Furious with Holland America!

[rochelle_s]

** Just wanted to state upfront that I am not a happy camper at the moment but I will try and be as unbiased as possible in this thread**

 

My mother and I boarded the Prinsendam in Civitavecchia, Italy on May 10, 2014. Fourteen days later on May 24th we disembarked in Ijmuiden, Holland.

 

I had started a thread about our trip but unfortunately was not able to keep up with it. After coming home I did not post a review as I was hoping to resolve the biggest issue before hand. That has not happened yet and hence my temperament at this point.

 

First off I will say that for the most part this was a good cruise, not great but good. The itinerary was interesting and we really loved a couple of the ports. The food was very good. The showroom entertainment was lacking but what was available was of pretty good quality. The cruise staff were top rate, with our favourite being Kevin the Culinary Arts Center Host. The crew, especially in the dining venues, were excellent-- you could not have asked for a nicer bunch of guys and gals.

 

Then came the 'issues'. Most of it just little stuff, that would never really even cause a second thought. Then the issues grew.

 

The casino staff were very friendly. The casino itself though was very disappointing.

 

Within the first couple of nights I caught a cold from the unnecessary blasting of air conditioning. Many complaints from fellow passengers as well about how cold it was.

 

Next was the failure to redeem my free credit.

I often receive offers in the mail (snail) from the casino department (Club 21). This was a last minute booking (18 days out) and I did not think about it when I booked and paid. The next week it dawned on me and I dig out one of these letters with a recent offer - it is for $150 for a cruise of 14 days or longer. I call the Club 21 department to enquire if this can be used on my Prinsendam cruise. I give the promo codes and they go off and check and come back on the line with the good news that yes indeed this is a qualifying cruise. Having been around the block more than once I asked if he could send me an email to confirm this, which he did. I brought my documents to the casino for redemption. They tell me they need to confirm with the main office after the weekend. Fine. A few days later I am told sorry they said no but we can give you $25. - What? I have the letter with the offer and a confirmation email and now you say no.??? Now this smells of a little something fishy but I just let it go. Figure I will send a letter when I return to let them know I think these are misleading practices etc.-- but not going tolet it ruin the enjoyment of my cruise.

 

The casino was also the 'tightest' casino I have ever been in in my life. First off at the "Casino Night' party, which is customary at the start of every cruise there was nothing offered to the guests that attended other than a raffle ticket. No glass of champagne, no rum punch. Hello this is the casino, a guaranteed money making venue and you can't pass out a simple beverage on the night of your party?-- Very sad.

 

I do not play the tables. I play the slots. I am not looking to get rich. I know the house has a huge advantage and chances are very good I will lose money. But still I play. I play because I like it for the entertainment value. But these were far and away the worst slot machines I have ever played in my life. The small group of regulars in the casino nightly all commented on it. I said something to the manager myself on the last night. I told him from having been in the casino almost every night and speaking with others that in the 14 days I had been onboard there had not been a single jackpot won in the casino. His response; "There was on the last cruise". Seriously?? I would hope so..the last cruise was 37 days long!!! At some point in a 14 day cruise a jackpot should be won. It did not have to be me ...but somebody!!

 

Several of the multi play/video type machines allow the player to check the stats of the machine -- I had a look at them all. They all said the last big win was "+ 2 weeks". How much longer it has been for a big win is anyones guess.

 

For those that play in the casino and understand the system this might make it clearer ; I accumulated over 12,000 points on this cruise, playing machines anywhere from 1 cent to 1 dollar and my biggest "hit" was on a 25 cent progressive machine -- I got the mini for $40.

 

If I were ever on the Prinsendam again I would not bother stepping in the casino and recommend other slot machine players do the same.

 

And the issues built--

 

My last problem on the ship was with my room key card. I had to have it replaced 10 times. Yes that is a "1" and a "0". I was almost always returning to my room to discover my key was no longer working I would then have to head to the front desk, wait in line and then have them produce another key for me. Then even the front desk gave up. For the last 48 hours, if I was not with my mother and wanted/needed to return to my cabin I had to go to the front desk and have someone escort me to my cabin with a master key and open the door for me.

 

Why?

 

My mother had to replace her key only a couple of times. There was never any issues using my key in the casino. Other than formal nights I wear a lanyard with a card holder and it is around my neck. I have no idea what the problem could have been. The front desk did tell me they have issues with some of the keys sometimes but did not elaborate any further. A couple of times might have been acceptable but when it gets to be this many it was just extremely annoying and frustrating. I cannot imagine how terrible the situation could have been for someone with bladder control issues.

