philemer

WE're leaving on a NCL cruise next week and we got the option to print luggage tags at home. They said it would "save time on day of departure".
All I have is a B&W printer and plain white paper. These tags will be destroyed pretty quickly I bet. Is it worth it?

wrp96

Just get them filled out by a porter at the pier. If you decide to print them at home, use heavy duty clear tape to secure them to the handles of your luggage.

Schnit

Should you cruise again, I highly recommend you look on Amazon for cruise tag holders, like this:
As far as printing, B&W is fine, it does not need to be in color. Before getting the holders, I just wrapped everything in packing tape and never had an issue. I just find the holders easier.

Need

Those plastic holders are pretty cheap and looks really good too. I got some for my last trip. I even print them out on photo paper with my photo printer because I don't have normal color printer just b/w laser printer. I got to the port thinking I will be fitting in with the rest of the passengers. Turns out I was an overachiever. Most of the other passengers don't even pre-print luggage tags. They form a line and the port person looks up their room number, write it on a tag and attach it to the luggage. There was no room location on ship, no colored sections, just a big handwritten room number LOL.

Schnit

I think I have 8 of them. I will often put them on all of our luggage, even pieces we carry on with us. it just makes me feel a little bit more comfortable. Things at the port can get crazy and just in case, it works well to identify our luggage and where it needs to be

philemer

Thanks. Just ordered some and they'll be here before we leave.

willoL

I didn't check the link, but I have (what I assume to be) similar holders bought on Amazon, and agree they give me peace of mind. Like another poster, I tag my carry on bags, too, during boarding. It is easy to imagine myself setting a bag down and losing track of it. You can stick a business card in these for regular-use luggage tags, too; they aren't just good for constant cruisers.

OTOH, clear tape is totally sufficient to cover a home-printed tag.

And, finally, I still think the luxury line perk of proper tags made of Tyvek (or something sturdier than paper) is best, and I prefer that. If only I could travel all luxury, all the time.

guv1976

I've used the 8½x11 paper tags, and found that, because of the number of times the page had to be folded to create the "tag," it was actually quite sturdy. And since my bags also had regular luggage tags on them, even if the paper tags somehow came off, the cruise line would still find a way to deliver the bags to the passenger's cabin. 😉

Schnit

Yes they would still find a way, but why delay things? It's so cheap and easy that the under $1 per tag is worth the piece of mind.

I miss the days when you got a package in the mail with a hard copy of everything. It just felt nice and special, and got me super excited

Need

BTW, I also have Airtags in all my luggage. It is the best investment for luggage tracking air or sea.

YVR Cockroach

Add clear packing tape and the stuff becomes very sturdy. Wager one could actually pull quite a heavy load (gently) with such.

stan1162

The last time we actually PRINTED our luggage tags was 2010. When we arrive at the port of embarkation, Azamara, Oceania, Silversea, Seaborn all attach the tags that have your stateroom number on it. They are usually color coded. I'm sure the color coding means something to them?

Don't sweat it. Get them put on your bags at the port.

BamaVol

Prior to the last 2 trips, I always printed at home, stapled and taped with no damage. But I spent a few dollars for plastic sleeves with cables to attach to suitcase handles and I feel more secure whether it made a difference or not. It’s a small price to pay to remove one of the variables from the equation that equals whether your bags will appear promptly in your cabin.

I’ve been less satisfied with labels for disembarkation. Actually, the whole process could have come with better communication. I really wasn’t sure how or where I was going to see my bags until the bus arrived at ANC afterwards. I was a little scared that my failing to add flight information to the tags meant the bags would remain at the ship terminal in Whittier, but it looks like the color coding of the tags meant they would deliver to the bag room at the airport.

Brighton Line

I've been on cruises where the paper tags printed at home are destroyed during rain as the bags sit in the cages in the elements waiting to be forked lifted onto the ship.
I've purchased those cheap plastic amazon tag holders and they work fine.

mahasamatman

Silversea stopped doing this a while ago. I'm not sure if other luxury lines do it or not any more.