Shipping luggage to the pier

[travel guy]

Has anyone ever had their luggage shipped to the pier rather than taking it on the plane?

Thanks

Travel Guy

[green_rd]

Guy, welcome to the board but please watch the bold font - no reason to yell.

While it is tempting to ship your luggage I'm not sure I would try it. Any kind of overnight service would require a signature and I'm not sure the cruise line would accept it. Any other method might not get your bags there in time.

[LisaK]

if you plan on bringing more luggage than the airlines allows or plan on your bags being overweight so that you would have to pay for your bags to be boarded onto the plane then i would suggest you think about shipping your luggage to your pre-cruise hotel, that i think would be the safest way. As green_rd mentioned there might not be anyone at the pier to accept your baggage, otherwise is it cost effective to ship your bags instead of just shelpping them around like most of us do?

[huffca]

Princess has a new service. It sounds like most here don't know about it. Here is a piece from their web site:

"Princess Luggage Valet
Introducing a new door-to-door luggage service that delivers your bags from your home to your stateroom. No more hauling baggage through the airport, no more checking or standing in the crowd at the baggage claim. With Princess Luggage Valet you can enjoy the ultimate in ease and convenience when you travel. Make it a carefree escape with the new Princess Luggage Valet Service."

To read more here is the url for the page: http://www.princess.com/learn/answer...ve/luggage.jsp

I don't know about other lines. Since this is my first Princess cruise I've been really reading the site. Hope it helps you.

[Trip]

From the Princess page...Princess Luggage Valet Service is provided by DHL Worldwide Express and is available exclusively to Princess Cruises’ passengers.

Domestic and international shipping is available. Rates start as low as $90.00US per piece each way for domestic express shipments and $250.00US per piece each way for international.

Rates are based on shipment size, weight and destination and include limited Shipment Value Protection. Reservations must be secured at least 35 days prior to your

For the average cruiser, I think this valet service is basically a luxury most would forgo...taking the lowest price of $90.00, for two bags $180 per leg times two equals $360.00..wow! compare that to the airlines charges, and, it seems like a bargain.

[huffca]

you are right. Tote my own bags and then Go Shopping with the money I saved.

Any excuse to shop. :-)

[Parrot Mom]

Checked it out.. and it's expensive...

[huffca]

It sure is expensive... I'd never do it. And I'd end up lugging a suitcase anyway...lol I think you need to send it 2 weeks prior to your cruise...lol I'd keep finding things to bring. I could just see myself doing that...lol.

[colorcrazie]

You and me both. I'd start wondering did I remember to pack this or that. Even though I use a list, I always feel like I forgot something. Usually something I don't really need, like a different color of shoes, but still, I would drive myself nuts. And my DH doesn't pack his stuff until the night before. I used to pack for both of us, but just when I would be ready to zip up the bags, he would come up with a pair of size 11 shoes and some electronic gizmo and....so now he has to pack his own.
Marty

[Triton]

Princess offers a unique service, I'm sure it will benefit a few...but maybe not the majority. I for one, don't want my luggage out of my sight.

There was one cruise a couple of years ago, that I wanted to ship one piece of luggage, for a family cruise. I called Celebrity and they adamantly told me, "No!" Thinking there must be a work-around, I got the number to the pier we would embark on Celebrity. I called the Celebrity representative, I think maybe even the Port Manager, and was told, "No way!"

I like the idea of one poster who advised to have it sent to your hotel, if you're doing a pre-cruise.

[Cruise Mom]

As a cheaper alternative you an also use Princess's Easy Check service. You can enroll onboard and get your boarding passes delivered to your room the night before you disembark. Then the cruise will deliver your luggage to your airplane for you. With this service you will get off the ship first as you don't have your luggage. You also get to enjoy the rest of your day without luggage around bag :-) The cost is only $20 per person.

[CrystalPrincess]

Here is my problem:

I want to spend a full week traveling around Italy before the cruise, taking trains to each area. The itinerary would be going from Venice to Rome, with Florence in between, with the possibility of branching out to surrounding cities. Obviously, I can't haul two bags at the same time while traveling alone with no car. I do not need or want to have my dress shoes, jewelry, nice tops, skirts, and dresses, which I need for sailing on Crystal, while doing a land tour. Crystal does have a luggage valet service. I don't know the cost, but I do know it goes from my house to my suite, according to the website. Crystal is a very formal cruise line, so I will need an entire small suitcase to pack all of my best clothes. In this situation, it seems pretty obvious I need to use the luggage valet.

[Paul Motter]

I know there are also independent luggage services who do this - and when I find out their names I will post them here.

[reverendjeff]

I have done a similar thing and just left my luggage at a hotel in Rome, and then took a small bag with me on the train to explore. Come back to the original hotel, give them a tip, and you head to the peir.