Security Issue???

[Scottee25]

One thing that has been spoken about lately revolves around the porter strikes in San Juan that has caused some people to miss flights they otherwise would have had plenty of time to make. Of course this has led some people to bring up the benefits of carrying off your own luggage when disembarking from the ship. Another recent post was by someone claiming to have several items stolen from their luggage that they put out in the hall per the requirements of the cruise line. That received responses varying from carrying off your own luggage to not placing valuable items in your "checked" luggage.

 

This all leads me to the following point: When we check-in for a flight, some of the questions we are asked are...

 

Did we pack our own bags?

Has anyone given us anything to carry onto the plane for them?

Have we been in possession of our luggage for the whole time since it was packed?

 

If we are placing our luggage out the night before disembarking, we cannot honestly answer that last question by stating we have been in possession of it since it was packed. It could be quite possible for someone to slip something into your luggage at anytime from the moment you put it outside your cabin until the time you pick it up at the terminal. While a majority of access to the luggage can be locked, most luggage contains a few pockets that cannot be locked(perhaps there is only one zipper tab or no place to place a luggage lock). Should we really have to unpack all of our belongings in the middle of the terminal or airport to ensure nothing has been planted in our luggage?

 

I am sure some people will feel I am being overly paranoid but that simply is not the case. If I need to be responsible for my luggage and its contents, how can I be so when I have to relinquish control of it for a period of 12-18 hours? It just seems to me that there may be some liability issues(and of course security issues) to allowing the cruise line to control the flow of luggage while disembarking(I can completely understand them wanting to search it while boarding). If some form of contraband(drugs, explosives, prohibited flora, etc) is planted within our luggage during this time, I will be held accountable for that, even if I had no knowledge of those items being planted there. If I have to bear that responsibility, I should also have the choice of NOT relinquishing my luggage at that time to the cruise line. Search it before I board? I understand completely... but I want to retain control of it until check-in at the airport... that way I can vouch for its contents. What can the cruise line really do to you if you insist on carrying off your own luggage?

[Hypo]

They have stopped asking those questions, since all luggage and carry0ons go throught TSA security.

[sayhello]

I don't think you're paranoid at all! I had the exact same question, but hadn't managed to post it yet. My main concern is the who-knows-how-many-hours my suitcase could sit in the hallway, accessible to any and all (mostly other passengers I'd worry about). I'd have to answer that question about whether the luggage has been in my control "Yes, except for the six hours or so it sat in the hallway, and could have been messed with by anyone."

 

I'm amazed the airlines don't have an issue with this.

 

I have no intentions of leaving my suitcase out in the hallway the night before. If I could take the bag myself to some secure area of the ship, and know it's under RCI's control, I wouldn't mind so much, but out in the hallway seems ridiculously risky.

 

JMHO. Who knows. Maybe I'm paranoid, too!

 

They have stopped asking those questions, since all luggage and carry0ons go throught TSA security.

Maybe they have some places, but I'm still being asked every time I've flown, and I've flown 5 times in the last year, the most recent being in August.

 

sayhello

[cmjaffe]

Actually something like this happened to us many years ago after a Celebrity cruise on Galaxy.. had a very late flight back and checked out luggage at the pier. Well, we DID have our laundry in the outer pockets. Low and behold when we got home my daughters pjs and bathingsuits were missing..

Luckily we got covered by insurance ... but it was a hassle...

not putting in the claim BUT actually having to do it.

Carolyn

[debandbill]

Count me in to the "keeping control of your luggage" crowd. We always roll our luggage off ourselves....I stay very concerned about pilfering while the luggage is in the hall.

 

Sorry, but between the younger kids just looking for mischief, to the "last night of my cruise" drunk, to the true blue thief, I'm am just not comfortable providing the temptation.

[Scottee25]

Count me in to the "keeping control of your luggage" crowd. We always roll our luggage off ourselves....I stay very concerned about pilfering while the luggage is in the hall.

 

Does the cruise line ever give you any grief over rolling off your own luggage? Also, what do you do with it if you were to say, go grab breakfast while waiting for your color to be called? Can you leave it in your cabin for the meantime or do you have to lug it around with you while waiting?

 

While theft is a very valid concern, I would think luggage screeners at the airport would take greater issue with the fact that your luggage was in someone else's control for a great period of time. My main worry would be someone planting something in my luggage and not finding out about it until I am questioned by security due to something in my checked luggage. Not highly probable but it is possible.

[bUU]

I've been discouraged from even considering what the earlier poster suggested. We apparently need to vacate our cabins earlier than debarkation, and so that would mean lugging our luggage around with us wherever we go. Also, folks have told me that some of the terrain that the luggage needs to go over isn't necessary compatible with easy rolling.

