A Bad end to a Great Cruise

[phillipahain]

As already said by others .......the UK has been checking baggage PROPERLY for years before Sept 11th we have had to deal with Noraids funding of the IRA terrorism and the bombs they would detonate in every town across the UK

 

As screeners at Heathrow insist theres positively no need whatsover with modern X Ray machines etc for TSA to open cases

 

The very special TSA locks are not to my knowledge available outside of the USA

even cable ties are not available in every dollar store in the UK as they are in the USA

 

Its up to TSA to ensure that EVERY SINGLE AIRPORT in the USA operates in an identical way and opens luggage in front of passengers this alone would stop the theft and the damage

 

Its the secret opening behind the scenes and the appalling quality of staff they employ thats causing all the problems

 

I am totally sick of the mess they have made of my cases during inspection when all there was in them was clothes ......and they had locks from the approved list but they cut them off !!!!!!!!!

 

As for losses and damage TSA are wholly responsible and if you go to http://www.TSA.dhs.gov you can both see a long list of approved locks plus you can download a claim form to claim for your loss along with contact details plus all the top bosses

 

Time every inconvenienced passenger sent some strong complaints to the top brass

[Colo Cruiser]

I am thinking that your luggage was damaged at the port by baggage handlers either on the ship or on the pier, then inspected by TSA sometime after its arrival at the Ft Lauderdale airport. Have not heard of TSA inspecting bags coming off the ship. But I guess anything is posible.

 

File a lost/damaged/stolen report with the TSA, it will take upwards of a year but if you can provide some sort of receipts etc it helps greatly. We lost (HaHa)property in 2003 flying into Seattle. Tsa opened our bags and helped themselves, but we were reimbursed for it 13 months later. Nice to have thieves going through your luggage for security reasons. Especially ones that work for the government.

[LauraS]

A visit to the extremely user friendly TSA Website should be mandatory for everyone who embarks on a trip that requires mass transportation of any kind. There you'll also find a claim form you can download for lost and damaged items. You'll even find an entire section on Passenger Vessel travel

 

You can buy TSA-approved luggage locks at many places. One manufacturer is is Travel Sentry which can be purchased at Magellan's, for example. I know, too, my sister was able to purchase TSA approved/accepted luggage locks -- on sale -- at Target over this past summer.

 

Also try a "FROOGLE" search using the keywords tsa locks.

 

Also, check our Travel Rules & Regulations for 2005

 

Laura

[waterrats]

We buy our TSA approved locks at AAA. You don't have to be a member to buy them there.

[ourlol]

Here's a link to an online article in the Times Online, detailing where you can buy TSA locks in the UK.

 

A search on google (UK only) will also bring up a selection of travel companies selling them.

[sunnyv]

Our return flight to the UK wasn't until late afternoon so we were disembarked about 11AM. On collecting our luggage from Port Everglades terminal we were shocked to discover that our luggage straps were missing (one was a locked strap!) two were recently purchased Princess Cruises straps.

 

I'm understanding the OP to say the locked strap was broken and gone when he collected his luggage at the Ships terminal, not the airport.

 

Is TSA inspecting luggage at the Port's terminal :confused:

[AZPam]

Unfortunately, members of our family have had a number of run ins with TSA that have left a bad taste in the mouth. Our opinion is that they all seem to be theifs and nothing is safe in your bags if the TSA is going to "inspect" them. Don't bother writing up a claim either, as TSA won't take any responsibility. The only safe place for valuables or keep sakes is your carry on!

 

I feel bad for the OP, but don't think I would blame Princess on this one.

 

Pam

[cornellcindy]

Since the United States suffered such a massive loss of life on 9/11, I for one am very pleased to see our government inspect all airline baggage. This inspection began on January 1, 2003. These inspections were mandated by the U.S. Congress and codified under the provisions of Title 49, The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). We can say what we like, but it's the law.

