First Time Cruisers & Luggage

[MrsDave]

We are first time cruisers....taking Uniworld....River Royale..7/7...with Paris post cruise extension....can any give me some tips on luggage....duffel bags on wheels? with a book bag carry on?....

We are very excited and have gained some great information on these boards..so glad you are all here and willing to share your experiences...we took the post cruise package through Uniworld..since this was our first time...any info is greatly appreciated.

Anyone on this trip?

See you soon~~

Tina & Dave

[pacmom]

My husband and I did this cruise last summer. You are in for a "Royale" treat. The boat, the crew, the cabins, the itinerary are all simply wonderful. The food was fantastic. No one went hungry. There is always coffee and tea available, along with ice water. We did Paris pre-cruise. The hotel was fabulous (St. Lazare). We had already been to Paris so did not avail ourselves of any Uniworld tours. The on site person was very knowlegeable and walked us around the hotel area. Wonderful restaurant right across the street--no, not the Macdonalds. ATM right across the street. Metro right next to the hotel. The tours on the boat were very good. In Arles try to get with the speaker as your tour guide. She came on board to speak about Van Gogh. She was excellent.

 

We each used one suitcase--packed half of mine in each suitcase and likewise with his. Uniworld sends a wonderful carry-on bag. It is not wheeled, so I use a wheeled backpack--easier for me. DH uses the Uniworld bag. If you have any more questions, will try to help. Travel safely and enjoy. Pat

[VAGuy]

Just a quick point -While the airlines generally will allow an individual passenger to check two (2) suitcases, some rivercruise operators only allow one (1) suitcase. Therefore, I recommend that you each only take one large suitcase ( wheeled for convenience) and one carryon bag.The idea of packing 50/50 is a good one. That way you'll both have some clothes in case one suitcase goes astray. Dress is casual so you can pack light. Of course, anything you cannot afford to lose such as medicines, etc. must go in the carryon.

 

We will be taking our first cruise on Uniworld this Fall. Therefore, I cannot comment about this particular operator although comments have been generally favorable. If you haven't already looked, there is a slide show of the River Royale available on the Uniworld website. The ship looks fantastic.;)

 

Have a great time.

[mac321]

We took a wheeled suitcase and a backpack each. The backpacks were with us on the plane and were useful for day trips off the ship. It is easy to get around with this combination. Previous trips we used 3 suitcases and a backpack and found it quite difficult getting on/off trains, into elevators etc.

 

We purposely went underweight with our luggage knowing that we would pick up a few bits and pieces on the way. Our starting baggage weight was 7 kgs under the limit in total - 6 weeks later leaving Zurich the weight was 10kg over.

 

Packing 50/50 is good insurance. It's also not a bad idea to put a clean shirt and underwear in the backpacks along with some toiletries, small towel etc. Very handy if your baggage is delayed or lost.

[Bobblsc]

We went with Uniworld Bucharest to Budapest in 2005. Both cities are great to visit. We had two nights on our own at The Intercontinental in Bucharest before transferring to Marriott to start cruse/tour. Intercontinental was better. Marriott was OK, but not well located and many staff were not helpful. The Danube on that stretch was generally disappointing, but the stops were generally very good. Except for one issue, which seemed major at the time but now seems minor, the ship was very good.

 

We were going to Ireland, then to Rome, and then on a HAL TA, so we had more than the usual luggage. When I received the Uniworld final documents and saw a limit of one suitcase plus one carry-on, I was upset. We decided to heck with it, we are going to take the luggage we felt we needed. We then had two pieces of airline checked luggage and one carry-on each. The checked luggage was one 25" and one 22" each. We took them on the ship and there was no comment and no extra charge. There was plenty of room for storage under the bed.

 

We are about to go on a river cruise in China this May, followed by 10 nights on our own in Japan, but will probably take only one large luggage and one carry-on each. I don't need a suit for any formal dinners, as I would on an ocean cruise.

 

River cruising has some advantages over ocean cruising. Have a good time.

 

Bob

[cv sailor]

It’s unclear to me whether the reduction cited represents an industry trend. Nonetheless, prudence would seem to dictate checking with your carrier before packing. British Airways (BA) has announced that they will:

· Reduce their checked baggage weight allowance to 51 pounds per bag starting 1 October 2007; and

· Impose a charge for second and subsequent checked bags for travel that does not originate from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, Brazil, Nigeria, Caribbean and Central America.

I have made telephone inquiries of British Airways concerning return flights, and their agent assured me that they will allow two bags on the return flight to the United States. Those assurances notwithstanding, I plan to limit myself to one 50 pound checked bag on British Airways flights. Given further limitation on carryon luggage, especially through Heathrow (i.e. one parcel only), river could very well find their wardrobes limited. Perhaps that’s a good thing.

 

In the past we’ve done quite well with one checked bag each and a carryon but we really did not pay much attention to checked baggage weight.

 

See www:britishairways.com

[cmthomas]

And the cost for extra bags on BA is ASTRONOMICAL! One extra bag is $90 and a second extra bag is $250. And that is EACH WAY.

 

Enough to make me chose another airline!

 

Clarence:)

[dd@sea]

I probably would give consideration to another airline, rather than BA, because of their luggage allowance. I just read an article in International Traveler magazine regarding the new rules. As I understood it is only one baggage checked through on BA for flights originating in US to Britain but not from Britian to overseas. In November we are going on a 35 day trip - 15 land in Egypt and 20 cruise Alexandria to Dubai. We used miles AA mile to go from US to London roundtrip and then paid for our flight on BA to Cairo and back from Dubai. In checking with BA and AA, because we are ticked through AA for the whole trip, the two bag rule will be upheld on all legs. I must admit it is very confusing with the new BA rules. Their carryon is restrictive to a certain size too. And in the carry on, a purse or any other articles must fit into that carryon.

 

Our upcoming Danube river cruise in two weeks we will be able, fortunately, to stick to the one check in and one carry on.

[WIT]

It sound like many of those posting here will be going through LHR. Your carry-on must contain all your personal items (purse, camera bag, etc.) when you go through security. Limited amounts of liquids allowed if in a plastic bag. As you approach security you will be asked to remove coats, jackets, shoes, belts (anything metal), your laptop. Then you walk through holding your liquids bag.

[steamboats]

As far as I remember most airlines have cut down the weight limit to 50 lbs per bag (with two bags per person) for flights to and from the US. I think it was some (US) union thing because the 70 lbs bags are considered to heavy to lift for the airport workers. We used to have a bigger suitcase which loaded up to 70 lbs and a "regular" one which hold about the 50 lbs and then a bag for shoes and other unbreakable stuff for the three of us. Now we´re travelling with three "regular" suitcases (74cm) and a bag (not regarding the car safety seat when having a rental car). The restriction was valid last summer for our UA and AA flights and I know it´s also valid for LH. Seems more like BA is now adjusting their restrictions.

 

steamboats

[letsgo39]

I have learned(the hard way) to only take what I can handle on my own. That amounts to 1 29" suitcase with wheels and a carryon.I put the carryon on top of the wheeled suitcase and I can haul it around,even over cobblestone streets and up and down curbs and stairs..I use a money belt under my clothes and a small zippered very secure purse that has a strap that I wear across my chest..The small zippered purse I carry when touring and it is just big enough to hold my camera,sunglasses and map,small umbrella and a little bit of money. I never carry much money in it,only what I might need shopping that day.The small purse will fit in my carryon.I also carry in my suitcase a folded nylon duffle bag that I can use on the way home if needed for extra purchases.I have one that actually folds up in its own case.