 

Now I know I just said my problematic key card was my last issue on the ship. And technically it was.

 

The biggest problem was to become evident when disembarking on the last morning. I had made arrangements with a family of 5 from our roll call to share a taxi on the last morning. My mother and I were booked on a 3:30 flight out of Schipol. The family of 5 were staying at an airport area hotel for one night so they could do some sightseeing of Amsterdam on disembarkation day. All 7 of us had 'Grey 2" disembarkation tags.

 

In Ijmuiden there is a shuttle bus service to go a very short distance to the terminal building. The family of five are on one shuttle and we are first in line on the next one, which loads up pretty quickly and we are on our way. We arrive in the terminal, go to the Grey 2 area and look for our bags. Standing over to the side now is the family of 5 each with a bag in hand. Us no luck. We ask and are directed to check other areas, check all bags, check the carts with the Grand Voyage luggage to be shipped. We check everywhere. There is absolutely no sign of our suitcases. Someone from the port goes back to the ship to check and we wait.

 

We are waiting. The pre arranged taxi is waiting. The family of 5 are waiting. Nothing. Finally someone from the ship has us fill out a luggage claim form. He compliments us for being so calm. I say, "These things happen" and he thanks us for our understanding. Off we go through the terminal building and into our waiting taxi (which itself is a story for another day).

 

Upon arrival at the airport we seek out the HAL folks who are dealing with the newly arriving cruise passengers and their shuttle needs. HAL has one ship out of Ijmuiden and one out of Rotterdam.

 

Many scenarios go through our heads. Our hope is that our bags will arrive with one of the returning shuttles. Or maybe the ship excursion to Amsterdam with airport transfer will arrive with them. Then there is also the ship transfer to a downtown Amsterdam hotel. Perhaps our bags ended up with them by mistake. Again we wait. I had checked in online the day before and had said we would be checking in with two bags. We cannot complete the check in and go through security in case our bags do arrive. Finally we give up. Nervously we check in one carry-on. I had liquids that I had planned on transferring to the larger bag but now obviously cannot.

 

I jokingly posted on Facebook that we had each arrived home 40 pounds lighter than when we had left....and how unfortunate it was that it was due to lost luggage.

 

Over the weekend we speak longingly about our missing possessions "Oh, it would be a shame to lose that black sweater with the buttons on the sleeves" or " Those shoes are so comfortable and I can wear them with almost anything." What about those brand new things bought on the trip, never even worn or used or sipped (bottle of Port). The souvenirs for my kids. An Italian dress I bought for my daughter's upcoming birthday.

 

I wasn't heading straight home after my trip and I worried that they would return my luggage to my front porch and I would not be there. I should probably call my neighbour.

 

First thing Monday I am contacting the lost luggage department. Did you know they have a ton of extensions for all these different ports. I am directed to the correct extension for the port of Ijmuiden and I must leave a message. Apparently they are very busy and it could take up to 24 hours for someone to return my call. Who would have guessed that there was so much lost luggage on Holland America ships.

 

Someone did leave me a message with a number to call, which I did. It was not even a HAL number so I start the process again. My mother had also called and she was home when the person called her back. they said they would be looking into it. My mother mentioned that our bags contained our summer clothes and asked how long this process might take. their response, "It could take a couple of months". My mother was quick to point out that we live in Canada and two months could be our entire summer!! We need our clothes!

 

The next Monday we have still not heard anything so I call back again. This time I avoided going through the lost luggage department and wait to speak directly with someone in Guest Relations. She is very pleasant and says she will look into the matter for us. She says she will make sure the responsible person in lost luggage calls me.

 

No call - but I do receive a copy of an internal email looking for our luggage dated June 2-- a full ten days after we disembarked. Now that was slow.

 

Two days later I receive this very unfortunate email;

 

Dear Ms. Sxxxx and Mrs. Cxxxxxx,

 

Thank you both for your recent phone call regarding your ms Prinsendam sailing on May 10, 2014.

 

I am sorry to have to advise you that I have been notified that your luggage has not been recovered. We have checked the ship and the hotels to which we transferred guests; unfortunately, with no success.

