lost luggage during debarkation??

[mjoymarshall]

We just got off the Pride today. We always do the relaxed debarkation process and put our bags outside our stateroom the night before. (We have 2 kids under 5 so no way can we do self assist.) This was our 5th cruise and have never had any issues. However, after clearing customs today, my suitcase was nowhere to be found. Carnival employees in the terminal were absolutely no help. We waited around, hoping that someone realized they had taken the wrong bag. But no luck. We filled out a lost luggage form, but honestly, no one cares and carnival said they only had 24 hours to find it. I'm fairly upset because it had the photos we had purchased, all my jewelry, and $400 worth of shoes! Oh, and it was locked. Any hope for me? Has this happened to anyone else?

[dubois]

Was it before or after clearing Customs that the bag was missing?. Before Customs, possibly a mistake on someone's part. After Customs like you stated, I would lean towards a theft.

Edited September 14, 2014 by dubois

[mjoymarshall]

Don't know when it went missing! We put it and 3 other bags outside our stateroom at 9pm last night. When we went to pick up our bags, only the 3 were there. I'm mainly upset about the pictures and my michael kors heels I bought for formal night. Everything but the pictures are replaceable. But, unfortunately, we have to run out tonight to get some things that we need for daycare and work tomorrow.

[SadieN]

Most likely someone took your bag by mistake.

 

Hard way to learn never to put anything of value ( money or otherwise) in luggage that leaves your sight.

 

Even with our unusually colored checked luggage with put an odd identifier on it.

Edited September 14, 2014 by SadieN

[MCC retired]

Since this just happened today don't panic .

Give the cruise line a chance .

If you had a common looking bag chances are a similar bag was left unclaimed .

Guest who took your bag may not realize it until they get home .

I'm sure that you had your address on/in it ?

Give it time !

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Edited September 14, 2014 by MCC retired

[rolaur]

Although time consuming, you could have waited in the luggage area till all the bags were picked up and seen if one like yours was still left. Then look at the name tag as that's probably who has your bag! Not the easiest system but it might have worked. Hopefully Carnival would do the same thing for you.

Edited September 14, 2014 by rolaur

[loxley]

We just got off the Pride today. We always do the relaxed debarkation process and put our bags outside our stateroom the night before. (We have 2 kids under 5 so no way can we do self assist.) This was our 5th cruise and have never had any issues. However, after clearing customs today, my suitcase was nowhere to be found. Carnival employees in the terminal were absolutely no help. We waited around, hoping that someone realized they had taken the wrong bag. But no luck. We filled out a lost luggage form, but honestly, no one cares and carnival said they only had 24 hours to find it. I'm fairly upset because it had the photos we had purchased, all my jewelry, and $400 worth of shoes! Oh, and it was locked. Any hope for me? Has this happened to anyone else?

 

Sorry you could not find you bag, but just wondering what the terminal employees could have done to help you that they didn't. Seems to me if it wasn't there, it wasn't there.

 

On my last cruise I was looking at all the bags that looked identical. Did you distinguish your bag in some way like I do? I painted mine. No one is going to mistake it for theirs.

[bsp]

We just got off the Pride today. We always do the relaxed debarkation process and put our bags outside our stateroom the night before. (We have 2 kids under 5 so no way can we do self assist.) This was our 5th about cruise and have never had any issues. However, after clearing customs today, my suitcase was nowhere to be found. Carnival employees in the terminal were absolutely no help. We waited around, hoping that someone realized they had taken the wrong bag. But no luck. We filled out a lost luggage form, but honestly, no one cares and carnival said they only had 24 hours to find it. I'm fairly upset because it had the photos we had purchased, all my jewelry, and $400 worth of shoes! Oh, and it was locked. Any hope for me? Has this happened to anyone else?

 

We had that happen when we were in New Orleans. We went to the luggage area, found one bag, other bag no where to be found. An employee came over, gave us a form and had us fill it out. I told her what bag looked like - I have even put in big letters my husbands initials! She said I saw that bag on a cart a porter was taking. Needless to say, not found that day. We were late getting off due to customs, so somebody in a hurry probably picked ours up. Bag showed up at our house about 4 days later. Nothing appeared to be missing. Hopefully you will have everything when you get yours.

[jkjmt]

Yup!!! Last year....except Carnival did everything possible for us....They were FANTASTIC......Here is our story.

