Lost Luggage

[tomatopa]

Has anyone had lost luggage through Celebrity. We saw our cabin stewart take the luggage away at midnight, when we got off the ship our largest suitcase was not at the pier. we waited till almost all luggage had been claimed and there was not one suitcase left similar to ours. we filled out a from with the lady there. i have called and they said they can't find it....what did you do next....thanks, judy

[npb]

10 cruises and no lost luggage. Perhaps, someone picked up yours by mistake and didn't have the courtesy to return it.

[HELENROSE]

npb is right. 2 years ago on Zenith, my husband was getting out luggage and I stand watch over our carry on/off. As I was just looking around the luggage area, I saw one that looked like ours on a cart a porter was helping a couple out with. I ran over to them and asked if that was their luggage, I got a very snooty "YES". I started walking away when I glanced again and thought, they couldn't have Navy blue luggage with orange and yellow ribbons just like ours, when their luggage was all brown. I went back, just as they were about to leave through the customs doors, made them stop and looked at the luggage tag. I asked them if their name was Helen-------. The porter looked at them and said is that hers? They finally said yes. He took it off the cart. They didn't say they were sorry or anything. Who knows where it would have ended up if I hadn't seen it. Don't blame the cruise line, it is the passengers. I guess there is no way of the cruise lines watching who takes what.

 

Good luck in finding yours.

[TEXASMUNK]

once your bags hit the pier, in reality, there is little the cruise line can do since, in most instances, it becomes the responsibility of the longshormen (porters) and the pier mgt.

[Robbie I]

The same thing happen to us on the Dawn however we didn't notice it missing untill we were home. We called the peir and they passed us on to a a sub contractor that finds lost luggage.At first they were no help they said nothing was found at the peir. After the 3rd call one each day to check someone reported they had the bag in N.J. They wanted me to pay shipping to N.Y. due to the fact that we didn't report it before we left the peir.So I called the crusie line and they paid for shipping.The bag arrived 2 days later with everything intacked. It was a happy ending for my wife all shoes accounted for.

[tomatopa]

Thanks all for the encouragement. i have been calling every other day...was told last time not to call back. they would call me if they found it. thry are sending me a packet to fill out...they want receipts and then they depreciate everything. we were on a 14 night cruise....of course you take your nicest clothes...the ones you may have had for a while,but only wear occasionally and we had bought a lot of clothes at the end of summer...cleaned out my receipt drawer at the end of the year...I just want to be able to puchase everything i lost....i have called my homeowners...they say to be careful turning in smaller claimers incase something bigger happens later...Judy

[Lsimon]

Also check your credit cards - some offer some sort of lost luggage coverage. I've never used it, but have used the "extended" warranty coverage on my gold mastercard - saved lots of money with that automatic coverage. Many people forget about such coverage.

[CruiseReg]

Did you buy travel insurance? If so, most has some sort of lost luggage coverage. Just another potential avenue to proceed down.

 

I like many others have never lost any luggage this way (knock on wood) after 17 cruises.

[tomatopa]

i will chcek with my credit card tomorrow. yes, we did purchase travle insurance. they are making me jump through hoops. first thing they said was that they only cover checked luggage and didn't know if my luggage qualified since i do not have checked tickets...turn it in and we will decide. BUT first it must be turned into the cruise line and then your homeowners and then you must have receipt showing that you repurchased everything you lost and want to claim...AND they would like this all finished in 30 days from the time you call them....i just feel a little over whelmed right now....Dh and i did go shopping for a few things we need right now...underwear...we were gone for 15 nights....curling iron...phone charger...Thanks to everyone for their help and ideas.....Judy

[keela1eva2]

i will chcek with my credit card tomorrow. yes, we did purchase travle insurance. they are making me jump through hoops. first thing they said was that they only cover checked luggage and didn't know if my luggage qualified since i do not have checked tickets...turn it in and we will decide. BUT first it must be turned into the cruise line and then your homeowners and then you must have receipt showing that you repurchased everything you lost and want to claim...AND they would like this all finished in 30 days from the time you call them....i just feel a little over whelmed right now....Dh and i did go shopping for a few things we need right now...underwear...we were gone for 15 nights....curling iron...phone charger...Thanks to everyone for their help and ideas.....Judy

 

This has happened to me twice. The first with Royal Caribbean in 1997 and the second with Celebrity in 2003.

