Do You Pick Up and Deliver to Cruise Ships? – Luggage Forward

Luggage Forward ships directly to and from cruise ships at port, and shipments can be arranged for a single leg or round trip.

How It Works

Your bags are picked up from your home, hotel, or other origin address and delivered directly to your cruise ship at the departure port—ready and waiting when you board. At the end of your voyage, we can arrange shipment from the port area to your home or next destination.

For post-cruise shipments, customs and port security regulations may require you to retrieve your luggage from the ship and clear customs before it can be released for shipment. Pickup procedures vary by cruise line and port, and specific instructions will be provided as part of your booking.

Booking a Cruise Shipment

Cruise shipments are booked the same way as any Luggage Forward shipment, with one additional step. When entering your origin or destination during the booking process, select the "Pickup from a cruise" or "Deliver to a cruise" checkbox beneath the address field. This will prompt you to enter your cruise line, ship name, and port details.

For full booking instructions, see our article: Where is the option to pick up from or deliver to a cruise ship when booking?

If you are shipping luggage both to and from your cruise, a separate booking may be required for each shipment leg depending on your itinerary and service requirements.

Timing Your Shipment

Cruise departures operate on fixed schedules, and your bags must arrive at the port before your ship sails. We recommend booking as early as possible and selecting delivery dates that provide adequate time before embarkation.

For most cruise shipments, we recommend:

Scheduling delivery at least 1–2 days before embarkation when permitted by the cruise line.
Allowing additional lead time for international sailings, remote ports, holidays, or peak travel periods.
Confirming that your cruise line and port are able to accept advance luggage deliveries.

If your travel plans change after booking, please contact us as soon as possible so we can review available options.

Important Considerations

Port security, customs regulations, and cruise line policies vary by destination and may affect how luggage can be delivered to or collected from a ship.

In some locations:

Advance deliveries may be restricted.
Travelers may be required to personally clear customs before luggage can be released for shipment.
Certain ports or countries may limit courier access to cruise terminals or secure areas.

If a direct cruise shipment is not available for your itinerary, our team may be able to recommend alternative arrangements, such as shipping to or from a nearby hotel.

Pricing

Shipping to or from a cruise ship involves port coordination and terminal handling that differ from standard door-to-door delivery. These factors are reflected in the rate.

For more detail, see our article: Why does selecting a cruise pickup or delivery change the rate?

Need Assistance?

Our Client Experience Team is available to help with cruise shipment bookings, port-specific requirements, timing questions, and itinerary planning.