Damaged luggage during embarkation

[perfect match]

I remember that commercial! 😂

[ARandomTraveler]

6 hours ago, alfaeric said:

Not to take any responsibility off of Royal, but if you paid that much, you should have a lifetime repair warranty on the luggage. I know we do with the luggage we have. 

It does. I've had it damaged by an airline once and the luggage company replaced it for free. But I also know that some damage and loss won't be covered beyond $500 and that's just a risk I take in having expensive luggage, and am prepared to pay to replace it if needed. 

[ARandomTraveler]

4 hours ago, Robo1098 said:

Why spend $2,000 on bags that are going to be thrown around and stacked. Haven't you seen how these bags are treated?

Because I like the way it looks, I like the way it latches closed instead of zips, I like that it's hard aluminum shell protects the items inside from getting damaged, even though the outside gets really banged up. I think it handles better then my cheaper luggage and I especially like how it protects things inside like my expensive blow dryer and my diffuser and my flatiron, and other items that would cost me hundreds of dollars to replace if they got broken. So the luggage is worth the expense to me. I will say that it's very heavy and makes it hard to stay under the weight limit, that's one of the biggest drawbacks. 

Edited September 5 by ARandomTraveler

[ARandomTraveler]

3 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Yes, but no suitcase is guaranteed to survive that rough handling.  

But the stuff inside is. My luggage has traveled across the world multiple times, and it's banged up all to heck, but nothing in the inside has ever been broken, smashed, or even barely jostled.
 

Aluminum suitcases provide excellent protection of the items inside from all that tossing around. If you pack expensive or breakable things like $400 blow dryers (which I need because I have 27 layers of thick curly hair that can't be dried with an over-the-counter $50 blow dryer ), or expensive high heels, or breakable makeup, those items are often worth way more money than a cheap piece of luggage.
 

So it's worth buying an expensive aluminum one to make sure the stuff inside doesn't get broken. Like I said, I've traveled around the world many times, and my suitcase has been tossed and thrown and dropped and dented, but nothing on the inside has ever gotten damaged or smashed. 

[Charles4515]

19 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

4 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

 

But the stuff inside is. My luggage has traveled across the world multiple times, and it's banged up all to heck, but nothing in the inside has ever been broken, smashed, or even barely jostled

Nothing has ever been damaged in my Travel Pro Crew soft sided luggage that I bought many years ago for about $200 (probably costs more now new) and traveled around the world in. I would not by very expensive luggage because I don’t want to attract attention of criminals. 

Edited September 5 by Charles4515

[ARandomTraveler]

1 hour ago, Charles4515 said:

Nothing has ever been damaged in my Travel Pro Crew soft sided luggage that I bought many years ago for about $200 (probably costs more now new) and traveled around the world in. I would not by very expensive luggage because I don’t want to attract attention of criminals. 

I wasn't really advocating for people to buy expensive luggage. Initially I commented to say that I understood the original posters frustration, and that I also have luggage that I'm particular about, but given it's price, I'm also aware that I'm taking a risk by having it, and am prepared to have to pay to replace it because it's never covered under anyone's policy limits. 
 

After that post, multiple people commented about the uselessness of said expensive luggage, to which I replied with my reasons for having it and liking it. I'm not saying other luggage doesn't work, or that other people should buy my luggage. I'm simply saying that it's worth the money to me because it adds extra protection to items inside which cost more than a typical piece of luggage. 
 

It doesn't seem to attract any additional attention either. I've never been robbed, or kidnapped, and nobody has ever stolen it (though it did sit outside on the LAX tarmac for 2 days once...got everything back in one piece, no damage). 

[DCGuy64]

15 hours ago, la_croisiere_s'amuse said:

 

I'm guessing they have their reasons, which are really nobody else's business. 😉 Those reasons may or may not include the top-notch construction, highest quality materials and lifetime warrantee. 

Except that the OP made it other people's business by posting here. 😉 That's always the risk one takes when posting on Cruise Critic: it opens up your decisions and views to scrutiny by others. Believe me, I know from personal experience! 🤣

[fla33023]

37 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Except that the OP made it other people's business by posting here. 😉 That's always the risk one takes when posting on Cruise Critic: it opens up your decisions and views to scrutiny by others. Believe me, I know from personal experience! 🤣

The OP wasn't the one who mentioned the expensive luggage.

[fla33023]

11 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

But the stuff inside is. My luggage has traveled across the world multiple times, and it's banged up all to heck, but nothing in the inside has ever been broken, smashed, or even barely jostled.
 

Aluminum suitcases provide excellent protection of the items inside from all that tossing around. If you pack expensive or breakable things like $400 blow dryers (which I need because I have 27 layers of thick curly hair that can't be dried with an over-the-counter $50 blow dryer ), or expensive high heels, or breakable makeup, those items are often worth way more money than a cheap piece of luggage.
 

So it's worth buying an expensive aluminum one to make sure the stuff inside doesn't get broken. Like I said, I've traveled around the world many times, and my suitcase has been tossed and thrown and dropped and dented, but nothing on the inside has ever gotten damaged or smashed. 

All valid points in my opinion!

[DCGuy64]

11 minutes ago, fla33023 said:

The OP wasn't the one who mentioned the expensive luggage.

That's correct, but the OP did say she didn't want a replacement from the cruise line because the item was part of a set and she wanted the same thing. Often (but not always) matched sets of luggage can be expensive. Regardless of the price, it goes back to the same issue, namely that if you have prized luggage, just be aware of the possibility of damage due to baggage handlers. FWIW I have a matched set of Samsonite luggage my wife gifted me for Christmas a long time ago. I consider the various rips, tears and stains to be proof that it's been put to good use! 🤣

[Mum2Mercury]

17 hours ago, perfect match said:

I remember that commercial! 😂

Me too!  I was just thinking what an amazing thing memory is.  I'm 1000% sure I haven't seen that commercial since I was a child -- did it say 1970-something? -- yet it rushed back to me immediately.  And that commercial was NOTHING IMPORTANT to me at all.  Memory.  Wow.  

17 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

Nothing has ever been damaged in my Travel Pro Crew soft sided luggage that I bought many years ago for about $200 (probably costs more now new) and traveled around the world in. I would not by very expensive luggage because I don’t want to attract attention of criminals. 

Well, in all fairness, I've only once had anything damaged inside my suitcase, and that was a bottle of tequila.  It was in a duffel bag (cushioned by all my clothes) and we were driving to spring break during college.  As we drove, we started smelling alcohol -- we were driving a hatchback -- and the neck of the bottle somehow broke.  SO GLAD we had a washing machine in our condo.  

 

As for criminals being attracted to expensive luggage, I wonder if they'd recognize it.  I don't think I would.  

5 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

I consider the various rips, tears and stains to be proof that it's been put to good use! 🤣

Off-topic, but it might help someone:  My husband's favorite suitcase is an olive green rolling carry-on that I gifted him many years ago -- it was nothing expensive.  Before retirement, he used it quite often for work trips and two zipper pulls broke off.  I bought a pack of replacement zipper pulls (from Amazon -- where else?) and they just clipped on SUPER EASY.  Lobster clasp style.  I was beyond thrilled.  I refurbished the suitcase for $5.99 !