Tales of the "Lost Luggage"

[sandy toes]

I thought this would be a good place to ask for some stories about lost luggage. It happens on ever cruise and on most flights so there have to be some really good tales floating around. OK. I have had luggage lost once before on ship(and I had paid a tip to the handlers at the port). There are so many "zillions" of bags on loaded the ship (or plane) that the odds are that at one time in our travels it will be our number that comes up. I did have my bag returned to me after the show, on the 3rd day of our cruise. Even without that one piece, I still had enough to wear as I divide stuff between 2 bags when I travel. Something, my Gram taught me as a child that really did finally make sense to me on that cruise! When my suitcase was returned, I was told it was in someone's cabin. I always wondered, why it took someone that long to notice a strange piece of luggage in their cabin! (I don't even want to talk about my airline issues!) So, what are your tales of "Lost Luggage"?

[alprice]

I put "never lost a piece" Then I knocked on my wood desk - LOL

[Happy ks]

We've never lost a piece of luggage. We do place 2 luggage tags on every piece and put our itinerary inside to help it find us. I suppose we've been lucky, but we do follow a few guidelines, such as getting to the airport on time, tagging our bags, tipping the porters. I'm sure there have been people doing the right thing, only to have their bag disappear :(

 

We did have friends have a bag delivered to their cabin that didn't belong to them. Not only the wrong side of the ship, a totally different cabin number. He took it to the proper cabin himself which I thought was real nice, I doubt the real owners ever suspected a thing.

 

We also have started to board later rather than earlier. Every single time we've boarded after 2pm, our bags are at our cabin within minutes, sometimes they have even beat us to the cabin.

[Melodious]

Last spring we were on the Navigator of the Seas for the transatlantic cruise. As we disembarked in Barcelona, a piece of luggage went missing. We filled out the missing luggage report and headed for our flight, assuming that the luggage would be found somewhere between our cabin and the port. It is about 100 yards--where can it have gone? Three weeks later, RCI called and said it was lost and to file a claim. It took weeks to get forms from insurance nd RCI and I procrastinated in filling them out.

 

In September we took a transatlantic from Barcelona on the Celebrity Constellation. After arriving home, we found a message on our answering machine that our luggage had been found and they were sending it on the Constellation! I would have been "floored" if it had shown up with our other luggage after all that time and on a different ship. RCI shipped the luggage to me and I received it a few days after we arrived home. Everything was accounted for, although a little roughed up. I still wonder where it was all that time.

[Janice M]

This is always my biggest fear. Coming home one time, one piece was not at the airport, but we got it the next day. One thing I do is stencil designs on our luggage. There is so much luggage that looks alike. With the stenciling ours is easy to find at the airport and after a cruise. (Hopefully)

 

Jan

[Moondawgie]

Someone once took my luggage by mistake (black). I got it at the airport thankfully.

 

Since they I don't bring black luggage and always put lots of distinguishing things on it like ribbons, etc. Sometimes even colored duct tape. If you see the colorful suitcase coming around the turnstyle, that's mine!

[newbiecruiser09]

I bought a new bright purple suitcase for our upcoming cruise with the hopes that it will stand out and 1) not get left somewhere and 2) not be picked up by someone else. I traveled with it a Christmas and it was like a beacon coming around the luggage carousel!

[FanofFlorida]

After a year and a half of carefully planning for our Freedom cruise last year, our airline misplaced my TOILETTRIE bag that included ALL my cosmetics, jewelry, etc. :mad: We had lost a bag while traveling a few months earlier for Christmas and it took weeks for the bag to show up in my home town. I had no faith when they assured me it would be delived to the ship while at a port.

 

I was SO distraught, yet it caused me to let my hair down a bit. Luckily I was next door to my best travel buddy with plenty of bling, and the airline reimbursed me for some of the items I had to pick up at the hotel gift shop and onboard.

 

What was AWESOME was the customer service onboard. They took a copy of my lost luggage report, and took over communication with the airline while I was cruising. I couldnt believe my EYES when I returned to my stateroom after touring Jamaica and saw my bag! :D

[FanofFlorida]

I bought a new bright purple suitcase for our upcoming cruise with the hopes that it will stand out and 1) not get left somewhere and 2) not be picked up by someone else. I traveled with it a Christmas and it was like a beacon coming around the luggage carousel!

 

Our lost luggage at Christmas was PURPLE and during the cruise it was GREEN... I dont know if the handlers at the airport notice color anymore, but lately I am obliged to carry on only.

