Level 8 Voyageur Luggage Set
The search for the perfect set of luggage seems to be never ending. Over the past 20 years of travel, we have gone through no less than a dozen different carry-on and checke luggage products.
When it comes to checked luggage, we have had hard-sided luggage and soft duffel bags. We have had luggage with wheels and some without. We definitely prefer those with wheels.
Our most recent checked bags are wheeled soft duffels that came from COSTCO. They have performed well, but are beginning to show some wear and tear.
Finding the perfect carry-on bag is no less challenging. Rickee and I agree that a carry-on must have four wheels that easily swivel and fit "wheels first" into the most common aircraft overhead bins.
We recently became aware of Level 8 luggage from YouTube and reached out to them to see if they would like for us to review their products during a cruise with Swan Hellenic.
The first to arrive was the Voyageur 2-piece luggage set which included a 26" checked bag and a matching 20" carry-on. Some may find the yellow-and-black color scheme to be a bit garish, but we like luggage that we can easily spot in a sea of black bags on an airport carousel.
28" Voyageur Check-In
The Voyageur Check-In is available in three sizes: 26", 28" and 30". We opted for the 28" and it looks quite substantial compared to our current duffel checked bags. The 28" actually measures 27.3"H x 16.6"W x 13.3"D, weighs 11.8 Ibs and has a claimed capacity of 93 liters.
The Check-In is shaped more like a trunk than a traditional piece of luggage. The shell is a German-made Makrolon® polycarbonate construction, which Level 8 claims to be light and durable. Ours came in yellow and black making it hard to miss.
The base of the Check-In is 8" deep while the lid (the yellow part) is 5.5" deep.
The zipper has Level 8 branded pulls which appear sturdy. The zipper is not waterproof, so care should be taken not to leave the luggage in the rain. The zipper is the most likely point of failure on any piece of zippered luggage, and only time will tell if the Level 8 zippers will hold up to the rigors of abusive baggage handlers. The zipper does glide easily and the pulls can be secured into a TSA lock mechanism on the side of the bag.
The four casters each swivel 360 degrees to turn this into a spinner bag. Each caster has two wheels and each wheel has a rubber tread. The bag glides easily on hard or carpeted surfaces.
The aluminum telescopic handle has three detents and is one of the distinguishing features of the Voyageur line up. Unlike on the more traditional spinners, the handle spans the entire with of the bag, making it quite sturdy and stable while placing the support rails inside the bag at the very edges.
This design places the support rails on the interior of the base at the far edges of the bag rather than in the center of the base. This design makes it easier to pack the base without the need to work around the handle support structure inside the base of the bag.
Opening the shell of the Voyageur Check-In may lead to some confusion as the interior designs are not consistent from bag to bag. For some reason, the Voyageur luggage interior comes in two different layouts. On the Check-In sent to us, the black base is covered with a zippered mesh fabric, underneath which are compression straps. On the lid (the yellow piece), is another zippered panel with two zippered pockets. One pocket is a breathable mesh and the other a vinyl “moisture proof” design. The interior configuration of the other version is just the opposite with the two zippered pockets being placed on the black base side.
Ship&Play Luggage Delivery Service
Shipping your luggage directly to your cruise ship or hotel is a true luxury upgrade.
When we began planning our 2026 Ultra Luxury Japan cruise, we knew we did not want the hassle of checking luggage with the airlines. After all, luxury is not having to worry about whether or not the airline is going to lose your luggage.
A friend introduced us to Ship&Play, an international shipping company that specializes in shipping luggage, golf clubs, skis and other sports equipment.
We had two large pieces of checked luggage that needed to be shipped to our pre-cruise hotel in Japan. Ship&Play handled everything from start to finish. They even contacted our hotel in Japan to ensure that our luggage would be held for us until we arrived.
A few days before our luggage was to be picked up by the shipping company, we received pre-printed labels via Fedex along with all of the instructions on packing and how to attach the labels.
A little more than a week before our flight to Japan, a local courier picked up our luggage to deliver to the shipping company (DHL in this case). This allows our luggage to arrive ahead of time so that it will be waiting for us when we arrive at the hotel in Tokyo.
I was able to use the Ship&Play website to easily track our luggage every step along the journey and could see as soon as the luggage safely arrived at our hotel. Ship&Play Customer Service even contacted the hotel in Tokyo to confirm that they had received our luggage.
User-friendly online tracking
When we arrived at our hotel in Tokyo, our luggage was delivered directly to our room by the hotel bell staff. It could not have been easier or more efficient. It was so nice not having to lug two large, heavy pieces of luggage through the airport, then have to wait at baggage claim in Tokyo for our bags to come off the carousel after a 14-hour flight.
End Of Cruise
At the end of our 14-night Japan cruise, we disembarked Silver Moon and, as soon as we entered the luggage claim area at the Tokyo Cruise Terminal, a Ship&Play representative had already identified our luggage and was waiting for us with a sign bearing my name!
Our luggage was loaded onto a cart and the representative took our luggage through Japan Customs with us.
After we passed through Customs, Ship&Play representatives attached the shipping labels to our luggage and whisked them away to be shipped back to our home in Texas.
If you are taking a cruise, Ship&Play can arrange to have your luggage shipped directly to the ship at the port of embarkation. Your luggage will be waiting for you in your stateroom when you arrive! This is a service that every luxury traveler should experience. We will definitely be using Ship&Play in the future. For more information, go to ShipPlay.com.
Disclaimer: Ship&Play provided CruiseReport with shipping of luggage from USA to Japan so that we could review this service.