Lost Luggage CAUTION TO ALL

[3CatsInMA]

1 minute ago, jbethel11 said:

Good idea! Would that still apply in this situation also?

Depends on your policy, but yes it might.

[gerif]

Last time I bought luggage I looked for the most obnoxious loud color I could find. Difficult for it to be grabbed by mistake, especially when flying. Sorry you lost your clothing (and it might yet turn up), but anything personal or irreplaceable should never be packed in luggage. 

[Spidybabe1]

I have heard one too many stories where luggage was placed in the hallway, and taken before the crew even picked it up. On one NCL sailing, 2 bags( not ours) were taken to a deck with little camera view, many cigarettes were taken out, and clothing destroyed.  Was horrible,  NCL couldn't of cared less. People were saying possibly store clerk, cuz they know which cabin bought alot of cigarettes. No checking of bags when leaving port area, anybody can take anything.  We try to (but not always) self carry off. 

Safe sailing 

 

[Tree_skier]

3 minutes ago, jbethel11 said:

Good idea! Would that still apply in this situation also?

I think it would.  The way my policy was written was that it covered loss irrespective of how the loss occurred.  I certainly feel for the OP.  No matter how it happens it is a sickening feeling.

[springfire]

I believe it was likely intentional or they would have returned the luggage by now.   The incident occurred a month ago, surely they would have returned it by now if it were a mistake.  

[Tree_skier]

6 minutes ago, ONECRUISER said:

Agree. Sad that probably embarrassed to return it. 3yrs ago my son in law was joining me 2nd leg on B2B. He landed at airport, his bag gone but one exactly like his was left there. Fortunantly the guy called him and got it back next am b4 he boarded

I suppose it is possible that it was intentional but it just seems unlikely.  I'm sympathetic to the OP, I know the feeling of losing things that seem irreplaceable.  One of the things that I lost was hand made by a very dear friend.  No amount of money could replace it.  I was sick to my stomach when I realized that those thieves probably pitched it in a ditch as soon as they saw it.  It would have been meaningless to them.

[maryred]

All I can say is sorry this happened to you. But have you considered that  the target of the thief, if it wasn't a case of "luggage confusion", was actually your expensive suitcase? 

Personally we use luggage that is mid-priced, yet durable (our last set of bags lasted 10 years of cruising and other vacations). But as you said what's inside can be more valuable to you than a thief realizes. Over our 24 cruises I have pulled together what I feel is the ultimate cruise wardrobe and would be emotionally devastated if this clothing was lost to me. So what I have done is purchased an app based RFID chip locators that is linked to my smart phone. So far I've only had to use it once, when a bag of ours wound up in section 10 instead of 01, but it worked perfectly. 

 

[Sunny Sailer]

7 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

I suppose it is possible that it was intentional but it just seems unlikely.  I'm sympathetic to the OP, I know the feeling of losing things that seem irreplaceable.  One of the things that I lost was hand made by a very dear friend.  No amount of money could replace it.  I was sick to my stomach when I realized that those thieves probably pitched it in a ditch as soon as they saw it.  It would have been meaningless to them.

You are so right.  I had things just like that in my case which I know means nothing  to the thief but so meaningful to me and they were just probably thrown into the garbage.  One knows that money or expensive jewelry  is never placed into a suitcase so one wonders why it was taken.  My luggage did not scream out expensive.  It was just ordinary luggage.   

[ONECRUISER]

14 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

I suppose it is possible that it was intentional but it just seems unlikely.  I'm sympathetic to the OP, I know the feeling of losing things that seem irreplaceable.  One of the things that I lost was hand made by a very dear friend.  No amount of money could replace it.  I was sick to my stomach when I realized that those thieves probably pitched it in a ditch as soon as they saw it.  It would have been meaningless to them.

So sorry happened to you

[voyager70]

34 minutes ago, gerif said:

Last time I bought luggage I looked for the most obnoxious loud color I could find. Difficult for it to be grabbed by mistake, especially when flying.

 

Great idea.  I always put some kind of distinctive tape on ours to distinguish it from the others but I like your idea better.

 

[Baron Barracuda]

Sorry for your loss.  If you really think it was theft contact Royal and ask to have security review surveillance video of corridor outside your cabin and the baggage pickup area  (never noticed but assume terminal has cameras).  If your bag was truly distinctive they should be able to spot it.   Curious if their facial recognition software is sophisticated enough to match perps face to passenger id photos from your sailing.