Prior to our experience, we had NEVER lost a bag and have not since (I have reluctantly been forced to check bags, even when trying not to)

[C U Onboard]

A few years ago my wife and I flew to Barcelona via London Heathrow to join a cruise aboard Brilliance of the Seas. We made the flight connection with plenty time to spare but, sadly, our cases didn’t . Being seasoned travellers we had taken the precaution to pack a mix of casual and dress clothing in each of our two cases, never thinking that both would get lost. The airline desk at BCN were able to identify that our cases had already been loaded onto the next flight out but that was not due to arrive until after the ship had sailed. No problem said they – it happens a lot – we know your cruise itinerary - we will arrange for your cases to be flown to Nice tomorrow morning and the ships agent will collect them and deliver them to the ship whilst you are in Villefranche . We reluctantly joined the ship with nothing more than the clothes we had on and immediately reported the situation to Guest Relations. Received some basic toiletries and a couple of T shirts to see us over until the next day. Woke up next morning to the news that our cases could not be delivered to Nice since French Air Traffic controllers had gone on strike :eek:. Guest Relations Manager personally took pity on us and smuggled us into the onboard shops which have to remain closed whilst in port. She provided each of us with flip flops, shorts and a polo shirt for day time use and a smart casual top for evening wear . As far as underwear was concerned, she was able to provide me with a 3 pack of CK briefs but, shock horror; the shops did not stock panties for the fair sex. Gallant as I am, I agreed to share mine with DW . We were also given complimentary vouchers to have our laundry undertaken as required. Insofar as the dress code for that evening was formal, we did get some strange looks and tut-tuts in the MDR which only added to the grief we were trying hard to suppress . Woke up next day in Livorno to be told that the ships agent was going to collect our cases which had, by now been flown to Pisa, and deliver then to the ship. Glory be! They finally arrived in our cabin early that afternoon :).

As if the above is not bad enough, would you believe that the following year we did the same cruise and flight route and the same thing happened again. However, things were a bit better this time around since we did receive our cases the following day in Villefranche.

Despite our trials and tribulations we remain undeterred and look forward to many more cruises in the future – with or without our cases.

Hats off to all RCCL staff who did a wonderful job.

[cyncorrell]

without going into a long, too long, too heard story -

luggage was ALL left at hotel (yes a hotel that was part of a pre-cruise pkg) at specified location(hotel was changed last minute by the way by RCL) and then things when terribly wrong. Hawaiian Cruise of a lifetime was ruined and luggage never seen until we saw land again (several days later) and all we received was a meager credit to be used on a future cruise within 1 year. Cruising (and yes RCL was my favorite for many years) is the last thing I chose to do.

[sandy toes]

Some stories are sad and some have grand endings of joy. An over the shoulder reader just said that the Lost Luggage tales are alot like life...some end good and some not so good. All in all, no matter what happens, being on the ocean is so much better than a day in the office!

[honeywell]

Due to a series of unfortunate events, my first flight was cancelled, we missed the re-booked flight by minutes, we boarded and were then taken off the third flight. I missed the ship and caught up with it on the third day in Cozumel.

 

However, on day 1, my luggage flew without me to Miami. Delta was to transfer it to Cozumel.

 

On Day 2 we flew to Cozmel, no luggage. No where to be found. Couldn't locate it in Miami either. Delta rep in Mexico did not speak much English and I spoke even less Spanish. They had no notice about our situation so explaining it was no help.

 

We boarded the ship and received $200 in on board credit, a free tuxedo rental for formal night (ladies' tux for me) but no shoes. That tux was a size 14 (I was a size 4 at the time) and I had to use safety pins to keep it on. I had on casual sandals and my husband wore his tennis shoes. We looked so funny we had a portrait taken and the cruise line gave us the photo.

 

I never got my luggage the entire cruise.

 

When we returned to the US, we called the airline and found our luggage - which was sitting in Cozumel the entire time. We finally did get everything back after about a week.

 

Oh....and this was my honeymoon!

[LisaGoeke]

This happened to my brother once. Somehow it ended up on another ship. Since we were going the same islands, but different days, this shipped dropped off his luggage at their first stop. Unfortunately, it was our last stop so he didn't get it until almost the end. The cruise line did help out quite a bit and gave him officer pants to wear and other things. What a way to ruin a vacation.:(

 

Ever since then I have always packed my clothes in more than one suitcase and always carry on a few essentials, just in case! :D

[BroncosFan2010]

The "wonderful" people at the San Juan airport lost our garmet bag with all of our formal wear. We missed the first formal night because we were not able to get dressed up. The cruise line was wonderful. They gave us a free tux rental and laundry service. They hunted down our bag for us and it was delivered on the 2nd night. It was not too disruptive to our cruising experience. Just sad to miss the first formal night.

[kaseyoz]

It must be the luck of the draw. We have never lost any luggage or had delayed luggage.

BUT our friends who travelled with us this trip get their luggage lost or delayed just about every time including this last cruise on the mariner

[OCruisers]

Our daughter/husband (sailing with us) lost a bag on debarkation -- never found. :(

[sailnsee]

This Oct. we flew into Barcelona 2 days early-unfortunately because of a plane delay our luggage went to Boston-N.Y.-Barcelona from Miami while we were on another plane from Miami-London-Barcelona-we really did not think that we were going to see the luggage before we sailed since A.A. and British Air was involved BUT late the night before we cruised B.A. delivered our luggage to our hotel-I still don't know how they did it with all of the diff. stops and we were on "award miles"