Our luggage debacle

[beemergal]

We had a great cruise on the Sensation that was marred by a situation that occurred when we went to retrive our luggage at debarkation. Perhaps you can avoid this happening to you or to others by our story.

 

The night before we were to depart the ship, we put our luggage in the hallway as required by Carnival. For first time cruisers, you have the option of "Self Assist", which means you keep your luggage and take it off the ship yourself. It is probably the way to go if you don't have heavy or a lot of luggage. For Carnival on this ship anyway, you had to have your luggage in the hallway between 8:00 - 11:00 p.m. in order to have it picked up. In my other cruises, it had been after midnight when it was picked up, which made it more convenient if you were seeing a show or doing something the last night on the ship. This seemed way too early, but it doesn't have any effect on my story.

 

What is it about black luggage? It seems that 90% of luggage is in the color of black. You can imagine how many look alike bags there are on a ship (or airline for that matter). When we went to retrieve our luggage in the terminal before going through customs, two of the four of us did not have luggage where it was supposed to be and the affected luggage was coming from 2 different cabins. They assign you a number and give you a tag to put on each piece of luggage. In our case, we all had #7. We had waited onboard until they announced that those with our number could leave the ship and departed within 5-10 minutes of that announcement.

 

My luggage happened to be gray in color and it was where it was supposed to be. For the two others, their luggage was not there. We dealt with a bunch of different terminal representatives before we found one that was determined to find our luggage. The rest were kind of "gee, that's too bad", "it happens every day"...not the kind of thing you want to hear. Every other table was checked for the luggage to no avail. They were taken to an area where the luggage tags had come off, but it wasn;t there either. They checked to see if it was still on the ship, which it was not.

 

Just about everyone had left the terminal at this point and we had been waiting there over a hour not wanting to give up hope and fill out a claim form. About this time, a lady came to the table next to ours and found a suit bag that belonged to her. She was so delighted to find it and we said something about how lucky she was. She asked us what our situation was and then said "I'll check our luggage to be sure we don't have yours." That seemed like an odd thing to say...why would she have ours?

 

Well, she DID have ours, but it took another hour to get it back. Turns out she was part of a family group of 50 that had been onboard. She had sent her nephew to retrieve their luggage and he had apparently just grabbed stuff that looked like their luggage! Our bags were located in their stuff and were on a bus. The very helpful terminal assistant made them turn around and bring our luggage back! Just think...if that woman had not come back to find her suit bag and talked with us, who knows when or if we would ever gotten our luggage. It's a good thing we did not have an early flight to catch, because we had to wait 2 hours and they were already boarding passengers for the next cruise.

 

Moral of the story...well, there are 3. First, mark your luggage with colorful ribbons or something to set it apart from the others if you have a black bag. Second, make sure you don't take a bag that does not belong to you! Third, do not send a child to do a job they are not capable of doing.

[barbevrn]

WOW! All I can say is wow. You seemed to handle the situation very well. I have to admit, I would have been a wee bit more upset. Once I'm off the ship.........I'm ready to go home!

[roswellmom]

We purchased a set of rainbow luggage straps. It has a built-in combination lock to prevent any unauthorized personnel from opening it and it makes the luggage very easy to locate, especially when using black luggage. Got it from the luggage dept in Dillards or Macys (can't remember which).

[MsTabbyKats]

We hang heart shaped key tags from every place you can...so we know it's ours.

[newlife_2010]

Thanks for the heads up. I am using BAGS with Southwest Airlines. From my understanding, I do self assist then hand them my bags once I go through customs. Then they will take my luggage to the airport and I will see it once I arrive at my final destination. It costs $20.

[Blackchips Ahoy]

On our second cruise, my bag almost got on a bus headed for NC from Miami.

 

Since then, we've ALWAYS self disembarked with all of our luggage.

 

 

Moral of the story: You can't lose your stuff if you have it all with you.:cool:

[toledo_cruiser]

Something similar happened to one of travel mates in October. We had gotten off the ship, onto the Carnival shuttle, and made it to the airport in Ft. Lauderdale. The driver offloads the luggage at the first stop and those getting off there select their luggage and go to their respective terminal. We were on the last stop. Yup, my friend's luggage was not there, but there was another "unclaimed" black bag. The driver was upset and went back to the first stop, but there wasn't any luggage there on the sidewalk. Finally, we look at the remaining bag and see there is an airline sticker on it from the incoming flight. My friend hikes back to the first airline (other side of the terminal complex). They run a check, and yes, the person is on an outgoing flight and has already checked in. The airline personnel inspect the checked luggage and finds my friend's bag. We don't know if the person who took the bag ever knew about the mistake, but that person clearly didn't look at the bag even when checking in. It had been marked with colored tape!!! Luckily we had enough time before the flights departed to make the switch. The moral is... it's not always the baggage personnel to screw up the luggage transfer.Jim

[pokergirl34]

That is one of the reasons I have an rust colored suitcase and DH has a navy/orange one. Our kids have red and navy as well. We sure like the classy look of all black luggage, but don't want to have a situation like yours!

 

I have been thinking self-assist might be the way to go though. A lot of horror stories lately! We do not pack very much so we could easily self-assist.

[NCTribeFan]

Well, personally, I dislike that so many people are carrying off their own luggage when it really isn't necessary (like having an early flight).

 

It's gotten so it's an absolute zoo now. I've been run over by kids trying to drag bags that are bigger than they are.

 

I've been in elevators that were already full and had entire families with luggage absolutely crush you in the car because they're determined that they will ALL get on the same one, despite others already being there.

 

Anyway, the best/easiest thing is to just put something that will obviously identify your luggage.

 

And anyone who sends a kid/teen to retrieve bags should know better and I would've told that woman.

