Anyone used Onboard Luggage Valet

[AZMembergs]

Just got our Docs today and noticed there is an OnBoard Luggage Valet Service.

 

Has anyone every used this service snd is it worth the "nominal fee"?

[Ella2]

Well, I WAS going to use it on our 8/28 Mariner cruise, based on the information left in our cabin that said we could disembark at our leisure.

 

Turns out that information was WRONG. They brought our tags and boarding passes the last night of the cruise, but along with a NEW letter that said those using the service MUST meet in one of the lounges at 8:00 am and disembark as a group. Since we did not have an early flight there was no reason for us to be rushing to get to a lounge by 8:00 am. So I went to the purser's desk, asked for clarification and was told it was a new rule (for customs) and that the original letter was incorrect.

 

So, I gave them the passes back and got the $10 per person fee credited back. It was a bit of a mess, plus the airport had us as already checked in, (which was a fixable error).

 

I'm sure it is a convenient service if you want to bypass long check-in lines at the airport, but for us, I'm glad I dropped the service. We were still off the ship by 8:30 or 8:45 or so, and had PLENTY of time to get to the airport and get checked in.

[cruizinmimi]

VAmembergs

 

We used it on our Mariner Sept. 4-11 cruise. It was great. We didn't have to worry about our luggage after we put it out in the hall that night. It went straight to the airlines (our case AA). You will get your boarding pass in your room that night before also. You do have to meet in the lounge at 8:00 a.m. We were off the ship at 8:10a.m. and through customs by 8:25a.m. I think it is well worth the extra charge per person.

 

Enjoy your cruise

Linda

[Mildred]

I wished we would have used this service this past June. We left one of our bags at the airport and it as $75 to have it Fed Ex'd home from Vancouver. Would have been lots less to use the valet service : )

[BobbyK]

Hi, We used it last week and it was wonderful. I didn't have to worry about the luggage and was able to pick up my airline tickets on the ship instead of dealing with all of that at the airport.

Robin:cool:

[PTarbay]

What was the fee?Can you have your bags sent to FLL or just Miami if your ship docks in Miami?

[pd9845]

What was the fee?Can you have your bags sent to FLL or just Miami if your ship docks in Miami?

 

 

Good question -- Please advise. This service sounds PERFECT!

[BobbyK]

It was $20.00 per person and my bags went from Vancouver to Los Angeles so I just don't know about Florida. The convenience and the ease of mind were well worth the price.

Robin :cool:

[smrtypnts]

One poster mentioned that it's $10pp and one mentioned $20pp and I feel this is a big difference for a family of 4. I'm thinking this could be a good thing for us as we planned to take a taxi from the ship to the airport just to check in the luggage as we've got basically all day to "hang around" and if we're going to pay $20 or $25 plus tip for our convenience then the extra $15 ($10pp x 4 = $40) would be worth it not to have to go to the airport. Plus we'd already be checked in at the airport. BUT, if it's $20pp and the total would be $80, then I'm more inclined to take the luggage and taxi myself and go check in. Soooooo,

 

A) is my thinking logical?

 

B) is the price $20pp or $10pp?

 

Thanks!

[cruisinmamma]

We used it on our 9/3 cruise on the Empress. $10 pp. There's pluses and minuses. The plus is that it is great not to have to mess with your luggage between the ship and the airport. Also you are the first one off the ship.

 

Our minus was that as soon as we got off the ship into RCCL's warehouse they had already lost one piece of luggage. It seems that the airline tag that they have you put on was ripped off. My husband and a RCCL rep looked for about 10 min w/o succsess. Then another lady said she found hers over with the lost and found luggage. Sure enough that's where ours was too. We then took it outside and turned it over to the RCCL rep and he told us he would get another tag and all would be fine. Wellll... when we got home to Indianapolis no bag.

I received a call from Delta @ 1 AM verifiing our address for delivery the next morning. The bag was on my doorstep when I got up.

