To Lock or Not to Lock....??

[Brenda33]

Just got my mail and received my docs! Woo Hoo! So with all the excitement I have a question about luggage. Am I allowed to lock my luggage for the cruise? I know when you fly you are no longer allowed locks....... Thanks for your help. :)

[hncg57c]

You can lock your luggage for the cruise if you want.

[miami]

Just got my mail and received my docs! Woo Hoo! So with all the excitement I have a question about luggage. Am I allowed to lock my luggage for the cruise? I know when you fly you are no longer allowed locks....... Thanks for your help. :)

 

I locked my checked luggage on my flight in August (it was about a week after the incident in England). Used the TSA locks. It is my understanding that they will leave a note if they have opened your luggage. I also used one of those plastic tie things that you have to cut to remove. This was I would know if anyone opened my bag.

[tonypct]

Just got my mail and received my docs! Woo Hoo! So with all the excitement I have a question about luggage. Am I allowed to lock my luggage for the cruise? I know when you fly you are no longer allowed locks....... Thanks for your help. :)

 

As a frequent flyer, I lock my luggage all the time with TSA approved locks. And as anotehr poster said, if TSA does open your luggage to check it, they will leave a card inside and relock the luggage. That has happened to me several times and no problem. Now why I started locking my luggage in the first place, well, that's another story, or shall I say, rant.

 

On our last cruise, I brought my laptop, and the whole time I was out of my cabin, I had my laptop in my locked luggage in the cabin. Again, no problems.

 

I strongly suggest you lock your luggage and keep them locked no matter where you are.

[seamama1]

You will hear pro and con on this subject and the choice is certainly your own.

 

I quit locking luggage about 15 years ago when, coming back from Eastern Europe, I found my wonderful (and fairly expensive) soft-sided suitcase slit and my belongings rifled through. Nothing was missing (I never pack valuables and pack very, very light) but my suitcase was a total loss.

 

Since then, I don't lock it at all. I travel with a 22 inch roll-onboard only and pack very light. I figure if someone really wants to get in there, they can at least unzip the darned thing and not ruin my suitcase. If they really want a bunch of clothes and a couple pair of shoes, my toiletries and cologne - have at it. I take no expensive jewelry, no radio, no DVD player - nor anything else that seems to draw the crooks.:p

 

Anything of value that I may take is in my carry-on...but usually that is just my digital camera...also a book, something to snack on and my cushy little travel pillow, travel dox - like that...:p

[Treven]

I always lock my luggage when I leave home & the last night of the cruise. I've had only one instance when TSA checked part of one of my two checked bags. It had all of my power cords & power strip for my laptop & digital camera in that bag. Guess the electronics & electrical cords piqued somebodies interest.

[garycarla]

You can not go by past history, but if you must. I have never locked my bags and never had anything missing. So that proves it works well.

 

WRONG.

 

Really though, we never lock the bags on flights or cruiseships. We travel multiple times each year and never had a problem. As one poster said, to each his own.

[MidtheNight]

I think in our last 5 or 6 flights TSA has not checked ours (left the note inside) just once on only one suitcase. Stopped locking ours after 9/11 and have never had a problem either on a flight segment or a cruise with something missing. After all most locks (including TSA locks) are very easily opened if you know how....been there and had to do that way to many times over all the years....gave up on locking ours and even had to help a coworker break into their luggage once or twice too (now that's a story). LOL

[Brenda33]

What's a TSA approved lock? I have locks on the suitcases, but have no clue if they are TSA. Where do u get these locks?

[cruzdirector]

I always use the plastic cable ties and if asked at the airport if your luggage is locked I show them and they let it go thru.

I think ours was checked and a note was in the bag only one time.

I just feel a little better knowing the bags won't come open as they are being tossed around by handlers. One time the zipper broke and as the bag came around on the conveyor I saw my clothes hanging out dragging.

Usually we use a bright colored strap around them now as well.

[lambs2]

We use the brightly colored cable ties now too since our locks were broken off our brand new luggage on the return flight from Canada after our Alaskan cruise.

[Keith B.]

There are only two reasons to lock your luggage:

1. Keep honest people honest. If anyone wants to get into your luggage they will.

2. Keeps luggage from accidently opening. This is true mostly for hard sided luggage with latches that can pop open.

 

I used a paperclip to open my old samsonite luggage on one cruise when I lost my luggage key.

 

Now I use green tie-wraps on my soft sided luggage rather than the common white ones. This also helps to ditinguish my luggage from all the other black American Tourister luggage.

[alwayssingin]

We've never locked our bags. It didn't matter much last year when my huge, green bag was stolen in Nashville. (This was after it didn't arrive with me on the flight. I had been called by United personnel so say that they had seen it arrive and would deliver it within two hours. An hour later the supervisor called to say it had been stolen when they went back to the conveyor to take it to the van for delivery.)

 

I did purchase TSA locks to use to return overseas next week since I have to pack a couple of things I can no longer carry on with me.

[BarbCT605]

Last time on the Dawn, didn't lock my luggage. Not intentionally...I forgot to!:rolleyes:

 

Came through fine.

 

I did notice that the suitcase containing the power strip was always the last one to arrive to the cabin. Hmmm...I guess it looks bad in Xray.

[POOHISME2]

What's a TSA approved lock? I have locks on the suitcases, but have no clue if they are TSA. Where do u get these locks?

Each lock features the Travel Sentry™ logo, which alerts TSA personnel that they may open this lock without destroying it

Each TSA screening location has a secured set of passkeys with special codes to open locks, and will relock them after inspection

The Travel Sentry™ logo on the locks help the TSA to efficiently screen bags and prevent damage to checked baggage

Resettable combination

The lock can be opened at checked baggage screening stations operated by TSA at more than 400 commercial airports across the country

If a checked bag with this TSA lock needs to be opened and inspected, the screener will use a combination of codes and secured tools to unlock the lock. Following the inspection, the screener will re-lock the bag and send it on its way

The system will ensure that passengers using the locks will not have to worry about a lock being broken or a locked bag being damaged if it is selected for hand inspection. It will also mean more peace of mind for passengers worriedabout reports of increased pilferage from unlocked bags

The T.S.A. mandated screening of all checked bags startinglast Dec. 31. Since then, most of the estimated 1.5 millionbags checked daily in domestic airports have been inspectedby bomb-detecting machinery - but about 10 percent ofchecked bags are opened and inspected by hand

The T.S.A. mandated screening of all checked bags starting December 2002. Since then, most of the estimated 1.5 millionbags checked daily in domestic airports have been inspectedby bomb-detecting machinery - but about 10 percent ofchecked bags are opened and inspected by hand

Accepted and recognized by the TSA

We have used these since 9/11 and the new regulations. Our luggage has never been left unlocked. Any yes, it has been searched but luckily has been re-locked. Well worth the money for the TSA locks.

 

You can google them or even local storess sell them like k-mart.