Luggage Free or Luggage Forward?

[cbb]

 Does anyone have any positive or negative experience with Luggage Free or Luggage Forward?  We want to send our luggage to our European port while we travel independently elsewhere for a week pre-boarding.  (leaning towards Luggage Free because we used them ATW and liked them)

[Go-Bucks!]

We had a very frustrating experience (others did too) with Luggage Forward for the 2019 world cruise.  Scheduling was disorganized and each person who I talked to at their headquarters had a different answer and different pickup dates.  Once the details finally got corrected, the pickup was smooth and easy...FedEx picked them up on the arranged day and time frame.  Hopefully my suitcases are safe and waiting for me at the port!

 

I wonder if it would have been easier arranging this personally instead of having to go through Oceania's office and our TA? 

[Silver Sweethearts]

38 minutes ago, Go-Bucks! said:

Once the details finally got corrected, the pickup was smooth and easy...FedEx picked them up on the arranged day and time frame.  Hopefully my suitcases are safe and waiting for me at the port!

 

I wonder if it would have been easier arranging this personally instead of having to go through Oceania's office and our TA? 

 

We prefer to handle reservations with Luggage Forward ourselves, as we know exactly what we want and don't care to have someone else guessing about anything if a question arises.  We get an email confirmation immediately after making our reservations and don't have to wait for paperwork to go through the cruise line or TA.

 

As to "waiting for me at the port", we hope you meant ship.  We meet up with our luggage when we get to our cabin, and not at the port terminal.

[cbb]

O used Luggage Free for ATW16 and they were terrific!  ATW19 is using Luggage Forward and I don't know why....maybe as simple as O getting a better deal with Forward?  Maybe the answer is 'there is little difference between the two.' 

 

We would certainly be doing this ourselves.

[Go-Bucks!]

20 minutes ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

 

We prefer to handle reservations with Luggage Forward ourselves, as we know exactly what we want and don't care to have someone else guessing about anything if a question arises.  We get an email confirmation immediately after making our reservations and don't have to wait for paperwork to go through the cruise line or TA.

 

As to "waiting for me at the port", we hope you meant ship.  We meet up with our luggage when we get to our cabin, and not at the port terminal.

 

No choice in reservations going through Oceania....we're on the 2019 World Cruise and luggage delivery service is a benefit from the cruiseline that is included in our cruisefare...I would guess that if I ordered it myself then I'd pay extra for it and end up paying double!  The cost of shipping my 2 bags round trip is $500, so there's no way I'm going to pay $1,000.

 

As far as my terminology, obviously I meant "waiting for me on the ship at the port."  I was just saying that it will hopefully meet me when I arrive...our experience was that the Luggage Forward staff is very disorganized so I don't feel 100% sure that the luggage will be where it should be when it should be.  😉

[Go-Bucks!]

22 minutes ago, cbb said:

ATW19 is using Luggage Forward and I don't know why....maybe as simple as O getting a better deal with Forward? 

 

Cheaper cost for Oceania is my guess why they changed...and all I will say about it is, sadly, "you get what you pay for." 

[dlouise]

We have used Luggage Free many times and they have been terrific. We ship our luggage to Europe each summer and to Hong Kong every fall and we have never had a problem with them, as we have had with other companies.

[cbb]

dlouise--exactly the kind of info I'm looking for.  I'm inclined to use them this summer for our N Europe cruise just because they were so great ATW16.  Thanks for the excellent review!!

 

[palakika]

Hi cbb..have used Luggage Free and it worked great.  Will use them again this Sept.

[cbb]

palakika--that's great news.  As I said we're leaning towards using them again, especially since using them ATW16 worked well for all of us, and now you and dlouise say they are still good!  Thanks!!!  Your Dave doing well?

[palakika]

Thanks for asking.  He is making progress, however his shortness of breath is likely a permanent condition.  We're looking forward to a cruise in Sept..can't stay away from the great blue sea for long!

 

 

[Go-Bucks!]

5 hours ago, cbb said:

dlouise--exactly the kind of info I'm looking for.  I'm inclined to use them this summer for our N Europe cruise just because they were so great ATW16.  Thanks for the excellent review!!

 

 

Do you think you'll use Luggage Forward on RTW 2020 if O still uses them?

[bitob]

I posted this on another thread regarding the two companies

 

We use Luggage Forward with no problem.  I have friends who use Luggage Free with no problem.

 

On one trip I did find a a significant difference.  When we were flying to Chile for our Antarctica cruise, Luggage Free told me they could not deliver to our hotel pre cruise.  Chile's rules required us to pick up the luggage personally at a customs point (dealbreaker).  Luggage Forward delivered to our hotel -- no issue at all.

