does anyone else have issues with the paper

[DarthGrady]

luggage tags? can they get any cheaper. there is no adhesive or anything. whats the deal.

 

Crappy cost cutting IMO. I dislike the new do-it-yourself documents and luggage tags. I miss getting the old blue ticket books with the shiny Carnival logo on them, and the colorful tags contained therein. I shouldn't have to make my own tags or use my own paper, thats what I pay them for! I didn't mind the e-docs when they were optional, but they should not have taken away the option for the traditional docs/tags.

 

Carnival should really look at how RCI does their tags. They come in the mail with the ticket book, and are pre-printed. All you have to do is peel the back off and put them on. They are also a strong plastic so they don't tear easily. Very nice system, and much better than printer paper with packing tape and staples.

[falkcor]

Uh oh...does this mean my TA won't be getting anything like this for me in the mail? Or is it only ppl who book on-line who have to print their own documents and luggage tags? My last cruise was w/Celebirty in 2004/05, and I received thick, rich documents !! I guess I'd better get off my duff and call my TA tomorrow to find out for sure. :eek:

 

no they don't send them out at all... not to you (consumers) or TAs...

 

but if you're working with a TA, i bet he or she would print them out for you :)

[falkcor]

i'm in the clear packing tape camp as well...

 

i've done it with just folding and stapling with no problems, granted...

 

but i think this is just a bit more secure... and if they're not giving me professionally prepared tags, then the closest i can come is to print them in color and 'self-laminate' with packing tape.

 

i didn't actually 'mean' to, but i did get a picture of this example:

 

 

(look at the top of the bags - btw, how funny that the lamp post was 'wrapped' similarly for the fire extinguisher - wonder how they secured that lol)

 

incidentally...

 

some like the 'real laminating' and attach with zip ties. i actually find the packing tape method better, because then you have a wide, cohesive coat of the tape over the paper tag. a punched hole, with zip tie through it, could 'cut' the balance of the space between the hole and edge of tag more easily than getting that thing off my bags...

 

and no you don't have to print in color... but i would if i could. and did. some tags are different colors, which i believe indicates deck - or so i've seen / read.

 

and re: the tags at the port. yeah, they're fine tags. but you're writing (or they are) in all the info. it's not as clear, as legible, and is prone to possible errors. i know at the port, when we had to get extra tags last time (for unexpected luggage :mad:), i kept inverting my and another person in my party's cabin number, because we intended to switch when onboard anyway lol. plus, it's just an added variable / possible wait.

 

i'm fine with the luggage tape method... though, not to detract to getting real tags and not having to DIY... which is kinda lame... understood. but doable. :)

 

btw - all our bags got there SUPER FAST - the bulk, right when we arrived at the room ourselves (and we boarded late)...

[falkcor]

Carnival should really look at how RCI does their tags. They come in the mail with the ticket book, and are pre-printed. All you have to do is peel the back off and put them on. They are also a strong plastic so they don't tear easily. Very nice system, and much better than printer paper with packing tape and staples.

 

hey grady :)

 

i haven't sailed rci... but on the face would prefer that system... as long as it were more robust than my packing tape method... for now, i'm fine with that. but i do agree, it's a little too DIY for my taste.

 

i remember distinctly, in my pre-flight (on the way to the day before the cruise) call - 'oh hey, you have clear packing tape right?' - 'what?... no. why?' - 'for our bags!' - 'what?' - 'to put over the luggage tags - so they're more secure' - 'ohhhh... no, didn't even think of that... but i like it!' and they actually ran to the store to pick some up, lol. :D

 

what are the savings? a dollar or so per passenger? :rolleyes:

[RWolver672]

I don't mind doing it myself but I can't help but wonder what someone does that isn't computer savvy or have access to a computer. So many companies and government agencies think that everyone has a computer and knows how to use them. There are many people out there that have no use for one and are afraid of them. Especially the elderly.

[DarthGrady]

hey grady :)

 

i haven't sailed rci... but on the face would prefer that system... as long as it were more robust than my packing tape method... for now, i'm fine with that. but i do agree, it's a little too DIY for my taste.

 

i remember distinctly, in my pre-flight (on the way to the day before the cruise) call - 'oh hey, you have clear packing tape right?' - 'what?... no. why?' - 'for our bags!' - 'what?' - 'to put over the luggage tags - so they're more secure' - 'ohhhh... no, didn't even think of that... but i like it!' and they actually ran to the store to pick some up, lol. :D

 

what are the savings? a dollar or so per passenger? :rolleyes:

 

LOL! Yeah, I've had almost that same scenario with no packing tape on the night before the cruise!

