Can we bring our own luggage aboard?

[GetMeToTheSpa]

If so, can guest services hold for us until cabin is ready?  Or can we just drop it off in front of our cabin door until the cabin is ready?  

I would really prefer not to wait until the luggage delivery which can sometimes take many hours. 

 

Regal Princess, Sept 28th, Canada New England.  Thanks!

 

 

[Colo Cruiser]

10 minutes ago, GetMeToTheSpa said:

If so, can guest services hold for us until cabin is ready?  Or can we just drop it off in front of our cabin door until the cabin is ready?  

I would really prefer not to wait until the luggage delivery which can sometimes take many hours. 

 

Regal Princess, Sept 28th, Canada New England.  Thanks!

 

 

 

Yes as long as it fits through the X-ray to carry it onboard yourselves.

Sometimes the fire  doors are closed so no access to the cabins is available until they are ready at 1:00pm.

The last time I cruised on the Regal this was the case.

Guest services will not hold it for you.

You are responsible to carry it around until the cabins are ready unless they provide a bag check. This bag check info will be in a notice handed to you at check in if they have it.

Sometimes they have it and sometimes they don't. If they do it is staffed by a crew member and a claim check will be given to you.

 

[MissP22]

We've been carrying on our own luggage for years & never had any problem in at least dropping it off in the cabin. It might not have been ready but at least we could store it there & put our cash in the safe. 

The fire doors may have been closed on some ships but we've just found a way to the cabin. 

After all they have to let people who are already on the ship have access to their cabins. 

[tailspintom]

GetMeToTheSpa, as Colo Cruiser indicated, you need to secure the bags yourselk.  As a suggestion, you may want to go to the dining room for lunch and the ship's wait personnel will place your bags out of the way as you eat.  The ship will make announcements as to what deck cabins are available. Likely all the cabins will be ready by the time you have finished your lunch.

 

As for breaching doors that are closed, I would suggest that you don't do this.  It only interferes with the crew's activities in getting all of the cabins on the deck prepared for all of the passengers.  To do otherwise is rude and inconsiderate.

[Steelers36]

If you arrive at terminal early (not sure your habit) and have handed in bags and cabins not ready until about 1pm, you may well find you bag(s) waiting for you at the door.  I have found Princess crew is pretty prompt about getting bags delivered.

 

[Level six]

We usually only take carry on luggage on cruises.  But one time in San Pedro we had a medium size luggage(that could easily have fit through the security machine) that we were just going to carry on.  They would not allow us to carry it on and made us give it to the porter.  I asked several times and said we were able to carry it ourselves, but the lady insisted that we hand it to the porter.  So, I guess it depends on who is guarding the terminal door checking for boarding passes.  

[JF - retired RRT]

2 hours ago, tailspintom said:

As for breaching doors that are closed, I would suggest that you don't do this.  It only interferes with the crew's activities in getting all of the cabins on the deck prepared for all of the passengers.  To do otherwise is rude and inconsiderate.

You've got that right.

Here's another reason not to breach the doors...we were on the Ruby and DH was determined to get in to drop off our carry-ons. Opened the door at the elevator lobby and an alarm sounded. Within seconds, a crew member arrived and herded us back to the elevator lobby. We sat on the stairs for approx. 30 minutes and watched 3 others do the same thing with the same result.

Apparently, a crew member is there specifically to monitor & herd.

[JF - retired RRT]

2 minutes ago, Level six said:

We usually only take carry on luggage on cruises.  But one time in San Pedro we had a medium size luggage(that could easily have fit through the security machine) that we were just going to carry on.  They would not allow us to carry it on and made us give it to the porter.  I asked several times and said we were able to carry it ourselves, but the lady insisted that we hand it to the porter.  So, I guess it depends on who is guarding the terminal door checking for boarding passes.  

Interesting...we go out of San Pedro on almost all of our cruises and never had that happen.

