Question re: boarding ship, suitcases/ porters?

[j3000]

We're on a short cruise next month -Celebrity out of Miami.

We'll probably have 1 medium-size suitcase OR 2 small ones between us.

Do you HAVE TO hand your luggage over to the porters? Or can you lug it onboard yourself thru check-in etc. on your own?🤷‍♂️

[sparks1093]

You don't have to check your bags as long as they will fit through the x-ray scanner in the terminal, so your 2 small ones would probably be okay, not sure about the medium sized one since it might be too large. Just know that it could be some time before you are able to drop the bags off at your cabin so you could be lugging them for a bit.

[j3000]

2 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

You don't have to check your bags as long as they will fit through the x-ray scanner in the terminal, so your 2 small ones would probably be okay, not sure about the medium sized one since it might be too large. Just know that it could be some time before you are able to drop the bags off at your cabin so you could be lugging them for a bit.

gotcha. I suppose you could take it to your cabin, & just leave it outside the door, like they do....? No?

[1025cruise]

6 minutes ago, jargey3000 said:

gotcha. I suppose you could take it to your cabin, & just leave it outside the door, like they do....? No?

No, you will need to lug it until cabins are open.

[j3000]

8 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

No, you will need to lug it until cabins are open.

 

🙁

[sparks1093]

21 minutes ago, jargey3000 said:

gotcha. I suppose you could take it to your cabin, & just leave it outside the door, like they do....? No?

Some cruise lines might have a common area set aside for this, but I'm not sure if this is something that is done any longer. But as stated, no, you'll need to keep it with you. We normally have one carry on that has meds and such in it that we keep, everything else is turned over to the porters.

[j3000]

👍

what time are cabins usually ready anyway?

and, what's the going rate these days for tipping the porters??

[CruiserBruce]

Another thing that varies by cruise line...

 

Some cruise lines have spots to leave your bags until rooms are ready. Some cruise lines have the rooms ready when you board. Some Suite lounges will hold your bags.

[sparks1093]

15 minutes ago, jargey3000 said:

👍

what time are cabins usually ready anyway?

and, what's the going rate these days for tipping the porters??

Cabins ready is going to vary by cruise line. I typically give them $1-2 per bag.

[hallux]

1 hour ago, jargey3000 said:

gotcha. I suppose you could take it to your cabin, & just leave it outside the door, like they do....? No?

They usually have the cabin hall access doors closed until the rooms are ready, giving the staff uninhibited access to do their jobs.  Putting a suitcase in the hall would interfere with movement of the carts they use.

 

As others said - cabin ready times vary by cruise line.  With recent cuts that's going to be later than in the past.  My cabin wasn't ready until 3 PM when I sailed on the Norwegian Escape last week.  The ship DID have a spot for carry-on luggage storage, but my rule of thumb is not to carry on anything you're not comfortable hauling around for a couple hours.

[j3000]

32 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

Cabins ready is going to vary by cruise line. I typically give them $1-2 per bag.

👍👍

[Top_of_the_Cube]

For our most recent cruises, we carry on all our bags and schedule our arrival time so that we can go straight to our room.  Of course, "room occupy" time can be delayed, but we have not yet had that occur on our trips.  You would need to look up the expected room occupation time for your particular sailing.

 

And note, if your suitcase does exceeds the port's scanner limitations (16" x 24"), it can still be carried on.  Just know it takes extra time and you may get dirty looks from passengers in the line behind you, who will also be on your ship, and who will remember that you had held them up, and may carry a grudge, and who might be drunk when they run into you on the Lido deck, and might lead to you to being featured on a YouTube video.

[ruru107]

10 hours ago, jargey3000 said:

👍

what time are cabins usually ready anyway?

and, what's the going rate these days for tipping the porters??

I think on Carnival cabins are usually ready at 1:30

[Flatbush Flyer]

16 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

You don't have to check your bags as long as they will fit through the x-ray scanner in the terminal, so your 2 small ones would probably be okay, not sure about the medium sized one since it might be too large. Just know that it could be some time before you are able to drop the bags off at your cabin so you could be lugging them for a bit.

And, during that “some time,” all sorts of folks will have to avoid and/or trip over their unnecessarily cumbersome items as they are dragged all over the ship.

[hrhdhd]

On Celebrity, you head to your stateroom upon boarding to pick up your room key and drop off your bags inside the room. Then go away for a while and let the steward finish preparing the room. (There will be a magnet on the door letting you know the room isn't done. If the magnet's gone, you can hang out. Probably around 1:30 pm.)

[Cienfuegos]

That's a sensible practice for Celebrity. On our last Viking cruise, the doors from the elevator lobby to the staterooms were closed. Likely to allow staff etc to service rooms, bring up bags, etc.

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, Cienfuegos said:

That's a sensible practice for Celebrity. On our last Viking cruise, the doors from the elevator lobby to the staterooms were closed. Likely to allow staff etc to service rooms, bring up bags, etc.

Not sensible for Celebrity since all it does is interfere with cabin stewards ability to do their work.

[Cienfuegos]

13 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Not sensible for Celebrity since all it does is interfere with cabin stewards ability to do their work.

 

My wife and I usually pack everything but a swim suit, flip flops, and a cover up in a carry on bag. Everything else goes to the porters at the curb.

[hrhdhd]

6 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Not sensible for Celebrity since all it does is interfere with cabin stewards ability to do their work.

Not really. By the time the first passengers board (11:30-ish), the rooms are 95% turned over and all that's left is stuff like putting excursion tickets on the bed/desk and replacing room service breakfast door hangers. 

 

Popping in to put carry-ons in a closet and a few things in the safe takes maybe 10 minutes.  Then getting lunch in the buffet is easier for everyone--dining stewards included.

[Flatbush Flyer]

18 hours ago, hrhdhd said:

Not really. By the time the first passengers board (11:30-ish), the rooms are 95% turned over and all that's left is stuff like putting excursion tickets on the bed/desk and replacing room service breakfast door hangers. 

 

Popping in to put carry-ons in a closet and a few things in the safe takes maybe 10 minutes.  Then getting lunch in the buffet is easier for everyone--dining stewards included.

You’ll find that most cabin stewards would disagree with you.

[hrhdhd]

4 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

You’ll find that most cabin stewards would disagree with you.

Maybe--I don't do surveys of cabin stewards. But it is what it is. Celebrity tells me to go to my stateroom upon boarding to get my key. So I do.