Make sure your luggage floats

[NE John]

I’ve seen too many complaints about Cunard’s communication with pax; they need to rethink how they communicate bad news to their pax and revamp that entire part of their business. Travel is tough these days and everyone should be told a non “sugar-coated” explanation of what’s happening. 

Also, I apologize if I came across as too abrupt in my previous post about what Cunard can and cannot do in and around a port and while docked. Yes, even though third parties control much of the port entrance/docking/embarkation/debarkation experience, Cunard has to show leadership to make you and everyone else who was affected whole. In many other cases, events are beyond any shipping lines control. 
I hope Cunard’s PR people read these boards and especially read about your terrible experience and the poor communication you are received from them. What happened to your luggage shouldn’t be swept under the rug.
Good luck!

[bitob]

For those who want to accompany me on this journey:

 

If you do not have AirTags in your luggage you are crazy!

I have relied on them before (when a bag did not make the connection) and to track my bags when I use Luggage Forward.  We also travel with  a mobility scooter.  The AirTag tells me if it's in the airport with us.

 

I never anticipated this but here is why I am so happy to have the AirTags.

If you recall I have 2 of three bags missing.  One is pink, the other maroon.

The Airtag pings and shows its location when it is near an iPhone.  The AirTag in the maroon bag has been pinging for 2 days and it just pinged 32 minutes ago, showing it is at Pier12.  I am hopeful that bag will be returned to me damaged or not.  Of course I do not think anyone from Cunard is at the pier to inform me or send me the bag.  Shame on them.

 

I have not had any notification from the AirTag in the pink bag since the time it probably fell in the water.  It is probably still submerged and gone for good.  There is a slight chance that the water caused the AirTag to malfunction but I doubt it.  I will just have to wait to hear from Cunard.

 

 

Edited October 2, 2023 by bitob

[bitob]

From my wonderful TA -- Cunard has assigned a person to deal with the issue!!!

My Ta is contacting her now

[Host Hattie]

Thanks for the updates, I hope there's some news soon. 

[bitob]

That person is denying responsibility for the event

All with have is an email for claims at Princess Cruises

[bitob]

Absolute radio silence from Cunard 

 

unbelievable

[ClipperinSFO]

1 hour ago, bitob said:

Absolute radio silence from Cunard 

 

unbelievable

 

Cunard should take a lesson from United Airlines. Remember the "United Breaks Guitars" incident back in 2008 when they brutalized a musician's checked guitar on the ramp, while he watched in horror from the plane?  I am sure Cunard doesn't want a song written called "Cunard Sinks Luggage" or something to that effect. 

 

 

[Covepointcruiser]

Song would be fun, however, Cunard didn’t drop the bags in the water.   The union dockworkers did and ships have to use them.

[bitob]

I finally got a call from a "Guest Relations Specialist" located in California

She was great and really understood the issue.

She is sending someone to the Pier tomorrow to check on the status of my missing bags (and I hope everyone else's).  She promised to call me tomorrow.  I have her personal email.

 

It took way too long for Cunard to act IMO

 

By the way -- my TA told Cunard that I am on Cruise Critic!!

[bitob]

1 minute ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Song would be fun, however, Cunard didn’t drop the bags in the water.   The union dockworkers did and ships have to use them.

That is not the point.  Cunard has a duty to its passengers to do everything it can to retrieve the luggage and return it to the owners.  This is not about casting blame.

[Jack E Dawson]

13 hours ago, bitob said:

If you do not have AirTags in your luggage you are crazy!

We got our first set of air tags for our QE Panama Canal trip last month. What a stress reliever. I was amazed at how precise they were. Could actually see the bags move up the conveyor belt onto the plane on my iPhone. When we landed back home in Chicago at O'Hare, Dee's bag came right out onto the conveyor belt but mine took an extra 10-15 minutes. No worries, could see it was still in the cargo hold of the plane. Just relaxed and waited knowing it wasn't far away. What a wonderful invention. 

