How many people carry on their own luggage?

[Cruisegirl6]

I am on vacation and not going to lug mine onboard. I have taken 77 cruises so far and knock on wood no problems. Just make sure you have two luggage tags on them, your on vacation, why bother with your luggage?

[Purvis1231]

I buy travel insurance that would reimburse me for lost luggage so I am not worried about my luggage being misplaced.

[sperkins921]

We don't carry ours on either. This is due to a combination of things but mostly we haven't traveled lines were you could get priority access to your cabin even with our current statuses. We get priority boarding and the like- but we wait for cabins like everyone else. So even if we carried on- we'd literally be dragging bags everywhere for 1-2 hours. Sitting down to lunch (or worse navigating the buffet) with two carry ons and a backpack is bad enough. Add in full size suitcases? Yeah, doesn't sound that fun. Then, trying to keep an eye on them in the hot tub and at the bar. Yeah, again, sounds way too much of a hassle. And the space they'd take up on deck is a hassle for the people who are then dodging my luggage.

 

Also, we've usually sailed out of terminals where unless you were in a suite, or had echelon status, you're sitting knee to knee with others waiting. I don't mind it, but it's already a jockeying of carry-ons and kids etc every time someone gets up to go to the restroom. We don't want to add full size suitcases to that kerfuffle.

 

Also, we always have trip insurance so we'd be reimbursed for lost luggage and I never pack anything I can't bare to lose or can't easily replace in the full sized bags. Plus, we're not usually sailing over a holiday where we'd be unable to purchase replacement shirts/shorts etc. easily (thinking of closed shops in port kind of thing). The only wrinkle (no pun intended) in lost clothing is those cruises where we are doing dinner at a chef's table or restaurant where you must dress up. We'd just have to cancel the reservation then. But outside of that? Cruise line/Port of call t-shirts and shorts for a week isn't the worst that could happen to us.

 

I also can't imagine carrying off my bags at the end of the trip but see plenty of people do it. We try to factor in leaving the ship late when we pick flights or stay another night and fly out the next day. Our bags are bright and decorated, so it'd be hard for someone to unintentionally walk away with them, so no fear there.

 

Overall, I hand off to (and tip) a porter on the way in, and grab a porter (and tip again) on the way out because I'm more concerned about the airline losing my bag than the cruise line. Laminate and staple my bag tag, make sure my name and address is on the bag in 1-2 places, and pray for the best.

[riclop]

If the bags are small enough to fit in there scanners.

[Lottacruises]

Always carry on...

[Doggielover68]

I always carry my own bags and it's not that big of a deal, but I also don't bring that much. On our last cruise, my husband and I only brought one 28" luggage on wheels and a backpack. When we got to the terminal upon disembarking, multiple staff members kept asking us if we left bags behind since we were traveling so light. It really does make the whole experience much easier.

 

 

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[Keys2Heaven]

I've seen people do it and they do not look comfortable. Not sure it's worth the hassle. A good tip to the porter, and a smile has always done us right.

[Tapi]

I’ve never had my checked luggage lost at the port (although it’s been delayed getting to the room, sometimes getting there after sailaway), but the airline (Southwest) lost our big suitcase one time, never to be found again. And this was for an Alaska cruise.

 

If we aren’t traveling with big suitcases, we carry them, otherwise we check them.

 

 

 

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[Towel Critter]

Checked luggage for us, plus a carry on with a few essentials.

[The4Cruisers]

We check our bags. We have one carryon with the wine in it.

 

Life's too short to dwell on "what-if's".

[HerbertandB]

We carried on and carried off our bags. We both have 24" spinners and had back packs. It was petty easy.

[Surrealistic]

We always carry our luggage on, but we each have a small carry on size rolly (21")and a backpack. We are priority so our room is always ready when we embark. We pack light, but I wouldn't want to try to lug multiple bags on the gangway. Enjoy your cruise whatever you decide to do.

[Moviela]

In order to carry in the bag must be able to fit in the X-ray (like security at an airport) size wise.

 

 

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One has the right to not have their belongings irradiated at the check point. You can ask for a hand inspection which may take an extra few minutes. Most times you hear your bag needs to be checked in the port is to increase the tip income of staff.