The first instance the baggage was put on a coach for transfer to a hotel until our flights in the evening.

I had a lot of problems in getting the RCI staff to allow me to fill out a lost baggage form. I also spent all day telephoning around to see whether it had been taken off at another hotel.

RCI were checking people in for the next cruise but were not interested in helping me.

The Hotel Manager had his staff call around but with no success. My baggage was never returned and I had to make an insurance claim for the total loss. it is not easy to remember everythink in your case as I found out later when I missed things. The claim was met by my travel insurance and also my all risk contents in insurance company. This was because the travel insurance covered only up to £2000. I was in contact with RCI throughout but they were not really of any assistance to me.

 

In 2003 my baggage like yours was not there when I came to the reclaim hall. I was kept there and told I could not leave until my luggage was found. After about an hour I insisted on going back on to the ship. I spoke to the Guest Relations and the Ship Social Hostess came off the ship with me.

She told me that the ship had been searched and my luggage was not there. I had another difficult day trying to call around to try to locate my baggage.

This meant that my baggage had been lost twice. The company say that this never happens but it did to me.

The final outcome was that 2 weeks later I got a call from RCI in Miami to tell me that they had my baggage. The would not tell me where it had come from but I suspect that it came in when the ship returned for the 13 night cruise. I suspect that my baggage came off then and had been on the ship all the time.

It arrived 3 days later and there was a note to say passenger had left the baggage behind! I dont think so !!

I asked RCI in the UK to find out where my baggage had been but they declined to say. At the end of the day I was relieved to get my baggage and for the next 2-3 cruises I didn't put my bags out but kept them to the disembarkation day. Not a good idea either.

 

Regarding my claim I put in 2 one to the home contents and the other to the travel insurance. My contents insurance sent a loss adjuster to my home. I did have a few receipts but I had shoe boxes some similar underwear hems of dresses I had shortened and I had the fabric. Photo's taken on the ship wearing evening wear and day wear etc.

Other Antler suitcases the same as the case I had lost. In the end I had no problem. They said they would pay me £1000 and then send in some receipts and they would pay the remainder of the £1700 or the offered me £2000 in cash. I took the first option and then a couple of days later my travel insurance sent me a cheque for £2000. I then called my Home insurance as I then had £300 excess however they came back to me and said just hold on to it. A happy ending after all. I then went on a 5 day holiday just to shop and replaced what I had lost. Fortunately I had not lost anything of sentimental value.

Keep going and hold out for what you deserve. The loss adjuster told me that I had an awful lot more than most people had and she was happy with my claim. Don't let them intimidate you. Good luck.

 

Sue

[gracecarmo]

Judy: after reading of other's experiences, maybe your suitcase is actually still on the ship, and it will show up in FLL after the Panama Canal voyage.

I would keep calling X's lost luggage dept.

[canderson]

Have never had any luggage lost. Have had it badly misplaced at the pier such that it was necessary to wait until nearly all the bags were gone to see it, though. Happened in Charleston, but that pier facility was a bit of a fiasco in all respects. It was only their 2nd cruise from that port, and the facility they were using really wasn't up to the job.

 

Over time, they've been making improvements in some ports. I especially appreciate it where they've placed large color coded placards hanging from the ceiling that match the bag tag colors. No guessing about where things should be.

[poetic license]

We, too, had a bag that never got to the terminal, although we had placed it in the hall well before the deadline. It was on the MSC Opera last March. DH found an MSC rep, and she went back to the ship to check for it, as well as putting other staff on notice. We were asked to describe the bag in great detail, which wasn't hard, since it was red, and one of my daughters had added some 'personal artwork' to the sides with a Sharpie so that it would be easy to find. As we had a late afternoon flight, we hung around a long time waiting to see if it would ever show up. It didn't. We filled out a couple of forms, which they reluctantly provided, and left for the airport.

