Checking your cruise luggage with an airline can be a scary proposition, especially when you factor in possible weather delays or missed connections that can separate you from your bags. The farther you have to fly, the scarier it becomes.
But what are your options? The obvious choice for most cruisers who fly to their embarkation port is flying with only carry-on luggage. Easy enough for a short cruise in the Bahamas or Caribbean where clothes are skimpier and cruises relatively short. But what about a cooler climate cruise or a longer sailing?
I recently faced a perfect storm of potential checked luggage issues for flights to a transatlantic cruise on a Carnival Cruise Line ship — unpredictable fall weather, a domestic connection involving an airline change, followed by a pair of European flights with a tight connection in an unfamiliar airport. That schedule left this firmly entrenched bag checker considering carry-on only on a long cruise for the first time.
When my aunt decided to join my husband and me on the cruise, the challenge rose to a new level. We'd be managing our bags and assisting her, which could be overwhelming.
Upon reflection, we decided that shipping luggage to the cruise seemed like a far better choice for her. She would still need a carry-on bag for our two nights precruise in Rome, but she could send a 50-pound bag directly to the cruise ship and have everything she needed waiting for her when we arrived.
Now we had the perfect opportunity to test these two luggage options head-to-head. Which plan was easier? Which one cost less? What were the pitfalls of each option? Read on for our results as you decide how light to pack and how best to get your bags to your cruise ship without incident.
The first thing to consider when flying with carry-on bags is the maximum dimensions and weight of luggage allowed on the plane with you. While few domestic carriers have weight restrictions on carry-on luggage or personal items, regional, low-cost and non-U.S. carriers can have weight allowances on both.
The standard carry-on size for domestic flights within the U.S. is 22 x 14 x 9 inches. Personal items (purses, tote bags, backpacks, briefcases and other small items stowed beneath the seat in front of you) are often capped around 18 x 14 x 8 inches.
Foreign carriers are far pickier about what you bring on board the aircraft. Expect similar carry-on luggage dimensions of 21.5 x 15 x 9.5 inches. Maximum personal item sizes can be as small as 15.5 x 11 x 4 inches -- which is compact for a backpack. Weight limits vary by air carrier and even by seating class; our carry-on suitcases needed to have a maximum weight of 26 pounds and our backpacks could not weight more than 4.4 pounds.
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Caribbean cruises have long been a favorite among leisure travelers for their picture-perfect views, white sand beaches, and turquoise waters. But these tropical itineraries also have activities abound—from hiking through nature reserves and snorkeling among coral reefs to shopping for local trinkets and goodies. Many Caribbean itineraries skew toward tried-and-true island destinations, but a number of cruise lines have curated unique sailings that will undoubtedly impress the most seasoned Caribbean cruisers.
Black Friday and Travel Tuesday may have come and gone, but travelers still have plenty of ways to save on an upcoming flight. Norse Atlantic Airways, a growing low-cost carrier that operates flights between the United States and Europe, recently published dozens of discounted round-trip fares starting at $317. Travelers can score deals on flights out of New York, Orlando, Las Vegas, and more U.S. cities to popular European destinations such as Athens, London, and Rome. Best of all, the discounted fares can be booked now for travel throughout 2025. For example, travelers can snag a $395 round-trip economy ticket from New York (JFK) to London (LGW) between October 1, 2025 through October 11, 2025, or a spring break getaway between Orlando, FL (MCO) and London (LGW) in April 2025.Travel + Leisure spotted a variety of round-trip deals including:
Black Friday, Cyber Monday and even Travel Tuesday will wrap up this week, but that doesn't mean travelers can't save on their next getaway all December.
Cyber Monday is here. This year, it seems to be turning into Cyber Week, with cruise deals running through midweek and, in some cases, much longer. But what if I told you that you could stack the cruise lines' current offers with a way to score up to 60,000 bonus miles from your favorite airline just by booking a sailing?
Black Friday is a time for deals, and low cost airline Norse Atlantic Airways is on board, offering flights to Europe starting as low as $129 and even bigger savings on fare bundles.