River Cruise Baggage Limit

I can't answer your question about diligence but if your cruise line says 44 lbs per bag, then I'd stick to 44 lbs. If you must take over the stated limit, then take two bags and split the weight between them. This is going to make them much easier to handle yourself when dealing with moving them yourself to-and-from the cruise.

You didn't mean that you are thinking of taking over 44 lbs apiece I hope?

I was unaware of limits on river cruises. We are doing a Viking cruise in Sept. To the best of our knowledge there is no luggage limit. I assume you are asking the question because you expect to exceed the limits. Forty-four pounds is a lot of luggage. Our plans will be similar to our normal travel - a carry on each of about 20 pounds. We will be gone for over a month. Is there a particular reason you expect to exceed 44 pounds?

Took a cruise off the Turkish coast a few years ago, and there wasn't cabin room for full-size bags, whatever the weight. For an eight-week trip (non-cruise) I am hauling one bag that met RyanAir 15kg checked baggage limit and a RS Euro Tote... and wish I were carrying less every time I have to move it.

"If you must take over the stated limit, then take two bags and split the weight between them."

Then the airline charges you for a second checked bag. And do you think you'll have room in your cabin for two bags.

Just limit yourself to 44 lbs. Problem solved. I can't imagine why anyone needs 44 lbs., let alone 50 lbs.

My brother-in-law use to do American cruises. Apparently while food came with the price of the voyage, drinks were bar items and an extra cost. He drank soft drinks but that was a bar item. A lot of his luggage weight was bottles of Coke hidden away in his luggage. Cruse lines apparently frown on smuggled drinks even if consumed in one's cabin. What are the river boat rules regarding self-serve drinks?

Edgar, are we related? Or else I wasn't the only one bringing along pop on cruises.

I took a Grand Circle river cruise in August 2014 from Amsterdam to Vienna. I don't recall any baggage weight limits but they did provide "baggage handling" between the bus to/from and the ship. I had a good laugh as I watched my bag fall off the top of the overloaded cart onto the pier upon arrival. Perhaps the weight limits are for worker safety ...
I packed for the two weeks in my standard 21 inch carry on and a day bag. There was never a need for fancy clothes and I was able to wash things in the sink and hang to dry in the bathroom. A nice sweater or scarf at dinner was certainly dressy enough for me. The ship also offered some laundry service but it was more money then I wanted to spend for what I could do myself.
To Edgar's question, there was no problem with having drinks in one's cabin, but there wasn't a refrigerator. My friend and I had wine a few times with another passenger in our respective cabins. There might have been a corkage fee for personal wine at meals, but we were happy with the house wine at dinner.

I bring my own soda too so I must be a relative. Cruises are usually Coke and I don't function well without my Pepsi in the morning :)