Cruise Planning-Solving Cruise Problems Section -Luggage

[Burlingtontownie]

On Sunday morning, October 21 2012, there was a bicycle race in NYC that terminated at the cruise port, and at the port there were at least four ships docked including the Norwegian Jewel and the Norwegian Star side-by-side. The porters took our luggage, and we boarded the ship to go straight to our cabin We had three suitcases and two carry-ons. At three o'clock in the afternoon, only one of our suitcases arrived. We went to dinner that evening and assumed that our remaining suitcases would arrive later that night.

 

At the end of the cocktail party and dinner, our two suitcases had not arrived. We had to file a missing luggage claim, and were assured that our luggage would be returned to us fairly quickly. We also found out that 24 other passengers in our group had also lost their luggage. Before we went to bed, we found out that our lost luggage went on the wrong ship and was bound for the Virgin Islands and New Orleans. I was astounded that such a mistake could be made affecting so many people in our group.

 

I went to the Cruise Critic "meet and greet" early the next morning, and there were five officers in attendance. I identified myself and asked them about the incident, my specific concern for my wife's luggage, which contained needed medical supplies for her personal use, and what measures would be taken in the future to prevent this from hapening again to so many people. I ended my comment statement by stating that I was confident that every reasonable measure would be taken to get our luggage back to us as quickly as possible, especially the suitcase which contained my wife's needed medical supplies, and that guest relations would do the best that they could for us. The chief officer of hotel services on board ship replied that he was sorry about the incident, and every measure would be taken to retrieve our luggage as quickly as possible, especially for my wife's needed medical supplies. He met with me personally at the end of the "meet and greet" event and stated that three things occured that could have triggered the incident;

 

First, there were too many ships in port,

 

Second, there were not enough spotters to watch the luggage,

 

Third, there were union problems.

 

I was told that all of us who were affected would receive free laundry and dry cleaning services for the entire week, and that each of us would be given a $200 credit that can be used in the gift shop for needed clothing. Later, on the evening of the first sea day, I received a phone call that one of the pieces of our luggage was found and, fortunately, it was my wife's suitcase which contained her needed medical supplies. The third suitcase was regrettably on board the Norwegian Star, and it would be retrieved for us and returned to us when we were in Nassau in the Bahamas.

 

Unfortunately, the arrival of Hurricane Sandy forced the cruise line to cancel two port stops, including Nassau, and as a result, all lost suitcases would be taken off the Norwegian Star on St. Thomas, in The Virgin Islands, and flown TO New York City at the end of our cruise where we could claim it.

 

For the rest of our cruise, we were dodging the hurricane, and two port stops that were added to our itinery had to be changed on route. Instead of going to Charleston, South Carolina, we went to Norfolk Virginia to the US Naval Base area and spent the day waiting for many of the cruise ships to be ordered out by the Pentagon into open waters. We had to wait until an aircraft carrier went through before we could continue on to New York City. We did the port stop in Port Canaveral and I visited The Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, while my wife and the other passengers who lost their luggage, boarded a bus provided by the cruise line to go to a shopping mall and purchase clothes and other items needed with an additional 200 credit dollars for each cabin.

 

When we got back to New York, we did get our lost luggage, but it took such a long time to find the lost luggage, that we almost missed our shuttle bus back to Boston.

 

Summary: Yes-give the cruise line ample time to trace your luggage, but file a claim with guest services immediately on the evening of the first night, and if there is a "meet and greet event" speak to the director of hotel operations privately about the incident.

[gubby]

On Sunday morning, October 21 2012, there was a bicycle race in NYC that terminated at the cruise port, and at the port there were at least four ships docked including the Norwegian Jewel and the Norwegian Star side-by-side. The porters took our luggage, and we boarded the ship to go straight to our cabin We had three suitcases and two carry-ons. At three o'clock in the afternoon, only one of our suitcases arrived. We went to dinner that evening and assumed that our remaining suitcases would arrive later that night.