 

As far as carrying off your luggage, this is do-able for some but not for many.  Lots of seniors plus have you seen how much luggage some folks bring?

[Sunny Sailer]

41 minutes ago, Spidybabe1 said:

I have heard one too many stories where luggage was placed in the hallway, and taken before the crew even picked it up. On one NCL sailing, 2 bags( not ours) were taken to a deck with little camera view, many cigarettes were taken out, and clothing destroyed.  Was horrible,  NCL couldn't of cared less. People were saying possibly store clerk, cuz they know which cabin bought alot of cigarettes. No checking of bags when leaving port area, anybody can take anything.  We try to (but not always) self carry off. 

Safe sailing 

 

How sad that is.  I shall never place my luggage outside again.

 

[Iamcruzin]

The only reason to steal a piece of luggage is if it was Gucci, Louis or Prada. Nobody wants a generic piece of luggage with dirty laundry unless they are sure that their is something valuable inside. I lock my luggage with plastic zip ties that need to be cut off. This way I know if someone has been in there while it's out of my sight. I'm sure that this was a mistake that wasn't corrected.

Edited June 18, 2019 by Iamcruzin

[Robb]

Sorry you lost your luggage.  We learned a long time ago that travel insurance is the way to go.  I also maintain a packing list of everything that we carry with us, that way I know what might have been lost when and if we make a claim.  Only needed it once.  Travel insurance covers a myriad of things.  We lost a camera to a pickpock in Romania.  Got the money for a replacement.  Consider this coverage in future travels.   

 

[Kikkib]

A few years back after disembarking we waited for our bag that never came. There was a red bag similar to ours sitting all alone and I just knew the owner of that bag took ours. Sure enough after flying home to NY the next day a woman called us to say she was in a rush and grabbed our bag by mistake. She lived in Florida so mailed the bag back to us. It cost her about $50 to mail it. It would not surprise me if someone took your bag by mistake and just didn’t want to deal with the cost and effort of returning it.

[Johnamac123]

1 hour ago, Sunny Sailer said:

The best is to protect yourself by NOT PLACING LUGGAGE out the cabin door.  Money doesn't replace so many things.

Then how do you use Luggage Valet?  Can you give your luggage to your room steward ? 

[jbethel11]

Would a TSA safety lock work as well in this case?

[shopaholic6]

1 hour ago, Sunny Sailer said:

 We placed our luggage outside of the cabin door the night before The Anthem arrived at Bayonne on May 19,2019.  The next morning at the pier it was missing.  They could not find it and I asked if they check that passengers take their own luggage.  They said they don't have too.. not even airports check and why should they.  To make a very sad story short, it is a month and they said it was "lost," but I know it was stolen.  I lost all my beautiful clothes, pants, dresses, tops, bathing suits and all other personal things which are so dear to me and cannot be replaced.  I am so sad.  They will only pay up to $300 dollars for everything according to the contract we sign in order to obtain our ticket.  The luggage itself almost costs that amount.  They do not protect our belongings.  It should be stated that place your things out the door at your own peril.  I am giving a heads up to all.  Carry ALL your things off the ship yourself.  Has anyone else had an experience like this?  I  am sick over this... and I thought I should warn you all...so sad.

I’m so sorry this happened to you and I have everything crossed that it turns out to be a genuine mistake that gets rectified x

[leisuretraveler223]

1 hour ago, Sunny Sailer said:

 I lost all my beautiful clothes, pants, dresses, tops, bathing suits and all other personal things which are so dear to me and cannot be replaced.  I am so sad.  They will only pay up to $300 dollars for everything

 

Woe is me!   I lost SOOOOO many treasures they are PRICELESS!  And $300 isn't enough of a price to keep me from complaining.

 

Stuff happens!  Who brings "personal things which are so dear to me and cannot be replaced" on a cruise anyway???

[springfire]

1 hour ago, ONECRUISER said:

Agree. Sad that probably embarrassed to return it. 3yrs ago my son in law was joining me 2nd leg on B2B. He landed at airport, his bag gone but one exactly like his was left there. Fortunantly the guy called him and got it back next am b4 he boarded

Knowing that the luggage does not belong to them and keeping the luggage, that would make this an intentional act.  