 

If you have travel protection of some sort we suggest that you initially contact them to see what extent of your loss they will cover. Once your claim is finalized with them we will be happy to cover the remainder.

 

If, however, you do not have any sort of travel protection we ask that you provide an itemized list of the belongings with brand and purchase price along with the brand, purchase price, and year purchased of your suitcase. If you happen to have receipts for any of the items those would be greatly appreciated.

 

Once again, we are sorry to have to advise you of this conclusion. We look forward to resolving this situation with you.

 

This was sent from;

 

XXX XXXX

Special Advisor

 

Office of the President

 

 

 

Not only is this disappointing but now I am getting angry and so is my mother. We both feel like they were very lackadaisical about looking for our bags in the first place. Nothing seems to be have been done until June 2 and then on June 4th this is what I get. The next itinerary of the ship is not even finished yet--just in case it got placed in a room somewhere. Who knows and they didn't even have the courtesy to call either of us on the phone and give us this news.

 

It was really bothering me and I sat down at the computer and started to compose a "Lost Luggage" thread here on Cruise Critic. I searched for others with similar postings but could not find any. I decided not to post my angry rant. I still needed to make an itemized list and work this out with HAL.

 

So my mom and I made our lists. We checked and rechecked to try and make sure that we were not missing anything. We all know how much you can fit in one suitcase with good packing. But what is amazing is how quickly that dollar amount can add up. My mother's regular insurance covers cancellation and medical when travelling. I usually only purchase medical. So we submit our claims for the entire amount.

 

Mom emails in her claim on June 24. She waits a week has heard nothing so she calls to confirm they have received her email. Yes they have ..they are working on it. fast forward to today. It has now been over two weeks and she is going away for the rest of the summer at the end of the week. She calls HAL, bypasses the lost luggage department and waits on hold to speak directly to someone in Customer Relations. She speaks directly with the Guest Relations person who has already been dealing with us.

 

Here is where the furious part comes in.

 

I do not know exactly word for word what was said between my mother and Guest Relations but I can tell you when mom called me she was just about through the roof. They have received her itemized list which totals over $4000 dollars and HAL so generously told her they will be reimbursing her in the amount of $100. Yes that's right $100 dollars. My mother did not hesitate to tell Guest Relations that amount does not even cover the cost of her underwear!! This was bad enough but when exactly when were they planning on telling us this?

 

I hang up with mom and get on the phone myself with the same person in Guest Relations. I have had more than enough time over the last 6 weeks to think about this and I have thought it through long and hard. They have told my mother they do not plan on making good on their mistake. I am tired of being nice ...I want answers!

 

First I ask her about the conversation with my mother and she confirms that we will be reimbursed $100 each. I ask why such a low amount? She says if we had purchased insurance through the cruiseline it would have been different. I explain that is not what was stated in her original email to us ( see above). I also ask why she had us go through the whole process of making the itemized list if this was going to be the end result. She mentioned something about she had hoped there would have been a different outcome ( I assume her superiors).

 

I tell her I feel like we have been given the run around. If I had known this would have been the outcome 6 weeks ago I would have been a lot more assertive in demanding answers. I explain to her exactly why I think the HAL is ultimately responsible.

 

As I said I have put much thought into this:

 

On the last night of the cruise we were visiting new friends in their cabin. When we were leaving the stewards were in the hall collecting bags. I asked what time the bags needed to be out by. The response was, "As soon as possible" Seeing as we needed to go to the casino by 11pm to cash out we went to the cabin and I brought the two suitcases to the elevator area and handed them directly to the steward before going down to the casino.

 

Fellow passengers on the ship had boarded in Fort Lauderdale, Barcelona, or Civitavecchia. It is very unlikely that anyone would have had a vehicle in Ijmuiden. People were either using shuttle/transfer services, taxis or even the difficult public transportation. With all that and in this day and age of luggage fees I do not believe that someone would want to take someone else's dirty laundry home with them and at a price.

 

Now even if you believe the above could be possible. Out of the hundreds of bags in the terminal how do two different looking suitcases, with different tags from people with different last names who are from different cities both go missing. The only similarities between the two bags was the Grey 2 tags-- but there were lots of those.

 

I asked Guest Relations how it was possible that the only two suitcases to go missing were from our cabin. She said I could not know that only ours went missing. I corrected her on this one as I certainly did know. Remember all that waiting we were doing earlier. We had to wait until every single bag was claimed, look around one more time and that was when they finally gave us the form to fill out.