 

At the end of the cocktail party and dinner, our two suitcases had not arrived. We had to file a missing luggage claim, and were assured that our luggage would be returned to us fairly quickly. We also found out that 24 other passengers in our group had also lost their luggage. Before we went to bed, we found out that our lost luggage went on the wrong ship and was bound for the Virgin Islands and New Orleans. I was astounded that such a mistake could be made affecting so many people in our group.

 

I went to the Cruise Critic "meet and greet" early the next morning, and there were five officers in attendance. I identified myself and asked them about the incident, my specific concern for my wife's luggage, which contained needed medical supplies for her personal use, and what measures would be taken in the future to prevent this from hapening again to so many people. I ended my comment statement by stating that I was confident that every reasonable measure would be taken to get our luggage back to us as quickly as possible, especially the suitcase which contained my wife's needed medical supplies, and that guest relations would do the best that they could for us. The chief officer of hotel services on board ship replied that he was sorry about the incident, and every measure would be taken to retrieve our luggage as quickly as possible, especially for my wife's needed medical supplies. He met with me personally at the end of the "meet and greet" event and stated that three things occured that could have triggered the incident;

 

First, there were too many ships in port,

 

Second, there were not enough spotters to watch the luggage,

 

Third, there were union problems.

 

I was told that all of us who were affected would receive free laundry and dry cleaning services for the entire week, and that each of us would be given a $200 credit that can be used in the gift shop for needed clothing. Later, on the evening of the first sea day, I received a phone call that one of the pieces of our luggage was found and, fortunately, it was my wife's suitcase which contained her needed medical supplies. The third suitcase was regrettably on board the Norwegian Star, and it would be retrieved for us and returned to us when we were in Nassau in the Bahamas.

 

Unfortunately, the arrival of Hurricane Sandy forced the cruise line to cancel two port stops, including Nassau, and as a result, all lost suitcases would be taken off the Norwegian Star on St. Thomas, in The Virgin Islands, and flown TO New York City at the end of our cruise where we could claim it.

 

For the rest of our cruise, we were dodging the hurricane, and two port stops that were added to our itinery had to be changed on route. Instead of going to Charleston, South Carolina, we went to Norfolk Virginia to the US Naval Base area and spent the day waiting for many of the cruise ships to be ordered out by the Pentagon into open waters. We had to wait until an aircraft carrier went through before we could continue on to New York City. We did the port stop in Port Canaveral and I visited The Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, while my wife and the other passengers who lost their luggage, boarded a bus provided by the cruise line to go to a shopping mall and purchase clothes and other items needed with an additional 200 credit dollars for each cabin.

 

When we got back to New York, we did get our lost luggage, but it took such a long time to find the lost luggage, that we almost missed our shuttle bus back to Boston.

 

Summary: Yes-give the cruise line ample time to trace your luggage, but file a claim with guest services immediately on the evening of the first night, and if there is a "meet and greet event" speak to the director of hotel operations privately about the incident.

 

 

Wow this is certainly a tale of Peter's Principle in action. I am happy to hear that of all things found, your wife's medication was it. I am so happy to hear the way that your loss was handled by the cruise line. I trust that the way the incident was handled has convinced you to continue to cruise.

[Burlingtontownie]

Wow this is certainly a tale of Peter's Principle in action. I am happy to hear that of all things found, your wife's medication was it. I am so happy to hear the way that your loss was handled by the cruise line. I trust that the way the incident was handled has convinced you to continue to cruise.

 

Yes, Of course.

 

The most important thing in all this was this point of being reasonable with the ship's officers.

"I ended my comment statement by stating that I was confident that every reasonable measure would be taken to get our luggage back to us as quickly as possible, especially the suitcase which contained my wife's needed medical supplies, and that guest relations would do the best that they could for us. The chief officer of hotel services on board ship replied that he was sorry about the incident, and every measure would be taken to retrieve our luggage as quickly as possible, especially for my wife's needed medical supplies. "

 

It is my understanding that our request was "shot up the flagpole" administratively to deal with this very quickly. For the entire cruise, I was on a first name basis with all the staff at customer services with daily laundry and dry cleaning in at 9 PM and back at 6 AM. They were very kind to me as I had only 2 changes of clothes for the entire cruise.