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My wife and I are taking a Mediterranean / trans-Atlantic cruise in May. We’ve decided to arrive a few days early and leave a few days after the cruise to do some additional sight seeing.
My question is what can we do with our stuff while we are out sightseeing? I understand that we can leave our luggage in our hotel room or rent a locker if we stay at a hostel, but how can we avoid lugging our stuff around after we check-out of our hotel room the day of the cruise? For example, if our hotel check-out time is 10am and our cruise boarding time is 5pm, what do we do with our luggage in the meantime if we’d like to do some sightseeing? The cruiseline website says we can't check-in our luggage or board the ship until an hour before we set sail. Also, our return flight doesn’t leave until 5pm in the evening, so we morning through noon to do some last minute sightseeing, what do we do with our luggage then?
We've been in a similar scenario and found that some hotels will keep your luggage in a back room for you after you check out. It all depends on the hotel. If you know where you're staying you can call ahead and ask. Some do it without question, others may remind you they're not responsible for loss, while still others may tag it and give you a chit similar to coat-check.
We've been in a similar scenario and found that some hotels will keep your luggage in a back room for you after you check out. It all depends on the hotel. If you know where you're staying you can call ahead and ask. Some do it without question, others may remind you they're not responsible for loss, while still others may tag it and give you a chit similar to coat-check.
This poster is giving good advice. Either store like they say or lug it around. We've done both. Most hotels/motels are quite accomodating. The only caveat is that they will not be held responsible for anything that happens to your luggage. One time we left our luggage in a locked locker at an airport until the time came that we needed to get it.
I've done some research and found that airports and many train stations have "Left Luggage" or rent lockers where luggage can be stored over night, a week, or even months. Does anybody have and experience with this?
Do you absolutely know for sure that you cannot step foot on the ship until 5 pm? I don't know anything about European cruises, but all the Caribbean cruises I've been on (well, all 3 of them) have allowed us to board as early as 11 -2. If your ship is in port, they may well let you check your luggage and yourselves in, grab some [free] lunch onboard, then head back out to do a little more sightseeing.
I would suggest checking on cruisecritic dot com to ask this question. Those veteran cruise people seem to know all the answers to cruise questions. And you can also chat with people who are going to be on your same cruise (if you want to do that.) It's as addicting as this forum, though, I will warn you. Have a GREAT time on your cruise!!
Cmacf1 has an important point -- check with the ship to find out exactly how early you CAN board. The line, not other cruisers, is the final answer.
But in any event, any hotel worth its reputation has a storage room for exactly this -- luggage that guests can't, or don't want to, transfer to some other storage place until late on the checkout day. Don't ask them -- just tell them in a friendly manner that you'd "like to stash your suitcases here until" whatever time. Happens everywhere. Hotels have to expect that because of their early checkout times.
P.S. You can also stash your stuff at a hotel you're checking into at a time that's earlier than when you can actually get into your room. Same idea.
Where left luggage facilities exist, I've used them with no problem. Make sure that the luggage is locked, and you should be fine. However, it's increasingly difficult to find these facilities, and where they do exist, they may not be convenient to where your hotel/further plans. Having used your hotel as a base, I'd stick with your hotel as a storage facility. It will be known, familiar and comfortable to you by the time you're ready to move on.
Ironically, I was watching a show last night on TV about the LA Port - there were lockers there for the purpose of cruise folks to stash their luggage before embarking. Perhaps your port(s) have the same?
Ideally, you should check out of your room, and go directly to the ship! Check your luggage onto the ship (you can do that pretty early) and then, if you want to, you can leave, sightsee, and return to the ship before final call! Or, since you've PAID for that 1st day (and boarding day IS day 1!!!) you could start making use of the ship! All public areas are opened and ready for your enjoyment!
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. Have a GREAT time on your cruise!!
