Celebrity complaint

[Xana799]

We arrived in Buenos Aires, on Celebrity ship Eclipse, on 16Feb2020 from a marvellous cruise to Antarctica.

We had hired transfer to the airport, via Celebrity and so we were informed that the bus would leave the port at 08,20 (as we informed, our flight was at 13,25 from Buenos Aires to Madrid).

The bus left at 08,30 and we arrived at the airport at 09,30 (soon enough to check-in); but our luggage wasn’t at the airport, yet. We had to wait 1 hr, for the luggage to arrive; still , enough time for checking-in at AirEuropa flight.

The problem was, that we had 3 pieces of luggage and only 2 arrived. So we waited and waited and waited…until the Celebrity representative at the airport  (I believe, it was someone, from the trucking company) told us that our missing luggage, might have lost the bag tag (we had nbr. 20). Well, we could not check-in, without 1 piece of luggage.

The missing piece arrived at 13,20!  And with the luggage tag! (we have photos) Of course, we missed our flight. So, we had to book, for the following day (by paying €3041,44) and had to book hotel (USD 70,75), táxi (AR Pesos 1095,00) and have dinner  - ARpesos 1230,00 (we did not have lunch, as we were trying to book the new flight).

This was not our fault; Celebrity, had the responsibility, to put the passengers at the airport on time (which they did) and also the luggage (which they did not). We are 2 passengers, with Multiple Sclerosis, stress is our biggest enemy, and that is what we had at EZE airport, for hours, waiting for our luggage and acknowledging that we would miss the flight.

So, we want to be indemnified, of all our expenses. We have all the receipts.

 

[Fouremco]

Lost or delayed luggage is an unfortunate reality of international and domestic travel alike. I sympathize, but I doubt that Celebrity will compensate you. Had you returned home as originally scheduled, the missing piece of luggage would have been forwarded to you. A bit inconvenient, perhaps, but at no additional cost to you. If the bag had been lost, you could have submitted a claim. As it stands, you incurred significantly higher costs because you unilaterally and unnecessarily decided to delay your return by a day. I seriously doubt that Celebrity or any travel insurance company would reimburse you given the circumstances.

[4774Papa]

Sorry your luggage was missing.

The huge cost of moving your flight would not likely be worth the value of whatever was in your luggage.

 

I know that based on what is usually in my luggage, $300 would be the most that I would have lost if it was never recovered.

[Ashland]

Since your bag had a tag and your information associated with it or even if the tag had been lost a good idea is to always have personal information either on or inside your luggage...this bag would have been delivered to your home or the address noted.

 

Sorry but you made an error in your decision making at the airport. No way would I have opted to miss the flight home.

[bouhunter]

On 9/23/2020 at 4:10 PM, Xana799 said:

Well, we could not check-in, without 1 piece of luggage.

 

 

Actually that's what you should have done.  If the bag was truly lost, it was gone.  If found they would have likely sent it to you.

[TeaBag]

I agree with the others that you should have gone on ahead on your scheduled flight, hoping your bag would follow. 

[wrk2cruise]

They way I read the OP's complaint was they were not allowed to checkin with the bag missing since it had evidently been tagged on the ship??   If that was the case I'm surprised the airline wouldn't accommodate them on a later flight.  If the OP decided to not board the flight due to the missing luggage then I agree with others.  In that case I would expect Celebrity or insurance to compensate them for the lost luggage if it wasn't returned.

[sanger727]

2 hours ago, bouhunter said:

Actually that's what you should have done.  If the bag was truly lost, it was gone.  If found they would have likely sent it to you.

 

Right, I'm very confused. Of course you could check in and board you flight without the final bag. Either Celebrity would have gotten it to you or not but either way certainly would have been out less than missing your flight. Would have stood a much better chance at reimbursement.

[Ashland]

2 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

They way I read the OP's complaint was they were not allowed to checkin with the bag missing since it had evidently been tagged on the ship??   If that was the case I'm surprised the airline wouldn't accommodate them on a later flight.  If the OP decided to not board the flight due to the missing luggage then I agree with others.  In that case I would expect Celebrity or insurance to compensate them for the lost luggage if it wasn't returned.

I highly doubt the airline wouldn't have let them board the flight...and if questioned at the flight check in all they would have to have done is explain that the bag was missing and that Celebrity was following up on this.

Edited September 26, 2020 by Ashland

[Miaminice]

I don’t get the intention of the post! This was SEVEN months ago!!!

Has there been any communication with Celebrity since then? If yes, the outcome isn’t mentioned in the post. 
 

If not, why not? And well... good luck trying to be reimbursed seven months later.

 

I agree with the statements above. Take the flight home and wait for the piece of luggage to be delivered. Deciding not to fly and add extra cost without an official OK to do so is not the best move IMHO.

 

The statement “we could not check in without the piece of luggage”  can’t based on the airline’s policy. They don’t care how many pieces you have - at least not if you don’t have too many. So it must have bee the OPs decision not to leave the piece behind.

Edited September 26, 2020 by Miaminice

[hcat]

Seems it is a First post..  But posting here will not help with Celebritym eso so long after the fact..

 

OP should have flown as scheduled and dealt with lost bag issue afterward, esp if airline would not put them in a  later flight. The bag  had its tag and would have caught up.I am sure this is not the first lost bag  situation for that airline, or Celebrity or the bag transfer company.

 

Unfortunate situation..,..

 

[Oceangoer2]

I sympathize with their situation and the fact they've been 'stewing' about the lost $$s for 7 months and the lack of concern by Celebrity.  But they should have contacted X or insurance or credit card company immediately on their return.  It seems these folks have health issues and perhaps confused as to how to handle the 'lost luggage' situation.  The X rep mentioned should have advised them to go ahead with their flight and the piece would be forwarded when located.  

 

As an example how this luggage situation may impact one's flight:  We arrived at the gate 10 min. before our flight was to take off as a result of the first leg of the flight arriving late for our connection.  Our luggage was still offloading and hadn't made it to the connecting flight.  The gatekeeper refused to board us without our luggage;  a situation out of our control.  After 5 min. of a long explanation, one kindly supervisor opened the gate to us ,without luggage onboard, which apparently is against Canadian law.  We had our seats and flew to destination;  luggage never caught up to us for 3 days into our sailing for 1 piece and after we returned home for two.  The airline made us whole for the inconvenience of no luggage during our cruise.  These people may have been told by the airline gate personnel, in a foreign country, they COULD NOT FLY without their luggage;  they accepted their word and didn't plead their case (as we did vigorously).  You declare in pre-boarding how many pieces you have and missing one piece may have been the trigger. 

 

I don't think it would hurt for them to now go back to Celebrity and try to explain the effect this has had on their health and their financial outlay they incurred as a result. They have a 'Resolution Desk' which may be of some help.  This board can't really do anything for them other than offer sympathy or suggestions.

 

 

[TeeRick]

On 9/23/2020 at 4:10 PM, Xana799 said:

We arrived in Buenos Aires, on Celebrity ship Eclipse, on 16Feb2020 from a marvellous cruise to Antarctica.

We had hired transfer to the airport, via Celebrity and so we were informed that the bus would leave the port at 08,20 (as we informed, our flight was at 13,25 from Buenos Aires to Madrid).

The bus left at 08,30 and we arrived at the airport at 09,30 (soon enough to check-in); but our luggage wasn’t at the airport, yet. We had to wait 1 hr, for the luggage to arrive; still , enough time for checking-in at AirEuropa flight.

The problem was, that we had 3 pieces of luggage and only 2 arrived. So we waited and waited and waited…until the Celebrity representative at the airport  (I believe, it was someone, from the trucking company) told us that our missing luggage, might have lost the bag tag (we had nbr. 20). Well, we could not check-in, without 1 piece of luggage.

The missing piece arrived at 13,20!  And with the luggage tag! (we have photos) Of course, we missed our flight. So, we had to book, for the following day (by paying €3041,44) and had to book hotel (USD 70,75), táxi (AR Pesos 1095,00) and have dinner  - ARpesos 1230,00 (we did not have lunch, as we were trying to book the new flight).

This was not our fault; Celebrity, had the responsibility, to put the passengers at the airport on time (which they did) and also the luggage (which they did not). We are 2 passengers, with Multiple Sclerosis, stress is our biggest enemy, and that is what we had at EZE airport, for hours, waiting for our luggage and acknowledging that we would miss the flight.

