Luggage loaded onto wrong ship

[N41EF]

We were on Brilliance in December, there was another RCL ship parked in sight as well. Tampa has the one official parking garage that both ships use. It was our first time out of Tampa, and we went to pier 3 where we were supposed to go. I had already put my bag tags on and asked the porter if this was Brilliance and told yes, gave him our two checked bags and a tip and got in line for security. In the "outside" line to get in the building there was a commotion, and someone loudly said "well, anyway I have to get on this ship". Commotion lasted long enough for me to get inside, I assumed it was someone without a Passport or something. As we are going through Xray an RCL employee came to the loud guy and informed him he was trying to board the wrong ship. Apparently the lady outside was trying to tell him that but he wouldn't listen. They had checked bags and immediately panicked about luggage, and the RCL person said they would take them down to retrieve their luggage and would get them to the other ship. It was still only 11am, plenty of time, but I did wonder how they would ever find the bags, since I can't imagine anyone looking at the tags until the luggage was on the ship.

[BND]

We are very experienced cruisers, and I can relate to to op's friends. We put our own luggage tags on our bags before leaving the hotel in Tampa to go to Vision of the Seas. We told taxi driver which ship, but there was NOT signage anywhere telling which ship was where. We could see two RCI ships, and knew which ships were docked in Tampa, but could not tell which one was which from the back seat of a taxi from street level. Our taxi driver took us to Brilliance, and even driving up to the front of the porter line, we were looking for the name of the ship, and couldn't see it anywhere. Fortunately, our driver asked someone which ship it was, before putting us out. He, then, drove us around to Vision. We had never cruised on Vision or Brilliance, but knew to make sure which ship we wanted dropped at with our luggage. This was the first time ever we had experienced anything like this.

 

I'm hoping that next Saturday the Brilliance and Vision are docked the same places they were in November! I'm cruising on Brilliance Saturday, then walking my luggage over to change ships to Vision 1/21 after the Brilliance cruise.

 

I do pack many clothes in my back pack and carryon, too. All my shoes stay with me, along with a swim suit, coverup, shorts outfit and at least one dress outfit, and undies, and jewelry, bathroom necessities, etc. My husband and I also cross pack incase one piece of luggage doesn't make it from the flight or onto the ship. Even luggage being put on the right ship sometimes doesn't make it......there was a whole cart of luggage that went into the water, when being loaded in Barcelona our first Mediterranean cruise. I've heard of this happening in other ports, too.

 

It's very easy to find out ahead of time what pier your ship will be at. Just check the port schedule. Also, the Vision is smaller than the Brilliance.

 

As I've learned from simple research, when Brilliance and Vision are both in port, Vision is at pier 2 and Brilliance is at pier 3.

 

Here's the info: https://www.tampaport.com/cruise/cruise-scheduling.aspx

Edited January 11, 2016 by BND

[kmorg1234]

Several credit cards now offer luggage loss protection as well. I tend to use these cc's when I book travel these days, since they also offer other travel protections. Can be very helpful!

[Sharkb8]

Yeah, what are the odds? Has anyone who has read this message ever had a plane not take off because a passenger has checked luggage and is not on the plane? No? Didn't think so. Would like to know that it happened, but have never read about it.

 

 

Just want to say that if an airline saw baggage checked by an individual who did not get on the plane, they would halt everything, take everyone and all of the baggage off the plane and have everyone claim their bags.

 

the unclaimed bags then won't be allowed on the plane.

 

What the cruise ships need to do is match the bags with the person who is booked for the cruise before accepting them. Otherwise anyone can come down to a pier with a blank luggage tag and throw luggage on to the ship.

 

then we have to hope the scanning works 100% of the time.

 

Just saying.

[Sharkb8]

I know, right? The fact that terrorists haven't blown up a cruise ship only means that the potential of the awesome screening is working!

 

What is the "end game" for terrorists on a cruise ship? :confused:

 

I don't see a lot of potential there..... :rolleyes: