You can check your luggage to have your bags brought onboard a cruise ship, but a lot of cruise passengers skip it.
Unlike checking a bag with the airlines, having your bags brought on the ship has no cost and is far less logistically challenging.
As you arrive at the cruise terminal, there are porters waiting to take your luggage so it can be delivered later to your stateroom.
I take advantage of this service every single time, because bringing your own bags aboard the ship is more trouble than it's worth.
Here's why you should let Royal Caribbean handle your cruise ship luggage instead of hauling it yourself.
Checking your luggage vs bringing a carry-on
I recommend giving the porters any luggage larger than a backpack so it can be taken on the ship for you.
The porters working outside the terminal entrance don't work for the cruise line, but they're quite friendly and technically don't charge a fee. I say "technically" because there's no cost to check your bags, but a tip is expected.
It's customary to give them a gratuity of $1-$2 per bag.
Royal Caribbean doesn't charge baggage fees nor do they limit you in how many pieces of luggage you can bring onboard the ship.
"Each guest is permitted to carry a reasonable amount of personal property (including luggage) aboard the vessel," is how the policy is worded. In all my years of covering Royal Caribbean, I cannot recall an instance where a passenger was denied luggage because they had too much.
Any luggage you give to the porters needs to be tagged, just like at the airport. Royal Caribbean provides luggage tags you can print at home and affix to your bag.
If you forget them, the porters can easily attach the tags for you.
What you shouldn't give the porters are any bags that have personal documents or valuables inside. You'll need your passport or birth certificate for check-in later.
Moreover, I'd keep any cash or expensive jewelry, electronics with you in a carry-on bag.
You can bring your luggage onboard, but it's bulky and a pain to deal with
I shake my head when I see a family dragging all their luggage on a ship because it seems like an unnecessary hardship.
Your stateroom isn't ready until about 1pm, so bringing your own bags on the ship means bringing them with you all over until cabins are ready. No, you cannot go drop your bags off at the room earlier (although Celebrity Cruises allows this).
Cruise ship hallways are narrow, and elevators are small. It's busy enough on embarkation day getting around, and I feel the hassle of taking your luggage around just so you can have them an hour or two earlier than if they were delivered doesn't make sense.
Unlike the airlines, there's no cost to check your luggage on a cruise. The gratuity for the porters is a negligible amount of money, and the convenience of not having to deal with them is so worth it.
It's also worth noting you can only bring luggage on the ship yourself that can fit through the security scanners. That giant suitcase likely won't fit, and then you'll have to turn around and give the bag to the porter anyway.
I see too many families with kids trying to take all their luggage up and down decks. It's a completely unnecessary problem to encounter, which is why I'll always gladly hand my luggage to porters when I arrive at the terminal.
How you can store your luggage on a cruise ship
Any bags you check with a porter will be delivered to your stateroom.
In my experience, bags usually arrive by early to mid afternoon. The only thing that would delay your bags being delivered is if there's something inside that's on the prohibited item list. If that occurs, the bags will be held by security and you'll have to go get it from them.
When your bags arrive to your stateroom, there's enough room to store the luggage inside your cabin.
Most conventional luggage should fit under the bed. If we have a few pieces of luggage, we'll nest them inside each other and then slide it under the bed.
One thing I'll always do is unpack for my cruise, rather than living out of my suitcase. Cruise ship cabins have a lot storage, even in a small inside room. You'll find drawers and closets to use (including hangers).
I've found it's worth unpacking to make it easier to quickly find clothes I need later. Plus, it helps with keeping clothes unwrinkled.
You can let Royal Caribbean take your bags off the ship at the end of the cruise too
On the final night of the cruise, you can leave your luggage outside your cabin door and have it delivered to the cruise terminal for you.
I have mixed feelings about whether to use this or not.
On the one hand, it's much easier to let them take your bags off the ship. If you have mobility issues, kids, or lots of luggage, this is a godsend for how much easier it is to walk off the ship the next morning.
Royal Caribbean will leave luggage tags in your cabin, and there's a number on it. The number corresponds to a certain hour they will be ready to pick up in the terminal.
Read more: What the debarkation process is like on Royal Caribbean
However, putting your luggage out the night before the cruise ends means you have to pack that night, which disrupts your final day. Plus, you still have to leave essentials and an outfit for the next day for the next morning.
The major compelling reason to carry your luggage off the ship yourself is because it's much faster.
If you need to be off the ship as early as possible, those carrying their own luggage can disembark any time after it has been cleared by authorities. If you have an early flight home, this is your only recourse.
Personally, I tend to carry my bags off the ship most times so I can be on my way as early as I can. Not only do I want to beat the rush off the ship, but I see the last morning as a "rip the band aid off" kind of situation and would rather be done with it all.
If you do decide to let Royal Caribbean take your luggage off the ship, be sure to leave anything you'll need for the final evening and next morning out of that bag. Toiletries, valuables, identification, pajamas, and an outfit for the next day should all be taken off the ship by you in a smaller bag.
It's not uncommon to see someone walking off the ship on the last morning of the cruise in their pajamas because they clearly forgot to leave out an outfit.
