The Cruise-Ruining Mistake You Can Prevent By Simply Printing Luggage Tags In Advance

There is no greater pain that afflicts even the most savvy of travelers than a case of lost luggage. While it's, sadly, not unusual for an airline to lose your luggage, you're likely near enough shops in and around the airport to replace your belongings. However, losing your luggage during a cruise is a different story. Without direct access to many different shopping places and with limited choice on board a moving ship, replacing your items isn't as easy. Thus, it behooves even the most experienced travelers to take every precaution they can to ensure their luggage makes it on board and to their stateroom without a hitch. And there's one major, yet incredibly easy, action you can take to make sure you're not a victim of a cruise-ruining mistake: print your luggage tags.

Luggage tags are sent by the cruise line prior to your departure, and they should be affixed to your large bags before boarding, either with a tag sleeve, stapled, or taped onto the bag handles. The tag will indicate to crew the bag's owner, which cabin it's going to, and where in the ship your cabin is located. Sometimes, the passenger is directed to write their personal information (such as a phone number) on the tag themselves. While some cruisers may say that luggage tags will be available at the port, and porters can write all of those details in as well, many other experienced vacationers encourage printing your luggage tags at home before arrival. Having your luggage tags readily available prior to boarding can save you a whole lot of time, headache, and stress.

The biggest benefit of having your tags printed before you arrive at the cruise port is simply saving time. If you have your tags available and attached to your bag — and all of your written information is legible — you can bypass some queues and relieve crowding at the luggage drops before boarding. An extended wait time is a best-case scenario if you choose to wait until embarkation day to grab a luggage tag from the porters at the dock. However, this could put your luggage at risk of getting lost in the shuffle.

If a porter incorrectly writes your cabin number, for instance, your baggage can get misdirected. If you're able to print your tags ahead of time, you can ensure that all your information is correct. If a cruise loses or damages your luggage, you do have some recourse, including receiving compensation according to the cruise line's policies, but the process can be a headache. Just remember to use the backpack cruise hack for embarkation day and have a carry-on with some emergency clothes and supplies with you in the event of lost luggage.

Printing your luggage tags ahead of time is also particularly helpful for larger parties traveling together on a cruise but originating from different places. This way, everyone has their luggage tags on them and won't have to find the person whose name the reservation is under in order to check their bags in. So, if you find you have a couple of minutes to spare pre-cruise to get your luggage tags printed and sorted, you may save yourself much more time and stress on your sailing day.