Luggage Tags - The Next E-Frontier

Princess and Royal Caribbean this week announced changes to their luggage tag programs in an attempt to streamline the processes. One is likely to be welcomed (or at least be neutral) by cruisers, while the other is definitely a change likely bemoaned as not as passenger friendly.

Of course, these are both being touted as "enrichments" and moves toward streamlining the process. Uh huh.

First up to announce changes was Royal Caribbean. Under the current system with e-documents, if you have booked with an agent, the agent could access and print your custom luggage tags on sticker stock provided by Royal Caribbean (and Celebrity and Azamara - they are interchangeable in the process). I'm sure the blank stock is somewhat expensive to send out to agents, then agents had to pay again to send to their clients after printing. As an agent, I never minded doing this, as most objections to electronic documentation had to do with luggage tags, so this small process still provided my clients with what they wanted - good quality luggage tags customized with their name and cabin.

The new process is entirely in the hands of the passenger. Up to 14 days prior to sailing, as part of the online check-in process, the passenger may request the personalized luggage tags be sent to their home address. This is a new step in the online check-in process, and has an earlier deadline than the rest of the documentation completion so the tags can be printed and sent. There is an enhancement to the tags in that they're better coded to assist in luggage delivery than the generic blue and white tag stock agents have been using, especially helpful for ships like the Oasis Class, but it is one more step in the process. For those passengers without a computer, their agent may request them on their behalf, though in that case, they won't be sent until 13 days prior to sailing, which is a bit nerve wracking for some passengers.

Of course, tags will still be available from the porters at the pier should someone fail to request in time or forget them at home.

As an agent, I don't mind in the least not having to print and pay postage to send these, and I'll be reminding my clients of the necessity of the step when I deliver their electronic documents, but it's still one more thing for clients to do, with entirely different deadlines than the regular online check-in process. I liked the higher touch of sending these to my clients along with other pre-cruise materials, especially for new cruisers, but guess I will just have to find other mechanisms to provide that extra touch. I do applaud the fact that the tags will assist with efficient luggage delivery. All in all, this is probably a good thing, but it is a change cruisers will have to get used to.

On the other side of the service line is Princess. They announced today that they will no longer be providing the luggage labels with the pre-cruise documentation package sent out shortly after final payment. My guess is this is the first step in elimination of that pre-cruise package entirely, as the luggage tags were a tiny portion of that package, and can't have cost them much to produce and send as part of the larger package.

Also touted as an "advancement", Princess' announcement read:

Reflecting Princess Cruises' commitment to innovation, we are pleased to announce the introduction of personalized online luggage tags. This new feature will provide our passengers and travel agent partners the opportunity to conveniently print personalized luggage tags on their home or office computer.

The new online luggage tags are personalized with the passenger's name, Captain's Circle membership status, cabin number and embarkation information. The luggage tags are accessible in the Cruise Personalizer® and can be printed up to 75 days prior to the sailing date.

This new feature will be effective with voyages departing after December 1, 2009 and will replace the standard luggage tags that are currently provided within the pre-cruise documentation package. Generic luggage tags will continue to be available at the pier for passengers
who may need them.

We are excited about this new advancement in providing more personalized pre-cruise information to our passengers, and we thank you for your continuing support of Princess Cruises!

While I'm sure these tags contain more information than the previous tags did, I'm not a huge fan of the tags you print out on regular paper, fold and either tape or staple. While some report no problems with that type of tag, for those of us who fly to ports, it means finding or bringing tape or staplers with us to affix the tags in our hotel room the day of sailing or at the airport prior to arriving at the port. Neither of which is ideal. I also just am not as confident about the durability of this kind of tag, but time will tell. They have been used on NCL for awhile now, and I've not experienced difficulty, they're just not my favorite, and I'd consider this a bit of a downgrade overall.

All the lines are moving toward more and more electronic documentation, and luggage tags are a sticking issue for them. It's difficult to figure out a good solution combining convenience, durability and cost savings. It will be interesting to see how this progresses. Just make sure your bags are well marked with durable ID tags with your name, so eventually they will make their way to your cabin.