Does HAL ever lose your luggage?

[Maclean girl]

I have been reading the information provided by HAL about disembarking and how they will take our luggage directly to the airport from the ship. We are taking a private tour in Athens and then going to the airport later in the afternoon. We had thought that we would be taking our luggage with us on the tour but after reading this information, I see that we may not have to. My question is ...Can we be pretty certain that our luggage will get to the airport and onto the correct flight if we let HAL do it? We have another week in Britain so we really do not want to lose any luggage!

[eh2zed]

I have been reading the information provided by HAL about disembarking and how they will take our luggage directly to the airport from the ship. We are taking a private tour in Athens and then going to the airport later in the afternoon. We had thought that we would be taking our luggage with us on the tour but after reading this information, I see that we may not have to. My question is ...Can we be pretty certain that our luggage will get to the airport and onto the correct flight if we let HAL do it? We have another week in Britain so we really do not want to lose any luggage!

We have never had a problem with a luggage transfer to the airport. Once in Rio we did this and we went an a full day tour and then dropped off at the airport for an evening flight. I thought if any place my luggage would be lost or stolen it would be in Rio. When we got there our luggage was being guarded by a young fellow who we tipped and we went on our way.

[hammybee]

HAL and all cruise lines use third party providers to transport luggage to the airport. The documents you sign, when making application for this service, make clear that HAL is not responsible for what may happen to your luggage. It is also possible that the air carrier might lose your luggage, after it takes receipt. The more people who touch your luggage, the greater the likelihood that something can go wrong.

 

Having said this, I am not aware of any reports of lost luggage when using this service. This does not mean it has not happened, given a only a tiny majority of cruisers are CC members.

 

It is also important to be aware that your application for such service can be denied by the third party provider, the airport or the air carrier, creating an eleventh hour surprise. This happened to us when attempting to transport luggage, in Seattle. My husband's request was denied. Was this random security or perhaps that he was born in Germany more than 60 years ago, we will never know. HAL does not know. No one knows.

 

It is also possible that an airport and or airline might suspend such services due to a security threat.

 

Both my and my DD's luggage were however, accepted and there was no way to know for sure that it made the flight, till we got to our destination.

 

Given you are continuing your travels in Europe and really need your luggage, I would not use a service as there is too much uncertainty and opportunity for something to go astray.

[MMastell]

The chance of HAL losing your luggage is extremely low. There is always a chance that it "could" happen but this is true with any cruise line or private carrier.

 

I wouldn't worry about it and take the day tour and feel fairly secure that your luggage will be there when you get to the airport.

 

Take care,

Mike

[SarasMommy]

We took an all day tour when we disembarked in Rio and when we arrived at the airport in the evening our luggage was all set up for us on carts. I didn't see anyone guarding it though, which I wasn't too comfortable with. Maybe there was and I just didn't see them. But we just walked up and took our luggage, we didn't have to clear it with anyone nearby.

[hammybee]

I am wondering if we have an apples and oranges thing going on. Is it possible there is a different process when one takes a ship sponsored tour versus an independent tour?

 

To avoid confusion, our experience was related to doing our own thing and using the service that not only transports luggage, but checks it in and provides passenger boarding passes too.

[Mary Ellen]

I know of two situations of luggage being 'mis-placed'.

 

1) We had a limo from the Vancouver pier to the airport post cruise. One of our bags was NOT in the cruise terminal. We had a S suite, so we were early off the ship. We had to hang around waiting for everyone to get off the ship and the baggage to thin out (HAL rep suggestion). Still missing a bag. We were sent to the airport sans suitcase, as it 'might' be there. Yep, after we hunted down another HAL rep to take us to their 'unclaimed' baggage area, there was our missing bag. Good thing we didn't have an early flight. :rolleyes:

 

2) Our cruise to Hawaii last year on the Zaandam. We boarded in San Diego at the same time, from the same pier as the Oosterdam. Luggage tags are similar colors for the 2 ships. One of our fellow passengers flew in that morning. HAL rep at the airport had her put her bags on the luggage cart. Said passenger noticed that the other bags were for the Oosterdam. HAL rep repeated that her bags were to go on THAT cart. :rolleyes: You guessed it. Her luggage went on the Oosterdam and were discovered AFTER we sailed. HAL wasn't able to get her bags off the Oosterdam until she returned to San Diego (due to Mexican Customs). It would have been cutting it close to get them sent to the Zaandam in Hawaii before we started back to San Diego. That poor woman went on a 15-day cruise to Hawaii without her belongings. :eek: We had lunch with her one day. NOT a happy sailor.

 

 

Good luck with your luggage!

[jcrandle]

We were on an Alaska cruise on HAL about 4 years ago and were disembarking in Vancouver. We were then renting a car and taking a 8 day trip thru Canada on our own. Unfortunately, the color code for our luggage (salmon) was similar to the color code for the luggage tags (beige) that designated luggage to be shipped directly to the airport. The HAL folks were able to determine what had happened, but weren't able to correct the problem for about 4 days to get DW's suitcase to our hotel. We had lots of calls and lots of promises, but the end result was less than satisfactory.

 

DW had to buy about $100 of clothes during the the delay. I will credit HAL, as they reimbursed the cost, when we submitted receipts with the luggage claim. However, as anyone who has been thru a similar ordeal will attest, it didn't reimburse for pain and suffering.

[doctork]

Whether it is HAL, the airline, or some other party that has temporary possession of my luggage, I always take care to have essentials with me in my carry-on. At the least, I'd have a change of clothes, toiletries and medications in my backpack. A 20 or 22 inch rollerboard suitcase is less convenient to tote on a tour, but if I were concerned about other luggage disappearing for the rest of my trip, in a pinch I could fit enough for 5 - 7 days of travel in that.

 

In my four cruises, I've never had trouble with the cruise line misplacing my luggage, but the airlines do so quite frequently. Once burned, twice shy.