Tell me about luggage please.

[Mikeb1892]

1. Is there any limit to how many bags we can bring (We're driving to port so no flight checking charges to worry about) ?

2. Am I correct in assuming we receive luggage tags ahead of our cruise? 

2a. If so, how many? 

3. Do we tag our carry ons?

4. If we don't want to carry our bags off the ship at the end of our cruise, where do we pick them up, and how long until they are available for pick up after disembarking?  

5. If we bring formalwear and pack it in a luggage type hanging garment bag, will the baggage handlers take care to keep it from getting folded and wrinkled? 

 

[CGTLH]

1. No limit on number of bags

2. Yes, you'll be able to access a PDF document with your luggage tags. Print as many you need.

3. I'd tag a carry on bag in the event you get separated from it.

4. You'll pickup your bags inside the terminal building. Time will vary based on what number tag you get at the end of your cruise.

Also for reference:

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2014/08/12/first-time-cruisers-disembarkation-day

 

5. Can't really comment on this one.

 

[SpeedNoodles]

1. No, there's no limit

2/2a You will print off as many luggage tags as you need from the website.

3. No, but I'd always have ID in/on them just in case you inadvertently leave it sitting somewhere.

4. There will be a place in the terminal when you disembark where everyone picks up their luggage - the areas are labeled with numbers that will match the tags they give you the night before.

5. Nope. But know that everyone is in the same boat (no pun intended ... ok, maybe a little), and you can either have your garments pressed by Royal (for a fee), or do what most people do --- bring Downy Wrinkle Guard and/or hang the garments in the bathroom when the shower is running on hot and let the wrinkles take care of themselves.  

[JLMoran]

14 minutes ago, Mikeb1892 said:

5. If we bring formalwear and pack it in a luggage type hanging garment bag, will the baggage handlers take care to keep it from getting folded and wrinkled? 

Nope. All checked luggage is loaded into large bins that hold dozens of other suitcases piled up high. No care will be taken at all if they see a garment bag, it will just get thrown in with the rest of the pile.

If you have a suitcase with a suit section / pocket / partition, use that to keep the wrinkles to a minimum. Then either spray with Downy wrinkle release (if the suit's fabric isn't super-delicate or easily stained) or put it in the laundry bags available in each cabin on Day 1. Getting a suit pressed on embarkation day ran about $10 when I used that service in 2018. Dresses will run about the same, if I remember right (my wife and daughters all used the Downy stuff since their dresses were made of sterner stuff than my suit is).

[Brobbins246]

I highly recommend these luggage tag holders.  You can also staple just the paper strips to your luggage handles after printing and cutting them apart, but I would never trust they'd hold up during all the handling.  If you want to shop around for other tag holders, just be sure they're designed for Royal Caribbean tags.  Some other cruise lines have different sized tags that fit different sized holders, so stay clear of those.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E4SQNU4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Mikeb1892]

7 hours ago, Brobbins246 said:

I highly recommend these luggage tag holders.  

*Added to my Amazon cart*

Thank you!

[SweetHomeLady]

We usually use clear packing tape on our luggage tags.  Cut a strip of tape a bit longer than the paper tag, put the tag face down on the sticky side, then slide that through the luggage handle and fold it up, sticking the tape to itself.  Never had a problem.  Good luck!

[Mikeb1892]

1 hour ago, SweetHomeLady said:

We usually use clear packing tape on our luggage tags.  Cut a strip of tape a bit longer than the paper tag, put the tag face down on the sticky side, then slide that through the luggage handle and fold it up, sticking the tape to itself.  Never had a problem.  Good luck!

Nice idea, thanks.

[AshleyDillo]

14 hours ago, Mikeb1892 said:

4. If we don't want to carry our bags off the ship at the end of our cruise, where do we pick them up, and how long until they are available for pick up after disembarking?  

When you get off the ship before you hit customs you are run through a warehouse type area that has all the luggage for pickup.  You will have tagged your bags the night before with a tag that was left in your cabin and you will find your luggage under that number.  The bags will stay there until everyone has left the ship but you have to take your bag with you before going through customs.  There's no option to leave the bags there and come back and get them later.

[Flacruiser99]

16 hours ago, Mikeb1892 said:

If we don't want to carry our bags off the ship at the end of our cruise, where do we pick them up, and how long until they are available for pick up after disembarking?  

When you pick up your bags get a porter as he will enable you to skip the sometimes long customs/immigration lines. 

[Mikeb1892]

8 hours ago, Flacruiser99 said:

When you pick up your bags get a porter as he will enable you to skip the sometimes long customs/immigration lines. 

Nice tip. 

[JLMoran]

8 hours ago, Flacruiser99 said:

When you pick up your bags get a porter as he will enable you to skip the sometimes long customs/immigration lines. 

16 minutes ago, Mikeb1892 said:

Nice tip. 

To be clear, you don't completely skip customs/immigration. Rather, the porters have a special CBP line they get to use, which is invariably a lot shorter and faster than the cattle-call line everyone who doesn't use a porter has to navigate.

[Biff215]

10 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

The bags will stay there until everyone has left the ship but you have to take your bag with you before going through customs.

This was always our experience as well until two weeks ago on Mariner at Port Canaveral. We first had to enter the customs line. Once we were through that we could grab our luggage and walk straight out. I really preferred this as it can be tough to navigate your luggage through the line, particularly with kids. I imagine the porters don’t like it that much though, as it takes away the advantage of using their “special” line.