 

The only two suitcases to go missing are from the same cabin. That is one heck of a coincidence if you believe in such things!

 

I believe that our bags never came off the ship.

 

So I informed Guest relations that I know for a fact my bags were in the possession of a crew member and I know that they were not in the terminal building in the morning. In my opinion that means they were always in the 'possession' of Holland America and or their crew and I consider them responsible for their loss.

 

Had HAL's "we are not responsible" attitude been made clear to me earlier on I would have insisted that they review the security tapes on the ship and tracked our luggage that way. They would be able to see me leaving my cabin before 11 pm with the two bags and handing them off to the steward at the elevator doors on deck 9. I am sure they have cameras in all areas of the ship that they could have tracked them further.

 

Guest Relations has told me that they will forward this through to the ship security. I don't know if anything will come of that as so much time has passed, but hopefully so.

 

Two big suitcases just don't go missing like that. Someone must have done something with our bags, what I just don't know. Ijmuiden is a small port and we were the only ship there. In fact there was quite a bit of security about that morning. There were VIP visitors coming for a tour of the ship and security could be seen everywhere.

 

My mother and I have discussed this a lot and we cannot understand why this might happen. Why anyone would want our things is beyond us. And before anyone asks, no we did not remove our gratuities. That is not something we would ever consider doing even if we had poor service. As I stated before the service during the cruise was excellent.

 

 

Sorry for such a long post but I was trying to give the full story and the rant just needed an outlet.

 

Has anyone ever had their luggage completely disappear on a cruise ship? Any suggestions for where we go from here?

 

 

Rochelle

[TracieABD]

This is your second thread on theft, the first being from 2009 on the Grand Princess.

Edited July 8, 2014 by TracieABD

[cruisemom42]

This is your second thread on theft, the first being from 2009 on the Grand Princess...

 

The 2009 thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1002723

[hrhdhd]

I don't have any particular advice for you, but I wanted to say that I would be as upset as you are to have had two bags go missing, never mind be jerked around with the request for an itemized listing of contents when the settlement was apparently already decided.

 

Wait--just thought of something. Maybe if you post a (much) shorter version of this on HAL's Facebook page you'll get some response. I don't do Facebook, but I have read of people getting some acknowledgment of an issue by posting on social media.

 

Good luck. :)

[rochelle_s]

I don't have any particular advice for you, but I wanted to say that I would be as upset as you are to have had two bags go missing, never mind be jerked around with the request for an itemized listing of contents when the settlement was apparently already decided.

 

Wait--just thought of something. Maybe if you post a (much) shorter version of this on HAL's Facebook page you'll get some response. I don't do Facebook, but I have read of people getting some acknowledgment of an issue by posting on social media.

 

Good luck. :)

 

Thank you for understanding. My mother thought the amount was insulting. Delayed luggage gets better treatment than that.

 

People do seem to get help when they go through social media outlets. Guest Relations said she hoped to get back to me by the end of the week so I will try and be patient and try and figure out my options. Mom was really mad when I talking to her, she wants to hire a lawyer.

 

Rochelle

[Ians Grandma]

I agree that itemizing everything was a waste of your time and that 100.00 wouldn't even cover the cost of your suitcase. I will always keep my bag with me in the future!

[PathfinderEss]

I'm sorry about everything you have gone thru but I would have thought after your other bout of theft you would have taken out cruise insurance.

[rochelle_s]

I agree that itemizing everything was a waste of your time and that 100.00 wouldn't even cover the cost of your suitcase. I will always keep my bag with me in the future!

 

 

 

I will certainly be doing the same. The thought never crossed my mind when I place my bag outside on the last night of the cruise that it might not be there in the morning. I have never ever heard of this happening before.

 

 

 

Rochelle

[Laminator]

Check the benefits you receive with the credit card you used to pay for the trip. My credit card covers up to $5000 for lost luggage. Maybe you can file a claim with them.

[rochelle_s]

I'm sorry about everything you have gone thru but I would have thought after your other bout of theft you would have taken out cruise insurance.

 

It is not that I don't take out insurance. I do take out medical insurance. as I mentioned.

 

In the Princess situation I don't think it would have mattered if we had insurance or not. It is very unlikely that it would have covered cash. My aunt's insurance would not have covered that and she is well versed in the industry as she is a retired Vice President of a large Canadian insurance company.