 

Airlines like to set the bag size for carry on so it will fit in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you. Most of the time they will check oversize bags doorside for you if there is little space onboard. You are still able to request a hand inspection even if they have restricted the opening of the x-ray machine.

[lenquixote66]

My family is leaving for our first cruise on Monday and I'm becoming paranoid about my luggage. I'm seriously thinking about not checking my bags at the port and just taking them on the ship with us. I would only really have two luggage bag with wheels and then 3 carry bags. Would it be crazy to just carry them all on so I don't have to worry about them never making it to our room? How many people do this?

 

Thanks!

We always check our luggage and have never had a problem.

[Kfxduners]

I hate to start a negative response but my vacation starts when I drop off the bags and get ready to get on board. My complaint is not dropping bags going on but those who choose carrying them off. Departing for me is stressful but having folks carrying their bags in the conga line with all the attached items they purchased. Which slows down the line is my complaint.

 

 

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Oops...was that you behind me? Sorry about that... All those clay sun faces and bottles of tequila are hard to juggle, but...gotta have 'em![emoji41]

 

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[asalligo]

I check a bag and carry a bag. My carryon has one change of clothes and the things I feel I cannot do without for the week.

 

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[Swissmiss6253]

We always check bags on cruises (not that we have been on many) and planes (there we have been on many). I had one bag go missing for one day on one flight. We pack medicine, electronics and camera equipment in carry ons, the rest in checked baggage. I look at the odds, on one cruise I saw one of those "have you seen this bag" flyers. So out of 8,000 passengers (four cruises), one lost a bag. I have seen people with bags on the ship at embarkation looking miserable. Odds of losing a bag? 1 in 4,000 (I've been nice and calculated that people share), odds of being miserable on embarkation day with luggage? 1 in 4 (again being nice and assuming that maybe some of them just have that sort of face).

[Tiger0613]

I don't have any problems checking bags on Greyhound because I control the bag until it is under the bus, and I would be responsible for transferring the bag to the next bus. I am willing to check bags on Amtrak, but that is only because the first two are free.

 

I try not to check bags on planes. I am only willing to check a bag if I have bulky items(rain boots, comforter, university library books) or if I will be gone for 20+ nights.

 

On 5/16/15, American Airlines left my checked bag on the ground at the arrival gate at DFW. I got it back in the afternoon on 5/17 or 5/18. I filed a report, but they never called me. I had to call. They told me it had arrived at BTR two hours prior to my call. I couldn't get to the airport until an hour after the call. My bag, along with a few other bags, had been sitting on the belt unattended for three hours. At least the DFW TSA put a notice in my bag after they inspected it before sending it to me.

 

On 7/2/15, the baggage crew at ORD got wet yellow paint on my bag. Almost all of it came off with some effort. Only a slight discoloration was left. Wet paint is only a minor issue, but the crew shouldn't have been unloading bags near wet paint in the first place. My lock was also missing. The BTR TSA said they put it back. I knew before I handed the bag over that it would be inspected. I had a cylindrical insulated cooler in there. I was staying at a hotel that didn't have free refrigerators.

 

That was the last time I checked a bag when flying. The BTR TSA also inspected my bag in April and May. They only put a notice in my bag on the July trip.

 

I always carry on all of my bags on a cruise, except for my first cruise. I had a suite on the second cruise. I went to my room before 1:30pm because I misunderstood what the Carnival rep told me. I had FTTF on cruises 3 - 8.

 

On my first cruise I was 13 and didn't have a choice. I don't remember having any issues getting our bags on embarkation day. The problem that we had was on debarkation day. We had four bags between the three of us. They weren't all in the same pile. It took 30 - 45 minutes of searching to find the fourth bag. Thankfully we drove to Tampa.

 

If I had to wait, I would: eat, vacate my table, find a couch, and lie down until I could go to my cabin. If I couldn't find a couch, I would find an isolated place to lie on the floor. I sometimes prefer floors to chairs and couches. I would look upset, but I would be fine. I just have resting b****face.

[dmdiver]

We carried on & off Magic last week. We arrived at Port Canaveral a little after noon - maybe closer to 12:30, walked on - no waiting anywhere - went straight to the cabin, unpacked & enjoyed the rest of our vacation. Debarkation day, we packed up, waited until our deck was actually called to leave, walked off the ship, very little waiting at customs and out to the shuttle.

