Luggage locks

[LA Lady]

I thought I read on here that if you put the little tiny locks on your luggage, they will make you come open it, like you are hiding something?? (Before it is delivered to your cabin.) Does anyone lock their luggage? What about cable ties? I don't know if I like the thought of someone being able to go through my things.....not trying to hide anything!

[firefly333]

If they happen to find smuggled booze or something suspicious when they xray your luggage, which they dont usually say anything about, then they if your suitcase is locked, yes they will announce your name to come down and unlock your suitcase.

 

Some times, like during spring break they crack down more than other times.

 

Your stuff is just xrayed

[barbevrn]

We ALWAYS lock our luggage before handing it over to the porters AND before we set it out at the end of the cruise. 10 cruises and they have never taken them off or made us take them off. That's why they have the dogs walk through custums before you are released to get off the ship.

 

Now, on the airplane.........that's a whole other story. They will take them off if you do not.

[ala-kat]

If you've not already purchased your locks, my preference is for the cable ties. You can get 100 for a couple of dollars at any home store, and they're airline friendly. There is also a good chance, with the airlines, that if you use these and they find fit to enter your luggage, it will be replaced. Not so with a lock.

 

If you do use locks, and are not flying, the cruise line could not care less what lock you use.

[kjunea]

I stopped using locks after the TSA started cracking down. Now I just buy a pack of cable ties at Walmart and use them instead. If the TSA wants in my bag, they will cut it off and replace it (or at least they have always replaced it before!). I put several in the pocket to use when we return. They are not expensive and I always buy the neon colors.

[jayscore]

Believe it or not, I use colored pipe cleaners on our luggage for the airport. (I guess I started doing this when nail clippers were banned.) But, for the port I still use cheap little locks.

[tximprov]

You can buy TSA locks at wal mart, target, anyware they sell padlocks. You can lock your luggage and if your flying TSA can open them with a special key, otherwise that have a combination for your use. It is much harder to cut a metal lock than the flex cuff. ALso I believe in both my CCL cruises, the paperwork suggests you lock your luggage before you hand it off to porters. As it will most likely be left unattended in the hallway waiting for you to bring it in to your room. The TSA locks are no more expensive that any other luggage lock.

[magic&buddy]

We have been uing the TSA locks for the past 4 cruises and we fly into the US from Toronto - never had a problem with them.

[firefly333]

Thats what I was thinking. If I was buying locks I would just buy TSA locks, just in case I want to fly with them on. I know the cruiselines dont have keys for TSA locks (we had to have one cut off, the key accidently got locked into the suitcase on a cruise), but in case we had to fly to the port, you would need a TSA lock.

[Rockee4055]

If you buy TSA approved locks then they can enter without ruining anything and re-lock it when done.

 

It does work. Once when flying we got to our hotel and unlocked the luggage. There was a paper in there that said it was inspected and it was re-locked.

 

I know this may not work with the cruise lines but..........

[G'ma]

I thought I read on here that if you put the little tiny locks on your luggage, they will make you come open it, like you are hiding something?? (Before it is delivered to your cabin.) Does anyone lock their luggage? What about cable ties? I don't know if I like the thought of someone being able to go through my things.....not trying to hide anything!

 

I never lock my luggage...anywhere. Never put anything in there that I would regret losing anyway. I figure if anyone really wants to dig around in my suitcase, I'd rather they use the zipper instead of a box cutter to get in it. At least the suitcase won't get damaged.

 

Over 30 years in the travel industry, 200+ cruises, Tour Manager for 10 years - all over the world.....never lost a thing from baggage. Oh, somebody might have opened it and looked around...saw nothing of value and moved on to another case.....

[pungo3]

I never lock my luggage either. Since it's soft sided, all they need is a box cutter to get in. It will be their surprise to find there is nothing of any value in there. I have found notes in my luggage before saying it had been inspected. No biggie to me. I do use twist ties or cable ties to hold the two zippers together but that's easier opened. Anything of value goes in my carry-on with me.:D

[KruznKel]

We always use zip ties.. never have had a problem with Carnival opening our luggage.. the airlines will just cut them off and we have had the TSA papers inside stating that they have searched the luggage.. they don't replace the zip ties either.. We bring pliers in the outside compartment of our checked luggage to cut them off.;)

[ezjack1825]

If you buy TSA approved locks then they can enter without ruining anything and re-lock it when done.

 

It does work. Once when flying we got to our hotel and unlocked the luggage. There was a paper in there that said it was inspected and it was re-locked.

 

I know this may not work with the cruise lines but..........

 

Personally I have had 4 TSA locks cut off when flying. Sent in a complaint and each time NOTHING. Now I'm just using tamper evident seals from tamperseal dor com. They sell 50 for $13. Put em on, take a picture of the luggage with them on showing the serial number and you have proof they were secured.

[tef43]

ezjack is exactly correct. The TSA screeners would just as soon cut off the so-called "approved" locks than have to be bothered with finding where someone put the universal key.

 

The lock manufacturers count on it being "too much bother" for people to fill out the claim forms.

 

Save your time, save your money. Use the cable ties.

[Rockee4055]

Personally I have had 4 TSA locks cut off when flying. Sent in a complaint and each time NOTHING. Now I'm just using tamper evident seals from tamperseal dor com. They sell 50 for $13. Put em on, take a picture of the luggage with them on showing the serial number and you have proof they were secured.

 

Well one of the ones they opened on us had all the dirty laundry in it. Didn't matter to me......:eek:

[Loving My Life]

We use TSA locks. On our flight to Hartford from Tampa for our cruise earlier this month, 1 suitcase was opened, then the lock was replaced, with a note that it was searched. Ironically, my bottles of expensive shampoo and conditioner were missing. The bottles were brand new and cost $30 each. I'm ticked.

[griswalds]

We do not lock our luggage and never leave valuables in our luggage just in case the luggage is searched or disappears. It is very easy to open a locked suitcase by just using a pen so why bother. The key is to get into the habit of carrying your valuables with you.

 

Griswalds

[Terre]

We ALWAYS lock our luggage before we leave home and before we put it outside our cabin the night before arrival at the port.

 

We have always used the cable ties in different colors and have never had any problems at the airport. There is no way I would send my luggage through the airport and I certainly would never leave it outside my cabin unlocked.