Beware of Luggage Express

[Crystalbast]

It's possible then that Luggage Express never picked it up and it's still sitting at the port. Right?

 

Carnival has told me that it is not at the port.

[Crystalbast]

I think a Certified Letter to the Carnival HQ is in order. In my mind, ultimately, they sold you the service and collected the fee so they bear the responsibility. However, I have cruised many time and have often wondered what would prevent someone from picking up my luggage once I set it out of the cabin. In reality, it would be quite simple to grab a bag, take it to a cabin, change the labels and carry it off the next day. Hopefully, it will show up soon.

 

What is interesting is that this was the first cruise that I actually heard the workers picking up luggage on the last night. Usually I never hear a thing. I actually peeked out the door and saw the luggage trolley thing.

[Crystalbast]

You asked who should be responsible. My answer is the person you paid. You paid carnival for this service and they subcontract through another company. I would call carnival and find someone who will take ownership and have them find your luggage. I would be so angry if I were you because everyone is passing the buck. I would call the person you paid and say I paid you for this service and am not getting help. I am sure there is a customer resolution department that can help but the average phone person worry more about sales. I would also send a tweet to http://twitter.com/#!/MickyArison and also one to http://twitter.com/#!/CarnivalCruise and one to http://twitter.com/#!/CCLSupport asking for help. Good luck and I hope you find answers soon

 

That is a pretty good idea. Thanks!

[lnew1gd1]

It's possible then that Luggage Express never picked it up and it's still sitting at the port. Right?

 

We have used Luggage Express with Carnival a few times and all went well except for once--the very last time we used it.

 

Continental was our airline....got to our home destination....no luggage.....blamed Continental for losing our luggage. Filed all the paperwork. They said they never got our luggage. Days later got a call from Continental...they had our luggage. Carnival never sent it with everyone elses on the original flight...it was sitting in a corner of the terminal in Florida. Once the terminal found it they sent it to Continental who eventually had it delivered to our home.

 

Used to love the service and praise it...now wouldn't use it again if Carnival and the airline paid me to use it!!

 

So sorry for all the aggravation this is causing you.

[DocJohnB]

I do understand your frustration but mistakes happen at the best of companies. It might not be too wise slamming them all over the internet (especially since they are still looking for your luggage:eek:;)).

 

Seems to me, the OP is simply writing a warning regarding this service. I do not see her post as a "slam" in any way, shape or form.

[Crystalbast]

Seems to me, the OP is simply writing a warning regarding this service. I do not see her post as a "slam" in any way, shape or form.

 

Thank you. I have used the service before when it worked. I never thought about what would happen if it did not work as advertised and sold. It is a lesson learned the hard way. People might not think about what they may face if things go wrong. It is very difficult. Continental is trying to be helpful but I don't know what they can do since Luggage Express didn't put the airline tag on the bag. Carnival just tells me that it is not at the port. Luggage Express goes back and forth between blaming Carnival and telling me to let Continental find it. It seems to me that the blame rests squarely with Luggage Express since their port representative did not handle my luggage according to their policy. He did not scan the valet ticket into their records and he did not print of the airline luggage tag. They do not appear to making much effort to actually find the lost bag.

 

People do have a right to be aware of what can happen when things do not work out. Should they choose to use the program do so with open eyes. Try to minimize the risk as much as possible. I wish that I had asked the check in counter to verify that my luggage had actually been checked in. I also wish that I had taken the time to research the company ahead of time and had their phone number to call if I had realized there was a problem with my luggage. They emailed their port agent but apparently haven't heard of picking up the phone and calling.

 

If I had seen a thread like this I sure as heck would not have paid for the program.

[DocJohnB]

Carnival has told me that it is not at the port.

 

If that is indeed the case, and Luggage Express denies "scanning" it, perhaps, just perhaps, it is cruising on the next itinerary of the ship you were on and it will show up in the future.

 

You original question of who is liable is an interesting one. IMO (and I am not a lawyer, nor do I wanna be one), I think until such time as they can prove they turned the luggage over to Luggage Express, CCL is liable for the loss of your luggage. There has to be a paperwork trail from CCL to Luggage Express to the airline. To my way of thinking liability lies with the last entity that handled it. If there is no paperwork trail . . . CCL has to be liable for it (IMO).

 

Good luck!!

 

[serene56]

With Carnival all you get is a scanable Valet Tag and your boarding passes. Luggage Express is supposed to scan it into their records and print out the actual airline luggage tag. If that airline tag is never put on the luggage I don't know how the heck your airline is supposed to find it. There is no record that Continental (in my case) ever received it. It sucks that Luggage Express isn't actually doing anything but blame Carnival and tell me to wait for Continental to find it. My luggage would have been with all of the other luggage express luggage so I can't figure out how they messed it up.

 

 

If you have no tag on it-- how do they know where it goes?

but now I wonder-- if someone passing that bag in the hall just ripped the tag off? and that bag was sitting in the luggage area after the cruise

[NHNEV2003]

Hope everything works out for you and your luggage makes it home.

 

I was actually thinking about trying the service in a couple of weeks-- now I won't even consider it.

