No more luggage valet (July 2016)

[bbeltmom]

Hopefully this will be like the chocolates and the Bulgari in the suites!!!!

Actually it is worse, because now they are cutting something we paid extra for!

 

Celebrity are you listening???? BRING IT BACK!!!!!!! Those of us who use it regularly are WILLING TO PAY FOR IT!!!

[TomTN]

Yes I am on Sillhouette right now, in British Isles, will disembark Amsterdam. But Luggage Valet was never available in Europe so no, my post did not apply to my current cruise. Anca and Rossy both said that Luggage Valet, as of this moment, will not be offered this winter in FLL and MIA. It is already discontinued in SEA. They have no info about any possible new contractor for this service.

 

Is this discussion about the practice of putting your bags outside your door on the final night of the cruise, and picking them up curbside when you arrive at the airport? They do not travel with you on the bus. they are pre-delivered. Are those delivery people cleared by TSA(US)?

 

If so it has been available in Europe. At AMS we were asked if we had been in control of our luggage, and if anyone else had access to it. We told the truth.

We put it outside the door on the cruise ship last night, and saw it again when we arrive at the airport. It along with at least 150 other pieces of luggage were sitting on the curb. There was no security watching/guarding our luggage.

That remark caused them to put us in a room for a interview. They also went to get our luggage so that we could open and inspect it while they watched. Kudos to the security people.

 

If that is luggage valet it should be done away with for security purposes.

[boscobeans]

I don't know if Luggage Valet is an outside service or is provided by Celebrity and RCCL but I can tell you if it is being dropped because of lack of interest it is the cruise lines fault.

 

On all our cruises requiring a return flight we have used it whenever possible but the one time we couldn't we were told it was because no one signed up.

 

It may appear somewhere in the dailies but for the most part almost no one I have met on our cruises has ever even heard of it. Maybe instead of some of the useless junk given out they could put a Luggage Valet form explaining what it is on each bed on the first day.

 

The other thing may be the time and money involved in printing up the airline luggage tags and the boarding passes on the last night?

 

In any case we will miss it if it is truly over.

 

bosco

[Happy2cruise]

Hopefully this will be like the chocolates and the Bulgari in the suites!!!!

Actually it is worse, because now they are cutting something we paid extra for!

 

Celebrity are you listening???? BRING IT BACK!!!!!!! Those of us who use it regularly are WILLING TO PAY FOR IT!!!

I'm with you! Is there someone we can contact to express our displeasure?

[jagoffee]

Is this discussion about the practice of putting your bags outside your door on the final night of the cruise, and picking them up curbside when you arrive at the airport? They do not travel with you on the bus. they are pre-delivered. Are those delivery people cleared by TSA(US)?

 

If so it has been available in Europe. At AMS we were asked if we had been in control of our luggage, and if anyone else had access to it. We told the truth.

We put it outside the door on the cruise ship last night, and saw it again when we arrive at the airport. It along with at least 150 other pieces of luggage were sitting on the curb. There was no security watching/guarding our luggage.

That remark caused them to put us in a room for a interview. They also went to get our luggage so that we could open and inspect it while they watched. Kudos to the security people.

 

If that is luggage valet it should be done away with for security purposes.

 

No, this discussion is about the Celebrity program when you do not see your luggage until AFTER your flight. The service takes care of your luggage.

I've always received a flyer and form to complete when it was available and I have used it. It has never been as popular as is being implied on this thread. And as mentioned it is sometimes cancelled because not enough people sign up. Since it is a fee based program perhaps the third party company was looking for a guarantee minimum which Celebrity was not willing to do based on past usage.

[ORV]

I would say it's too cheap, probably why the company is discontinuing it.

[Adammara]

We send parcels all over the UK, and occasionally to Euope (at the moment!). We use one of the well known international carriers. We had a paper form to fill in, and ring up for a collection. As we have lots of deliveries to us as well, the driver would take them anyway.

 

It is now all internet based, we have to pay an agreed sum up front, and everything is booked in online and the driver then collects. The system works fine, and it does integrate with our accounts software, but for us it does involve paying more money up front and more paperwork to process the parcels.

 

Maybe Celebrity or the Carrier does not want the bother.

[ISABELLA]

It's a tremendous help to me! What happened to the luxury? Hope they are working on renewal. Worth the extra $$'s.

 

Another form of " Modern Luxury" - schlep your own luggage.

I travel solo and valet service was a great convenience for me. Well, another disappointment from RC/ Celebrity. Not the first one - not the last one.

I am getting used to it.

[cruisestitch]

tomBeckCruise, that was not the Luggage Valet program.

 

As we have been saying, the Luggage Valet was available from some US ports. For $20 per person, we were able to put our luggage out the night before the cruise ended and pick it up in our home airport. The service included checking us in to the flight, printing the boarding passes and special luggage tags. Fees for overweight luggage were waived. Our flights had to meet certain time requirementa and not all airlines participated.

 

It was listed as a Zenith benefit. I wonder now if there will be some substitute benefit?

 

I really hope there is a groundswell of enthusiasm for this program, and that Celebrity finds a new contractor.

[TomTN]

No, this discussion is about the Celebrity program when you do not see your luggage until AFTER your flight. The service takes care of your luggage.

I've always received a flyer and form to complete when it was available and I have used it. It has never been as popular as is being implied on this thread. And as mentioned it is sometimes cancelled because not enough people sign up. Since it is a fee based program perhaps the third party company was looking for a guarantee minimum which Celebrity was not willing to do based on past usage.

