luggage locks

[fatbird]

I'm leaving soon on a Summit cruise and don't know if I should buy locks for my luggage? A friend said it wasn't worth the money, but I hate to leave my luggage unprotected. What do you suggest?

[mchell810]

Buy the TSA approved locks. If someone really wants to get into your bag they will, but locks will keep your bag safe from casual thieves.

 

Enjoy your trip!

[texancruzer]

Buy the TSA approved locks. If someone really wants to get into your bag they will, but locks will keep your bag safe from casual thieves.

 

Enjoy your trip!

 

I agree completely.

Actually if flying into Rome it was reported that 10,000 pieces of luggage gets lost a month (yep a month!)

...seems they had a problem with some of the luggage handlers throwing the luggage over the security fence to waiting accomplices..... :eek:

[GloriaF]

We use plastic ties to secure the zipper tabs together rather than locks. (The kind that are used to bundle wires together.) They are cheap and strong and can be easily cut by TSA if they want to inspect the bag, or by you when the bag reaches your cabin.

 

Be sure to pack extra plastic ties for the return trip and to keep a small pair of scissors or nail clippers in an outside unlocked pocket of your luggage. The TSA inspected one of my bags on the return trip and replaced the plastic tie with a similar one.

[HawkeyeCruisr]

I'd go with the TSA locks. They really don't cost that much and you have a permanent solution - and a better deterent from a thief who might have a pocket knife!

[Keith1010]

We too go with the TSA locks. Yes, it is true if someone wants to get into your luggage they will but I think given the small cost of the locks it is a good thing to do. You can get TSA locks in many places and for low prices you can find them at Target, Walmart and even Home Depot. We started to use them a couple of years ago. Many cruise lines even encourage you to use them.

 

Keith

[agabbymama]

Golly, I don't pack anything of great value in my suitcases anyway. Anything of value stays with me in my carry-on or my purse. I worry more about them losing the whole suitcase, than a thief trying to take my old clothes. It might be an inconvenience if they took my travel hair dryer or electrical adapter, but I don't think that's what thieves are looking for. If they want into your suitcase all they have to do is cut the lock or even slice the whole side of the suitcase, or as texancruzer says, throw the whole thing over the fence.

 

You might be inviting thieves to look wondering what is in your suitcase that you have to lock it. Years ago I used the little locks that came with the suitcase, and my Samonsite had locks built right into the suitcase (hardcase with pop-up tabs) but since TSA I don't bother with locks anymore at all.

[billyelliot]

We bought TSA locks (4) for our caribbean cruise in April. Everyone was cut off! I was really mad as they cost me 3 times more than standed ones. next time I will go with the Ties or use standed locks and take extra for return journey.

[cberge]

I travel quite a bit and I use the ties...never had a problem.Sometimes the "locks" say to the baggage handler's maybe you have something in there that just may be worth looking at..at leasst that is what I have learned over the years.Just another take on to lock or not to lock:)

[lambs2]

We bought TSA locks (4) for our caribbean cruise in April. Everyone was cut off! I was really mad as they cost me 3 times more than standed ones. next time I will go with the Ties or use standed locks and take extra for return journey.

 

Same thing happened to us on the way home from an Alaskan cruise. What a waste of resources; we bought those "special" TSA locks just so that wouldn't happen!! HA!!!!! Now we just use flourescent colored cable ties (great for spotting your bag on the baggage conveyor belt too!) and so far I believe only once was one cut off for an inspection.

[nparmelee]

And on the other end of the extreme we've used TSA locks a good 30-40 times and have never had a problem with them. We know we've had bags inspected both by the indicators on the locks and by the notices they leave in the bags. We've had one lock wear out after a lot of use so far. We believe in using something to lock your bags, ties or locks or some other method, just to keep honest people honest, I've heard too many stories of people catching others going through bags even when you leave them out for pick up on the last night of the cruise.

[GloriaF]

We bought TSA locks (4) for our caribbean cruise in April. Everyone was cut off! I was really mad as they cost me 3 times more than standed ones. next time I will go with the Ties or use standed locks and take extra for return journey.

 

I've heard this from several people - that's why we go with the plastic cable ties. We carry all valuables in our carry-ons anyway, so all anyone could get from our luggage is clothes.

[GloriaF]

I travel quite a bit and I use the ties...never had a problem.Sometimes the "locks" say to the baggage handler's maybe you have something in there that just may be worth looking at..at leasst that is what I have learned over the years.Just another take on to lock or not to lock:)

 

GOOD POINT!!:)

[HawkeyeCruisr]

Sometimes the "locks" say to the baggage handler's maybe you have something in there that just may be worth looking at..

 

To me, the locks say: I don't want anyone pawing through my personal belongings looking for something valuable!

 

My theory is that the easier it is to get into the bag (no locks at all), the more likely it is that it might be tampered with by unscrupulous airport workers or the casual thief in the baggage claim area. As busy as airports seem to be, I wouldn't thing that there's all that much time available for people to be cutting through the metal locks TSA locks. But from what I'm reading here, that's obviously not the case!

[texancruzer]

To me, the locks say: I don't want anyone pawing through my personal belongings looking for something valuable!

 

My theory is that the easier it is to get into the bag (no locks at all), the more likely it is that it might be tampered with by unscrupulous airport workers or the casual thief in the baggage claim area. As busy as airports seem to be, I wouldn't thing that there's all that much time available for people to be cutting through the metal locks TSA locks. But from what I'm reading here, that's obviously not the case!

 

Chances are that it was TSA that cut the locks - not a casual thief or a baggage handler. Sometimes the locks cannot be opened with the corresponding key (all tsa locks have a number on the bottom that corresponds to a key that the TSA people have) due to a defect or whatever and then they will just cut them off. They will not spend alot of time messing with them.

 

Even though we do not put valuables in our bags it does perhaps keep someone from "just looking" :D

[janfran813]

We've never locked our luggage on any of our cruises. Is that a common thing to do? Should we be worried about our bags? This is our first cruise in Europe! Please advise!!

[bdoster]

I'm leaving soon on a Summit cruise and don't know if I should buy locks for my luggage? A friend said it wasn't worth the money, but I hate to leave my luggage unprotected. What do you suggest?

 

Have had multiple TSA locks cut off, so we now use cable ties to keep the casual thief out...TSA even replaced the cable tie (as the package is in the outer ziped pocket)

[GloriaF]

janfran, I don't think cruises are the worry, but airports. When we cruise out of and return to FLL where we can drive, we don't bother with ties or locks either. But in airports, we do.

 

What about others?

[HawkeyeCruisr]

janfran, I don't think cruises are the worry, but airports.

 

GloriaF, you are so right!! I have complete confidence in cruise line personel, but airports are another matter. I guess I have seen a few too many "investigative reports" on TV where hidden cameras reveal ongoing thievery!

[janfran813]

Thanks so much for the info people! It's the plastic ties for us!

[jpres]

If your locks are TSA ones and they cut them off you can put in a claim to get your money refunded.

[lambs2]

If your locks are TSA ones and they cut them off you can put in a claim to get your money refunded.

 

Ours were cut off in Canada and it seemed like way too big an ordeal to try and file as an American there.

[fatbird]

Thanks, everyone. I'm so excited about the trip. I don't want to lose anything, but don't want to spend money on locks that I can use for my trip. I'll try and take notes so I can write a review. I have gotten so much from other people's reviews and want to return the favor.:)