Lost Luggage CAUTION TO ALL

[reallyitsmema]

23 minutes ago, marci22 said:

Last two carryons I bought were purple and green. People also buying crazy prints now, but if I saw my crazy print coming down the carousel I'd probably grab it thinking no one else would have it. 

 

I put colored tape on the handles as well. (which btw did not stop that cruise lady from having security break into my luggage!)

 

Security cutting off a lock on a piece of luggage without verifying whose bag it was is just amazing!  They check sea pass cards for everything else they do, why they wouldn't in this case makes no sense at all.

 

 

[lovesthebeach2]

23 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

Sorry to hear this.  One time someone took one of our bags by mistake, but we lucked out that they were local to the port and were able to bring our bag back to the cruise terminal. If your situation was a mistake, it's hard to believe someone has not yet tried to contact you.

 

Many many years ago we took the wrong garment bag from the terminal by mistake. It was exactly the same as ours but we didn’t check the name until we got outside.  When we realized, they gave us a hard time going back in. Luckily, the owner of the bag noticed the mistake and when we finally got back in we switched bags.

 

Lesson learned, if you put our luggage out  ( which we don’t, we carry it off) always check that it’s yours before leaving the terminal.

 

To the OP, if you paid for the cruise with certain credit cards, luggage is covered. Check your terms for that card. 😉

Edited June 19, 2019 by lovesthebeach2

[orville99]

3 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

If you ever tried to hail a cab in NY you would know that at times it's impossible.

Quite easy in NY, if you know the tricks of the trade. Just find the closest hotel, go in one door and come back out by their taxi stand, and they'll hail one for you.

[leisuretraveler223]

2 hours ago, ladysail2 said:

I doubt you’re correct, from her tone.   Doesn't sound like you really care, from your tone.  

 

Tone is not conveyed in written text. It can only be inferred by the reader through his or her own proclivities.  Therefore, it is you who has chosen to give her one "tone" and myself another.

[SRF]

While this is an unfortunate situation.

 

It is VERY uncommon.  How many threads here on CC about this?  VERY few.

 

Yes, it can happen, but considering how many people cruise each year, it is most likely you will be killed in a car accident going home from the cruise.

[ladysail2]

59 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

 

Many many years ago we took the wrong garment bag from the terminal by mistake. It was exactly the same as ours but we didn’t check the name until we got outside.  When we realized, they gave us a hard time going back in. Luckily, the owner of the bag noticed the mistake and when we finally got back in we switched bags.

 

Lesson learned, if you put our luggage out  ( which we don’t, we carry it off) always check that it’s yours before leaving the terminal.

 

To the OP, if you paid for the cruise with certain credit cards, luggage is covered. Check your terms for that card. 😉

I agree that checking the tags before walking off with the luggage is the BEST way to ensure the bag is the correct one.  I’ve  never lost a bag yet, but its always on my mind till I see it. 

[h20skibum]

How strange that I just had an email from consumer reports, with an article about how to secure your luggage while traveling.  While it was addressing baggage handling by the airlines, it stated that they mishandled 1.8 million bags last year.  They define this as bags that are damaged, lost or stolen.  It amounted to 3 claims per 1000 passengers.

 

If the cruise lines are within this range, chances are a few people on each cruise will have their unlucky number come up.   Never lost any, but did have a bag damaged by Royal (which they made right).

 

I just checked my travel insurance policy for my cruise next month, and it covers $3,000 for luggage.  I am pretty sure that will cover what I am taking.

[marci22]

11 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

I just checked my travel insurance policy for my cruise next month, and it covers $3,000 for luggage.  I am pretty sure that will cover what I am taking.

Take pictures and have receipts.

[ShillyShally]

5 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

Good idea.  I don't like having my personal information being available for all to see.

LOL We have ours on the back of a card in our luggage tag that says "See Back" - one time we were vacationing in Grand Cayman and the porter brought us to check in and introduced us as "Mr & Mrs SeeBack" so we now always joke when we travel that the See Backs are headed out 🙂

[Baron Barracuda]

1 hour ago, h20skibum said:

How strange that I just had an email from consumer reports, with an article about how to secure your luggage while traveling.  While it was addressing baggage handling by the airlines, it stated that they mishandled 1.8 million bags last year.  They define this as bags that are damaged, lost or stolen.  It amounted to 3 claims per 1000 passengers.