[WatchHill]

If it fits through the scanner, you can hand carry the luggage onto the ship. Since you may not have access to your cabin, you will have to keep the luggage with you. Fun trying to access the limited elevators with all those 21" rolling cases competing for space. We find it best to check the large pieces and manage the smaller ones ourselves. Once we are on the ship, we immediately head to Alfredo's for lunch, one deck away from where we enter the ship. It's so much easier to dine there than haul the luggage around Horizon Court, or finding our way to an open MDR.  After a relaxing lunch, you should be able to head to your cabin, empty the contents of your hand-carry cases and start to organize/review the various cabin info. Make dining reservations, call room service for the pre-ordered liquor, make spa reservations, etc. Since we always do a few days on land pre-cruise, then head to the laundry room. By then your large pieces will arrive, so you can attack them in between wash/dry cycles.

 

Interesting, that Celebrity lets you drop hand-carry items in your cabin as soon as you board, but you then must leave the area so that crew can complete setting up cabins. 

 

Darcy

[Level six]

1 hour ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Interesting...we go out of San Pedro on almost all of our cruises and never had that happen.

I know, right?  I thought it was weird too.  But, with people behind us waiting to board the ship, we did not want to make a big deal after asking several times and being denied, we exited the line and gave our luggage to the porter.  

[MissP22]

4 hours ago, tailspintom said:

As for breaching doors that are closed, I would suggest that you don't do this.  It only interferes with the crew's activities in getting all of the cabins on the deck prepared for all of the passengers.  To do otherwise is rude and inconsiderate.

So you're saying that people already on the ship should not venture out & about. They should just stay in their room until they open the fire doors. and announce that the all cabins are ready. LOL 

They've given up on the idea of making people wait until the cabins are ready just to drop off luggage. Feel free to make your way to the cabins as soon as you board. Of course the cabin might not be ready but it's certainly OK to drop off bags.

[Kingofcool1947]

18 hours ago, GetMeToTheSpa said:

If so, can guest services hold for us until cabin is ready?  Or can we just drop it off in front of our cabin door until the cabin is ready?  

I would really prefer not to wait until the luggage delivery which can sometimes take many hours. 

 

Regal Princess, Sept 28th, Canada New England.  Thanks!

 

 

No. Guest Services won’t hold your luggage.   But if your luggage fits through the ships scanner you are good to go.

[jondfk]

I wish we could check everything in, we did when we started cruising a few (quite a few) years ago.  However,  these days there are just too many things that we really can't lose control of, medical stuff for the most part.  So, we always check one or two large bags but end up rolling on with one or two 19" wheelies.  

 

Once we decode which dining room is open for lunch, we wheel on in.  Staff are happy to take control of the bags and help stash them out of the way.  Sometimes they put them near your table, more recently they seem to coral them all in one central location.  Either way, enjoy a nice lunch and the cabin is almost certainly available thereafter.  We've stopped even checking to see if cabins are available - wasted steps.

 

By the way, you didn't ask, but I want to assure you there nearly always WILL be a dining room open for lunch.  Staff will forcefully direct you towards the buffet but you should persist searching for an open dining room.  Deck 6 of most ships.  Usually midships, very occasionally aft.  

[ckb104]

2 hours ago, jondfk said:

By the way, you didn't ask, but I want to assure you there nearly always WILL be a dining room open for lunch.  Staff will forcefully direct you towards the buffet but you should persist searching for an open dining room.  Deck 6 of most ships.  Usually midships, very occasionally aft.  

I think that if someone didn't check their bags and are carrying them around, the dining room would be a lot more considerate of your fellow passengers.  No one wants to trip over someone's suitcase in a crowded buffet line. 😃  

[Colo Cruiser]

2 hours ago, jondfk said:

By the way, you didn't ask, but I want to assure you there nearly always WILL be a dining room open for lunch.  Staff will forcefully direct you towards the buffet but you should persist searching for an open dining room.  Deck 6 of most ships.  Usually midships, very occasionally aft.  