 

A month later, we received a phone call from MSC; they had found the bag, and wanted a credit card number. I asked why, and they said so they could charge us for shipping it back to us! I adamantly (but politely) refused, stating they had lost the bag and it was up to them to return it to us. They refused, even through several chains of command up the supervisory ladder: If we wanted the bag returned, we would have to provide a credit card number to charge the shipping, period. They took an immovable position. They told us that if we didn't provide a credit card number for its return, the bag would be sent to Genoa (company HQ) when the OPERA sailed back to Italy in May and turned over to the lost and found department, and if we wanted it returned from there, we would have to pay shipping from there!!!! I asked what would happen to the bag if it went unclaimed, and they said the contents would be sold after 30 days.

 

Needless to say, we will NEVER sail MSC again. Was the bag ever returned? Nope. Did they ever apologize? Nope. Were they still insisting we pay for it's return? Yep, and rather rudely, too. They can have the contents: It was full of ... how shall I put this? ... our three daughters 'dainty laundry' from a week of cruising. :eek::D

[keela1eva2]

I can't believe that a Company would ask you to pay for the transport of a suitcase that they displaced in the first place. It beggags belief!

I have had baggage displaced with Airlines and never been asked to pay for its delivery.

At least Celebrity had the grace to ship my suitcase and I live in England. The thought that they would ask me to pay for its delivery just never crossed my mind.

I do feel sorry that you had to take this stance but if the cost was such and you felt that you needed to do so then I applaud you.

Hope you have better luck when you cruise again.

 

Sue

[meamille]

I had a similar situation in September with the Celebrity Summit. One of our suitcases (family of 5) was lost at the end of the cruise during the transport from the ship to the airport in Vancouver. Celebrity was no help at all. It seemed like they just wiped their hands of this entire episode and expected us to file a claim and be done with it (which took months). I had all of my dress clothes and souvenirs in the suitcase - very sentimental items - and Celebrity still to this date has not apologized for our loss. My suitcase was never located and we are guessing it was stolen. I filed with RCI, but your loss is limited to $300 per passenger (according to the passenger contract which you must sign in order to board the ship). That basically covered the cost of the suitcase and my bathing suit! We did not have travel insurance as we didn't think it was necessary and have never missed a trip due to illness, etc. You can probably claim the additional loss over what Celebrity will pay you with your travel insurance or credit card which probably offers travel insurance. We couldn't do either as we went on this cruise for my parents 40th anniversary and they paid for the trip and we therefore weren't covered. Unfortunately, the entire process remembering what was in the suitcase, locating receipts (which they require) and then spending the time to shop and replace the items is priceless. Not to mention the souvenirs you can never replace (I had purchased lots on the ship as well which I thought could be replaced easily and Celebrity refused to help). I hope your situation is better than ours - our luggage was never found. I still get upset when I look at pictures of clothing that was new that is now lost. I will probably never cruise Celebrity again based on the way that this has been handled. Good luck to you.

[palolake]

Tomatopa,

What travel insurance did you buy? I want to make sure that I never use them. We were on the same cruise as you were. My husbands Aunt and Uncle had to search everywhere for one of their suitcases but they finally found it in the wrong area. Good luck with yours. I can imagine how upsetting it is to lose it.

[hcat]

Just reading these posts makes me ill! We had a close call in NYC port (Connie Canada New Eng) when someone was headed for the door with one of our suitcases in his pile on the cart. I noticed our distinctive neon color handle wraps. he kept wheeling along & I finally had to almost forcibly stop his cart & inquire--he also was indignant but it was our bag--good save A few more minutes & he would have been out the door to his cab or kimo & from there to who knows where...Once you hit the port you are on your own--no one checks that the bags are yours like airlines used to do.

 

Also had a close call recently on Royla --one bag was just not there & meanwhile all luggage for our group had been picked up--hard to find a cruise rep but we did & the bag had been sent to the wrong area--another close call! My view (not sure of the law) is that if I give my bag to the cruiseline they are responsible for returning it to me----

 

Our lastest nightmare was when SW air lost ALL our our bags for our 30th wedding anniv Merc cruise...the bags never left our small airport in LI . We waited in our Seattle hotel many hrs & finally got them in the middle of the night but only because wec called someone who know the airport mgr--

 

So I am very sympathetic to your plight & hope it works out....We are headed to Long Beach for a long cruise to Hawaii on Summit & I will be a total wreck until I see my bags in my stateroom & then after we get off....We might try to take our own bags off because I hear the the pier in Long Beach is a nightmare! Good luck----

[LMKohler]

Is it possible to just keep your luggage and take all of it off with you? I mean they can't "require" you to put it out at midnight can they? We don't travel with a lot of luggage-usually 4 pieces and they hook on to each other and are on wheels. My DH is telling me we'll just walk off the ship with it.

