With the summer travel season almost upon us, airports will be filled with frazzled folks flitting far, far away. There’s nothing like a lost bag to put a cramp in your visit to the in-laws, so here are a few tips to help you avoid luggage letdown.
Do You Need It?
This is a two-part question. Part One: Most people pack way too much. Try to remember what you took last time and didn’t use, and eliminate it this time. Part Two: If you can’t afford to lose it, don’t bring it. Leave Grandma’s pearls at home.
Don’t Check It:
Let’s be honest. All those people who tell you they pack 10 days worth of stuff in a carry-on are rumpled, dirty and far too ascetic for our taste. They also clearly don’t have kids. That being said: take anything valuable as carry-on and a throw in a change of clothes too, along with medications, electronics and travel documents. With checked luggage couples and families should definitely cross-pack, so if a bag goes missing, they’ve all got something to wear.
Bag It & Tag It:
You want your luggage to be distinctive, so make sure it is well identified with ID tags and a sticker or ribbon so you can pick it out on the carousel. Don’t rely on old baggage tags as ID, or your bag could end up back at your previous destination.
Eyes on the Prize:
Don’t dawdle while heading to the baggage claim. Sometimes bags come remarkably quickly, and you don’t want someone else walking off with your stuff. Many people also prefer to keep their bags in sight as much as possible when checking in to a hotel or boarding a cruise ship. It’s often easier and more reassuring to carry your own luggage or accompany it to your room or cabin.
Spotlight on Norwegian Epic
What’s a new cruise ship without a superlative or two? Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic will set sail this month, and final fittings included installing the largest LED chandelier at sea. The massive piece is the focal point of the ship’s atrium and the Epic Casino — also the largest at sea. But they don’t make chandeliers like they used to – this one features 10,000 LED diodes allowing it to project all colours of the spectrum through 40,000 glass crystals. The monster light is the product of Vienna’s Kalmar, a leading glass crystal maker and specialist in chandeliers that make statements in hotels and palaces around the world. The 21-foot tall, 11-foot diameter chandelier weighs two metric tonnes and took a team of people three weeks to install.
Photo Credits: jocic, epic.ncl.com