Luggage Valet Service

[HawaiiApril]

I just returned from the Feb 2nd sailing on the Galaxy. We had a really great cruise, every port was a new adventure for us. The one problem we had - that really didn't ruin anything - is worth mentioning as it may help someone else with the same situation in the future. We received a paper in our cabin about the luggage valet service. I had heard of it before but this was our first opportunity to use it. We had a late flight out of San Juan and were wondering what to do. This sounded like a great idea to us. $20pp and our luggage would be gone. This service is only available with certain airlines. Our tickets said US Airways OPERATED by United. We flew to San Juan on United and we were returning on United. US Airways and United have some sort of alliance. We checked in with United. I filled out the paper and turned it in listing our United flight numbers. I got a message that evening asking me to come to guest relations. I went and they asked to see our plane tickets. The tickets said US Airways so I was told the service would not be available to me. If that was the case, so be it, but I knew that United was the airline handling our luggage and our flight so I showed them where the tickets said United also. The girl copied the tickets to show to the concierge for further review and said they would get back to me on it. They told me it was up to the airlines not the cruise line. The next day I got a message saying they were still reviewing my case, maybe it would be better for me to grab an excursion off the ship and that would also solve my luggage situation. That was a good idea. I went down and signed up for the Old San Jan walking tour and then went right over to Guest Relations and told them nevermind about the Valet Service, we got an excursion instead. The girl at the desk scribbled a note and I had her check my account to make sure I hadn't been charged for the valet service in the meantime. All was well. The next night I got a message from Guest Relations saying "Congratulations!" we have approved you for the Valet Service. I went right down and told them to un-enroll me - I got a tour instead and did not want to pay for both. I checked my account and was charged and then credited. When our luggage tags arrived they came with a note saying since you have signed up for our luggage valet and also an excursion, use these tags and report to etc..We talked to our butler who said he would check it out for us. I told him we would need new tags, ones for just an excursion. He called me later and sure enough, we had been charged again for the valet service and he had the charge removed. No new tags though, he said they would be fine. We met for the excursion the next morning with many many others, our bags had been taken the night before. We were escorted off the ship to the area where our bags were held, we picked them up there with the help of a porter - there were 3 of us - 6 large pieces of luggage - and followed our luggage to the excursion bus. The people loading the luggage in the truck sent us back in to the terminal, they said our luggage was supposed to have been taken by the airline and they had no room for our luggage. That is when I went bezerk! Then they tried to give my luggage to the representative from US Airways that waits in the terminal. They wouldn't take my luggage because I was flying on a United flight! It was like a bad joke. After a lot of discussions and people running around, our luggage was put on the truck. There were some on the tour that had the valet service also, they were able to stay in Old San Juan and take a later taxi to the airport. The hold-up at the terminal had gotten us a few nasty looks from those waiting for some time on a hot bus. I felt bad, but it was hardly our fault. Moral of the story is if you sign up for the valet service, don't try to change your mind later - and if your ticket says US Airways on it anywhere - talk to someone. Guest relations said they never saw a ticket like mine - but that's just silly, those airlines do that all the time.