 

Lucy

[SeaGal]

We had an interesting incident with our luggage during disembarkation from a December Galaxy cruise. As family of four, including three females, we had seven checked bags. When we reached the pier where the luggage is sorted into colors, we could see our bags all grouped together with their bright orange and red bandanas tied around the handles. Except that there were only six bags.

 

We spread out and started searching all the color groups. We were one of the earliest groups off so there was a lot of luggage to look through. After about 45 minutes we gave up searching for the bag and looked for someone to talk to about making a lost luggage claim. The woman I found said, “Have you looked over in the unidentified luggage area?” and pointed to an alcove containing about a dozen bags. Not knowing that there was a special area for unidentified bags we went to the alcove.

 

I did not think it was possible that one of our bags would be unidentified since it belonged to our thirteen year old and it not only had the colorful family bandana, but a bright red owl leather luggage tag with her name and another hot pink tag from our cruise travel agency.

 

Much to our relief, the bag was there. Strangely, not a scrap of identification was on it. The bandana had been wrapped tightly and knotted around the handle and certainly did not “fall” off. Someone went to a lot of trouble to remove all the tags. We will never know how or when this happened, but were pleased to have the bag back.

 

So, don’t give up on your bag until you look in the unidentified luggage area.

[tssace]

I am wondering the same thing as LMKohler - can you just walk off the ship with your luggage? Friends of ours were on a cruise in early January and had items stolen out of their suitcase. It happened sometime from the time they put the luggage in the hall (which has always made me worry) to the time they picked it up in the luggage area. They had to get a jacket out of their luggage B4 leaving the terminal and discovered things were missing.

[fllady]

Hi Lucy, No sweat, you can take your bags off when leaving and not have to put them out the night before. Glad you pack light!:)

[wieslaw]

I am wondering the same thing as LMKohler - can you just walk off the ship with your luggage? Friends of ours were on a cruise in early January and had items stolen out of their suitcase. It happened sometime from the time they put the luggage in the hall (which has always made me worry) to the time they picked it up in the luggage area. They had to get a jacket out of their luggage B4 leaving the terminal and discovered things were missing.

 

Hi, I did see some people walking off the ship with their luggage - they were pretty young and capable of doing it.......but if every one will try to do that.....can you imagine how long will it take to disamabark the ship and what problems will that create........the way it is now, just with the people having with them the 'carry on' items it is already crowded in most of the places that people are waiting for their turn to leave the ship......just add to that the regular luggage and there is a potential for disaster especially in case some emergency did occur.

 

But, I do agree something should be done by the port operation personnel at least to check that whatever luggage people do pick up - it is their's.

 

Wes

[tomatopa]

When we could not find our suitcase, we did check in the unidentified luggage area....not much there and not our suitcase. every day i think of something i had in the suitcase....Judy

[wieslaw]

When we could not find our suitcase, we did check in the unidentified luggage area....not much there and not our suitcase. every day i think of something i had in the suitcase....Judy

 

Hello Judy,

I do sympatize with you and wish you a little bit of luck in finding your suitcase - I know the feeling of missing luggage....it happen to me once at the airport.

But on the other hand is Celebrity (or any other cruise line) the guilty party if they did make sure (providing they did) that your luggage was taken to the terminal - once there it is under the control of the port authority.......I think there should be a scanning device used for every piece of luggage leaving the ship and again when the luggage leaves the terminal area......that way people would make sure that what they take is theirs and not somebody's else property.

Wes

[bethaniesmom]

we walked off a Norwegian cruise with our luggage last trip because we had an early flight out of Seattle and that way we wouldn't have to go thru the whole looking for our luggage thing, it worked real well, just be sure you can handle your luggage by yourself, there will be no one along the way to help!

 

I think all cruise lines offer the option...certainly they can't make you put the luggage out in the hall and then say they aren't responsible if they require you to do it!

 

Beverly