 

If the cruise lines are within this range, chances are a few people on each cruise will have their unlucky number come up.   Never lost any, but did have a bag damaged by Royal (which they made right).

 

I just checked my travel insurance policy for my cruise next month, and it covers $3,000 for luggage.  I am pretty sure that will cover what I am taking.

 

Imagine most airline problems are due to bags being sent on wrong flight.  No such issue at cruise port so would error rate to be much lower

[Biker19]

19 minutes ago, Baron Barracuda said:

  No such issue at cruise port so would error rate to be much lower

We have had reports of that (two ships at terminals next to each other and porters put the bag on the wrong ship), though very rare.

[Maraprince]

One thing you might consider is to use fabric paint to paint your first initial and last name on your bags in a bright color that can be easily seen from a distance.  Unless someone deliberately picks up the wrong bag on purpose, they cannot miss your painted name on the bag.  Also, recommend that on all sides of the bag paint your initials so that anyway the bag is placed you can see them at a distance.

 

We had a situation many years ago that some "Nice" kids removed all the tags on all the bags on one deck the last night of the cruise.  As a result, these "unlabled" bags were not placed in the terminal according to the luggage tag colors but instead ended up on numerous luggage carts waiting for the passengers to come and identify their luggage along with proof of their identity (passport) and boarding pass.  The more your luggage stands out the better.  Thieves do not want luggage that can stand out in a crowd or be easily identified by its owner.

 

MARAPRINCE

[orville99]

 A man walks up to the check-in counter at the airport with three bags and says to the ticket agent, "Please send this bag to Chicago, that bag to Cleveland, and the third bag to Detroit." The ticket agent responds, "Sir, I can't do that." To which the man replies, " I don't see why not, that's what you did with them last week."

 

Ship happens...

[smplybcause]

7 hours ago, UKWLDCruise said:

Happened to me in the early nineties on a cruise from Miami.  Delta called me six weeks later to say that my bag had flown from Miami with Delta and had been abandoned on the carousel at another US airport I suppose when whoever took it realised it wasn't theirs.   

 

I had to pick it up from Heathrow and make a declaration I hadn't seen it for so long it could have anything in it so was requesting a customs search.  Nothing had been added but the lock and one item had been removed.

 

Always make sure your details are available somewhere on or in the case.

 

 

 

I was going to say inquiring minds want to know what the one item removed was...but no one else asked so I guess it's just me 

[My6Dogs]

On 6/18/2019 at 11:57 AM, gerif said:

Last time I bought luggage I looked for the most obnoxious loud color I could find. Difficult for it to be grabbed by mistake, especially when flying. Sorry you lost your clothing (and it might yet turn up), but anything personal or irreplaceable should never be packed in luggage. 

We did this as well.

Mine is a bright (somewhat dirty now) orange and the wife has zebra print...

Very easy to spot!

[mjkacmom]

5 hours ago, adelros said:

I'm going to go ahead and assume that the issue was with the uber driver approaching the passenger. My husband and I used an uber from Bayonne just last year, but you have to call the uber using the app. The driver cannot approach you. The airport is the same way by me. There are signs warning you not to accept rides from anyone.

I thought that uber was not allowed to operate like that, I’ve heard of similar scams ay the Manhattan port.

[Tree_skier]

22 minutes ago, My6Dogs said:

We did this as well.

Mine is a bright (somewhat dirty now) orange and the wife has zebra print...

Very easy to spot!

We have bright red luggage tags with our initial on it as well as a zebra colored ribbon tied to the handle.  If somebody takes our bag, they did it on purpose and not by accident.  That being said I never have anything truly valuable in checked luggage. Probably the most valuable thing would be a suit and dress shoes for formal night.

[luvcruzing]

41 minutes ago, Maraprince said:

The more your luggage stands out the better.  Thieves do not want luggage that can stand out in a crowd or be easily identified by its owner.