🤔

[Lucky TGO]

I took my luggage on the ship with me for the first time this year. (Caribbean Princess) It was much better then waiting for it to be delivered. 

We had no problem at all. We got on the ship at 11:45 a.m. unpacking and went to the DR for lunch.

 I intend on doing this from now on. I forgot to say we had our Ocean Medallions on. It was so easy (Fast) getting on the ship.👍

Tony

[Hlitner]

I guess we are weird.  No way do I want to be dragging all my luggage through the terminal, on to the ship, and then deal with it.  We simply check it outside the terminal and then no hassle.  We have never waited around for our luggage.  We simply go to lunch, change into swim suits if appropriate ( in our carry on) and then enjoy our day.  About an hour before the muster drill we head to the cabin and unpack if our luggage has arrived.  Otherwise it’s off for a drink before the drill and then we unpack before we change for the evening.  

 

Hank

[MissP22]

7 hours ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

No. Guest Services won’t hold your luggage.   But if your luggage fits through the ships scanner you are good to go.

It's a rare occurrence when a bag won't fit through their scanners. 

[Kingofcool1947]

9 hours ago, ckb104 said:

I think that if someone didn't check their bags and are carrying them around, the dining room would be a lot more considerate of your fellow passengers.  No one wants to trip over someone's suitcase in a crowded buffet line. 😃  

 

Saw an elderly lady trip over a large piece luggage brought into the dining room.   Broke her arm.  Unfortunate way to start her cruise. 🤨

[janina]

27 minutes ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

Saw an elderly lady trip over a large piece luggage brought into the dining room.   Broke her arm.  Unfortunate way to start her cruise. 🤨

Ouch talk about bad luck.

[MissP22]

2 hours ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

Saw an elderly lady trip over a large piece luggage brought into the dining room.   Broke her arm.  Unfortunate way to start her cruise. 🤨

That could be a major reason why they've give up on discouraging people to drop off their luggage in their cabins after boarding. I haven't see it in a long time in Florida. 

[flying fingers]

Can anyone tell me if a standard size 29" hard shell will fit through X-Ray machine. I would like to arrive a little later and go straight to my room. Day about 1:00

[Colo Cruiser]

17 minutes ago, flying fingers said:

Can anyone tell me if a standard size 29" hard shell will fit through X-Ray machine. I would like to arrive a little later and go straight to my room. Day about 1:00

Usually yes, however it may depend on the port.

I have carried on my 29 inch suitcase in a couple of different ports.

[5:00_Somewhere]

On 9/23/2019 at 10:36 AM, steelers36 said:

If you arrive at terminal early (not sure your habit) and have handed in bags and cabins not ready until about 1pm, you may well find you bag(s) waiting for you at the door.  I have found Princess crew is pretty prompt about getting bags delivered.

 

 

That was pretty much our experience on our last 2 Princess sailings in the Caribbean.  In fact, we have also been pleasantly surprised in the past few years that our luggage (left with the porters) seems to be showing up earlier and earlier on the Caribbean itineraries.

I can remember in "the old days" we were sometimes sweatin' that it would arrive in time for dinner; then for a few years it seemed it was always at our cabin when we returned from sail away; then it began consistently showing up when we returned to our cabins after muster; then sometimes before muster.  On our most recent cruise on the Sky in December, cabins were ready around 1:00 p.m. and we stopped in to drop our carry-ons and take a quick look around before going to grab a bite of lunch, and we were surprised that when we opened our cabin door to leave the cabin about 10-15 minutes later, our bags where there. We had a very similar experience on the Regal in December 2018.

Edited January 5, 2020 by 5:00_Somewhere

[Colo Cruiser]

12 minutes ago, 5:00_Somewhere said:

 

That was pretty much our experience on our last 2 Princess sailings.  In fact, we have also been pleasantly surprised in the past few years that our luggage (left with the porters) seems to be showing up earlier and earlier.

Ha! I was thinking just the opposite.