 

Luggage is rarely lost completely. In the majority of cases it is just delayed, which is what we thought was happening with ours. Apparently not so.

[rochelle_s]

Check the benefits you receive with the credit card you used to pay for the trip. My credit card covers up to $5000 for lost luggage. Maybe you can file a claim with them.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. That is worth a try.

 

 

Rochelle

[Hlitner]

OMG! What a nightmare. At least HAL was nice enough to lose your luggage at the end of the cruise..and not at the beginning. You might also have some insurance coverage through your Homeowners Policy so you might want to check this resource.

 

What is really annoying to me are the "cheerleaders" that want to put the blame on the OP, rather then on HAL where it belongs! One should not need to buy extra insurance (often from HAL who profits from selling insurance to protect you from them) to protect you against cruise lines gross negligence. Losing 2 bags from the same cabin can be nothing but gross negligence and the cruise line should quickly make full restitution.

 

Hank

[ellieanne]

I am very sorry your luggage was lost, but if you read your "Know Before You Go" documents, you will see that Holland America's liability for lost, delayed, or damaged property is limited to $100. You agreed to these limits by going on the cruise. I'm sorry. It sucks, and it should be different, but you agreed to the policy, regardless of whether or not you actually read the document (and I suspect most people do not actually read all the documents that come with their cruise "tickets").

 

Quote from the relevant portion of the Know Before You Go, Baggage Policies & Packing Advice:

 

If Holland America Line, due to any cause whatsoever, is liable for loss of, damage to or delay of your property, the amount of Holland America Line’s liability will not exceed US$100 (US$600 for guests who have purchased the Cancellation Protection Plan) unless you have specified to Holland America Line in writing the true value of your property and paid to Holland America Line before departure of the cruise or cruise tour, 1% of the value in excess of US$100 or US$600, as applicable. In that event, Holland America Line’s liability will be limited to the amount so specified. Please contact the ship’s Front Office immediately upon embarkation for forms and additional details for declaring additional value; you must have your baggage with you when making these arrangements. Holland America Line’s baggage policy is further detailed in the Baggage section of your Cruise Contract.

 

Holland America's liability will not exceed $100, regardless of what someone told you in an email or a phone conversation, the official policy is $100. They did what they said they would.

Edited July 8, 2014 by ellieanne

[madera1]

Sorry to hear about your plight. Hope it has a better resolution in the end.

[serendipity1499]

OMG! What a nightmare. At least HAL was nice enough to lose your luggage at the end of the cruise..and not at the beginning. You might also have some insurance coverage through your Homeowners Policy so you might want to check this resource.

 

What is really annoying to me are the "cheerleaders" that want to put the blame on the OP, rather then on HAL where it belongs! One should not need to buy extra insurance (often from HAL who profits from selling insurance to protect you from them) to protect you against cruise lines gross negligence. Losing 2 bags from the same cabin can be nothing but gross negligence and the cruise line should quickly make full restitution.

 

Hank

Come on Hank..Let's not be so quick to blame HAL..How do you know that another person other than a HAL employee didn't take their luggage from the terminal?

 

Airlines take from one week & sometimes up to a month looking for lost luggage.. On the back of airline tickets there is a caveat about what an airline will pay for lost luggage..Some only pay $200 max..As another poster mentioned HAL has it in writing that they are only responsible for loses up to $100..

 

Suggest you read this article:

 

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/rights-luggage-lost-50128.html

 

The OP had a theft on another cruise line several years ago & was even told by many people to next time purchase insurance & she still doesn't purchase insurance..

 

We've been purchasing flood & hurricane insurance for 27 years & have never had a flood or never had a hurricane hit our town.. But if a flood or hurricane hits tomorrow & damages our home, we will have the insurance to repair or replace our damages..

 

On Page 6 of HAL's "Know Before You Go" booklet it reads:

 

Quote BAGGAGE POLICIES & PACKING ADVICE

Baggage Insurance: Although we try to handle your bags

carefully while they are in our possession, please be aware that

Holland America Line cannot guarantee there will be no loss

of, or damage to, your baggage or belongings. For this reason,

we suggest you purchase baggage insurance before you leave

home. Your travel advisor can provide you with additional

information if you are interested in this option. Unquote

 

When you've been hit once & warned about insurance would you not have the common sense to protect yourself the next time? I'm sorry the OP & her Mom had to go through this, & hope their luggage will be found but this should be another lesson learned

Edited July 8, 2014 by serendipity1499

[Sam.Seattle]

Hey OP... Hang in there! I would bet that the silent majority are wishing you the best and hope this never happens to your again.

