Photo: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, 2025
A modern cruise ship can carry well above 4,000 passengers, which generates an equivalent handling of luggage pieces. For the boarding process, luggage is collected at the terminal’s check-in area, scanned, and sorted by deck and cabin sections. They are then loaded onto trolleys and brought to the cargo doors by forklifts. These cargo doors are usually at pier level, which facilitates cargo operations but requires them to be watertight. Then, the trolleys are going to be rolled unboard onto decks, sections, and cabins. Luggage handling takes place at the front and back of the cruise ship to minimize the intra-ship movements of luggage trolleys.
For the unboarding process, luggage is collected by cabin sections, loaded onto trolleys, and unloaded by forklifts at the cargo doors. The luggage will then be brought to the pickup area at the terminal, where passengers retrieve their luggage according to deck and section.