Bags Program - Not as great as it seems!

[saltmom1]

Trish - I wish I had consulted my cruiseship lawyer first!! ;) I guess what could I expect when NCL had 2 dancers and a jr. waiter serving as crowd control for disembarking.

 

So get this - Official system from AA - They have one flight from Miami to STL a day so they load on all the luggage that did not make it yesterday, then after the flight arrives, anything left spinning at the carousel is then checked out and then they make a claim, if the claim recognizes my claim, I am a winner!!

 

That is the system they use! I asked if they scan items before being put on a flight or if they are left behind and the rep laughed and said they were not UPS! Ha ha ha!....ugh I will know if my luggage was left spinning in 2 hours or so...:rolleyes:

 

This did not involve the BAGS program, but the AA.

Just flew from Miami to Boston on AA on Sunday. We were never told at what carousel to get our luggage. The flight attendants were RUDE. We were repeatedly told when boarding to just " pick a seat yu can find the right one later. We need to get out of here," separating a mother and her young son ( 4-5 years old ) The mother was told to have her child sit towards the middle of the plane and she can go find a seat somewhere near the back.. We got to Boston and about 40 people did not get their luggage, including 1 person in my group who needed to be at work at 4:45 in the morning and needed some of the contents of her luggage. We were told that the plane was too full so they only loaded part of the luggage on the flight and the rest would be in on the next flight- 3 1/2 hours later. They then complained about having to deliver her luggage to her the next day because we live over an hour from the airport. Too bad, so sad, I told them. It sounds like this is the way they do business. They will NEVER have mine again.

[joycep13]

My husband and I just sailed on the Jewel Jan 3-10 and signed up for the NCL BAGS Program, where they offer you the "convenient option" of taking your luggage to the airport for you and you get "easy walk off" when you leave the ship.

 

I knew it was too good to be true. First - to disembark with "easy walk off" you must leave the boat first, usually at 8am, but the bags did not clear until 9ish so if we had been ready to leave then, we would have sat waiting for clearance. Then soon after, NL starts calling tag numbers for everyone else to leave the ship, at that point your "easy walk off" option is gone, you are in the line with everyone else. When the Customs Agent asked us where our bags were, we told him we used the Bags program and he said "good luck".:mad:

 

My husbands luggage arrived but mine did not. The airline said it would be on the 10:30pm flight, I just got a call this morning stating that it is missing and they do not even know if it will be on the next flight. :mad:

 

No one knows at what point the bag went missing, but the frustration of missing almost everything I brought on the trip is so upsetting.

 

PS - I just read the final paperwork for the bags program - when you do it, you agree that the value OF ALL THE BAGGAGE does not exceed $100 (?!) WHAT?! How did we miss this?

 

DO NOT DO THE BAGS PROGRAM!!!

 

I do not recommend using the bags program, keep your items safe and where you know they are.

 

I don't know that the BAGs program can be blamed. Sounds like an airlines thing. On our cruise last year we wanted to try BAGS but couldn't because our airlines wasn't participating in the program. Bags gone missing can happen to anyone, even when you 'have control' of them. We were in a Garden Villa and were escorted out to a waiting limo that took us to the Ft. Lauderdale airport with all our luggage (10 pieces total), you'd think that the custom service would ensure everything would go smoothly. Ha! When we finally arrived back home in Portland, Oregon, we discovered ALL ten of our bags were missing!

 

We went to the airline counter and sure enough, they said 10 bags did not get put on the plane back in Florida. And it wasn't like we arrived at the airport late or anything. We had plenty of time to relax and have a leisurely lunch at the airport before boarding the plane. Why our luggage missed the flight we don't know. It all ended up fine, though, the airlines brought all 10 pieces to our house within a day or two.

 

Glad they found your luggage and hope you're reunited soon! (just don't think the BAGS program should shoulder the blame, most likely it was the airline that boo-booed)

 

Cheers,

~Joyce

[newmexicoNita]

Colleen, I am so happy your luggage showed up somewhere. This does happen regardless whether you use the baggage program or handle them yourself. My mother in law had hers lost once. It turned up about 4 months later. We had one lost as well, it turned up about a week later...At least you were returning, not getting on the cruise.

 

Again, I am glad it worked out..

 

Nita

[lynwar]

Joanne-glad that you figured out a solution for your daughter's bag. Did you think about the Post Office idea? It was just about the same thing-to an actual place rather than trying to send it to the school.