 

No worries about luggage falling into the water, getting lost or stolen. No hunting for luggage among thousands of other suitcases.

 

The port scanners are larger than airport carry-on scanners. We use a medium-sized hard shell spinner (larger than what airline allows for carry-on) and backpack each. Hubby's backpack has several zipper spots for ipads, documents, chargers, meds, etc. Mine is a waterfly with a couple of zipper spots - much smaller - probably smaller than most women's purses.

[SkyPiglet]

My wife and I always carry our bags on the ship. At most, we have a carry-on each when getting on a 7 day cruise, and maybe a backpack. Here are our reasons...

 

 

• I have been on two or three cruises where someone's bags have gone missing, and that would completely ruin it. It will not happen to us, as long as we can control it.
  
• We are lowly golds, so no priority boarding, or early room availability. Usually by the time we board, the room is only a few hours away from being ready anyway, so peace of mind means the bags accompany us to lunch, and can fit under a table, out of the way. Easy choice.
  
• Having so many bags to necessitate checked luggage means (for us at least) more bags on the plane, and more $$$ out of pocket. It saves us $$$ to pack light and bring a few tide pods, as well as gives us peace of mind for being in control of our belongings.
  
• Also, when leaving afterwards, carry and go. With self assist, once again, we have our things, and it makes it much more smoother for us.
  

For the record, we did check our bags on our first cruise. It worked fine, but we like to be in control of our effects. So, I guess it all comes down to being in control. We like to be in control of our things. Since we are on vacation, we don't like to give up that control to chance nor sacrifice peace of mind. :cool:

[Havingfun2010]

Someone should start a poll. How many people who carry on their bags for fear of it being lost, will also buy travel insurance to cover their lost bags?

 

I have nothing in my bags that I can't live without. I have an annual travel insurance. My bags have been "lost", but really I was lost, and the bags did not know where to go. (My flights were moved to another airlines, but the bags were not informed of this change. They caught up the next day. They were extremely worried.). Travel insurance paid for my toiletries, and I still had a wonderful day.

 

I check all my bags, except for a back pack. I check my bags with the airlines. I don't want to lug stuff around in an airport.

[gtalum]

I'm glad to see so many fellow light-packers. :D

 

I've said it before, but I'm what I like to call a "one-bag evangelist". Travel is so much easier when you pack in one bag that you can easily carry yourself. We pack in one carry-on sized bag per person, and can travel with that indefinitely. I do also carry a small backpack for electronics, medicines, etc for easy access.

 

We started carrying our own bags onto the ship when we made Platinum, mostly because I hate tipping a guy 5 bucks to move our bags two feet to the luggage cart.

[cruziJenn]

I always check my bag. If paranoid pack a few things in carry on. I hate having to carry my stuff all over the ship while waiting for my room to be ready.

 

 

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This. We have rolled all of our luggage onto the ship a few times but now always check our 2 big ones. Even if boarding close to when the rooms open up, trying to handle too many big pieces all the way through can sometimes just be too nerve wracking and we really don't want to start our cruise that way....

 

You can read about a lot of nightmares that luggage didn't get to room until really late and so on but we have never had any serious problem....never had anything broken either even tho DH can be almost paranoid about that :rolleyes::)

[evandbob]

I use one 21" piece of luggage that I can roll up the gangway with one finger, and a shoulder bag for valuables. I've done this for over 40 cruises across different lines. I've been able to roll that bag right to my cabin ( Carnival Diamond, on other lines cabin was ready despite no status), unpack, and be out having lunch and exploring the ship within an hour of boarding.

 

My bag has never been lost, misplaced, or taken unwittingly by another cruiser!

[CatsinShow]

I did it last year on NCL (on the ship I went on, they actually had a luggage hold area like when you drop something off at a hotel).

 

Unless you think you will be going in and out of your bag, I always check in and bring a backpack with me with things like a book, bathing suit, ipad, etc if I want to make use of the amenities before I can go into the stateroom.

 

That being said, there were plenty of people on my last cruise that did just take luggage with them. It wasn't a big deal as they just basically ate lunch in the buffet and had their luggage with them.

 

I do however carry my own luggage when people need to get off the ship.