 

tomBeckCruise, that was not the Luggage Valet program.

 

As we have been saying, the Luggage Valet was available from some US ports. For $20 per person, we were able to put our luggage out the night before the cruise ended and pick it up in our home airport. The service included checking us in to the flight, printing the boarding passes and special luggage tags. Fees for overweight luggage were waived. Our flights had to meet certain time requirementa and not all airlines participated.

 

It was listed as a Zenith benefit. I wonder now if there will be some substitute benefit?

 

I really hope there is a groundswell of enthusiasm for this program, and that Celebrity finds a new contractor.

 

OK, thanks. Seems like a excellent service, especially for those who either hate to schlep their luggage or are unable to. $20 is cheap.

[ISABELLA]

I would think that celebrity will be proactive and try to find another provider for this service before contract has expired or even go further and create this department as part of RC/ Celebrity company to provide this service. Maybe I am expecting too much from them...It was a nice and convenient element of the "modern luxury".

[boscobeans]

Now we must remember that someone, whether they are with Celebrity or not, has to be on the ship in order to process every participant's reservations in order to print out luggage tags and boarding passes. Most airlines will only do this within a 24 hour window of the flight. This being said I wonder how much time it might take to process both passes and luggage tags for hundreds of passengers and get them to us the night before considering they have only a certain window of maybe 10-12 hours.

 

OMO

 

bosco

[Cancruz]

Concierge processes Valet pkg. $20. per person. Always works for us.

[AQFan]

I travel with a disabled husband. We book a handicap accessible cabin since we rent a scooter for use on board. We embark and disembark with a wheel chair. Not having to deal with the luggage at the port makes our lives so much easier because it is up to me to handle and I am no youngster. Yes, there are porters at the pier but then you have to deal with the luggage again once you get to the airport and I am trying to wrangle a wheel chair for him there as well as get the luggage checked in. The end of a cruise is always sad but the valet program made it so much smoother to handle. Please Celebrity, reinstate the program. Thank you.

[boscobeans]

Concierge processes Valet pkg. $20. per person. Always works for us.

 

Not familiar with a Valet package? Unless you mean the Luggage Valet program which most on this thread are talking about?

It has always worked for us as well, but if the Concierge has to do a ton of them it just might be making Celebrity look into doing away with it. $20 yes, but that has to pay for labor, tags, handling and transportation to the different terminals. Most think that is actually a bargain, whereas Celebrity may see a loss.

 

 

 

 

bosco

Edited July 18, 2016 by boscobeans

[CHEZMARYLOU]

The last time we used luggage valet, the time on the boarding pass print out was more than 24 hours before the flight. Celebrity must have another link to print the passes.

 

I hope they bring it back, it is just so convenient.

[martini girl]

this is very disturbing and I'd be willing to bet that it has nothing to do with a contract not being renewed.....add this to the list of services that Celebrity is cutting.....It's too much effort to have tickets and boarding passes printed. I can't imagine that it isn't profitable at 20.00 a person. Add this to the list of no more live bands, crappy entertainment and a dining room that drives cruisers into specialty restaurants. It's all about the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

LISTEN UP CELEBRITY, WE ARE SICK OF THE CUTS!!!!!!!!!

[ISABELLA]

I think that was another someone else's " brilliant" idea...

If $20/pp was not enough - charge $20 / bag like airlines do.

Disappointment after disappointment from Celebrity... Changes come one after another and not a good ones.

[beaveh]

If there was an option to have this type of service added on at an extra cost...I'd pay!

 

Only cruised once before with X ( uk filght to Rome/ Rome flight to uk)

 

I can understand the security issues ( your bag is out of your sight between cabin and home air port ! ) Let's hope no one sticks cocaine in my suitcase !lol

 

And as I am always generally surprised if my luggage makes it to the same destination as me when flying... I would be even more amazed if it did after the valet service. :D

 

 

... I'd still pay for it though.

[Texed]

Only cruised once before with X ( uk filght to Rome/ Rome flight to uk).

 

Luggag Valet has never been offered in Europe. :)

[GordonJasmine]

We haven't used this service yet but were so looking forward to using it on the Eclipse next April. Anyone know the reason it may be discontinued?

[Happy2cruise]

We haven't used this service yet but were so looking forward to using it on the Eclipse next April. Anyone know the reason it may be discontinued?

No, don't know why but would certainly appreciate hearing from Celebrity on it. As a person with mobility issues this was a valuable feature for both my husband and myself as I'm sure many other passengers.

[cruisestitch]

I've been told that the company which did it cancelled the contract and Celebrity is looking for another to take it over, which is why the information referencing it remains on the website....,they hope it will return. I do too, and now with EQ staying in Florida all year round there is even more incentive to find a replacement.

[Happy2cruise]

I've been told that the company which did it cancelled the contract and Celebrity is looking for another to take it over, which is why the information referencing it remains on the website....,they hope it will return. I do too, and now with EQ staying in Florida all year round there is even more incentive to find a replacement.

Thank you for the update:).....fingers crossed they can find a replacement.

[wendychloecruiser]

It was only offered on a finite number of airlines and it never seemed to be one that I was booked on. I would have used it in a heart beat. I always wondered how they could do it for only $20 a bag.

Edited July 20, 2016 by wendychloecruiser