 

Prior to owning TSA approved locks, our luggage was opened on a pretty regular basis. However, once we obtained the TSA approved locks that display either the "Red Diamond" logo or the "Torch" logo, our bags have not been opened. To see those logs go to http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/editorial_multi_image_with_table_0234.xml

 

To see TSA approved locks go to http://www.travelsentry.org/csproducts.htm

 

As far as I know, this is the only list of approved TSA locks that gives TSA the ability to open them with a key at any airport or other transportation location without damage.

 

TSA does not open every bag. Most bags go through an Explosives Detection System (EDS) or Explosives Trace Detection (ETD) device.

[starprincess]

Thanks Beryl!

[torpeedo]

Are they carried in any nationwide stores?

[wrp96]

Are they carried in any nationwide stores?

 

I've seen TSA approved locks at Target.

[calikak]

I'm understanding the OP to say the locked strap was broken and gone when he collected his luggage at the Ships terminal, not the airport.

 

Is TSA inspecting luggage at the Port's terminal :confused:

 

I don't think TSA inspects luggage coming off of ships. The Border Patrol/Customs personnel that clear the ship through customs might inspect a bag if they thought someone/something was suspicious. But that's different than TSA, and I don't think they use those TSA notice slips if they inspect a bag, because they're not the TSA. Someone will no doubt correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that unless your bags are inspected by customs upon disembarkation, the only people who handle luggage being moved off the ship are Princess personnel (who take it from your cabin to the loading/unloading area on the ship) and the longshoremen who take the luggage from the ship's personnel and place it on the pier, where you retrieve it. So, if the luggage straps were missing when the luggage was retrieved on the pier, I see 4 possible "culprits":

1. The Border Patrol if they inspected the bags

2. The ship's crew that moved the luggage from the cabin

3. The longshoremen that moved the luggage from the ship to the pier

4. Anyone who was in the pier while the luggage was waiting there for retrieval (i.e., fellow passengers who disembarked before you, Princess shoreside staff)

As for the broken champagne flute, that could have happened at anytime after leaving the ship, since it was discovered upon arrival at home. So add the TSA and the airport luggage handlers to the list of people who could be responsible for that part of the problem. It's a bad idea to ever pack anything breakable in luggage that you aren't going to carry yourself at all times, though, no matter how well it's packed. Luggage handlers don't treat anyone's bags very well, and that's not just a US or a Princess thing, that's true pretty much world-wide. I don't see Princess being very sympathetic on that issue.

[booboo4031]

TSA locks have a red marking (looks almost like a red cross marking) on them and they are combination locks and if you flip them over there is a key lock as well. US airport screeners have the master keys to these locks. You can buy them in many places such as brookstone, walgreen's etc....

 

I'm very surprised that the airline took the luggage locked in the first place because normally the airline reps or the skycaps ask if the luggage is locked and if it is locked with something other than tsa or cable ties they will tell you to unlock it.

 

In light of the world we live in today, any tsa inspector can open any bag that I carry or check. After flying El Al to Israel, nothing a US or European airline can do can hold a candle to their security screenings. Like a previous poster said, terrorism is nothing new and I agree.... and it is nothing new. Luggage locks... keep honest people honest. <imho>

[crusdiva]

Are they carried in any nationwide stores?

We purchased ours at a Brookstone in our local mall, they come in variety of colors. Here's a link, I hope it works ;)

http://www.brookstone.com/shop/thumbnail.asp?world_code=4&category_code=38&subcategory_code=496&search_type=subcategory&cm_re=C*Luggage*Locks

[TEXASMUNK]

Some folks seem to think the TSa gets your bags from the cruise line. They do not. They get the bags at an airport.

TSA has nothing to with the cruise ship....There is security at the pier, but it is not the Federal Agency known as TSA.

[CroozBlooz]

Just to add a bit of levity to this thread....

 

On our last cruise my DW apparently locked her bags (I never do) and when they arrived at her cabin TSA apparently replaced the locks with cable ties. Of course, we had nothing that would cut open the ties, so our cabin steward had to hunt down a pair of scissors for us.