So, we want to be indemnified, of all our expenses. We have all the receipts.

 

Welcome to posting on Cruise Critic. Did you have any type of travel insurance?  Lost luggage insurance?

[emmas gran]

Has the OP contacted Celebrity it is unclear from the posting? That should have been the first action on returning home.

Fortunately we have never had lost luggage ( said with fingers crossed)

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

 

43 minutes ago, emmas gran said:

Has the OP contacted Celebrity it is unclear from the posting? That should have been the first action on returning home.

Fortunately we have never had lost luggage ( said with fingers crossed)

 

I'm also unclear which tag they are referring to. When they mention "We had number 20" that sounds like the cruiseline tag for debarkation, NOT the tag for the airport. It almost seems, from reading it, that it was not an airline tag. Would that not indicate that you had to pick up the luggage in the terminal yourself and put it on the shuttle to the airport? Short of using Disney Cruise Line's service where they print your boarding pass and luggage tags from the airline and deliver them to your cabin, then you ONLY put the airline tag on and it gets taken to the airport where you don't see it again until you're back at your airport (only available domestically) I've never NOT had to pick up my luggage in the terminal before boarding the shuttle to the airport.

 

Something is clearly getting lost in translation in the original post.

[Xana799]

7 hours ago, Miaminice said:

I don’t get the intention of the post! This was SEVEN months ago!!!

Has there been any communication with Celebrity since then? If yes, the outcome isn’t mentioned in the post. 
 

If not, why not? And well... good luck trying to be reimbursed seven months later.

 

I agree with the statements above. Take the flight home and wait for the piece of luggage to be delivered. Deciding not to fly and add extra cost without an official OK to do so is not the best move IMHO.

 

The statement “we could not check in without the piece of luggage”  can’t based on the airline’s policy. They don’t care how many pieces you have - at least not if you don’t have too many. So it must have bee the OPs decision not to leave the piece behind.

 

[Xana799]

Since we arrived in Lisbon, in February, we have been complaining with Celebrity. I've sent dozen of emails...they have reimbursed the hotel and taxi expenses, but not the air tickets.

When we received our missing luggage, we ran to the check-in counter. The airline officers, were advised of our situation; they even tried to board us, by sending us to the boarding gate with the luggage...but (obviously) it was not authorized by Customs. 

The airline officers, were informed, from the beginning, that we were waiting for 1 piece of luggage. The flight, even departed, 5 minutes later...but we could not board it.

[Xana799]

5 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Welcome to posting on Cruise Critic. Did you have any type of travel insurance?  Lost luggage insurance?

No, unfortunately, we did not... 

[Xana799]

4 hours ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

 

I'm also unclear which tag they are referring to. When they mention "We had number 20" that sounds like the cruiseline tag for debarkation, NOT the tag for the airport. It almost seems, from reading it, that it was not an airline tag. Would that not indicate that you had to pick up the luggage in the terminal yourself and put it on the shuttle to the airport? Short of using Disney Cruise Line's service where they print your boarding pass and luggage tags from the airline and deliver them to your cabin, then you ONLY put the airline tag on and it gets taken to the airport where you don't see it again until you're back at your airport (only available domestically) I've never NOT had to pick up my luggage in the terminal before boarding the shuttle to the airport.

 

Something is clearly getting lost in translation in the original post.

 

[Xana799]

Emma Grant, the baggage tag I mentioned, is the bag tag, from the cruise ship. 

The day before arrival, they 'collect' our luggage, outside de room door, and in our case, would 'transfer' them to the airport (as we had transfer from the cruise ship to the airport). We would collect the luggage at the airport terminal, as we did; but we had 3 pieces and only 2, arrived on time for boarding on our flight to Madrid. When we asked about the missing piece (after waiting for over 3hours), we were told, that most likely, our luggage tag had been lost. 

They said, they would send that piece to us, later on. But if the tag had been lost...how would they identify it as ours? There were more passengers at the airport, from the same cruise, with exactly the same problem.

[Ashland]

17 minutes ago, Xana799 said:

Emma Grant, the baggage tag I mentioned, is the bag tag, from the cruise ship. 