[Milwaukee Eight]

1 hour ago, 3CatsInMA said:

I've never been under the impression that they provide any more security than what you see at the typical airport baggage carousel...which is to say not much, as anybody could pick up any bag and walk off with it.  Protect yourself with insurance.

Airports are a bit different. Most people arrive at baggage claim prior to luggage showing up. Getting off a cruise, luggage is waiting. 

[TNcruising02]

I am sorry this happened to you.  Sadly, luggage can be stolen or taken by mistake any time it's in an area accessible by the public.  When my son was in high school, he travelled to Europe.  His suitcase, with his travel wallet inside, was stolen off of a train.  I thought maybe someday we would get it back, but we never did.  He had a few things in the backpack he carried, but not much.  He had to buy clothes because it was in the middle of his trip.  Thankfully, I had purchased travel insurance and it covered the cost of everything except the cash in his travel wallet.  Also thankfully, an adult kept all of the passports so he didn't lose it.

For my cruises, I purchased suitcases in different colors and also use large bands so that they will not be taken by mistake.  This doesn't help in case of theft though.  Travel insurance is worth the cost.

[travelplus]

2 hours ago, Sunny Sailer said:

 We placed our luggage outside of the cabin door the night before The Anthem arrived at Bayonne on May 19,2019.  The next morning at the pier it was missing.  They could not find it and I asked if they check that passengers take their own luggage.  They said they don't have too.. not even airports check and why should they.  To make a very sad story short, it is a month and they said it was "lost," but I know it was stolen.  I lost all my beautiful clothes, pants, dresses, tops, bathing suits and all other personal things which are so dear to me and cannot be replaced.  I am so sad.  They will only pay up to $300 dollars for everything according to the contract we sign in order to obtain our ticket.  The luggage itself almost costs that amount.  They do not protect our belongings.  It should be stated that place your things out the door at your own peril.  I am giving a heads up to all.  Carry ALL your things off the ship yourself.  Has anyone else had an experience like this?  I  am sick over this... and I thought I should warn you all...so sad.

OP I am so sorry this happened. Unfortunately the same thing happens everyday with the airlines and yes you do sign over the limited liability. I take photos of my bag, the inside of the contents on my cellphone and have a packing list to help with replacement items.

 

I never check any valuables and the question I ask myself "Can I part  with x, y,z if it becomes lost for good?. If I have  a doubt either I don't bring it with me or it goes into my carryon luggage.

 

Hence this is the reason for bringing old clothes that are still in good shape but if they are lost then I can purchase them in Europe.   

 

While we have been lucky leaving our items outside and never had a problem this does not mean that its bound to happen.  

 

Perhaps the porter got mixed up or the people picking up your bags had a similar bag. This is the reason to double check and triple check the nametag and luggage tag.

 

I think an RFID tracking service is worth the cost as you can track the bag via your Smartphone although the battery may pose an issue for flights. 

 

Thank you for posting your anecdote OP and I am sending Pixie Dust in hopes that  on the off chance a good Samaritan contacts you and you are reunited with your bag. 

 

Please keep us posted if Royal Caribbean finds your bag. I would call in a day or so and keep calling to check the status.  

 

If I picked up someones bag  by mistake I would do everything in my power to call the person and pay shipping costs back to the person along with a $25 Starbucks Gift Card as a gesture of goodwill. Remember Pay It Forward!

Edited June 18, 2019 by travelplus

[3CatsInMA]

10 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Airports are a bit different. Most people arrive at baggage claim prior to luggage showing up. Getting off a cruise, luggage is waiting. 

Large crowd, long conveyor belt.  If somebody's at the far end of the line, it's very possible to not see your belongings come out, or to see them picked up by somebody else whether intentionally or by accident as they make their way toward you.

 

Of course there are differences in the scenarios, but there are many similarities. 

[travelplus]

Just now, 3CatsInMA said:

Large crowd, long conveyor belt.  If somebody's at the far end of the line, it's very possible to not see your belongings come out, or to see them picked up by somebody else whether intentionally or by accident as they make their way toward you.

 

Of course there are differences in the scenarios, but there are many similarities. 

 

I think  Cruiselines could have a "Track my Bag" feature on their App  and the bag tags are printed at the Port or at home with the Barccode that gets scanned into the system. Upon leaving the terminal an agent scans the Tag and verifies the ID or SeaPass Card to release liability. If the wrong bag does not match the name then they are asked to hand it over to an agent who will then page the person.