[debandbill]

We have never had a problem, comment, discouragement, or been stopped from rolling our luggage off. We have never been questioned any differently by INS than anyone else with the typical carry-ons.

 

The morning of debarkation, we dress, throw the last minute items in the last suitcase, go eat breakfast, return to the cabin and remove valuables from our safe, roll our luggage (which either has wheels or attaches to a wheeled piece) with us to the suggested waiting area and wait for our color to be called. We have never held up our steward or stayed in the cabin longer than the suggested time to vacate. We have never had a problem getting the elevator down to catch ground transportation. Its as simple as that.

 

I do understand Scottee's concern about someone actually placing items in your suitcase....its not really been my greatest concern though....more concern over hall creeps.:cool:

[erniesband]

Why not just lock it when you put it out and unlock it right before checking it in at the airport, that's what I do. I also use bright colored cable ties instead of locks when I check it at the airport, if TSA wants to open it and look they can cut the cable tie and replace it with their own.

ernie

[Firefighterhoop]

Security the last time we were in SJU was a NIGHTMARE, the line was 1hr45min long. 1/3 of our flight missed it and had to wait for the next one 4 hours later.

 

We flew Northwest and they only had ticketers working for 5 flights that took off within 1 hour of each other (No E-Machines) so that line took forever, and then the security line, over 4 hours of lines

 

Never SJU on a weekend again!

[sayhello]

Security the last time we were in SJU was a NIGHTMARE, the line was 1hr45min long. 1/3 of our flight missed it and had to wait for the next one 4 hours later. ... Never SJU on a weekend again!

What time of day was this? My flight out of SJU isn't until 5pm, so I'm hoping to miss the worst of it....

 

sayhello

[TEXASMUNK]

Your luggage that is removed and carried ashore for you is instected for;

 

food stuffs

 

explosives

 

drugs

 

Those cute little dogs you might see being led around by handlers...they do the inspection.

[Scottee25]

Your luggage that is removed and carried ashore for you is instected for;

 

food stuffs

 

explosives

 

drugs

 

Those cute little dogs you might see being led around by handlers...they do the inspection.

 

 

If that is true, and one of those items is in your luggage, then what next? Being that your luggage was sitting outside your cabin unattended for a rather long period of time, it is vulnerable to the whims of those with less than wholesome ideas. Since it is quite possible that most of us own luggage that has atleast one pocket or pouch that cannot be locked, someone would be able to slip something in that pocket during this time. Is it really plausible to think that if LE questions you about contraband in your luggage, that you can use the excuse that you had to relinquish control of it for a period of time? My thought would be that they wouldn't care about that and would still hold you responsible for its contents regardless.

[Elizanessie]

Scottee25

 

I realise that in todays world then security is a very big part of our lives...but as long as we do as we are told security wise then we should not be held responsible for others. For example I always make sure I do not have the listed items in my carryon luggage that are not allowed...I am following the rules. I do put my locks on until I get to the airport then put on the cable ties, which I have stored in the front pouch of luggage and therefore when I take them out ,I know there is nothing "new" in there.Again following the rules.I would never dream of puting out unlocked luggage in the corridor onboard....you might as well put up a sign that says "take what you can for free" then. Does it state somewhere in the terms and conditions etc that we have to leave our luggage unlocked in the corridor? Heck if it does then I will put my hand up to breaking the rules,common sense is what is needed in this unsecure world we travel in these days.

 

Just a thought....what is to stop someone puting something inside a letter you have posted? There is a saying isnt there "where there is a will there is a way".If you stopped and thought about things that could happen then we would never leave the house.

 

Liz

[nrdsb4]

Scottee25

 

Does it state somewhere in the terms and conditions etc that we have to leave our luggage unlocked in the corridor? Heck if it does then I will put my hand up to breaking the rules,common sense is what is needed in this unsecure world we travel in these days.

 

 

Liz

 

There is absolutely no reason why the cruise line would have any right to tell you that you cannot lock you bags while they are in the hallway. They ask you to leave your bags in the hallway simply to make it easier for them to distribute them to you when you disembark. They have no reason to inspect an OUTGOING bag, therefore have no need to open your suitcase.

 

We always lock our bags when we put them in the hallway. We take off the locks when we arrive at the airport. We don't store items that are extremely valuable in checked luggage. We have never had any problems with theft (except for the time I didn't lock a front zipper pocket and had some tennis shoes stolen).

 

If you are very fearful of someone putting something in the front pocket of your suitcase, then just check those pockets when you pick up your luggage at the pier. Takes two minutes to do. Problem solved.

[Elizanessie]

nrdsb4

 

Nice to see we agree :D

 

Liz