tag their bags. If you don't like the idea, just get your bag tags from a porter at the pier.

[serendipity1499]

Actually they were valuable, and used often at check-in when pasengers complain they "were never told" about proof of citizenship requirements, required identification for children, airport transfers, etc. Also in the ticket booklet was their cruise contract - a vital legal document.

 

Those items - the booklet and paper tickets - were the only proof that the info had been given to passengers.[/quote]

 

Sorry Boatdrill, that's no longer so!.. Understand what you are saying,, but doubt your argument would pass muster in a court of law or even with HAL..;)

Everything you previously received in the mail, including the contract & the " Know before you go" Booklet are in your check in documents on-line..That actually is better proof than a printed booklet...

Passengers could just as easily say there was no "Know before you go" Booklet in the Postal Mailing..They can no longer say they were never told, as all that info will remain in HAL's system & your booking forever..

Instead of receiving it in the U.S. Mail, you now have it all on-line.. You can still print your tags & only page one of your check in document & decide not to print it up or even read it...But that would be your problem not HAL's & is no excuse..

Cheers...:)Betty

P. S. In addition, we're saving more trees than before & protecting the environment..

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sad part -- I have read on several threads where people have printed out all 8 pages of the forms -- that's 16 pages of paper being used -- and big sheets at that. More paper being used than what was originally in HAL's documents that they sent us.

So -- if many print out all those pages -- that is a bigger waste of paper and trees.

[rkacruiser]

Sad part -- I have read on several threads where people have printed out all 8 pages of the forms -- that's 16 pages of paper being used -- and big sheets at that. More paper being used than what was originally in HAL's documents that they sent us.

 

So -- if many print out all those pages -- that is a bigger waste of paper and trees.

 

Totally Agree. KK!

 

Plus, it passes what ought to be a business expense to HAL's customers.

[RMLincoln]

Totally Agree. KK!

 

Plus, it passes what ought to be a business expense to HAL's customers.

 

I print out the first page for each of us; then I print out one set of the rest of the docs on paper from my scrap/recycle/one good side remains pile of paper. So maybe it's fewer trees but more ink:(

[Copper10-8]

Actually they were valuable, and used often at check-in when pasengers complain they "were never told" about proof of citizenship requirements, required identification for children, airport transfers, etc. Also in the ticket booklet was their cruise contract - a vital legal document.

 

Those items - the booklet and paper tickets - were the only proof that the info had been given to passengers.

 

Don't forget the dreaded (by some) $11 pp per day Hotel Service fee

[suse]

I have decided, after much reflection, that my Halloween costume will be me as a luggage tag! Can you get over it. I can but it really is funny.:)

The only prob is people who don't get it. Because we do.;)

[TMJplus1]

I was worried about the paper tags, too, so I printed them onto photo paper, which is heavier. I just cut out the actual luggage tag strip part and folded it and half and stapled it. Voila!

 

I also heard of someone printing them out on label paper and affixing them to the luggage that way.

[sail7seas]

I went to Staples, bought a package of manilla folder weight shipping tags. Come with string to attach to suticase, has reinforced hole punched. Wrote our name and cabin number with a wax crayon type pen so rain will not smudge the writing.

 

Easy.

Done.

If, when we get to the port, I'm not happy with them, I'll ask the Stevedore for a few tags. I'll write our name and cabin number, attach in under a minute and be on our way.

It really is not a big deal.

[MrsCruiseBabe]

I print out the first page for each of us; then I print out one set of the rest of the docs on paper from my scrap/recycle/one good side remains pile of paper. So maybe it's fewer trees but more ink:(

 

Here are the future instructions for Hal luggage tags. Do you think they will rip when the porters are throwing the bags on the ship ever so gently?