Luggage Tags

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, KCfromMontana said:

Taking our 1st NCL cruise so luggage tag process is new to us. At what point should we get an email with luggage tags to print (approximately how many days out)? We are 25 days from sailiand have not reveal email about luggage tags yet. 
 

Also, any tips when printing them out besides using color? Do you have to print double sided or anything else we should know?

Do you wait til you get to your destination to attach them if you have a deviation? How do you attach them to your luggage if they are just made of printer paper?

 

Thanks in advance!

Exactly 21 days prior to departure, 12 midnight edt, you log on to your NCL account and check in. You will need all of your contact information, your passport information, your emergency contact information, your credit card information.

 

You also need "mug shots" of all passengers. Photos taken face forward, no glasses, no head coverings, blank background. Like a passport photo, face forward starting at the shoulders. 

 

Once you get your photos loaded, you will be allowed to pick a time for port check-in. If you don't log on at midnight, early times will be sold out the next day. 

 

Within 24 hours of completing your check-in, you eDocs will be available to download. The first page(s) of the eDocs are your boarding passes. There is also a link to download your luggage tags. 

 

Do not attach luggage tags until you get to your departure city and are ready to head to the port (regardless of deviation). 

 

If  you are a frequent cruiser, you could buy some luggage tag holders from Amazon. Otherwise, we just take a roll of tape, and tape the ends together. 

 

If you are more risk adverse, you can put some clear packing tape on the tags, and tape the ends together with packing tape. 

 

If you are even more risk adverse, you would put a tag on the top handle and side handle. 

 

If you don't want to deal with luggage tags, you can arrive at your departure port and get the porters to write your room number on a tag. 

 

[cruiseny4life]

12 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

If you don't want to deal with luggage tags, you can arrive at your departure port and get the porters to write your room number on a tag. 

 

This is what we do...because we always forget to bring the luggage tags that are mailed to us. We don't intend to be forgetful, but just are. The porters are always helpful and out of three times doing this, we've always received our bags.

[amygutman]

15 hours ago, CatBoiler said:

Received my luggage tags in the mail today.

I was looking forward to crafting my own but this works!

 

@CatBoiler I always do my happy dance when these arrive!!!!!!!!

Warmest Amy

[TrumpyNor]

14 hours ago, KCfromMontana said:

Taking our 1st NCL cruise so luggage tag process is new to us. At what point should we get an email with luggage tags to print (approximately how many days out)? We are 25 days from sailiand have not reveal email about luggage tags yet. 
 

Also, any tips when printing them out besides using color? Do you have to print double sided or anything else we should know?

Do you wait til you get to your destination to attach them if you have a deviation? How do you attach them to your luggage if they are just made of printer paper?

 

Thanks in advance!

I just print ours and put them in these that I purchased from CruiseCritic a looooong time ago (the wide type fits the NCL "DIY" printed luggage tags:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/ccstore/luggage-tag/

 

PS: I don't attach them to our suitcases until we are ready to go to the pier.

[SoloAlaska]

After my last cruise I would say bring your own tags. In Alaska I did a transfer by train from anchorage to Seward and the people who didn’t bother bringing their tags made the process so slow. All we had to do was drop off our luggage but when 100s of people are confused and unprepared before 6 am it can be a mess. Best part of taking the train is that your luggage beat you to the ship.

[KCfromMontana]

If we do not check in at midnight when in opens up, what times would I expect to get for possible check in times?

 

Not sure when 1st check time is, how far apart they are spaced, or which times are gone immediately. We are not planning to get to port until about 11:30am so not sure if 11:30 check in time goes quick. 
 

Any help is greatly appreciated! I appreciate the feedback we have gotten thus far with our other questions!

[BirdTravels]

24 minutes ago, KCfromMontana said:

If we do not check in at midnight when in opens up, what times would I expect to get for possible check in times?

 

Not sure when 1st check time is, how far apart they are spaced, or which times are gone immediately. We are not planning to get to port until about 11:30am so not sure if 11:30 check in time goes quick. 
 

Any help is greatly appreciated! I appreciate the feedback we have gotten thus far with our other questions!

For most cruises, the earliest check-in time is 9:30 am - 10:00 am. And in half hour intervals after that. Mostly important if you are showing up to the port early (e.g., you have a flight that arrives early and you have nothing to do other than head to the port). 

[KCfromMontana]

If check ins start about 9:30 and we will not get to port until about 11:30am, what are the chances that we will be able to choose an 11:30 check in time if we wait until day 18 or 19 to do our online check in? We really don’t want to stay up past midnight to check in on day 21 if the check in time of 11:30am or even 12pm will be available to choose and don’t fill up too quick

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, KCfromMontana said:

If check ins start about 9:30 and we will not get to port until about 11:30am, what are the chances that we will be able to choose an 11:30 check in time if we wait until day 18 or 19 to do our online check in? We really don’t want to stay up past midnight to check in on day 21 if the check in time of 11:30am or even 12pm will be available to choose and don’t fill up too quick

If you don't want to be checking in at midnight Day 21, not sure why Day 18 and not when you wake up on Day 21. Anyways, no one can tell you what will be popular times week to week. And most ports are not checking times. Check in whenever you want.

 

Depending on the ship, Day 21 is also when entertainment reservations opens for most people (top tier a few days earlier)

[SoloAlaska]

Just check in when you wake up the next morning. Worse case it will be an hour later or something. The time depends on the itinerary and port. So far my check ins have been 11 at the earliest and as late as 5:30 but that is on trips that sail away was as late as 8pm.

[cxc362]

19 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

If you don't want to be checking in at midnight Day 21, not sure why Day 18 and not when you wake up on Day 21. Anyways, no one can tell you what will be popular times week to week. And most ports are not checking times. Check in whenever you want.

 

Depending on the ship, Day 21 is also when entertainment reservations opens for most people (top tier a few days earlier)

Thanks Bird for the primer on check-in!  I'll be prepared with photos.  That's new for me (since 2019) as I didn't have to provide photos when we last cruised.

 

Were times being checked in Seattle?  Thanks again!

[ExArkie]

On 9/22/2023 at 7:46 AM, SoloAlaska said:

Just check in when you wake up the next morning. Worse case it will be an hour later or something. The time depends on the itinerary and port. So far my check ins have been 11 at the earliest and as late as 5:30 but that is on trips that sail away was as late as 8pm.

I wasn’t able to do checkin until early afternoon EDT, about 13 or 14 hours after it opened. Earliest time offered was 12 - 12:30, which was fine with me.

 

[Barb Nahoumi]

On 9/15/2023 at 10:10 AM, jackieodonnell said:

They never mail them anymore. It is hit/miss. I just print them up in color, fold it up nice and stable to my suitcase. I print extra in case they rip off and put 2 tags per bag as an insurance policy.

That's what we do.