 

I did contact a customer rep by phone the next week and suggested that they not have the airline tag put on your bag until claimed in their warehouse.

I also requested our $10 be credited and she said she would. I

haven't herad anything yet.

 

Would we do it again....... probably.:)

[cruisinmamma]

Oh I forget. There are some restrictions. Your return fight has to be certain hours, between 11AM-5PM I think and only a few airlines offer this service.

I know that Delta and AA are two of them.

[Retired not Expired]

Does anyone know if this is available on all ships and ports? I'll be on the Empress 11 day out of San Juan Jan 30-Feb 10 and flying AA. Anything that will replace check in at that airport would be worth it. Of course Feb 10 is a Friday so it shouldn't be quite as bad as the weekend mess down there. My return flight is within the time frame.

[cruisingagentone]

This is confusing. I thought the whole point was you didn't have to claim your luggage when you got off? I had passengers that did this in Vancouver and they didn't see their bags again till they got to their home airport.

[chrisnsteph1022]

I wanted to do this on Empress 9/12, but it doesn't work with Southwest Airlines, so I couldn't use it. And it was $10pp on that sailing as well.

[cruisinmamma]

According to the RCCL rep I spoke with about our problems, the cost is different for different ships or may it's the port or the airline, but they're not all the same cost.

 

You only have to claim your luggage in the RCCL warehouse and then you don't see it again until you get home.

[cruisinmamma]

We were also told that we were the first group on the Empress to use this service. So maybe they were still getting familiar with it.

[AZMembergs]

Thanks for all your responses.

 

Does anyone know if Independence Air participates?

[groovy gran]

hi all

 

this sounds like a great service.Does anyone no if i can use it for british airways flying to the uk.

 

thanks.:)

[curlyjbs]

OK this sounds like a great service! Is it only available if you book your air thru RCCL? Only MIA? FLL? or both?

 

:confused:

[cruizinmimi]

I'm not sure if it's only if you book air thru rccl or not. We did book our air thru rccl on the Mariner 9-4 thru 9-11 out of Port Canaveral. No you do not claim your bags once you put them out in the hallway the night before. It goes straight to your destination airport. DO NOT claim your bags. That is the purpose of paying the $10pp fee. You get your boarding pass and you are on your way. It's only if you have a flight with Delta or AA and between the hours of 11a.m.-5pm.

 

I hope this helps. Enjoy your cruise

Linda

[marcmedic]

Is this available on the Navigator and can it be used to have bags sent from Miami to the ariport in Ft. Lauderdale?

[AZMembergs]

Hi Everyone,

I just called RCCL to get some questions cleared up. This fine service is not RCCL-wide!

 

This service only applies to:

• Alaska sailings

• Port Everglades

• Jewel of the Seas

• Century (Celebrity’s ship)

 

Airlines involved:

• American

• Air Canada

• Alaska Air

• Continental

• Delta

• Northwest

• United

 

It was recommended that if you don’t see your cruise listed here that you call your cruise line, since others may be taking on this very new service and RCCL could not have information on what other cruise lines are doing.

 

RCCL: 800.398.9818 or 800.256.6649

http://www.royalcaribbean.com (customer support tab)

 

Hope this is a help.

[cruisinmamma]

You do not have to book your airfare through RCCL. Ours was on our own.

[Ella2]

At Port Canaveral, the only two airlines participating at the time (8/28 cruise) were Delta and American, and it was $10 per person. As stated, it did not matter if you booked air through the cruise line or not.

[jaxon41]

We did it on our Alaska cruise -- I recollect the fee was 15pp, but it could have been 20. Worked just fine, BUT when we got to the airport sooo unexpectedly early, we decided to try to get the earlier flight (11 something instead of 2 something), and then realized we couldn't because our bags were now checked through for the 2 o'clock. It was wait in Vancouver, or wait in Chicago. Just something to think about if you have a thought about trying to make an earlier flight than what you have scheduled.