Edited July 8, 2014 by Sam.Seattle

[rochelle_s]

Come on Hank..Let's not be so quick to blame HAL..Why are you so quick to defend the cruise line?How do you know that another person other than a HAL employee didn't take their luggage from the terminal?

 

I think you should read my original post again. The Prinsendam is a small ship and there were some passengers staying on. As a conservative estimate I will say that 500 suitcases came off that ship. Now somehow out of those 500 bags- 2 suitcases go missing. What are the chances that those two suitcases would be from the same cabin? As I said before they were different. Very different. Different maker, size, colour. The luggage tags on each were different (other than the Grey 2). The names were different and the hometowns were different. But somehow the only two suitcases to disappear came from the same cabin?

 

If it had been one case I might have been able to say sh** happens -- but I am sorry I can not say that when out of all the cases coming off the ship only our two went missing.

 

The OP had a theft on another cruise line several years ago & was even told by many people to next time purchase insurance & she still doesn't purchase insurance..

 

When you've been hit once & warned about insurance would you not have the common sense to protect yourself the next time? I'm sorry the OP & her Mom had to go through this, & hope their luggage will be found but this should be another lesson learned[/b]

 

Cruise lines always have their disclaimer clauses in their contracts. They have them about every little thing. It does not mean they they can never be held responsible for things that happen aboard their ships.

 

Even if I had insurance to cover lost luggage. Or even if HAL had offered to pay the full amount. I would still be angry. My possessions are gone. Some items had a sentimental value-- can you put a price tag on that? Something happened to our luggage. I am sorry if you can't see that when both bags from the same cabin are the only ones to go missing --something fishy is going on. There is no reasonable explanation for it. I might believe in a coincidence but this one is too great for even me to believe. I didn't get the impression Guest Relations was believing it either.

 

I have home insurance. If my house were to burn down I would have coverage for my things. Money cannot replace everything though. And if I felt someone had purposely set fire to my house I would be more than just upset I would be pissed off.

 

Love away at HAL all you like but something happened to our bags and I would like anyone to provide me with a reasonable and logical explanation.

 

 

Rochelle

[Cruzin Terri]

OP, i wish you the best and hope your luggage is found.

Policy or not, $100 is a rediculous amount to offer.

 

It's absurd to speculate that someone else would walk off with two pieces of luggage from the same cabin.

 

That luggage either is in the bowels of the ship or was load on a transfer bus mistakenly and sitting in som airport.

 

Yes, i do blame HAL.

Terri

[shandryl]

rochelle_s

 

I read your story and could feel the frustration. I hope that something good comes out of this. I have not lost luggage but I have had problems with Airlines in the past.

 

Nothing like what you have been through :eek:

[shandryl]

I don't have any particular advice for you, but I wanted to say that I would be as upset as you are to have had two bags go missing, never mind be jerked around with the request for an itemized listing of contents when the settlement was apparently already decided.

 

Wait--just thought of something. Maybe if you post a (much) shorter version of this on HAL's Facebook page you'll get some response. I don't do Facebook, but I have read of people getting some acknowledgment of an issue by posting on social media.

 

Good luck. :)

 

Thats a good idea. You mention FB/social media sometimes you get results. :D

[rochelle_s]

Hank and others..

 

Thank you for understanding.

 

 

What is really annoying to me are the "cheerleaders" that want to put the blame on the OP, rather then on HAL where it belongs! One should not need to buy extra insurance (often from HAL who profits from selling insurance to protect you from them) to protect you against cruise lines gross negligence. Losing 2 bags from the same cabin can be nothing but gross negligence and the cruise line should quickly make full restitution.

 

Hank

 

I agree with you about the cheerleaders. Not everyone goes out to seek insurance that covers every little thing. Where was the warning from HAL on the daily;

 

"Please place your suitcases outside your cabin door by midnight. Please be advised we are not responsible for the bags placed in the hallways"

 

One bag I could understand but both of ours? No. The cruise line needs to have some responsibility for what happens on their ships. They have a responsibility to try and figure out what could have happened to those bags. They were in the hands of their employees. If they cannot be held financially responsible what incentive do they have to even look for them in the first place?

