Have you ever shipped your luggage?

[coloradocruisers]

 If so, please give me some advice.  We've been looking at Princess's Valet service from home to stateroom.  It's kine of pricey ($170 one way for a bag 31 - 50 lbs.)  Clothing only.  Purchased items abroad are not allowed, but you still have to clear your bag through customs on the way back (and pay another $170).

What other options are out there?  Have you shipped to the hotel, or your stateroom?  Which carriers did you use (Princess uses DHL and FEDEX)?  How much were you charged?  Did you ship in a piece of luggage, or a box?  

Thanks.

[jacketwatch]

No I've never done it but that seems really high to me.  Have you called any services yourself? I'm sure Princess tacks on a fee for doing this for you. Anyway thats $340.00 USD. For $200.00 you can prepay a future cruise while on board and its good for 4 yrs. and you get $$ back as OBC depending on the lenght of your cruise and the $200.00 ($100.00 pp) serves as a deposit vs. the now 30% or so. From an economical POV this makes more sense but if you prefer the convenience thats   too.

[coloradocruisers]

Thanks Larry. We probably won't ship all of our luggage, just some of it. I don't mind shlepping my own suitcase through the airport, but my daughter can only handle her carry on; which means one of us has to handle her suitcase as well. We've managed it in the past, I'm just looking for other options.

[DebbieandJerry]

Kevin, that seems really high to me. We have my nieces two girlfriends who attend the UofA. At the end of every school year, they ship their boxes home via UPS and/or US post office. They insure the boxes that have items worth insuring. They don't spend nearly that much money and we're talking college girls with way more stuff than any human being can accommodate in a lifetime.

FYI: When my niece was a freshman at the UofA and then decided to transfer to Florida, I had to ship the items that were stored in my house to her house. I shipped 10 boxes for a little less than $500.

Explore your options!

[rogue]

I have never used a service, but I did price it once. There are other private services that are cheeper than $170/bag. Look around and you can get better prices.

[lashl]

I never used that service but did use one with Delta Airlines on the Connie Cruise. For $20 per bag (I think) they picked up the bags on the last night of the cruise, as usual, and took them to the airport.  You didn't see them until you got home.  I shipped 4 bags, none of them made our flight home.  3 of the bags came in on a later flight and Delta delivered them to my house.  The 4th they gave to a retired gentleman who was driving to western Kansas.  The bag was then flown to Denver and then to Kansas City.  I got it the next night.  Needless to say I was not to impressed but then again it was Delta!

[jobowl]

We used ups once to send bags home while we visit NY for a couple days. The Bags were home before us. We Paid $40 per suitcase.

[Dutchman]

We used it from the CCL Freedom from Miami last Jan . Everything worked great.

[JimBenhood]

These are all the very great web-resources , which are very informative and useful regarding all the baagage and luggage problems for all the international and frequent travelers, these sites will give you all kinds of options that you can easily ponder over it and take out all your stress of luggage for sure.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art67295.asp

http://www.theupsstore.com/products/pages/shi.aspx

http://www.ehow.com/how_4524245_reduce-chance-lost-damaged-luggage.html

http://hubpages.com/hub/Ship-your-luggage

http://thetravelinsider.info/2003/0117.htm

http://traveler.fivestaralliance.com/index.php/2006/05/10/send-your-bags-ahead-with-luggage-forwarding-services

http://ideas.4brad.com/node/367

________________________________________________________________________

victorian inn bed and breakfast  ~ Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind ~

[coloradocruisers]

Thanks Jim! I'll check those websites out.