 

What if you'd had a flight to catch? You wouldn't have been able to stand around and wait for someone to discover that they'd taken your bags.

 

:(

 

I have bright lime green yarn tied on all bags. It makes those black bags stand out. I also have "real" luggage tags on all bags AND leave my Carnival tags on until I'm back at the airport.

 

Oh, and the luggage I bought before my Victory cruise is bright red. Well, it was until I used it. Now it has greasy black streaks on it. Still, it isn't quite as common as black.

[GayleR]

And anyone who sends a kid/teen to retrieve bags should know better and I would've told that woman.

 

What if you'd had a flight to catch? You wouldn't have been able to stand around and wait for someone to discover that they'd taken your bags.

 

:(

 

My thoughts exactly. That woman owed the OP a big apology and maybe a Starbucks. :cool:

[lillian marie]

We pack light and always walk our bags off because many years ago we lost a bag.

[cruzkitty]

On a cruise about 3 yrs ago, one of our bags was on a bag on its way to Canada!! The terminal reps were very helpful, and finally located it, and we claimed it at the next Airport. I hate the zoo of claiming your luggage, and for the last 3 cruises, we have used the "Luggage Express Service", best $19 pp we've ever spent!! :)

[SammieMC00]

When shopping for luggage for our first cruise. My sister picked out a giant bright pink bag with leopard print on the front of it. We all made fun of her for this bright bag, but she was always the first to find her bag at the airport or from the shuttle bus. We even we able to spot it while they were loading it onto the plane, and we saw it pass by us in one of those big luggage carts on the ship. I know when I go to buy new luggage i'll be looking for something just as brightly obnoxoius! LOL

[Peg_S]

If you are one of the last groups allowed to leave the ship your chances of a luggage "mishap" greatly increase? It's totally up to the attention span of all the people who've disembarked before you?

 

Wow.

 

Maybe I'll put an alarm clock in my luggage. No one would take a suitcase that is buzzing. I'll be certain to find my suitcase sitting there...probably with lots of security watching it for me!!:D

 

Peg

[cruising3times]

On our second cruise, my bag almost got on a bus headed for NC from Miami.

 

Since then, we've ALWAYS self disembarked with all of our luggage.

 

 

Moral of the story: You can't lose your stuff if you have it all with you.:cool:

 

Not entirely true, after one cruise we arrived at the airport with our luggage, checked it in at the airport, my husband's suitcase was sent to Rome, we did get it back four days later.

Moral of that story, always read the luggage claim checks they give you.

[BC Todd]

On a cruise about 3 yrs ago, one of our bags was on a bag on its way to Canada!! The terminal reps were very helpful, and finally located it, and we claimed it at the next Airport. I hate the zoo of claiming your luggage, and for the last 3 cruises, we have used the "Luggage Express Service", best $19 pp we've ever spent!! :)

 

Not Canada!! That would be a fate worse than death!;)

[GlendaleCruiser]

If you look in the kids shoe sections, you can find shoelaces that are neon green, pink and orange. I have consistently used the neon green and tie them to the handle that ends up at the top (on the end). I was able to find them in Walmart in the past and they were extra wide. They never fray. I use them in addtion to my regular luggage tag and leave the Carnival tag on, also.

[misguidedangel]

Is yourt middle name "POatience" by chance because you certainly had a lot of it!!!

 

I was smart, I bought peacock blue luggage..Not many have peacock blue. I was temped to get the bright hot pink, but then thought, no that would get dirty a little too fast and went with the slightly darker peackock blue....

 

I have seen it all to well how people just go and grab what they think is THEIR bag only to look at the tag before they leave and realise it isn't!!!

 

I also find that having a Canadian Flag luggage tag marks my bsga clearly as no American would have a Canadian flag luggage tag......at least these ones haven't broken off in three cruises so far...

[vacruizer]

I love my lime green and electric orange luggage! I can always spot it right away.

 

It's really sad, though, that people don't bother to check and make sure the luggage is theirs before grabbing it. :mad:

[bplazo]

I love my lime green and electric orange luggage! I can always spot it right away.

 

It's really sad, though, that people don't bother to check and make sure the luggage is theirs before grabbing it. :mad:

 

Oops! I am one of those people. Alot of years ago my daughter and I were going to Disney, and when I got to the hotel I opened the bag and realized it was not mine. I was so mortified because I realized that I had inconveniced someone else. The airline had already called my hotel and sent someone over to pick up the other person's luggage and to deliver mine.

 

I now have luggage that is "uninque" and I also put ribbons on the handle so I never make that mistake again.

[Traveler353]

Easiest solution: Carry on and carry off. I have not had any trouble finding my bags and have not lost one piece while carring my own.

[Quampapetet]

That's why when I bought my current luggage set, I got one that is a unique color and pattern. It is so easy to spot my luggage on the airport carousel and when I cruised, I spotted my luggage from across the big room it is put in. :) I still always check the tags to make sure it is MY bag, though, even though I've never seen anybody with the same bags before.

[Joanns6569]

It is funny that you talk about EVERYONE having black luggage. I wanted to buy a new set for my husband and I to use, he picked out a great set of black luggage and I wanted a chocolate color set that had tiffany blue bubbles on it. His first remark was, "do you expect me to wheel that through the airport?", My response was, "do you want to be able to find yours and not have someone take it?" Needless to say, we have a BEAUTIFUL chocolate and tiffany blue bubble set. :)

[msmayor]

I don't own a single black suitcase. Matter of fact, whenever I have purchased luggage I look for bright colors/patterns that border on ugly. Lets face it: after one trip on a plane or through porters, its all scuffed up and dirty anyway. Might as well be easy to spot.

 

Never had a problem.

[jetskier]

Yellow duct tape on the handles. Have not had any problems finding our luggage.

Dave