Baggage Drop Off Loyalty Benefit

[Tootie]

Unfortunately, this benefit is not regularly available. More often than not, we are directed to have a "red cap" or luggage handler take our luggage. I have aked how we go about taking our own bags to the room to drop it off and the red caps/luggage handlers know nothing about it. The end result is we don't get our luggage for up to 4 hours after boarding.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@Tootie It's a shame that benefit isn't typically available! Which ports have you noticed that provide this service? I have recognized that the "red cap" service is offered to pretty much all paying cruisers. Personally, the idea of bringing my own baggage onboard is too tedious. If I packed lightly and only had one bag, I would think otherwise, but I'm typically cruising with kids and many suitcases. I'm pretty sure you can always walk your luggage on yourself, but your stateroom isn't always available when you get onboard. That leaves you to hold your luggage until your room becomes available. That's not such a perk after all. Why do you think it is that you haven't found this perk readily available for guests?

[Tootie]

I agree Kendall. It is a pain but still practically not available. You bring your luggage onboard but you can't usually take it to your cabin. Thus, you have to lug it around until you can get to your cabin. My only embarkation point is at Galveston and because we aren't able to know the status of cabin availability, we hand it over to the "red caps" and it's loaded onboard. Usually it is several hours before it's delivered. Early delivery is rare and both the boss and I have needs specific needs that aren't met.

[RoadTravelled]

@Tootie I'm a bit confused about your concern.  The loyalty bag drop-off is always available for Platinum, Diamond, Suite and Faster-to-Fun guests.  But, that benefit is the ability once on board to drop-off the bags you have brought onboard with you into your cabin prior to them being officially made available to guests - usually around 1:30pm or so.  Once you drop them off, you are asked to leave until the official opening of the cabins.  We have used this benefit many times with no issue.

There is no benefit I know of that has CCL crew take your bags at the port and delivers them directly to you in your cabin.  If you are in the higher loyalty tiers (or groups mentioned above), your luggage tags are marked "Priority" and tend to arrive fairly quickly.  We've had ours arrive to the cabin pretty much after we had lunch and did the muster drill and then headed back to the cabin after the official opening of cabins.

Remember, the port crew doesn't work for CCL.  They are employees of the port and they hand-off the luggage to the crew on the ship.  So, there is really no other way to get your bags on board other than giving them to the "red caps" or just carrying them onboard.  If there are certain specific things you need prior to your checked bags arriving (like medicines, etc.) then I recommend you carry them on in a small back-pack.

[3Sisters]

@RoadTravelled Thanks for sharing your experience! I was under the impression CCL was pretty good about keeping consistent with that loyalty perk. I love that the Priority tickets get you your luggage that quickly! I personally despise having to carry my luggage onboard myself, so the priority drop with priority delivery is optimal. That's a great tip. Carrying some very important things on is the smartest, and I also recommend tipping well. If you tip well you can assume your luggages will be handled with care. 

[euroguy]

@RoadTravelled I agree 100% what you outlined and has been pretty much the case for myself when dropping bags off with the red caps. Now keeping in mind my bags are tagged priority. I do carry a back pack with a few essentials but drop it at my cabin once I'm on-board, so then I'm free to explore the ship or have lunch without it, which is nice. 

[Cruising Caribbean]

@euroguy I'm glad you chimed in here. You seem to drop your priority bags all the time at the port without issue. I also love that your stateroom is always available once you hop aboard. That's something most guests don't get the opportunity to have. Do you typically get your bags delivered to your stateroom quicker than most? The last cruise I was on we barley got our luggage by dinnertime. My husband's suitcase didn't even come in time and he had to wear what he had on to the MDR that evening.