Royal Caribbean Luggage Tags: When to Print Them, Where to Find Them, and How to Use Them

If you’re getting ready for a Royal Caribbean cruise, luggage tags are one of those small things that create a surprising number of questions.

When can you print them? Where do you find them? What if you booked a guarantee stateroom and don’t have a room number yet? Do you need tags on bags you’re carrying onboard yourself? And what happens if you forget to print them completely?

Here’s what you need to know.

When can you print Royal Caribbean luggage tags?

Royal Caribbean luggage tags are included with your electronic cruise documents, or eDocs. Your eDocs become available before sailing once your reservation is finalized and the documents are ready.

Royal Caribbean says cruise documents for bookings made through a travel advisor are generally sent 20 to 50 days before sailing, assuming the reservation is finalized and paid. If you booked directly, you’ll receive an email when your documents are ready and can also find them through your reservation dashboard in your Royal Caribbean Guest Account.

This is different from online check-in opening.

So if you check in at 45 days and don’t immediately see luggage tags, that does not necessarily mean anything is wrong.

Where do you find Royal Caribbean luggage tags?

Look in your electronic cruise documents, not just the Royal Caribbean app.

Royal Caribbean says your cruise documents can be accessed through the reservation dashboard in your Guest Account once they are available. Your luggage tag is included in those eDocs and is specific to your ship, sailing date, stateroom and deck.

I usually recommend doing this from the Royal Caribbean website because you’ll ultimately need to download and print the document anyway.

What if you booked a guarantee stateroom?

A Royal Caribbean guarantee, sometimes shown as a GTY or “We Pick” room, means you’re booking a guaranteed category rather than selecting a specific stateroom yourself.

Royal Caribbean can assign your actual stateroom at any time up until check-in at the port.

Since the luggage tag includes your specific stateroom and deck, I personally would wait until fairly close to sailing if you still don’t have an assignment.

That way, if your room number appears before the cruise, you can print the final tag once instead of printing a temporary version and then doing it again.

How many luggage tags should you print?

Print one for every bag you want tagged.

Royal Caribbean specifically recommends printing enough copies so each checked bag has its own luggage tag.

If we have four suitcases, I print four tags.

You can write one guest’s name on all of them or put each traveler’s name on their own bag. I’m much more concerned with making sure every bag has the correct sailing and stateroom information.

Do you need luggage tags on bags you carry onboard yourself?

If you are carrying a bag with you and never handing it over to a porter, it doesn’t need the tag for the normal checked-luggage delivery process.

I still put cruise luggage tags on all of our bags.

My thinking is simple: if we somehow get separated from something during embarkation, I want our ship and stateroom information attached to it.

I also put an AirTag inside every suitcase we travel with. I use AirTags as an additional way to keep track of luggage, not as a replacement for the cruise luggage tag.

Should you put your cruise luggage tags on before flying?

I don’t.

If we’re flying to the departure city, I leave the Royal Caribbean tags off until we have collected our luggage from the airline and are getting ready to travel to the cruise terminal.

There are two reasons.

First, the tag doesn’t need to go through the airline baggage system, where it could potentially get torn or damaged.

Second, the cruise tag contains information about your upcoming sailing and stateroom. I don’t see a reason to display that throughout the airport when the tag isn’t needed yet.

I normally attach ours at the hotel the night before or the morning we head to the port.

What if you’re staying at a hotel and need to print your luggage tags?

My preference is to print them before leaving home whenever possible.

Royal Caribbean also recommends securing your luggage tags before leaving home to avoid delays on embarkation day.

But things happen.

If you’ll need to print them at your pre-cruise hotel, call the hotel ahead of time and ask whether they have printing available for guests.

If you want them printed in color, ask about that specifically.

You do not need a color printer in order for a luggage tag to work. The important part is that the identifying information on the tag is clear and readable.

Do Royal Caribbean luggage tags have to be printed in color?

No.

If you have access to a color printer, I would personally use it because the original tags include visual and color information.

But I would not stress about finding a color printer the night before a cruise.

A clearly printed black-and-white luggage tag is much better than no tag because you were trying to find a color printer.

How do you fold a Royal Caribbean luggage tag?

The luggage-tag page in your eDocs includes instructions showing you how to fold the printed tag. Royal Caribbean says the tag itself provides instructions for how it should be used.

You fold the paper into the tag shape, place it around your luggage handle, and secure it.

Do you need plastic Royal Caribbean luggage-tag holders?