Jack

[Carnevale]

I agree with all the comments re Air Tags.  We have been using them for the past year and have had  more peace of mind with luggage delivery that is slow and we managed to get an early start at lost luggage when we knew before luggage delivery started in the airport that our bags hadn’t made the plane (but we knew they were in the previous airport).  We also have then in our carry on and hand bags in case we forget something somewhere along the way as we travel.

[renji]

23 hours ago, bitob said:

Someone asked if there was a video.

 

This happened before anyone was allowed to disembark.

 

What makes matters worse, when we said we could not find 2 of our bags in the appropriate section. we were told they were still unloading bags and they would likely be off soon.THEY DID NOT TELL US THAT BAGS WENT INTO THE WATER.  It was not until I went up the line and prodded for more information that I learned what happened.

This is terrible, I’m so sorry for you.  What did Cunard say in the email?  Maybe we had better carry our own luggage on and off the ship…

[bitob]

43 minutes ago, renji said:

This is terrible, I’m so sorry for you.  What did Cunard say in the email?  Maybe we had better carry our own luggage on and off the ship…

The email expressed regrets and provided an email at Princess Cruises to handle claims.  The email to Princess had an automated response saying it might take 4 weeks to respond. LOLOL

 

My TA really worked hard on this.  He was astounded by Cunard's lack of a quick response.  I am now dealing with a customer relations rep at Cunard who has promised to follow up on my 2 missing bags, one of which might be retrievable.  Needless to say we have lost most of our favorite and best cruise clothes and I really cannot begin to replace anything until I am sure of what was lost.  I have Luggage Forward coming on Nov 2 to pick up 2 bags for my next cruise (Regent) so I have to have things sorted out soon.  Basically all  I want is 1) to find out status of 2 lost bags and have any recovered bag returned to me in any condition and 2) quick fair compensation for lost or damaged items.  

 

This is not rocket science for a business.  Cunard did not have anyone at the Pier to check on recovered bags and to then contact owners.  Cunard has not called affected passengers (I only got action because of my TA).  Really unacceptable.  If I did not have a great proactive TA and AirTags I would be lost.

[surreymum]

2 hours ago, bitob said:

The email expressed regrets and provided an email at Princess Cruises to handle claims.  The email to Princess had an automated response saying it might take 4 weeks to respond. LOLOL

 

My TA really worked hard on this.  He was astounded by Cunard's lack of a quick response.  I am now dealing with a customer relations rep at Cunard who has promised to follow up on my 2 missing bags, one of which might be retrievable.  Needless to say we have lost most of our favorite and best cruise clothes and I really cannot begin to replace anything until I am sure of what was lost.  I have Luggage Forward coming on Nov 2 to pick up 2 bags for my next cruise (Regent) so I have to have things sorted out soon.  Basically all  I want is 1) to find out status of 2 lost bags and have any recovered bag returned to me in any condition and 2) quick fair compensation for lost or damaged items.  

 

This is not rocket science for a business.  Cunard did not have anyone at the Pier to check on recovered bags and to then contact owners.  Cunard has not called affected passengers (I only got action because of my TA).  Really unacceptable.  If I did not have a great proactive TA and AirTags I would be lost.

I’m sorry this has happened to you. I know it’s only “stuff” but I’d be devastated if all my favourite outfits were lost or destroyed and would be an absolute disaster if this happened as you boarded. We are shortly going on a trip around Japan and our luggage will at some points be sent by train to our next hotel. Your experience has prompted me to order Apple AirTags. Our luggage has been lost on several occasions while on flights and tracking it down is very stressful. Thank you for sharing.

[bitob]

One of my bags is pinging like mad at Pier 12

 

If only I could get Cunard to retrieve it!!!

[ClipperinSFO]

19 hours ago, bitob said:

That is not the point.  Cunard has a duty to its passengers to do everything it can to retrieve the luggage and return it to the owners.  This is not about casting blame.

 

My point in my post relating it to "United breaks Guitars" is that it's a potential PR black eye for Cunard.  You turned your baggage over to them and did not get it back.    