 

 

Last January 2014 we took our first B2B.....BUT....our B2B was Carnival Esctasy 4 nights, sleep in Miami one night then go out on the Breeze for 8 nights. We put our 2 pieces of luggage out the night before leaving the Esctasy and the next morning we lounged around and didn't get off the ship until last call...(we couldn't get in our hotel until later, so why rush?) We were with 2 other couples so all six of us got off the ship together and there was 1 piece of our luggage....it contained our shoes, my bathing suits (thank God!!) and my one dress jacket (not my new formal dress with the price tags still on it.) It had the shampoos, sun screen, lotions, etc. and deodorant. And that was it!!! So we looked and Carnival looked, but nothing. So we filed the form and went to our hotel. I called Carnival off and on throughout the day and the two women I talked to were FANTASTIC. By 5:00 we knew we had to do something because we still had an 8 day cruise left....the NEXT day....so LUCKILY....there was a Marshall's right around the corner (what are the chances of that happening in the Port of Miami.) We had to buy everything since we each only had one pair of underwear and the clothes on our back. WE HAD NO CLOTHES!!! We spent $400 getting underwear, shorts, tops, bathing suit for my husband, pants, and dress shirt for my husband. The women at Carnival said fax the receipt (which the Holiday Inn POM gladly did for us.....and Carnival gave us ship credit for $400. Once we got on board, I had to buy a few more things because all Marshall's had for women was size 2 and let's just say that wouldn't work for me. Luckily, we had trip insurance, so we saved all receipts and the insurance covered $300/pp or $600. So....we decided we weren't going to let it ruin or trip so we had a great time. Luckily we're platinum, so we got free laundry (I had enough underwear for 5 days.)

 

Anyway, we got home and messages were starting to finally come through my iphone and sure enough, a man from Connecticut had called. He had accidently taken my rust orange suit case. He had told the porter, to get the orange suitcases and the porter got mine too. Now how he got it home from Florida to Connecticut without knowing he had an extra suitcase, I don't know....but he did.

 

I returned his call and said, we'd split the shipping....and then he stopped answering my calls. I kept calling saying I'd pay for everything, but he wouldn't answer. So my lady friends at Carnival and I did some investigating and found his home phone and Carnival called him. He told Carnival he couldn't afford to send it, (even though I said I'd pay for it all...and it was ALL his fault.) So Carnival made arrangements for pick-up and delivery from his door to my door and they paid for everything.

 

So approximately 2 1/2 weeks after we got home, we got our suitcase....and everything was in it exactly how I had left it.....including my new dress with the price tags on it.

 

 

Hopefully your luggage never left the ship and will get off next week (not likely) or an honest person took it by mistake and will contact you. Good luck!!

[mjoymarshall]

Thanks everyone! I'm holding on to hope! We stayed in the terminal an extra hour or so. My husband walked around 3 times and then I checked since I didn't necessarily trust him. Lol. Maybe we shouldve stuck around longer, but my 3 year old wasn't cooperating. He ended up grabbing one of the worker's lights and using it as a light sabor. Ha. We were told to call Carnival tomorrow morning. Suitcase had a luggage tag and lock on it so maybe a phone call tonight?? Anyway, I'm upset but happy that our camera or other important things weren't in it.

[rkacruiser]

Please let us know how this situation turns out.

 

How people can be so careless or so much in a hurry when they are retrieving their luggage after a flight or a cruise is something that I really don't understand. How long does it take to make sure that piece of luggage is really yours?

 

Best wishes for a successful resolution to your situation!

[John Reid]

We had that happen after a Pride cruise. We filled in the form and talked to the Carnival agent. She explained that they check the unclaimed luggage when all have departed and then contact those passengers. That can take time depending on the passenger's method of travel. She explained that it is usually one of those passengers who has taken the wrong bag. That was the case for us.

 

They authorized to have our bag Fed Ex'ed back to us. The folks who grabbed the bag did so and we had the bag back in two days. Luckily, they had driven to the port and could act quickly.

 

The reason they have only 24 hours to act is that the Carnival staff leaves the port that day of debarkation and embarkation of the next cruise and don't return until the ship returns from its cruise.

 

Hope you get your bag back soon.

[loxley]

Please let us know how this situation turns out.

 

How people can be so careless or so much in a hurry when they are retrieving their luggage after a flight or a cruise is something that I really don't understand. How long does it take to make sure that piece of luggage is really yours?

 

Best wishes for a successful resolution to your situation!

 

Yeah, but you do not even have to be in a hurry. The reason I painted mine to begin with is I grabbed my luggage, checked the luggage tags (I thought) and headed out to the car. One piece was not rolling right and when I stopped to check it, I realized it wasn't mine, but it looked just like mine.

 

I think it should be more up to the people to distinguish their luggage esp when they have stuff that every other person has.

 

I see people with a little piece of ribbon tied to the handle. Well that is a start, but easily overlooked by people in a hurry, people having to take flashlights away from kids playing light saber wars, people with poor eye sight.

 

I started out with black suit cases. I can now spot mine from the ship. I simply got some fabric paint and spent an afternoon painting. I painted both pieces to match. They have held up well for 4 years. Some wear, but still not to be mistaken.

[Homosassa]

A helpful hint that I learned when a piece of my luggage was not in the color tag area where it was suppose to be. I had a light blue tag, I checked the gray tag area and there was my bag. Another time the same thing happened.