 

I would call both companies for a quote and details of delivery.  Luggage Forward offers a AAA discount.  Not sure about Luggage Free.  Luggage Forward is NOT a stickler about the weight of the 50 pound bag.  As long as it's under 54 lbs you are good to go.

[cbb]

If O uses Forward ATW20 then we'll use Forward since O is paying for it!!!!! 

 

Plus then they'd be responsible for getting my luggage to the cabin and back home!!!

Edited January 27, 2019 by cbb

[cbb]

Bitob--

your response was great!  I hadn't thought of looking at AAA but now i will.  I'll also ask our TA for feedback; he's been in the biz a long time and what he doesn't know he asks his colleagues.  Thanks!

[palakika]

cbb..Don't know if Luggage Free uses AAA, but didn't think to check on it either.

[cbb]

palakika,  I looked at AAA and the only one is Forward.  I've just got to sit down (or get Mr. Wonderful) to do it and plug in some # and see what both results are. 

[palakika]

Thanks for info.  It doesn't matter too much for me as the luggage will go from here in Bend,  Or to Seattle and back from Miami.  Actually It's quite inexpensive!  We're going to ease in and see how a cruise with shorter air flights works.

[cbb]

palakika--once you use a luggage service you 2 are going to look at each other and say "why didn't we do this sooner?"  Being able to walk in/out of

an airport w/out luggage except for small hand luggage is liberating!!!

[palakika]

Boy do I agree with you on that statement!  Ah..freedom:)

[LesSails80435]

On 1/26/2019 at 1:46 PM, cbb said:

 Does anyone have any positive or negative experience with Luggage Free or Luggage Forward?  We want to send our luggage to our European port while we travel independently elsewhere for a week pre-boarding.  (leaning towards Luggage Free because we used them ATW and liked them)

 

We have very successfully used Luggage Free to/from Colorado, Sydney, Stockholm, Athens, London, New York, Miami, and others. They handle all customs paperwork, have picked up at the specified time and often delivered home earlier than expected. Only damage incurred was on our recent trip to pick up Riviera in Athens--our large wardrobe had two half-inch grappling-hook-type holes in one corner; the holes didn't go through the lining, so nothing inside was damaged, but it looked awful. Once they saw the photo, Luggage Free agreed to reimburse us the full cost of a new Briggs & Riley bag, no questions asked. Luggage has either been at our stateroom door when we boarded, or delivered very soon after. And you can just drop the bag with the agent just beyond customs at any disembarkation port.

 

Only slight concern was disembarking Viking Sea in Stockholm, where the Viking people had no clue what to do; they just asked us to leave it in a tent for their port agent to deal with. We were worried, but it did make it home.

[cbb]

Good to know about your positive experiences with Luggage Free.  I think we'll go with them but through AAA we can get a discount with Luggage Forward---maybe!  We'll run the $numbers and see.

 

thanks again!

[ORV]

9 hours ago, LesSails80435 said:

 

We have very successfully used Luggage Free to/from Colorado, Sydney, Stockholm, Athens, London, New York, Miami, and others. They handle all customs paperwork, have picked up at the specified time and often delivered home earlier than expected. Only damage incurred was on our recent trip to pick up Riviera in Athens--our large wardrobe had two half-inch grappling-hook-type holes in one corner; the holes didn't go through the lining, so nothing inside was damaged, but it looked awful. Once they saw the photo, Luggage Free agreed to reimburse us the full cost of a new Briggs & Riley bag, no questions asked. Luggage has either been at our stateroom door when we boarded, or delivered very soon after. And you can just drop the bag with the agent just beyond customs at any disembarkation port.

 

Only slight concern was disembarking Viking Sea in Stockholm, where the Viking people had no clue what to do; they just asked us to leave it in a tent for their port agent to deal with. We were worried, but it did make it home.

Looks like where some hardware was ripped off. 

 

The other thing that you could have done(maybe you did) is return it to Briggs & Riley and they would have repaired it or replaced it. No questions asked. Best warranty in the luggage business. No receipt required. Lifetime. 

[LesSails80435]

11 hours ago, ORV said:

Looks like where some hardware was ripped off. 

 

The other thing that you could have done(maybe you did) is return it to Briggs & Riley and they would have repaired it or replaced it. No questions asked. Best warranty in the luggage business. No receipt required. Lifetime. 

 

11 hours ago, ORV said:

Looks like where some hardware was ripped off. 

 

The other thing that you could have done(maybe you did) is return it to Briggs & Riley and they would have repaired it or replaced it. No questions asked. Best warranty in the luggage business. No receipt required. Lifetime. 

There was no hardware there--looked like a big hook had grabbed it. You are right about Briggs & Riley--we have had two experiences sending bags back for repair or replacement--they are the best!

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, LesSails80435 said:

 

There was no hardware there--looked like a big hook had grabbed it.

looks like  a wheel or foot should have been there 

how did the case stand up ??