The day before arrival, they 'collect' our luggage, outside de room door, and in our case, would 'transfer' them to the airport (as we had transfer from the cruise ship to the airport). We would collect the luggage at the airport terminal, as we did; but we had 3 pieces and only 2, arrived on time for boarding on our flight to Madrid. When we asked about the missing piece (after waiting for over 3hours), we were told, that most likely, our luggage tag had been lost. 

They said, they would send that piece to us, later on. But if the tag had been lost...how would they identify it as ours? There were more passengers at the airport, from the same cruise, with exactly the same problem.

And the reason you should always have ID on/in your luggage  in addition to the cruiseline tag.

They specifically told you they would send the bag on to you...but because you failed to have ID on your bag you felt the only way was going to be for you to stay there and physically Identify it.

...Oh My !!! I am surprised they have refunded you anything. 

 

And did all those other's that you said had the same problem...did they miss the flight too ?

Edited September 26, 2020 by Ashland

[C-Dragons]

6 minutes ago, Xana799 said:

Emma Grant, the baggage tag I mentioned, is the bag tag, from the cruise ship. 

The day before arrival, they 'collect' our luggage, outside de room door, and in our case, would 'transfer' them to the airport (as we had transfer from the cruise ship to the airport). We would collect the luggage at the airport terminal, as we did; but we had 3 pieces and only 2, arrived on time for boarding on our flight to Madrid. When we asked about the missing piece (after waiting for over 3hours), we were told, that most likely, our luggage tag had been lost. 

They said, they would send that piece to us, later on. But if the tag had been lost...how would they identify it as ours? There were more passengers at the airport, from the same cruise, with exactly the same problem.

When we cruise I always place a piece of paper inside each suitcase. Printed on it is our itinerary, from start to finish, with where we would be on each day/date.

It also includes our names, address, cell phone number, and a message that if the bag is found to please return it to our address.
Perhaps going forward this would help solve this problem since even if the outside tags are lost, the airline staff would know where to send your bag.

 

[Xana799]

Emma Grant, the baggage tag I mentioned, is the bag tag, from the cruise ship. 

The day before arrival, they 'collect' our luggage, outside de room door, and in our case, would 'transfer' them to the airport (as we had transfer from the cruise ship to the airport). We would collect the luggage at the airport terminal, as we did; but we had 3 pieces and only 2, arrived on time for boarding on our flight to Madrid. When we asked about the missing piece (after waiting for over 3hours), we were told, that most likely, our luggage tag had been lost. 

They said, they would send that piece to us, later on. But if the tag had been lost...how would they identify it as ours? There were more passengers at the airport, from the same cruise, with exactly the same problem.

[Xana799]

I agree with you, you are correct. This was Celebrity's response:

 

"With regard to lost luggage, the Cruise Ticket Contract you agreed to states the following: “Unless negligent, Carrier is neither responsible nor liable for any loss of or damage to Passenger’s property, whether contained in luggage or otherwise. Liability for loss of or damage to Passenger’s property in connection with any air or ground transportation shall be the sole responsibility of the provider of the service and in accordance with applicable limitations." What do they mean by...'shall be the sole responsibility of the provider of the service'...the provider of the service, was the'truck company' contracted by Celebrity, right?

 

[Fouremco]

13 minutes ago, Xana799 said:

I agree with you, you are correct. This was Celebrity's response:

 

"With regard to lost luggage, the Cruise Ticket Contract you agreed to states the following: “Unless negligent, Carrier is neither responsible nor liable for any loss of or damage to Passenger’s property, whether contained in luggage or otherwise. Liability for loss of or damage to Passenger’s property in connection with any air or ground transportation shall be the sole responsibility of the provider of the service and in accordance with applicable limitations." What do they mean by...'shall be the sole responsibility of the provider of the service'...the provider of the service, was the'truck company' contracted by Celebrity, right?

 

As your bag was delayed and not lost, and as there was neither loss of nor damage to your luggage or its contents, what is your related concern? In any event, Celebrity is simply stating that once your property (luggage and contents) is in the hands of another service provider, the loss or damage of the property is the responsibility of the provider. In other words, the trucking company would have been liable had it lost or damaged the luggage, not Celebrity.