No luggage until end of cruise, Quest crew wonderful!

[gphelps99]

Just returned from a 5-day charter on board the Quest, along the coast of Italy. Due to United airlines & Alitalia airlines our bags didn't catch up with us until the end of the cruise. :eek: I had worked for weeks with the planning/packing... don't think God doesn't have a sense of humor! The customer service ladies on board worked very hard, everyday to get the bags caught up to us. Wonderful customer service on the part of Azamara Quest. By the way, the cruise was so wonderful... the food, the cruise director, the entertainment just fantastic! We stayed another week in Italy afterwards, a trip of a lifetime! Life Lesson #1 Learned: don't stress too much about packing... you can have a wonderful experience with just two outfits and a laundryroom! You meet the nicest people in a Quest laundryroom! Life Lesson #2 Learned: (no matter what your husband says) Arrive the day BEFORE the cruise, it MIGHT have helped this time!:p

[Paulchili]

Just returned from a 5-day charter on board the Quest, along the coast of Italy. Due to United airlines & Alitalia airlines our bags didn't catch up with us until the end of the cruise. :eek: I had worked for weeks with the planning/packing... don't think God doesn't have a sense of humor! The customer service ladies on board worked very hard, everyday to get the bags caught up to us. Wonderful customer service on the part of Azamara Quest. By the way, the cruise was so wonderful... the food, the cruise director, the entertainment just fantastic! We stayed another week in Italy afterwards, a trip of a lifetime! Life Lesson #1 Learned: don't stress too much about packing... you can have a wonderful experience with just two outfits and a laundryroom! You meet the nicest people in a Quest laundryroom! Life Lesson #2 Learned: (no matter what your husband says) Arrive the day BEFORE the cruise, it MIGHT have helped this time!:p

 

I am glad it worked out for you and you made the most of it - that is the way to do it.

Lesson # 3 - don't fly United. To quote a fellow flyer - "I'd rather walk or swim than fly United".

Seriously though, it can happen on any airline - arriving a couple days early may allow your bags to catch up with you.

[Aussie Gal]

I do feel for you after all the trouble of packing etc, and probably making lists of what to bring and wear.

 

As we have such distances to go, we always allow a few days in the port of embarkation for two main reasons. One is to catch up on jetlag and the second, is to have a few days spare in case the luggage doesn't arrive. We have always been lucky and it has always been waiting for us on the carousel but then again we do fly with great airlines from this part of the world.

 

I do feel you need a good sense of humour and to forget about being a fashion plate when your luggage doesn't turn up. You seemed to have had the right attitude and enjoyed your cruise even with this hiccup. Good on you!

 

Jennie

[DrKoob]

Lesson # 3 - don't fly United. To quote a fellow flyer - "I'd rather walk or swim than fly United".

 

One great piece of advice I once got is, "If you are flying to Europe, fly a European airline." We have loved British and heard great things about Lufthansa as well as other major carriers (not the discounts carriers).

We think the same is true with Asia. Flying to Asia, fly the Asian airlines. Singapore, Cathay Pacific, JAL. All some of the greats.

[BurBunny]

One great piece of advice I once got is, "If you are flying to Europe, fly a European airline." We have loved British and heard great things about Lufthansa as well as other major carriers (not the discounts carriers).

We think the same is true with Asia. Flying to Asia, fly the Asian airlines. Singapore, Cathay Pacific, JAL. All some of the greats.

 

For the most part, I'd agree. However, I would specifically say "If you are flying to Italy, DON'T FLY ALITALIA!" This airline is in trouble from so many different directions - financial, employee, etc., that their level of service especially in Coach and with baggage, can be truly horrendous. Book them with care.

[rjm1cc]

I always pack with the idea that one of the bags may get lost. My carryon has basic outfits so I can get buy.

[DrKoob]

For the most part, I'd agree. However, I would specifically say "If you are flying to Italy, DON'T FLY ALITALIA!" This airline is in trouble from so many different directions - financial, employee, etc., that their level of service especially in Coach and with baggage, can be truly horrendous. Book them with care.

 

You'll notice I didn't mention them. It's not the airline, just the Italian way. Take if from an Italian-American who loves Italy, they can cook and they can build buildings that last forever but they can't do any of it on the clock. :D

[donaldsc]

Most people in your situation would have gone ballistic. Glad you took it with a sense of humor and enjoyed your cruise.

 

DON

[monalloh]

Many years ago on a 10 day Caribbean cruise there was a young gentleman from Nebraska who never received his luggage. While I kept thinking to myself how this would have ruined my trip, it didn't seem to faze him. As a matter of fact, he made hundreds of friends; everyone on the ship knew who who he was and couldn't wait to see what he was wearing to dinner each night. His attitude really impressed me as I learned from him how to make the best of a bad situation. What a life lesson to learn!

[Redtravel]

Having had airlines and cruise ships lose my luggage. I've learned to be pleasantly surprised when I get it. I've had several airlines misplace bags. A cruiseline that has since gone out of business, lost a bag between the checkin and the our cabin. Tag fell off the bag.. tuck an extra id tag with all flight info/hotel/cruise into a side pocket. Most show up eventually.....sometimes it can take weeks. I've had stuff taken out of bags. I've had locks (TSA type) cut off. I've had the TSA dump my entire contents of my purse and suitcases on a table and had them paw through my belongings. I've also had TSA bodily search me. I must fit a profile....lucky me. It's annoying, but it won't stop me from traveling. I've changed the way I travel as a result. Pack light. Pack in clear plastic ziplock bags....easy for visual inspection. Do not bring stuff that you would be unhappy if you lost them. Take the essentials in a carryon with enough clothes for 2 days. Read all tourguides before you leave home.....yes, our luggage was lost with our tour guides. Know where to go shopping just in case your bags are lost.....ie. in Zurich the guides said that the best shopping was in the train station lower level. I had complete outfits in less than 15 minutes. Buy travel insurance, and know their help phone #. Have a notebook with phrases in foreign languages that say " My luggage is lost. Please help me. " If you are on a cruise, guest services will help. Celebrity was superb. They gave us teeshirts, formal clothes, and did our laundry during the week we had no luggage.....and it wasn't their fault that the airline missplaced our bags. Mostly, relax and enjoy. It's a vacation. Be happy when you win at luggage roulette. My last trip was one of the few where flights were on time, and we got all our luggage.

[maryann ns]

Red travel says it all. Great advice.

 

I have certainly learned to always allow a day for luggage to catch up to you. We were very glad of this when we arrived in Amsterdam without the tent we needed for our five week camping trip in Europe. The tag had come off so it was not the airline's fault. Yes I know have multiple labels and tags!