 

Those were my thoughts as well. How much could it possibly cost to print some nice pre-made tags?

 

Google helped with a visual aide of RCI's:

 

[MSRussell]

I made my own reusable tag holders. I cut thin plastic sleeves that go in notebook to size, sealed 3 sides with my foodsaver, paper punched a hole in the top, and used a zip tie after luggage tag was inserted. Works great, and I will reuse them next time.

Melanie

[CRZCRAZY]

I also print an extra copy and include it inside the bag (since we're not supposed to lock them) in case the outside tag comes off. Since we laminate and attach with a tie wrap after we land, we haven't had one come loose, and we don't have to carry a stapler. We do take a photo of our bags in case one does end up missing, we can show them what it looks like. Never had to do it yet with the cruise line. The airlines have lost one of our bags, when we got it back it had a tire print across it.

[ehfl]

I've never had a problem....sometimes I use clear tape, other times I don't. Either way, the tags have always stayed on. They only have to be on for a few hours, from the curb to your cabin.

[RetiredRich]

I know everyone has their own special fix that works fine. We put ours in plastic sandwich bags and staple them around the handles. Lasts the whole trip just fine. Another tip for disembarking is to wrap a colored piece of plastic around the handle that is easy to spot when you are searching all the baggage for yours. Makes it easy to spot

[vacruizer]

Having left for a cruise one year in the pouring rain, I highly recommend covering those tags in some type of plastic whether packing tape or laminating sheets. The issue isn't so much them falling off the bags normally, but wet paper tears easily and if you use an inkjet, they become unreadable if they get wet. If it's raining at the airport or port, your luggage may sit out in the rain for a while uncovered.

 

I also had a porter on one cruise thank me for using zip ties instead of staples. He said they end up with a lot of staples poking into their hands with the do-it-yourself tags where they grab a bag by the handle and a tag is stapled to it and has come loose a bit.

[GRAMMYTAN]

Having left for a cruise one year in the pouring rain, I highly recommend covering those tags in some type of plastic whether packing tape or laminating sheets. The issue isn't so much them falling off the bags normally, but wet paper tears easily and if you use an inkjet, they become unreadable if they get wet. If it's raining at the airport or port, your luggage may sit out in the rain for a while uncovered.

 

I also had a porter on one cruise thank me for using zip ties instead of staples. He said they end up with a lot of staples poking into their hands with the do-it-yourself tags where they grab a bag by the handle and a tag is stapled to it and has come loose a bit.

 

I use the tape and zip ties as well for the same reasons - ink running and reinforcement - haven't lost one yet. But I never thought about the point made by the porter, about the staples sticking in their hands.

I also ALWAYS tie a brightly colored, unusual ribbon to each piece of my luggage to make it easy to find in the sea of bags. I think it also helps to keep someone else from grabbing your bag in the terminal or the ship's hallway if they see the ribbon on it. Some people use those bath scrunchies on theirs. For our December B2B, I am usuing Christmas Ribbons.

 

[Shelbyjane56]

luggage tags? can they get any cheaper. there is no adhesive or anything. whats the deal.

 

 

its really simple, we laminate ours as we have a laminater at home, you can also use packing tape, the clear type

[AWCHIEF]

"does anyone else have issues with the paper"

 

No issues what so ever, I don't waste the paper, ink, tape or what ever else supplies by printing them out. When I do rarely check bags I use the ones provided at the terminal. Works just fine for me.

[deeluvs2cruise]

I made my own reusable tag holders. I cut thin plastic sleeves that go in notebook to size, sealed 3 sides with my foodsaver, paper punched a hole in the top, and used a zip tie after luggage tag was inserted. Works great, and I will reuse them next time.

Melanie

 

Love this idea...I may "borrow" it. In the past I have always printed my tags on card stock and had no problems.

[jpg1747]

My two color-printed, folded, taped and stapled tags "fell off" somewhere between the porters and the ship. I found my bag in the hall by guest services.

[PaulMedik]

We laminate our tags, cut them out, punch a hole, and attach with zip ties. Centuries from now some of our tags may be on display as relics of the twenty first century as they're excavated from land fills, but for the duration of our cruise, they'll likely be where we put them and our luggage is more likely to be with us.

