Looking for lost luggage - OASIS 10-3-2015

[Lisa77064]

mediator - what a great idea. Yes, duct tape has come a long way.

[BND]

We quit taking our black/blue bags and have been buying other colors. We now take both red and light blue bags that have a piece of fabric tied to the handle that has NFL teams logos all over it. I've had the fabric since my boys were little and they're 29 and 31 now so some of the logos are wrong now, but hey, it works. Good luck OP!

[Geema]

We have put strips of bright blue duct tape on all edges of our black suitcases. for several years. Especially near the handles. It's immediately noticeable to anyone else with a black suitcase trying to grab it. We can spot them coming on the baggage carousels easily!

[clott]

I decided years ago that I was tired of looking for black luggage at the airport and cruises. I found lime green luggage and love it. I can spot it from anywhere and very few people have it hat color. I also just bought neon yellow with zebra and houndstooth. Was very easy to spot in the cruise terminal 2 weeks ago

[rdsxgrl28]

Hope it reappears.

 

This was one of my biggest fears. We went shopping for some distinctive luggage. Found a great Ralph Lauren in Marshall's in the clearance aisle:D

Perfect size and 75% off!! It had a broken handle so talked them down under $50, had the handle repaired at the local cobbler. Bingo my 1st (and only) designer luggage for $55. :D

 

I can see it from a mile away. My DH now carries a duffel with a huge B on it so hopefully no more misplaced luggage.

[WetToes]

I decided years ago that I was tired of looking for black luggage at the airport and cruises. I found lime green luggage and love it. I can spot it from anywhere and very few people have it hat color. I also just bought neon yellow with zebra and houndstooth. Was very easy to spot in the cruise terminal 2 weeks ago

 

I was going to do that a few years back, buy the loudest luggage I could find, but my daughter gifted us with plain black luggage before I got around to it.

So I just painted on them. Works!

[packedandready]

We had plain navy blue bags our first cruise and did about a million others.

 

Our niece and nephew were young and we had a play day and did multi colored hand prints all over the bags. They were then very easy to spot and quite a conversation starter.

[molly2kit]

This past summer while waiting at a luggage carousel at the airport I saw a woman pick up a red suitcase. She was waiting for more luggage and a young family came to her and said we think you have our bag - they checked the tags and it was the family's bag. She then found another red bag, within a few minutes a young man came up to her and said I think you have my bag.....yes, it was his bag. I saw her leaving later with a rust coloured bag which I hoped was hers. Unless you have really distinctive luggage I think the coloured duct tape is the best idea I have heard.

 

 

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[emeraldcity]

Our big rolling suitcase is pathetically grey and totally non-descript. So we bought colorful duct tape and put two bands of fun color around it. Very easy to spot now, and totally unique. I used to rely on floral print fabric ribbons on the handles, but those can be torn off.

[palmtree625]

I'm the sister with the lost luggage from the Oasis returning October 10. Yes - still hoping it will show up. First day of cruise I was in Medical Office with what I think was a muscle spasm and in severe pain. I received excellent care and Tylenol by IV. Nurse left the needle in my arm and wrapped with ace bandage. Next morning I had a second IV treatment of Tylenol. I was absolutely fine after that. Convinced the doctor I did not need a CT scan in St Thomas. Upon my return I contacted Blue Cross Florida and was told while in international waters it is consideried out of network and subject to my $12,000 deductible. I also talked to my homeowner insurance agent about the lost bag. My policy does not cover mysterious disappearance and theft has a $2500 deductible. I have to wait 2 more weeks to file a claim with RCC for lost bag and it maxes out at $300. The good news - the trip insurance should pay the $490 medical bill and up to $1500 for lost bag and contents. The bag I buy to replace the lost bag will be anything but blue or black and will be adorned with duct tape. Other than a rocky start and ending my sister and I had the best time and can't wait to cruise again!

[WetToes]

... Other than a rocky start and ending my sister and I had the best time and can't wait to cruise again!

 

 

 

Great attitude!

[palmtree625]

Thanks! If the situation was reversed and I lost my bag day one with nothing to wear and got sick day 7 and ended up in my local emergency room my attitude would probably not be so cheerful.

[WetToes]

Thanks! If the situation was reversed and I lost my bag day one with nothing to wear and got sick day 7 and ended up in my local emergency room my attitude would probably not be so cheerful.

 

And, no one would blame you. :)

[Lionesss]

We swear by duct tape too, on our suitcases.

 

We always buy the most brightest and gaudy tape available, usually in the close out section.

 

Waiting for Halloween to be over to stock up:D

 

Sea Ya

[brillohead]

I'm the sister with the lost luggage from the Oasis returning October 10. Yes - still hoping it will show up. First day of cruise I was in Medical Office with what I think was a muscle spasm and in severe pain. I received excellent care and Tylenol by IV. Nurse left the needle in my arm and wrapped with ace bandage. Next morning I had a second IV treatment of Tylenol. I was absolutely fine after that. Convinced the doctor I did not need a CT scan in St Thomas. Upon my return I contacted Blue Cross Florida and was told while in international waters it is consideried out of network and subject to my $12,000 deductible. I also talked to my homeowner insurance agent about the lost bag. My policy does not cover mysterious disappearance and theft has a $2500 deductible. I have to wait 2 more weeks to file a claim with RCC for lost bag and it maxes out at $300. The good news - the trip insurance should pay the $490 medical bill and up to $1500 for lost bag and contents. The bag I buy to replace the lost bag will be anything but blue or black and will be adorned with duct tape. Other than a rocky start and ending my sister and I had the best time and can't wait to cruise again!

