To lock or not to lock?

[NurseBPS]

Do we lock our checked bags or do we leave them unlocked? I know this has been discussed but we are about to head out and I couldn't find the answer! Thanks for any help!!

[crewsnews]

Up to you. If they need to get into your bag, they will either call you to the naughty room, or force the lock. We never lock, but also never leave anything valuable in it. Keeps those on your person.

[pe4all]

Up to you. If they need to get into your bag, they will either call you to the naughty room, or force the lock. We never lock, but also never leave anything valuable in it. Keeps those on your person.

Agree! We use plastic zip ties to hold the zippers shut, and bring extras in case they are broken/cut. Bring anything you value along in your carryon.

[NurseBPS]

Thanks for the responses! Love the zip tie idea! Might be using that one! How do you get it off when you get to your room? Do you bring scissors? Knives aren't allowed right?

[LUPY48]

I put a nail clipper in my purse.

[Frank12]

I put a nail clipper in my purse.

That's the ticket. Nail clippers work great! :)

[Sargent_Schultz]

We always LOCK and NO, they will not break your locks. Worst case, you may get called to the naughty room.

 

Carnival has no responsibility for your luggage until it is on the ship.

[pe4all]

Thanks for the responses! Love the zip tie idea! Might be using that one! How do you get it off when you get to your room? Do you bring scissors? Knives aren't allowed right?

I get "quick release nylon cable ties" from the dollar store. (100 for a dollar) Truthfully, anyone can get into any luggage, if they really want to. I just want to slow them down a bit, keep my zipper together so my unmentionables don't stray onto the luggage conveyer belt, and "know" if someone did go thru my luggage. (if the zip tie is missing, broken, etc.)

[Tuffy1129]

We always do zip ties. We have even managed to find some neon colored ones so that we can tell if bags have been opened. We figure it's a possibility they might cut and replace the standard white or black ones and we'de never know. But they probably don't have a pack of bright multi colored ones to replace ours with. I just realized how paramoid I sound. LOL

[Tuffy1129]

boy - and my typing is bad too.

[RWolver672]

We use the zipties too. We put a small pair of scissors in one of the outer pockets of the luggage to cut them with and we always carry extras to put on when we debark.

[DGP1111]

We always LOCK and NO, they will not break your locks. Worst case, you may get called to the naughty room.

 

Carnival has no responsibility for your luggage until it is on the ship.

 

Ditto that

 

.

[pe4all]

We always do zip ties. We have even managed to find some neon colored ones so that we can tell if bags have been opened. We figure it's a possibility they might cut and replace the standard white or black ones and we'de never know. But they probably don't have a pack of bright multi colored ones to replace ours with. I just realized how paramoid I sound. LOL

These are the ones we use. They come in neon green,orange, red and yellow. I pack extras for the return plane trip, also.

[matt082600]

What a great idea!!

[Jsaxm]

My wife and I have the TSA approved locks where they use a special tool and they can open them up for inspection and then close them again without having to have the code, break them open, etc. Do the security officials at the ports not have this same tool/key since they are not TSA agents? I am leaving out of Seattle if that makes any difference at all.

[crusinfamof4]

We didn't lock ours, no issues.

[Tuffy1129]

TSA locks don't solve my paranoid has someone been through my undies thing - cause you can't tell if they opened them or not.

[sunlover2]

TSA locks don't solve my paranoid has someone been through my undies thing - cause you can't tell if they opened them or not.

 

For this reason alone I put my undies and bras in a zip lock bag.

[valsdancin]

If TSA does go through your bags you get a note in your luggage letting you know they went through it. It happened to me last my last cruise. I had some wine, mexican vanilla and olive oil in it on my flight home. I guess they thought it was suspicious. :eek: Oh, I don't usually lock my luggage. I've never had it open up and had things spill out of it. I didn't think too much about anybody going through my luggage until it happened last time. I think I might actually buy some TSA locks for my next cruise. :rolleyes:

[hill6]

Lock!!!!!!

[sc_wildman]

I know it was stated by a previous poster that they will not remove your locks, but i have had it happen twice before. Both times it was on our return from a cruise. Once on the Fantasy and also on the Dream. When i placed our bags outside our room door for pick-up the night before debarkation, our large suitcase had all three locks attached. When i picked up our luggage after getting off the ship, all three locks were missing and it was obvious that our bag had been searched. Nothing was ever missing. I don't believe Carnival had anyhting to do with it, but more likely the police or whomever it is that checks the luggage brought off the ship. I now use the zip ties. works much better and saves me the cost of buying more locks. :)

[not-enough-cruising]

My wife and I have the TSA approved locks where they use a special tool and they can open them up for inspection and then close them again without having to have the code, break them open, etc. Do the security officials at the ports not have this same tool/key since they are not TSA agents? I am leaving out of Seattle if that makes any difference at all.

 

Screeners at the ports are NOT TSA and do not have the key or code for the TSA locks.

 

If they need access to a locked bag they will call you.

[not-enough-cruising]

I know it was stated by a previous poster that they will not remove your locks, but i have had it happen twice before. Both times it was on our return from a cruise. Once on the Fantasy and also on the Dream. When i placed our bags outside our room door for pick-up the night before debarkation, our large suitcase had all three locks attached. When i picked up our luggage after getting off the ship, all three locks were missing and it was obvious that our bag had been searched. Nothing was ever missing. I don't believe Carnival had anyhting to do with it, but more likely the police or whomever it is that checks the luggage brought off the ship. I now use the zip ties. works much better and saves me the cost of buying more locks. :)

 

Upon return and debarkation, it is customs that go through the luggage, not TSA or any one else. Customs has a MUCH lower thresh-hold for cutting locks, and basically doing whatever they please.:eek:

[hillbillycruisers]

I too have seen locks cut off...so dont ever think they wont do it. It may not be something they are supposed to do..of that I'm not sure...but it does happen. When you are dealing with different people at different places, my guess is anything can happen. We've never had anything turn up missing or damaged. We've used the TSA approved locks the last couple cruises...I thought these were accessable to all those involved, but after reading these post I'm not sure. But I'll still use them. :)

[welshcorgie]

You can buy TSA approved locks at WalMart or other superstores. TSA can get into them if they need to but no one else can. If TSA gets into checked lugage they leave a paper inside saying that they did.