 

Here's our tags from Legend;

 

 

And from Dream;

 

 

Here's our Nine year old son Britt cutting the tags instead of folding them (cutting works better when laminating because they're flatter so they seal better);

 

 

I use a hole punch and then attach one to each handle with zip ties and also place one inside of each bag. Overkill granted, but it makes our bags easy to see and hard to misplace.

 

[victorm385]

Laminating is an excellent idea. We just got off of the Spirit on Sunday.

Stood in the rain for 1 1/2 hours just to get into the terminal building.

My wife's luggage was delivered right away, but she noticed that her tag was very wet and ready to fall off.

 

We waited until 8:00 pm for my bag and the room steward came and told me that they had located by bag by my address tag and matched it to my room and that they were on their way.

 

It arrived at 8:15 pm so we just put it into the room and went to dinner.

 

A lot of the passengers had to go down to the luggage room to identify their luggage.

 

No more paper tags unless laminated for sure!

[pokergirl34]

We had our laminator out for another project this evening so I went ahead and laminated ours. Now I realized I will probably do it again in a different way LOL so it is costing me ink and laminator sheets twice but oh well.

[JenniLynn]

I must be the only one that was thrilled that the blue books with documents didn't exist any longer! (Though I agree with the poster about not everyone being computer capable/savvy) My travel companions of years past always opted for paper docs and I was always terrified of losing them enroute and not being able to board! With the e-docs you can reprint them as many times as necessary, even if that means paying to print from your hotel, or any hotel near the port for that matter!

I never really thought about thedocs and tags costing money to print... I just liked that I could print exactly the number I needed and that they were full sheets that stayed reliably secure in my travle docs folder until we arrived at the port, a little tape and a couple staples, a tip for the porter and we were on our way.

I've never had one tear off, and I've never had a bag not make to my room in a timely manner... well once we found our bag sitting outside a room several doors down from ours... (The numbers were inverted like xx53 and xx35 or something like that) but other than that...

I guess I would rather "spend" a little on ink, paper, and staples and feel really prepared than get a handful of tags mailed to me that may get misplaced in the time between arriving and our cruise... Oh and our mail service is deplorable! We went three months this summer with out ever getting a power bill... good thing we can check our account and pay online! Makes me wonder what else we haven't been getting! Would hate to imagine cruise documents ending up wherever those power bills did! ;)

[cullensmom]

luggage tags? can they get any cheaper. there is no adhesive or anything. whats the deal.

 

I put two per bag. In three cruises this year only one tag hasn't made it to the cabin. Since each bag had two tags, no issues.

[BenjiRodney]

I carry a small stapler in my luggage and put them on when I arrive at the airport for my transfer to the ship. Also put one in the outside zip up compartment of my luggage just in case. My bags have always made it to the cabin.

[Drew's Wife]

We laminate our tags, cut them out, punch a hole, and attach with zip ties. Centuries from now some of our tags may be on display as relics of the twenty first century as they're excavated from land fills, but for the duration of our cruise, they'll likely be where we put them and our luggage is more likely to be with us.

 

Here's our tags from Legend;

 

 

And from Dream;

 

 

Here's our Nine year old son Britt cutting the tags instead of folding them (cutting works better when laminating because they're flatter so they seal better);

 

 

I use a hole punch and then attach one to each handle with zip ties and also place one inside of each bag. Overkill granted, but it makes our bags easy to see and hard to misplace.

 

 

 

I've been fixing our tags this way for several cruises, and actually find that I look forward to it. It's just means that our cruise is getting closer!:) One other thing that I do, where the tag has guest name, I use a preprinted address label.

I also made ID tags for all of our luggage so that it would be easy to spot, and pretty sure that no one else would pick up the wrong luggage. I took one of our favorite Carnival Formal night photos, made them in a 3 x5 size, laminated them and zip tied them to each piece of luggage.:)

[Tapi]

I reinforce mine with clear packing tape.

 

...or with self-laminating sheets from Office Depot or Staples. 50 cents a sheet! Well worth the money to get professionally looking, durable tags that last well after the cruise is over! :D

[Tapi]

Ah for the days when you received a large packet in the mail with thick rich documents and leather-like luggage tags.

 

Leather like? I'm trying to think back all the way to my first Carnival cruise 16 years ago. I recall the carton-like luggage tags that used to arrive with the documentation packet, but not leather like luggage tags...