 

Just to clarify, the nurse left the flexible plastic catheter in your arm, not the actual metal needle. The needle is just used to penetrate the skin and the vein, then the catheter is advanced along the outside shaft of the needle and put into position in the vein, and the needle itself is retracted and discarded.

 

Most non-medical people don't even notice all of this taking place, as the whole procedure is typically done quite quickly and the intravenous catheter is quickly hooked up to the IV tubing and the whole thing is covered with a dressing.

 

Just wanted to clear things up before people start freaking out (as some are wont to do here on Cruise Critic) about you walking around with a "needle" still stuck in your arm. ;)

 

Hope the missing bag does show up!

[palmtree625]

I did not know that about IV procedure. As I was writing the post I kept thinking there was a better medical term than "needle". To me it looked like a needle and felt like a needle. It wasn't bad at all. We still went to dinner, Frozen in Time and visited the Casino. Thanks for the info!

[brillohead]

I did not know that about IV procedure. As I was writing the post I kept thinking there was a better medical term than "needle". To me it looked like a needle and felt like a needle. It wasn't bad at all. We still went to dinner, Frozen in Time and visited the Casino. Thanks for the info!

 

No worries -- most people have *no* idea about the medical part. The fact that it was all done so seamlessly that you didn't even notice it happening is a testament to the skill of the nurse that inserted the IV.

 

Don't you love the ice show? Just amazing how the skaters can do all that on a moving ship!

[rdsxgrl28]

We had plain navy blue bags our first cruise and did about a million others.

 

Our niece and nephew were young and we had a play day and did multi colored hand prints all over the bags. They were then very easy to spot and quite a conversation starter.

 

What an awesome idea!!! My DS & his wife have the generic black luggage. I am gonna have to tell them this idea.

 

I'm the sister with the lost luggage from the Oasis returning October 10. Yes - still hoping it will show up. First day of cruise I was in Medical Office with what I think was a muscle spasm and in severe pain. I received excellent care and Tylenol by IV. Nurse left the needle in my arm and wrapped with ace bandage. Next morning I had a second IV treatment of Tylenol. I was absolutely fine after that. Convinced the doctor I did not need a CT scan in St Thomas. Upon my return I contacted Blue Cross Florida and was told while in international waters it is consideried out of network and subject to my $12,000 deductible. I also talked to my homeowner insurance agent about the lost bag. My policy does not cover mysterious disappearance and theft has a $2500 deductible. I have to wait 2 more weeks to file a claim with RCC for lost bag and it maxes out at $300. The good news - the trip insurance should pay the $490 medical bill and up to $1500 for lost bag and contents. The bag I buy to replace the lost bag will be anything but blue or black and will be adorned with duct tape. Other than a rocky start and ending my sister and I had the best time and can't wait to cruise again!

 

Wow, ITA great attitude. Thanks to your post I am no longing thinking of the trip insurance I bought(against DSO advice) as wasted money.

[palmtree625]

I've already paid for one cruise I missed because I was in the hospital (March 2014). I never bought trip insurance before that. I never thought I would be using it for on-board medical and lost luggage. I'm a believer now.

[palmtree625]

Yes! Loved Frozen in Time and the skaters are amazing. The sand art was incredible.

[pspercy]

I have one of those standard soft side black suitcases that look the other few thousand in the terminal so I tied hunter orange cloth ribbon on the handles and can spot hundreds of yards away :D

 

I use a couple of lengths of different coloured fluorescent surveyors' tape, works well too.

[NewSalt]

On our RC cruise last summer, we were walking back to our room after dinner on our first day, and I saw my nondescript gray suitcase with its large initial in rainbow duct tape sitting outside someone else's door. DH didn't think the tape was so tacky after that.

[mollyeilis]

 

Wow, ITA great attitude. Thanks to your post I am no longing thinking of the trip insurance I bought(against DSO advice) as wasted money.

 

 

I think the big prices and deductible were based on normal health insurance and with Royal. (and also maybe her health insurance telling her what the CT scan *would have been*?) She said "The good news - the trip insurance should pay the $490 medical bill and up to $1500 for lost bag and contents."

 

So it sounds like the trip insurance is helping.

[nelblu]

I've already paid for one cruise I missed because I was in the hospital (March 2014). I never bought trip insurance before that. I never thought I would be using it for on-board medical and lost luggage. I'm a believer now.

 

Did you check your credit card(s) T&C to see if you are covered for trip cancellation/interruption. My card does and forego any separate travel insurance.

[palmtree625]

My luggage was never found. RCC paid their maximum of $300. Trip insurance paid their maximum of $1500 (fortunately I am a keeper of receipts). This was fairly easy and fast. For the medical claim - Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida first gave me a claim form with the wrong return address. Then it was determined it wasn't even the correct form/department. Finally got the right form, address and department. Had to fax a copy of my RCC final bill proving I had paid $430 out of pocket for medical services on the Oasis. Then.....I was told they don't pay in network for cruise ship claims. Finally got them to deny the claim in May which was originally submitted last October. Once again trip insurance paid in full and quickly. My sister and I are on on our way to Alaska on RCC cruise this week. I'll be the woman with deep purple luggage and lime green straps! P.S. I've had BCBS for 10+ years and never had a problem until this. With 4 major ports in Florida they should have plenty of experience with cruise medical claims. :)