 

I checked color tag areas that were similar to my color (or that could be confused in low light conditions) and, again, there was my bag.

[HawkIVette]

Yeah, but you do not even have to be in a hurry. The reason I painted mine to begin with is I grabbed my luggage, checked the luggage tags (I thought) and headed out to the car. One piece was not rolling right and when I stopped to check it, I realized it wasn't mine, but it looked just like mine.

 

I think it should be more up to the people to distinguish their luggage esp when they have stuff that every other person has.

 

I see people with a little piece of ribbon tied to the handle. Well that is a start, but easily overlooked by people in a hurry, people having to take flashlights away from kids playing light saber wars, people with poor eye sight.

 

I started out with black suit cases. I can now spot mine from the ship. I simply got some fabric paint and spent an afternoon painting. I painted both pieces to match. They have held up well for 4 years. Some wear, but still not to be mistaken.

 

I painted mine too. I have black suitcases and I painted big letters on the side saying "nothing here to steal- move along". It seems to work for me.

Edited September 14, 2014 by HawkIVette

[Boozebabe]

This is the very reason I have a gaudy bright orange and silver suitcase. Hubby has a red one with funky duct tape on the back. I also take a picture of all my luggage in case someone doesn't know what bright orange and gaudy looks like. No one has ever grabbed mine by mistake. My friend who often travels with us insists on buying plain black and would never put a gaudy piece of duct tape on it. Takes her forever to find hers.

[seeing this world]

22 different trip all over the place and not once have i seen luggage like ours, cars, plane and trains on one set, islands and palm trees on the other. It is great you can spot the luggage come down the airline shute, can spot from lido deck in the luggage bins. Love that luggage.

 

I can see how luggage can get mixed up in that sea of black, blue and green luggage. Like the idea of painting it :D

 

To the OP give it some time, it most likely will show up but this does not help you out now,

[debbiet70611]

My husband luggage was once taken by mistake a few years back in NY. The person who took the luggage was in a group that was traveling by bus back to S. Carolina - once the bus was empty and everyone picked up their luggage there it was. The person running the trip called us and we got it back withing a week.

 

I just got off the Pride also this morning - hope you had a great time like we did.

[Lovefuninthesun]

Oh, wow, that is my fear!

Once in the terminal mine wasn't in our zone, it was finally located several zones over.

Now I put neon orange duct tape around it and write our name on the tape in big block letters.

Good luck - hope it turns up!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Cruise Critic App

[Cruise life]

We had a small bag missing on our Alaska cruise and it was brought to us by a taxi from the airport in our hometown within a couple days, maybe the next day. It was fast. Not sure what happened to it, but we got it with everything inside. I always carry my jewelry and I read on here somewhere or on a packing list never to pack anything new or that you can't replace. That advice has kept me from bringing some of my favorite clothing, etc. Hope you get your bag back!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[OCruisers]

OP, hope it turns up! Please let us know.

[mohawk1129]

What a great idea to take a picture of your luggage for identification purposes! Will definitely do this in 2 weeks and have it handy on my phone

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[pe4all]

We just got off the Pride today. We always do the relaxed debarkation process and put our bags outside our stateroom the night before. (We have 2 kids under 5 so no way can we do self assist.) This was our 5th cruise and have never had any issues. However, after clearing customs today, my suitcase was nowhere to be found. Carnival employees in the terminal were absolutely no help. We waited around, hoping that someone realized they had taken the wrong bag. But no luck. We filled out a lost luggage form, but honestly, no one cares and carnival said they only had 24 hours to find it. I'm fairly upset because it had the photos we had purchased, all my jewelry, and $400 worth of shoes! Oh, and it was locked. Any hope for me? Has this happened to anyone else?

I am so hoping you find your bag. Please, please, please never place anything of real value - such as jewelry- in your checked bag. Put it in your carry-on. Good luck - I am sure your bag will turn up somewhere. (hopefully with the jewelry intact)

[mjoymarshall]

Still waiting to hear anything. Called yesterday but Carnival's baggage dept(?) wasn't open Sundays. Planning on calling again around noon. Luckily, I'm not into diamonds, just funky costume jewelry! (Even though after 6 years of marriage, husband still buys me diamonds and pearls. I save those for anniversary dinners.)

We booked another cruise while on board and decided that next year we're packing lighter (doing laundry if we have to) and doing self-assist. Good news is that hubby said that if the bag isn't found, he'll let me buy another pair of Michael Kors heels. :)

As I said before, we've never had any issues. Next time, this will really make me think about what we pack! My daughter is most upset because her puddle jumper was inside along with her Barbie coloring book. LOL.

[mjoymarshall]

Well Carnival told us where my bag is. At some lady's house in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, it's out of their hands now. They won't tell us her number or email. We're hoping she contacts us soon!! I guess she took our bag and left hers at the terminal. I don't know how people don't doublecheck.