Checking Bags vs. Self Carry on a Cruise

Name: Checking Bags vs. Self Carry on a Cruise
Uploaded: 2025-05-02T00:00:00+00:00
Duration: 1 min 10 s
Channel: Professor Melissa
Description: While I almost always fo self assist OFF a ship, I'm often “team check” at embarkation. Which do you prefer? Learn the pros and cons in my guide here: https://www.profmelissa.com/blog/embarkation

Professor Melissa

🏅Authority

👁️ 10K views📅 1 years ago⏱️ 1:10

What This Creator Said

Meh

Creator Had Mixed FeelingsTips & Advice🏅Authority Creator

Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.

Creator's Key Takeaways

If you carry on your luggage, you'll obviously have it with you at all times, so it's more safe and secure.

The downfall, you have to carry your luggage around with you. This can be a hassle, especially because elevators are limited and everything is really crowded on imbarcation day.

Checking your bags takes that burden off of you.

One negative of checking your bag is that you have to wait. Bags aren't delivered until your state room, usually until after 4:30 or 5:00 p.m., leaving you without your stuff for a while.

Creator's Tips & Advice

✓Print and attach luggage tags in advance if checking bags.

✓Tip your porter $2 per bag.

✓Keep important documents and medications with you if checking bags.

🆕New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:

Carrying luggage around on embarkation day — Consider checking bags to avoid the hassle of carrying them, especially with limited elevators and crowds.

Waiting for checked bags to be delivered — Keep important documents and medications with you, as bags may not arrive until after 4:30 or 5:00 p.m.

Questions This Creator Answers

QShould I carry on or check my luggage on a cruise?

QWhat are the pros and cons of self carry vs. checking bags at embarkation?

Topics Covered

EmbarkationMeh

How to read the Trip Bacon Score

Happy Bacon — creators loved this aspect

Sad Bacon — creators took issue with this

Meh — no strong opinion either way

Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.

About our Bacon Score methodology

YouTube Video Description↓

While I almost always fo self assist OFF a ship, I'm often “team check” at embarkation. Which do you prefer? Learn the pros and cons in my guide here: https://www.profmelissa.com/blog/embarkation