 

Hopefully we can come to a better resolution with the company, but ultimately what I would like is for them to just find our bags. And even if this longshot happened I would still want to know what happened.

 

 

 

Rochelle

[USN59-79]

Interesting all the HAL apologists saying that the OP should have bought baggage insurance before starting the cruise. I wonder how many of them buy baggage insurance before each cruise? I have read that disclaimer that they were only responsible for $100. if they lose your bags or they are destroyed by the ship, such as in a fire or sinking. And that you can go to the front desk at the start of the cruise and pay them 1% of your perceived value of your luggage and they will insure it for you. I have often thought about going up and laying $20. on the desk and asking for $2000. worth of coverage for my belongings. Usually so busy that first day that I have never gotten around to it. Do my question is: Have any of you experienced travelers ever done that when boarding a HAL ship? Looks like you would have to drag your bags up to the front desk at the time you did it, or is that a requirement?

[rochelle_s]

OP, i wish you the best and hope your luggage is found.

Policy or not, $100 is a rediculous amount to offer.

 

It's absurd to speculate that someone else would walk off with two pieces of luggage from the same cabin.

 

That luggage either is in the bowels of the ship or was load on a transfer bus mistakenly and sitting in som airport.

 

Yes, i do blame HAL.

Terri

 

Thanks Terri,

 

They were not on the transfer busses. We were checking in with the HAL reps at the airport hourly.

 

Both bags had disembark tags on them with the cruise line and ship name. Each bag had a luggage tag with our names, addresses and contact phone numbers. Even if it were possible for those tags to both have disappeared off the bags, inside the suitcase is a copy of our passport. There is absolutely no reason those bags, even if both going in the wrong direction some how could not have found their way back to us.

 

 

Rochelle

[ellieanne]

Cruise lines always have their disclaimer clauses in their contracts. They have them about every little thing. It does not mean they they can never be held responsible for things that happen aboard their ships.

 

Even if I had insurance to cover lost luggage. Or even if HAL had offered to pay the full amount. I would still be angry. My possessions are gone. Some items had a sentimental value-- can you put a price tag on that? Something happened to our luggage. I am sorry if you can't see that when both bags from the same cabin are the only ones to go missing --something fishy is going on. There is no reasonable explanation for it. I might believe in a coincidence but this one is too great for even me to believe. I didn't get the impression Guest Relations was believing it either.

 

I have home insurance. If my house were to burn down I would have coverage for my things. Money cannot replace everything though. And if I felt someone had purposely set fire to my house I would be more than just upset I would be pissed off.

 

Love away at HAL all you like but something happened to our bags and I would like anyone to provide me with a reasonable and logical explanation.

 

Rochelle

 

I understand your frustration with the situation and the loss of your things. I really do. But Holland America has a clear policy for this, as outlined in the information they provide to you before you leave on the cruise. Failure to read the information does not negate Holland America's responsibility or liability.

 

Having had luggage, and the contents, destroyed by multiple airlines, and my luggage go missing so that I had no luggage on a cruise (it was eventually found and returned 3 weeks later), I really do understand the frustration. But I also know that the limits of liability are the limits of liability. Absent additional insurance covering luggage, there was never any way Holland America was going to pay more then the $100. I know all too well how that will not even begin to cover the cost of replacing what you can from the bags.

 

And I know that in your frustration, you want Holland America to do more to investigate the alleged theft and it is still only alleged, because no-one here knows for sure what happened to your bags. But the truth is they don't have an obligation to do so.

 

I'm not championing Holland America, I'm merely stating the facts. And the facts are that Holland America has done everything they are obligated to do. It's not that I do not feel your frustration, but I am outside the situation, so I can look at it with a clear, un-emotional head. It's not fair, I know that. But life is not fair, and these kinds of things are hardly ever fair in your favor.

 

I do hope your bags have identification inside (as well as on tags), so that in the event they are eventually found, they can be returned to you. And it can happen.

Edited July 8, 2014 by ellieanne

[SoCal Cruiser78]

...There is absolutely no reason those bags, even if both going in the wrong direction some how could not have found their way back to us...

 

It is always possible that another passenger intentionally moved your bags into their cabin overnight, and walked off the ship with them. I am not big on surveillance cameras in general, but in your case they might have helped.

Edited July 8, 2014 by Ryndam2002