 

Good Luck

[Crystalbast]

In my last conversation with Continental, I was told that if I have to file a claim I will file with them them and they will turn around and bill Luggage Express. So far, Continental seems to be the only one trying to help me.

 

What have I learned from this?

1. Never use the luggage express program again

2. Don't pack any clothing that I want to see and wear again

3. Complete a detailed list of what I pack (with prices) and leave it at home

 

Fortunately I should not have to come up with any receipts because no individual item is valued at over $100 but I do have to come up with a list with prices. I plan on visiting my local travel store because they can help me with the prices on the luggage, packing cubes, and other travel items that I used (that alone will come out to around $200 and I haven't eve gotten to the clothing yet).

[StillPooh]

We have used Luggage Express with Carnival a few times and all went well except for once--the very last time we used it.

 

Continental was our airline....got to our home destination....no luggage.....blamed Continental for losing our luggage. Filed all the paperwork. They said they never got our luggage. Days later got a call from Continental...they had our luggage. Carnival never sent it with everyone elses on the original flight...it was sitting in a corner of the terminal in Florida. Once the terminal found it they sent it to Continental who eventually had it delivered to our home.

So take heart, OP, all hope is not yet lost!

[iceleven]

Well, you certainly have given me reason to not use the service again. At least when you debark you will know immediately that your luggage got off the ship and you will know immediately where to begin the search.

 

I have never felt comfortable with leaving my luggage outside of my cabin but feel I am at their mercy because I cannot take the luggage off myself. Since when have any of us ever left our luggage outside of our hotel room?

 

Luggage is lost all of the time on the ship. Haven't we all received notices after the cruise has begun asking for us to look for a particular piece of luggage that never got delivered to a guest's room?

 

I believe I am going to re-think what I need and pack for future cruises so that both hubby and I can just use a carry-on bag. Another good reason to get rid of "formal night" too.:D

[sparks1093]

Seems to me, the OP is simply writing a warning regarding this service. I do not see her post as a "slam" in any way, shape or form.

 

Most companies would consider adverse publicity to be a slam and I was only suggesting caution in publicizing it while the bags were still missing (maybe the company would take offense and pitch the bags when then found them, that type of thing).

 

Thank you. I have used the service before when it worked. I never thought about what would happen if it did not work as advertised and sold. It is a lesson learned the hard way. People might not think about what they may face if things go wrong. It is very difficult. Continental is trying to be helpful but I don't know what they can do since Luggage Express didn't put the airline tag on the bag. Carnival just tells me that it is not at the port. Luggage Express goes back and forth between blaming Carnival and telling me to let Continental find it. It seems to me that the blame rests squarely with Luggage Express since their port representative did not handle my luggage according to their policy. He did not scan the valet ticket into their records and he did not print of the airline luggage tag. They do not appear to making much effort to actually find the lost bag.

 

People do have a right to be aware of what can happen when things do not work out. Should they choose to use the program do so with open eyes. Try to minimize the risk as much as possible. I wish that I had asked the check in counter to verify that my luggage had actually been checked in. I also wish that I had taken the time to research the company ahead of time and had their phone number to call if I had realized there was a problem with my luggage. They emailed their port agent but apparently haven't heard of picking up the phone and calling.

 

If I had seen a thread like this I sure as heck would not have paid for the program.

 

I apologize if anything I said in my prior post offended you, that wasn't my intent at all. If they didn't put the right airline tag on it I wonder if it ended up at a different airline.

[wl'sgma]

"I believe I am going to re-think what I need and pack for future cruises so that both hubby and I can just use a carry-on bag. Another good reason to get rid of "formal night" too.:D

 

 

I Agree! - Although I do think you should "dress up" a bit for evenings on the ship - a nice polo should be fine for guys- a jacket and dress shirt push us over the 2 carry-on bags. If me it's just not worth the $50 bucks(and DH could care less). Because of this we miss one night in the MDR, and I do enjoy dinning there.

[Teamv]

" The more that time goes by the greater the chance that it will never show up. I do not have any positive hopes on the situation at this time."

 

Don't give up hope yet. Lost luggage often has a long and winding journey to its owners. Several years ago one of our bags went missing on a Northwest flight from Orlando. After multiple phone calls, emails, and literally HOURS pulling together a list of missing items, we received our bag that had been missing for 6 weeks. It took that long for it to get through the airports to the lost luggage home (in Atlanta, I think) where someone looked through thousands of bags until they found ours. Amazing that we even got it back! Funny, it didn't seem like anyone was interested in looking for it until I submitted the insurance claim.

 

After that experience we vowed to always make a list of packed items, but that is very time consuming during busy pre-vacation time. Instead I lay everything out on the bed or floor before packing and take a picture of the items. That way I will have a head start on a list if needed, but don't need to waste my time if we don't have any problems. By the way, the list we needed to submit included the name of the item, size, colour, fabric content, and price. When I compared my list (created from memory about 2 or 3 weeks after the trip) to the items in the suitcase, I had forgotten about half of the items.

 

OP, Sorry for your frustrating experience. Hope the bag makes its way home!