[TheMichael]

3 hours ago, ClipperinSFO said:

My point in my post relating it to "United breaks Guitars" is that it's a potential PR black eye for Cunard.  You turned your baggage over to them and did not get it back.    

 

The difference is United loses luggage all the time, without much needle-moving coverage (can personally confirm). It was breaking the guitar of someone with a platform to go viral on that caused their "black eye."

 

If the news channels haven't already spread video of the floating luggage, it's not going to happen, and even if it does, the fact that it was on Cunard will be the last thing they'll consider emphasizing. They'll likely say it was the Queen Mary II, viewers will all have a chuckle over "rich folks losing their ballgowns," and the world will move on.

Edited October 3, 2023 by TheMichael

[bitob]

Update:

 

My ta got me a point person from Cunard who is helping me.  She is terrific

They are still diving looking for bags!

5 bags were brought up today and one of them is mine but we cannot determine which one - I am hoping that is was the one that did not ping.

They cannot be shipped until they are dried out and checked for contraband.

There is also a mystery surrounding bags that went in the water but people left at the pier to be shipped later because they could not take soaked bags on the plane.  They must be in a storeroom somewhere -- mystery to be solved.

 

Unbelievable -- they are dealing on the phone with inter cruises.  NO ONE FROM CUNARD HAS GONE TO THE PIER.

[Victoria2]

 

Unbelievable -- they are dealing on the phone with inter cruises.  NO ONE FROM CUNARD HAS GONE TO THE PIER.

 

Right or wrong as far as some think,  maybe the corporation believe as there is ongoing retrieval and nothing can be immediately done with soaking cases, and the possible contraband [????] which is out of Cunard's control, they don't think it's necessary for a Cunard person to be present at the pier.

 

I can feel the frustration and as a box ticking exercise, it's probably not the best PR but in reality, what can a Cunard rep do which isn't already being done?

 

 

 

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, Victoria2 said:

 

Unbelievable -- they are dealing on the phone with inter cruises.  NO ONE FROM CUNARD HAS GONE TO THE PIER.

 

Right or wrong as far as some think,  maybe the corporation believe as there is ongoing retrieval and nothing can be immediately done with soaking cases, and the possible contraband [????] which is out of Cunard's control, they don't think it's necessary for a Cunard person to be present at the pier.

 

I can feel the frustration and as a box ticking exercise, it's probably not the best PR but in reality, what can a Cunard rep do which isn't already being done?

 

 

 

 I can’t see any benefit in itself from Cunard having a rep. at the pier, except that what they do need to be doing is keeping their passengers up to date about progress, which might be easier to do if there is someone on the spot. But do Cunard even have any actual employees in NYC? I am actually very impressed that divers are looking for the luggage rather than it just being written off as lost. Perhaps eventually there will be some consolation, as well as compensation, for those whose cases went in.

[Colin_Cameron]

3 hours ago, exlondoner said:

But do Cunard even have any actual employees in NYC?

Exactly what I was thinking.

[alc13]

Maybe Cunard doesn't have a rep in NYC but the customer relations part of this seems inadequate.  I understand bitob's frustration.  I suppose from the corporate perspective a handful of suitcases doesn't matter much, but if it happened to me, I'd want more and better communication.

[NE John]

I’m sure the classically beautiful Cunard building on lower Broadway in Manhattan has little or nothing to do with Cunard these days, but isn’t Red Hook one of two homeports for QM2?

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, alc13 said:

Maybe Cunard doesn't have a rep in NYC but the customer relations part of this seems inadequate.  I understand bitob's frustration.  I suppose from the corporate perspective a handful of suitcases doesn't matter much, but if it happened to me, I'd want more and better communication.

I quite agree. They could do so much better at keeping customers informed. Clearly they (or someone) do feel the suitcases matter or they wouldn’t be bothering with divers, but the communication does not seem sufficiently emollient. Mind you that seems many people’s experience of anything to do with the Brooklyn Terminal.