I have a picture of us from the White Hot Party. We three made a wonderful trio!

 

Colleen, good luck. We'll all be pulling for you and your luggage.

 

Trish, we walked off at 9:20 also and the only person who handled our luggage was the porter at the bottom who got it out to the curb for me. From there, it was in my COLD control until Trevor returned with the car.

 

Colleen, I'm glad that your entire cruise wasn't ruined. It was nice to have you with us.

Love, Lynne ( Let us know when you get it.)

[BIG_Steve]

My bag is still missing. I did get a call from NCL today, they told me the woman who runs the program is looking for my bag. They said AA scanned it in but AA told me they did not so who knows.

 

Were you ever able to figure out if it was AA or NCL that dropped the ball?

 

Glad it turned up!

[CCinSTL]

Were you ever able to figure out if it was AA or NCL that dropped the ball?

 

Glad it turned up!

 

I got it around midnight last night, delivered safely to my door!

My Bags tag was off my luggage so luckily my personal address and contact info tag was still on, so it must have got accidentally ripped off along the line.

 

AA claimed they did could not confirm it made it from the ship to the airport and NCL had no official record of it leaving the Bags truck, the NCL rep and I were worried it was still on the ship or pier (this is why I was so upset and made my first post), but it all worked out in the end (and my clothes did not mildew!):) Again, so glad the Bags rep went herself to find it at the airport.

 

I thought the Miami airport was a mess, it was dirty with trash everywhere and I know the staff was overwhelmed with normal travelers plus 5 ship loads coming in and out the same day. We sailed out of New Orleans last year and it was perfect and it is a fun city to visit.

 

Nita - 4 months? ugh...I bet you were about to head that store in Arkansas to look for it.

[SeaShark]

AA claimed they did could not confirm it made it from the ship to the airport

 

When they tell me stuff like this is when I start the heavy questioning. I mean, seriously, how could the bag have gotten from Miami to Saint Louis if it didn't make it to the airport!?! What a dumb thing for them to tell you.

 

 

I'm really glad you got your bag back.

 

 

 

Sounds like the BAGS program wasn't so bad after all.

[Globaliser]

I mean, seriously, how could the bag have gotten from Miami to Saint Louis if it didn't make it to the airport!?!

I think that must have been said before the bag was found. If all the original tags are off the bag, it's much more difficult to trace on airline systems by reference to the original tag details.

[Zimomiller]

Another thing people forget is that the bags program used to be standard and part of the cruise cost.

 

You tagged your bags and checked in, NCL grabbed em at the airport upon arrival and they magically showed up in your cabin. After the cruise you dropped em off at a location and they showed up at the baggage claim when you got home.

 

They took away the program due to security concerns...and gee the bags program arose from the dead a few yeasrs later as an upcharge. (In an environment when security concerns are greater than ever!)

 

I also think it is is total BS that NCL slipped in a further absolutely absurd baggage value limitation for their current bags program. Pretty classless.

[newmexicoNita]

I got it around midnight last night, delivered safely to my door!

My Bags tag was off my luggage so luckily my personal address and contact info tag was still on, so it must have got accidentally ripped off along the line.

 

AA claimed they did could not confirm it made it from the ship to the airport and NCL had no official record of it leaving the Bags truck, the NCL rep and I were worried it was still on the ship or pier (this is why I was so upset and made my first post), but it all worked out in the end (and my clothes did not mildew!):) Again, so glad the Bags rep went herself to find it at the airport.

 

I thought the Miami airport was a mess, it was dirty with trash everywhere and I know the staff was overwhelmed with normal travelers plus 5 ship loads coming in and out the same day. We sailed out of New Orleans last year and it was perfect and it is a fun city to visit.

 

Nita - 4 months? ugh...I bet you were about to head that store in Arkansas to look for it.

 

actually the story turned out to be pretty funny. After about 2 or 3 weeks we were sent a lost luggage claim and filled it out with details. They were willing to pay up to $700 for lost clothes etc. We felt so sorry for her, even though she wasn't poor she didn't have a lot and all her good clothes were in the bag. Anyway we went out anr peronally replaced every single item. About 2 or 3 weeks before the bag was found the airline sent her a check to $600.00. She kept the money, the luggage was found, delivered to her and she opened it to discover a $50.00 bill she had put in it (which had been a Christmas gift) had been taken. To the day she died, about 10 years later she was still bitching about someone taking her $50.00. Oh, by the way, we were all living in DAllas at the time.

