First cruise - packing seems challenging

[FlyerTalker]

A couple things to remember when it comes to avoiding "lost" luggage (which really isn't in 99+% of cases - it's delayed)

 

Computerized luggage systems have eliminated almost all of the old "wrong airport" on the luggage tags, by tying the printing of the bag tags to the flight record.  However, there is still a potential for error - if several people are getting bag tags out of a check-in printer, it is possible that they get switched in the hustle.  So always check that the luggage tags on your bag have your name and itinerary.  Before they go zipping down the conveyor belt.

 

The biggest source of delayed bags are short connections.  Yes, I know folks don't like to sit around airports (though they will sit around on a cruise with no problem), but making sure you have a comfortable connection is, IMO, a plus all around.  Neither you nor your bags will have to make mad dashes to the next flight.

 

The next biggest issue is close check-in for the bags.  Even though you may have met the airline's deadline, you might encounter a TSA screening backup, down in the bowels of the airport.  Remember, it's a government process, so they pretty much answer to no one when it comes to their throughput.  And if the bag doesn't get through screening, it won't get on your originating flight.

 

Another issue is if you have a regional jet on any of your segments.  These aircraft are the most likely to have load issues with baggage, or with large size bags.  Sometimes, there is too much weight to fly, and airlines will bump the luggage.  Or bags that are very large may get bumped in place of smaller, easier-to-fit bags.  If small jets are the only option out of your airport, you may not have much control over this, other than booking longer connects.

 

Finally, the number of "mishandled" bags for US carriers in the most recent reporting month is 0.48 per hundred bags checked.  This category covers lost, delayed, damaged or pilfered bags.

 

 

 

 

[MSEm]

Viking Laundry cost are reasonable, much cheaper that other cruise lines. Viking offers laundry service as a convenient to guest on the ship. It is not a profit center for the company.

I carry a small travel bottle (I fill at home) of Dove dish detergent. It is an excellent spot treatment and also for doing some items in the sink.

[Peregrina651]

17 hours ago, MSEm said:

Viking Laundry cost are reasonable, much cheaper that other cruise lines. Viking offers laundry service as a convenient to guest on the ship. It is not a profit center for the company.

I carry a small travel bottle (I fill at home) of Dove dish detergent. It is an excellent spot treatment and also for doing some items in the sink.

 

Shampoo, another type of detergent, also works, and you don't have to bring it from home.  The hotels and ships supply it free 😉.

[Twitchly]

On 5/13/2024 at 11:49 AM, janetcbl said:

Exactly how we handle it! No lost luggage and black pants go with anything.

Less to schlep around if you do any traveling pre- or post-cruise, too, which is mainly why we go this route. If we were just going straight to the ship and then straight home, I’d probably be more likely to check a bag. But we never do that. 

[Peregrina651]

So! I'm sitting here on the ship thinking about just how badly our packing turned out for trip.  Temps are warmer than anticipated the past few days. But will they continue so as we head north?

 

It does not matter how many times I do this. Sometimes I get it right and sometimes I don't.  

[Mike07]

On 5/13/2024 at 1:50 PM, FlyerTalker said:

Finally, the number of "mishandled" bags for US carriers in the most recent reporting month is 0.48 per hundred bags checked.  This category covers lost, delayed, damaged or pilfered bags.

 

 

 

Do you personally check in bags? Between my travel insurance and carrier policies, I think I'm pretty well covered, and IMHO, checking in a bag is not nearly as bad as some make it out to be.  Then again... knock on wood... I don't have horror stories of waiting 3 hours for a bag or losing a bag.

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, Mike07 said:

Do you personally check in bags? Between my travel insurance and carrier policies, I think I'm pretty well covered, and IMHO, checking in a bag is not nearly as bad as some make it out to be.  Then again... knock on wood... I don't have horror stories of waiting 3 hours for a bag or losing a bag.

 

Every cruise.  Four checked bags for the two of us.  Then again, we don't do one week cruises. 10 days is probably our minimum, and usually more than that.

 

Once I got to a cruise port without the luggage - that was due to a winter storm that shortened my connection from 3 hours to 8 minutes.  Luckily they let us on the aircraft, but I knew the bags would be following the next day.  And they did.  And one time the bags were rerouted in the USA while we were in transit, and arrived to BCN via CDG rather than AMS.  All of 35 minutes later.

 

 

Edited May 14 by FlyerTalker

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, Peregrina651 said:

So! I'm sitting here on the ship thinking about just how badly our packing turned out for trip.  Temps are warmer than anticipated the past few days. But will they continue so as we head north?

 

It does not matter how many times I do this. Sometimes I get it right and sometimes I don't.  

 

Always pack for warm.  You can add layers to that, but if all you have are heavy wools, you can't go stripping down.

 

Then again, I've heard there are some of those cruises where stripping down is actually expected.

 

😀

 

 

[Mike07]

8 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Every cruise.  Four checked bags for the two of us.  Then again, we don't do one week cruises. 10 days is probably our minimum, and usually more than that.

 

Once I got to a cruise port without the luggage - that was due to a winter storm that shortened my connection from 3 hours to 8 minutes.  Luckily they let us on the aircraft, but I knew the bags would be following the next day.  And they did.  And one time the bags were rerouted in the USA while we were in transit, and arrived to BCN via CDG rather than AMS.  All of 35 minutes later.

 

 

 

 

Same.... usually check in two check-in bags in my party (the big ones). Sometimes I'll also check in a carry on that could go in the overhead since I have yet to find an airline that will incur a charge for a bag that could be carried on. I've gate checked the smaller bags to my final destination as well (from foreign airports), and no issues here.

[kctwinmommy]

2 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

So! I'm sitting here on the ship thinking about just how badly our packing turned out for trip.  Temps are warmer than anticipated the past few days. But will they continue so as we head north?

 

It does not matter how many times I do this. Sometimes I get it right and sometimes I don't.  

We did that on ours. I anticipated much warmer temps. But packing for a month makes it tricky too. I wish I had brought maybe one more pair of longer pants, and 2-3 more long sleeve shirts, leaving like 5-6 short sleeve ones at home. We weren't the only ones though. We were in line in Venice and a few people were commenting how they missed the mark on packing. It did get warmer by the end though.