No. You can fold the paper tag and staple it around your suitcase handle.

Some cruisers also reinforce the tag with packing tape.

If that makes you comfortable, there’s nothing wrong with doing it that way.

Personally, I use plastic luggage-tag holders.

Once I hand a suitcase over at the cruise terminal, I prefer having the paper tag inside a protective holder rather than relying on a folded piece of paper staying attached.

The holders are reusable, so ours stay with our cruise gear between trips.

One important detail: cruise-line luggage tags are not all the same size. Make sure the holder you buy is designed to fit Royal Caribbean and Celebrity-style luggage tags.

I keep the Royal Caribbean-size holders we use in my Amazon Cruise Essentials list.

What happens if you forget your luggage tags?

Don’t panic.

Royal Caribbean says generic luggage tags are available from the porters at the pier on embarkation day.

The porter can prepare a tag with the necessary information so the bag can be routed to your stateroom.

I’d still rather arrive with mine already attached because it’s one less thing to handle at the terminal, but forgetting the tags is not a reason to think your cruise is ruined.

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Royal Caribbean luggage tag FAQs

When are Royal Caribbean luggage tags available?

They become available as part of your electronic cruise documents. Royal Caribbean says travel-advisor bookings generally receive those documents 20 to 50 days before sailing once the reservation is finalized and paid.

Are Royal Caribbean luggage tags in the app?

Your luggage tags are part of your eDocs. I recommend accessing your reservation through your Royal Caribbean Guest Account on the website and downloading your cruise documents from there.

Why don’t I see my luggage tags yet?

Your cruise documents may simply not be ready yet. If you booked a guarantee room, you may also still be waiting for your stateroom assignment.

What information is on a Royal Caribbean luggage tag?

Royal Caribbean says the tag is specific to your ship, sailing date, stateroom and deck number.

What if my guarantee room hasn’t been assigned?

A guarantee stateroom can be assigned at any time before sailing, including as late as port check-in. If you have time, I’d wait until closer to sailing to print so your assigned room can appear on the tag.

How many luggage tags do I need?

One for every bag you plan to tag. Royal Caribbean recommends making sure each checked bag has its own luggage tag.

Does every family member need their own luggage tag?

You need a tag for each bag, not necessarily a completely different type of tag for each person. I’m comfortable putting one guest’s information on multiple family bags as long as the ship and stateroom information is correct.

Should I put a luggage tag on my carry-on?

You don’t need it for the checked-luggage delivery system if the bag stays with you, but I personally tag our carry-ons too in case we become separated from one.

Should I put my Royal Caribbean tags on before my flight?

I recommend waiting until after your flight. Retrieve your bags from the airline first, then attach the cruise tags before heading to the port.

Can I print my luggage tags at my hotel?

Possibly. Call before your trip and ask whether the hotel can print documents for guests. I still recommend printing them at home when you can.

Do luggage tags have to be in color?

No. A readable black-and-white copy is fine if that’s what you have available.

Can I just staple the paper luggage tag to my suitcase?

Yes. Follow the folding and attachment directions printed with the tag.

Can I use packing tape instead?

Some cruisers reinforce the folded paper with clear packing tape. Plastic holders are optional, not required.

Are plastic luggage-tag holders worth it?

For me, yes. They protect the paper and give me more confidence that the tag will remain attached after I hand the bag to a porter. But they are absolutely a convenience purchase rather than something you must buy.

Are all cruise luggage-tag holders the same size?

No. Check that the holder you’re buying specifically fits Royal Caribbean/Celebrity-style tags.

What if I forget to print my tags?

Porters at the pier have generic luggage tags available on embarkation day.

Should I put an AirTag in my cruise luggage?

I do. It gives me an additional way to see where our luggage was last detected. I still use the Royal Caribbean luggage tag because that is what identifies the bag for the ship’s handling and delivery process.

When should I attach the luggage tag?

If we drive to the port, I can attach it before leaving home. If we’re flying, I attach it after the flight, usually at our hotel or before leaving for the cruise terminal.

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My final advice

Luggage tags are one of those cruise details that sound complicated until you’ve done it once.

My routine is simple: I wait until our stateroom information is settled, print one tag for every bag, put them into our reusable plastic holders, and attach them after we’re finished flying. I also put an AirTag inside each suitcase.

The important thing is that the correct Royal Caribbean luggage tag is securely attached to every bag you’re handing over for delivery.

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Products I Use and Recommend

I keep a list of cruise-approved items I personally use and recommend.