 

Nita

[doodlesinkentucky]

:(Sorry you had a problem. But we just did the BAGS program from the Dawn out of Miami and it was FANTASTIC. Well worth the hassle and esp in Miami!! I would do it in a heart beat. What a breeze!!!!:)

[RLBlack]

Anyone out there- disembarked from New York pier- and flew out of Newark, and used the bag program. We are scheduled to do just that - and would like to know if the program is used there. Or if anyone has an idea of where on the NCL web site I could find out the information.

 

Thanks for your help.

[njhorseman]

Anyone out there- disembarked from New York pier- and flew out of Newark, and used the bag program. We are scheduled to do just that - and would like to know if the program is used there. Or if anyone has an idea of where on the NCL web site I could find out the information.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

 

NCL does not provide this program in NY. I believe it is only available in Miami, Seattle and Los Angeles...but derfinitely not in NY.

[ieatchickens]

Are you certain of this? NCL's site doesn't say anything about limiting this program to certain ports. But then again, NCL's site is not the best out there.

 

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=BAGS

[terrymtex01]

Are you certain of this? NCL's site doesn't say anything about limiting this program to certain ports. But then again, NCL's site is not the best out there.

 

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=BAGS

 

My memory is, if you read the fine print on the paperwork you get in the cabin about the Bags program you will see that it is not offered by NCL, but rather a program NCL participates by a third party vendor. So like in Miami you will have RCCL, Carnival, NCL, etc, all using the "Bags" program that is offered by this third party vendor. With that being said, it will only be offered where this company has an presence. That's why it's not offered at all NCL ports. It's kind of like taking an excursion with NCL. You pay NCL for the excursion, but it's another company that actually does the excursion.

[garycarla]

Are you certain of this? NCL's site doesn't say anything about limiting this program to certain ports. But then again, NCL's site is not the best out there.

 

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=BAGS

 

 

Maybe they do not limit it. Just not available in all ports.

 

LOL!

[njhorseman]

Are you certain of this? NCL's site doesn't say anything about limiting this program to certain ports. But then again, NCL's site is not the best out there.

 

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=BAGS

 

 

From NCL's FAQs:

 

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=FAQ#services

 

What other services are available?

Beauty parlor and spa services include hair styling, manicures, pedicures, facials

and massages in our Mandara Spa Salon

Gift shops feature duty-free shopping, with fine jewelry, perfumes, clothing, cosmetics and limited drug store items

Laundry & dry-cleaning services

Internet Café

Art auctions

Photographs taken throughout the cruise

 

BAGS Service available at the following debarkation ports: Miami, Los Angeles and Seattle. Why haul suitcases in the last hours of your vacation when our BAGS Program can take care of that headache for you!

[Don Haynes]

Really, so much can go wrong with luggage, and has been for years whether with the cruise lines or with the airlines. Me, I prefer to carry my one small bag, it usually weighs less than twenty five pounds. I have traveled to Europe so many times one learns to pack light. Its not easy or fun lifting two fifty pounds bags while at the same time trying to catch a train. Not to mention some of the cabs in Europe, or some of their rental cars, don't have much of a trunk either. While you maybe able to use their rollers at the airport, many of the sidewalks are cobble stone, not smooth concrete...

[ieatchickens]

From NCL's FAQs:

 

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=FAQ#services

 

What other services are available?

Beauty parlor and spa services include hair styling, manicures, pedicures, facials

and massages in our Mandara Spa Salon

Gift shops feature duty-free shopping, with fine jewelry, perfumes, clothing, cosmetics and limited drug store items

Laundry & dry-cleaning services

Internet Café

Art auctions

Photographs taken throughout the cruise

 

BAGS Service available at the following debarkation ports: Miami, Los Angeles and Seattle. Why haul suitcases in the last hours of your vacation when our BAGS Program can take care of that headache for you!

 

Thanks NJhorseman for taking the time to show that to me.

 

Stupid me, if I want information on the bags program I needed to go the FAQ page. Instead I went to the Bags Program page which shows all the participating airlines but says nothing about ports involved.

 

It's a good thing I can separate the cruising portion of NCL from the NCL web site. It has a lot to be desired.