 

Of course, inside, was the obligatory note from the TSA. :)

[CruisingMorMor]

So sorry to the newly weds whose bags were inspected! Two years ago on July 17, we returned from our wonderful cruise in the Mediterranian. We came thru NY, going thru customs there before boarding our flight to Phoenix. A long story short, I think there is MAFIA in the TSA. Practically everything I had in two bags was gone! Yes, they have the right to inspect our bags, but it is a known fact among the air pilots that the TSA is a joke in NY. I just received a letter from the TSA that my claim was declined after they sent me a letter on March 9 this year saying it was approved. We even had travel insurance! Just beware that unless your travel insurance is in "first position", you're pretty much out of luck with a claim. I have lost all respect for the TSA government agency the way this claim has been handled. Now I'm taking this to our Senator John McCains office, News media, and Dept. of Transportation. I'll be shocked if this helps! The government is the government, they only want our taxes, and they aren't about to repay what they owe! Can you tell, I'm still angry! Last year I shipped everything home by Fed X and UPS. Strangely enough, nothing was missing!

[Suzieb]

Congrats to the Newlyweds, Wish you many years of happyness. Sorry about the locks but luggage lock only keep honest folks honest. and yes TSA locks might be a good idea, but we have had two TSA locks broken off (damaging the luggage) and nothing can be done. We are using tywraps now (or wire ties) and we use colors since TSA uses white wraps.

 

Anyway Congrats and hope you come back for a visit and you have no problems

[nho9504]

All we did were to use twist to tie the zipper links together so they would not accidently open. Sometimes I used the twist that come with the gabbage bag, more often I just used the twist you found in grocery store produce section !

 

Only had TSA opened our bags once. Luckily nothing missing, and things remained in relatively good order. TSA even tied the twist back in place but only twisted it once, instead of the multi-turns I made.

 

I might add our bags are pretty beaten up looking as they have been thru many international flights (Europe, Australia/New Zealand - 2 times, Taihiti, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan) and numerous domestic flights. May be the shabby looking bags plus the fact they were just secured by laughable twist make any bad people think it would be waste of time to rummage thru our luggages as there wont be anything valuable.

 

As a rule of thumb, we always hand-carry any valuables, keep-sakes, and even pictures and credit card receipts with us. Anything in the bag, and the bag itself, can be lost without much damage to us. (actually secretly hope the airline lose our bags and we can file a claim - never happen)

 

Now that after I post this, our luck will turn.

[Twaincruisers]

Ian, sorry about the bitter end to your honeymoon.

 

We use TSA locks, but I don't expect any difference...just thankful when the luggage gets through. I read an article that reported incidents of TSA employees not having the keys due to one glitch or another. The TSA locks are really only wishful thinking...this is America...everything is handled by the lowest bidder!

[IanB]

Fellow cruisers, thanks for your kind words and sentiments on my cruise marriage.

 

I can't say for certain when the bags were opened by the TSA but the luggage straps were missing when I picked the bags up in the Cruise Terminal immediately after leaving the ship. I will tone down my complaint to Princess and simply ask for replacement glasses.

I'm sorry to have spawned a debate on terrorism etc. I'd rather focus on the great privilege of being able to visit numerous different countries and cultures something which my parents could only dream of doing. I agree that increased security and its inconveniances are the price we all have to pay for this privilege. On a lighter note, the cruise was fantastic and our wedding made it doubly so, the wedding photographs are great and the Captain and crew made sure our cruise was memorable. Sue and I both love the States and we will continue to cruise whenever time and money allows.

[waterrats]

The TSA locks that AAA sells are not combo locks but key locks.

[karfest]

I bought 6 TSA approved locks from Brookstone for our last cruise. All 6 were missing when we got home! Next time I'll just use the cheap zip ties.

[sema4]

Amen to that! I wonder if the 3000 people killed on 9/11 would object to a little intrusion if they could replay that day.

Patrick

[marcruiser]

TSA approved locks are also available from ebags.com