To check or not to check

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First of all, forget the impression that you have to fly into Seattle. My wife and I took a Royal Caribbean Alaska cruise a couple of years ago which departed from Vancouver, and - Surprise! - on an international flight the first bag was free! Check with your airline to see if this is still the case.

by Porchdog on Wednesday, July 06, 2011

I just returned from 10 days in Italy, visiting my daughter. Both my husband and I got by with one checked bag--24"--and two carry ons. I had my purse (one large enough for a book and a bottle of water) and an overnight bag, he had a small backpack and an overnight bag. I could have gotten by with fewer items, as I was able to do laundry once we were there. My guess is that the laundry on board your cruise ship will wash clothes for you for much less than the cost of a second checked bag. Keep in mind, though, that if your flight/flights are on partner airlines, like, for example, Northwest and Alaska Air, you will pay only once for checking a bag. And that each of you can check one bag for the "first bag" price. There are no bag police checking to see if the bag checked for your five year old actually has Mom's dress for the Captain's Dinner in it, either.
Find out ahead of time what the cost is for checking luggage on your airline. Find out what weight and size restrictions they have. And if you decide to check luggage, just assume that the cost is part and parcel of the cost of travel. We went roundtrip to Venice from Mpls for under $675 each. We didn't pay to check luggage on an intercontinental flight. But even if we had, the $30 each for the round trip cost, would still have made the tickets an amazing bargain.

by mickisue on Wednesday, April 15, 2009

The short answer, of course, is "Don't check bags." Packing "light" IS always an option. It isn't that hard to do.

For a 1 week cruise, there shouldn't be much problem packing what you need within the "free" allowance. With a 5 year old in tow, it probably isn't a cruise where you need "formal" attire at dinner, so you won't need so many outfits. Determine what is needed, then pack it intelligently. A number of strategies can be found on the web; find one that you like and use it. Don't duplicate: do 3 people really need 3 different tubes of toothpaste, sunscreen, hand lotion, etc? A lot can be packed inside 3 quality, regulation-size carry-ons + a backpack for each of you.

If you find that you do need more, remember that each person gets a first, second, third...checked bag. The most important thing is to stay within the size and weight limits on each bag. In that case, as the links showed, the fees for checked luggage will be far less than trying to ship the goods. For a cruise, it will be more convenient than the regular shippers, too. Well packed, a 24" bag will swallow an enormous amount of stuff and remain under the 50 pound limit. Just make sure it isn't half full of books.

Our family knows the drill. Our daughter is now 9. As a family, we have averaged an international air trip and numerous domestic trips every year since she was 4 months old. While we may have collected enough "stuff" along the way to need extra bags on the returns, our family has never needed more than the carry-on limit for any vacation, regardless of length or destination. This includes trips in all four seasons, and opposite-season, below the equator trips. The reason is not to avoid fees (as elite fliers, we are generally exempt from baggage fees). It is just easier to travel with less stuff.

That said, do your research before you go. Few ports of call on an Alaska summer cruise are frigid. Though a larger portion of cruise passengers are now younger, many sources still target their advice about weather as a worst-cast scenario for older (read: less temperature-tolerant) people.

The key to travelling light whenever you travel, is to plan to use layers. For cool, breezy evenings on deck, my jacket might have a zip-out liner. That way, either the shell or the liner could be used alone when it is warmer. I might even stash one of those layers in my backpack in case the airline cabin got chilly. (I always travel with a rolled up, water-resistant windbreaker.) Last time we went to Alaska, we bought zip-down "hoodie" souvenirs when we arrived. They were more than warm enough, even without our windbreakers. We'd have bought them anyway and it made packing easier on the outbound portion.

by PackSmart on Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Some cruise lines offer a luggage program. They make all the arrangement to have your luggage picked up and delivered to your stateroom and after your cruise it will be picked up and deliver to your home, if you choose. I won't tell you that it is cheep to do this, but it keeps you from having to haul it around. For your flight you can pack some of the necessities needed if you are arriving the night before or those special little things for the little on. Make sure that you copy the information that is sent to you that they have you attach to the bag. This will allow you to track all pieces. Also, you may be instructed not to lock the bag, lock it anyway. Also, remember that most cruse ships have do it yourself laundry rooms. For that I recommend that you pick up those individual packets.

by The Traveler on Wednesday, April 15, 2009

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