Luggage lost by cruiseline?

[lydiagb]

I saw this as a thread for a different cruise line but was curious about it for Celebrity Cruise lines. Has the cruise line ever lost your luggage? If so what was the result? Is it safe when you check it in with the porters at the pier (we'll be checking it in at Pier 35 in San Francisco and we won't be coming from the airport)?

There were some good tips in the other thread such as not packing all types of your clothes in one suitcase. Put some of yours and your travel mate's (assuming you are travelling with someone or bringing more than one suitcase) in the different suitcases so you have some socks, underwear, formal wear, etc. in each bag in case one is late or doesn't make it at all. Another was to take photos of your luggage and bring the photos with you so it is easier to identify if you have to search for it among other suitcases. I always tie a large, bright ribbon around each suitcase handle so it is easier to identify. Another tip was to put your business card inside the luggage in case the tags come off. So any other tips?

 

Lydia

[sueclark]

The advice of attaching tags and putting a card inside the bag is very good. I make sure our bags always have that info. I don't put our address on any of the tags, only the phone number. I have also read that an office phone number is even better.

 

I have never had a lost bag by a cruiseline but have had several lost by airlines.

[Seabee]

I often wondered about debarcation and how you answer the question at the airport about if your bags have been in your possession the entire time...

[cruise freak]

Airlines are no longer asking those ridiculous questions. That was discontinued a while back.

[Ships R Great]

the last time we flew to Greece the airline lost our luggage. On arrival at the airport in Athens all bags were scrutinized very carefully. We just breezed through because we had no lugggage. They called us the next day to tell us they found them and to come and get them, which we did. They handed them over without opening them. Only when we uunpacked did we realize how lucky we were. We are health nuts and had baggies full of all kinds of pills (vitamins and supplements) with no labels. We probably would have been arrested had they opened them!

[Karen Carney]

I don't see how or when the cruise line could lose your luggage. You hand deliver it to the ship and when you leave you pick it up on the pier. They are handeling thousands of bags each day as fast as they can load them.

It is usually the airlines that lose luggage transferring it to another plane.

[Longboysfan]

Even if the line is not responsible they will try to help you out with clothes on the ship.

Giving you a few shirts and shorts out of the shop till your luggage catches up with you.

[cruise freak]

When Princess lost my luggage it was pre-September 11th when the cruise line picked up your luggage at the airport for you and transported to ship. Princess didn't give me anything till we complained so much and then only a $50.00 credit which didn't buy anything. They didn't sell underwear on the ship so thank goodness a person traveling with us gave me a few pairs to wear. We found my luggage by making a few calls home and the cruise line left it on the turnsytle at the airport and we arranged for them to ship to St. Thomas. I received my things one the 4th day of our cruise. My 25th anniversary had come and gone and Princess didn't care. When I got home I wrote them a letter and when I received a reply they said sorry but you didn't buy our insurance and so there is nothing we can do. I have never sailed them again and never will.

[Shari2]

Our luggage was lost once when we were on the Norway. We got a little nervous when it wasn't delivered to our cabin, so my husband went looking for our bags. Our cabin steward told him that there was a pile of luggage that was undeliverable. So he went looking through a huge pile of luggage and found our bags. The cruise line used to give you a paper I.D. tag to tie on the luggage, and they had been torn off.

 

Today, we always make sure we have I. D. on the front that won't come off, and we put our name, address, and phone number and ship that we will be on inside our luggage, just in case.

[cruisinjudy]

Lydia,

When we checked at the pier in San Francisco in May, we found a porter in all of the chaos of people coming and going, gave him our bags, tipped him and then went to get in the line to get on the ship. As we looked around it occurred to us that anyone with a cart could go up to people with luggage in that mess, and get someone's luggage and a tip to boot. So you might want to keep an eye on things if it is a mob scene like it was for us. Just make sure the porter really is a porter. I don't mean to say we had any problem, we didn't. It just occurred to us that it could be a simple thing to give it to someone not official in all of the confusion. Travelers are usually tired and trying to manage their luggage. Other ports have been much more secure. In San francisco you are left off on a fairly busy street and luggage is taken right there.

[cruiseonly]

We have had our luggage lost twice.

 

Once when we were changing planes Delta Airlines, they changed the gate number, and our luggage stayed on the curb for the old gate.

 

Celebrity really made a lot of calls to get our luggage found, as we were going to be at sea for a few days in a day or so.

 

Another time RCL lost our luggage on the ship. We were already sailing, and still missing one bag. We made a report to the Purser, and they said they would do a check of the ship. When they told us that, my husband decided to check the other decks near us. Sure enought there it was just sitting all by it self, properly marked, but delivered to the wrong cabin.

 

When we returned to our cabin, though there was a message from the people where the luggage had been dropped off. Wish they had called earlier, and we would have not gone through all the stress. It was about 11 oclock at night that we found it.

 

By the way, Celebrity gave us soap, deodorant, T Shirt, etc. and a bottle of bubbly and fruit which was very nice, as it was not their fault. We managed to get our luggage the next day in the afternoon. It was flown in from San Juan to St. Thomas via special carrier.

[Seaya39]

Celebrity (and the airline) lost one of our bags on a cruiseline purchased flight from San Diego to Puerto Rico for a 2 week Panama Canal cruise on Galaxy. This was also pre 9/11 and we did not know we were missing a garment bag until well into the night. All other bags were delivered to our room in 2 batches. Well, of course all of DH button down shirts and long pants were in that bag (I know, I've learned my lesson!). We told customer service about our problem the next day and they:

 

1. Sent apologies with a fruit basket

2. Offered to have tux sent to our cabin for free - but we had already arranged for that in advance

3. Gave us free laundry on anything for the rest of the cruise

4. Finally delivered the bag a week later in Costa Rica.

 

I had given up on the clothes and figured the bag was gone. Very surprised to receive it after a week. We did have to purchase clothes for DH in Aruba, but kept it to a minimum because the pants and shirts could be washed everyday. I thought it was handled pretty well. The only thing that could have been different was a credit for us to buy a pair of pants and a shirt on board.

 

The first night in the dining room the maitre de did try to stop my husband from entering as he was wearing shorts. After I told him the cruiseline lost our luggage he was very apologetic.

 

All in all the experience was ok and we loved the cruise. I have, of course, changed my packing strategy accordingly.

 

Beth