Reminds me of a Mitsugirly review, where she mentioned being on a tram or a train (can’t remember) and when the doors opened, she saw her husband’s suitcase being pulled out the door. She was able to grab it from the thief. It was white with a bold black chevron-type pattern.

[KansasK]

We put our bags out the night before and they were all there in the terminal when we got there, so we were lucky. When boarding the Allure, later in the day, my daughter was walking down the hallway and noticed luggage that looked like theirs was at wrong doors. She looked closer and it was their luggage. She also saw ours and let us know. I found our luggage up the hall about 7 doorways. We both had cabins to the end of the hallway and we think the cabin attendant or whoever brings the luggage just left it in the general area of our cabins - it was on the correct side of the elevator!  We got our luggage earlier than we would have, I guess.  

[Baron Barracuda]

1 hour ago, KansasK said:

We put our bags out the night before and they were all there in the terminal when we got there, so we were lucky. When boarding the Allure, later in the day, my daughter was walking down the hallway and noticed luggage that looked like theirs was at wrong doors. She looked closer and it was their luggage. She also saw ours and let us know. I found our luggage up the hall about 7 doorways. We both had cabins to the end of the hallway and we think the cabin attendant or whoever brings the luggage just left it in the general area of our cabins - it was on the correct side of the elevator!  We got our luggage earlier than we would have, I guess.  

We've encountered that a few times.  A little sympathy for the poor stewards who first have to reset their cabins and then rush to distribute several thousand bags.  As long as they end up in the right neighborhood that's ok with us.

[Baron Barracuda]

3 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

I thought that uber was not allowed to operate like that, I’ve heard of similar scams ay the Manhattan port.

 

Uber drivers in Manhattan are only allowed to respond to calls assigned by the app.  Only medallion cabs can pick up on the street.  Can understand cabbies being very protective of their turf.  Five years ago before competition from Uber a medallion to operate a single cab cost over $1MM.  Now changing hands at under $250k.  NYC not too happy with Uber either,  lots of empty Ubers clog Manhattan streets circling around waiting for assignments. 

[MixerDave]

On 6/18/2019 at 12:18 PM, Sunny Sailer said:

 We placed our luggage outside of the cabin door the night before The Anthem arrived at Bayonne on May 19,2019.  The next morning at the pier it was missing.  They could not find it and I asked if they check that passengers take their own luggage.  They said they don't have too.. not even airports check and why should they.  To make a very sad story short, it is a month and they said it was "lost," but I know it was stolen.  I lost all my beautiful clothes, pants, dresses, tops, bathing suits and all other personal things which are so dear to me and cannot be replaced.  I am so sad.  They will only pay up to $300 dollars for everything according to the contract we sign in order to obtain our ticket.  The luggage itself almost costs that amount.  They do not protect our belongings.  It should be stated that place your things out the door at your own peril.  I am giving a heads up to all.  Carry ALL your things off the ship yourself.  Has anyone else had an experience like this?  I  am sick over this... and I thought I should warn you all...so sad.

 

 

Can't imagine paying $300 for a suitcase.  Who were you trying to impress?

[Desert Cruizers]

I might pay that much for a set but not a single suitcase. 

[cft8]

46 minutes ago, Baron Barracuda said:

We've encountered that a few times.  A little sympathy for the poor stewards who first have to reset their cabins and then rush to distribute several thousand bags.  As long as they end up in the right neighborhood that's ok with us.

I agree! When I find mine near, but not quite at my cabin, I usually give the benefit of the doubt and figure they were working on distribution when they got called away from the task for some reason. So, I just grab it myself.

 

As for the OP, I'm sorry you lost your things. One of the people I travel with has a great philosophy, which I've tried to adopt - don't bring anything you can't afford to lose financially or emotionally. (I especially agree after having a sentimentally - but not monetarily - valuable item taken by airport security in another country - it was entirely my fault; I did not check their policies beforehand, but I was still sad.) Of course, I do bring things that would be expensive to replace, like my phone, camera, and sometimes a computer, but I tend to keep those things with me and not check them on a plane or on the ship and insurance would make them slightly more affordable to replace.

[patreke]

For those that do choose to stop leaving luggage out in the hallway...please be off ship early & not clogging elevators and hallways with large suitcases.