DCL broke my luggage

[standardgirl]

UPDATE:
updates on #51 & #63

rationale: "punished" by DCL for me not have kept the original reciept - no reimbursement of 7% sales tax plus 10% deduction on price for not having a reciept.

Note to self - should only bring new suitcase which I have reciept onboard to DCL, or should only use cheap crap suitcase (well, the problem with the cheap ones is that they might not survive the international flight or that they are not light weight enough - heaviness is not good given the airline baggage weight allowance...)

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We got off the cruise today and while picking up our suitcases inside the terminal, we noticed that one of our luggage pieces is damaged. It's a branded luggage and it's very nicely made. The handle has cracked completely and has fallen down. I contacted a DCL rep immediately and a lady filed a incident report as well as took photos showing the damaged suitcase.

I got a copy of the report with a phone number to call. Since I do not live in the US and will be returning overseas tomorrow, the DCL rep advised me to call the phone number today while I am still here, so I did. I called the 407-566-**** number twice today, first at about 1pm ET and again at about 4pm ET. However, immediately after the phone rang, I was answered by a machine saying something along the line of "thank you for calling DCL risk management. If you are a guest, please spell your name and leave your phone number and we'll call you back asap." Both times, no option to even speak with a person!? I left a message with my hotel phone number and made it clear that this phone number is only good for today, and yet no answer so far!

Is it just my bad luck? or is it correct that this number is a "leave a message" only option?

I did put down my oversea mobile number on the incident report form. However, as the office is only available between 8-4:30 ET, with the time difference, it's only available from like 2am to 10:30am European time. So I basically have like just a couple hours a day to call them. Will DCL even call me back?

I've read some posts here and most seem rather negative about damaged luggage. It's not even a money issue, as this particular design of luggage is no longer available anywhere, and I honestly don't know what DCL can do. I guess the best would be for them to reimbursement the cost of the luggage so that I can get a replacement with a different (much more ugly, imo) design. Yet even this is very complicated as I no longer live in the US and the luggage is not available outside of the US (I just check the retailer website).

Does anyone know any number that I can call and speak to a real person?

This is my absolute favorite luggage. It's very beautiful and I've received lots of compliments... argh... very sad now...

 

[Dmtaylor3]

My luggage was also damaged on a cruise last month. I did not realize there was a way to report the damage while still in port so i returned home and reported the damage via the 407 phone number. I left a massage and my call was returned the next day. I missed the call but the contact left me their direct telephone number. I also have my contact's email address. Email will probably work best when you leave the country. So far i have emailed pictures of the damage, taken luggage to a repair shop, received note indicatimg luggage could not be repaired, and mailed the receipt to my contact. I have not heard back but it has been only about 3 days since i mailed the receipts.

 

[Tinknalli]

Hope Disney handles it better than Carnival. We did a Carnival cruise several years ago and packed in cheap Kmart luggage because we had previously seen how luggage was handled in the port. It appeared in the cabin with en entire corner bashed inand the seams ripped out. Carnival was no help and we even had to beg for duct tape at the pursers desk to get our things home. Upon return they refused to replace the legguage even with a provided receipt. It was a $40 fabric suitcase. They insisted we would need to take it to be repaired and then present our receipt for the repair. Living rurally finding someone who would fix it was impossible so we just gave up and chalked it up as a lesson learned about Carnival.

This along with several other bad experiences kept us away from cruising for many years.

I am optomistic that Disney will be a better experience.

 

[noahdove]

I too hope Disney deals with this issue in the way they know how too...they go all out for everyone while there to make things perfect for us, so, I hope this will end in a happy resolution..good luck

 

[westjones]

They broke our suitcase too, but we never reported it. Luckily we were only at WDW for 1 day after our cruise because we had one outfit in our carryon we took off with us the last day. But the suitcase was broken to the point that the only way to open it was to cut the zipper, and after doing that we would never get it closed. We were so hoping it would be inspected at the airport (and it wasn't), so we made it home without having to buy a new suitcase.

 

[tvguy]

DW and I bought Delsey hard sided luggage over 25 years ago intending it to last our lifetimes, and so far it has. Lots of gouges and scratches. I just would not be comfortable with softsided luggage....seen too many ripped bags coming off the luggage carousel over the years.

 

[sambycat]

my luggage was broken on my second cruise. i complained on a feedback form that you turn in on the cruise, but never did anything more, nor did anyone contact me.

last year, we took the DCL busses and as we were waiting to get out, we looked out the right side of the bus, and there is some CM grabbing bags off the bus and literally flinging them into the air to get them over what looked to be the at least 5' high railings on a cart they use to transfer bags onto the ship. so pretty much you hope your bag isn't the one on the bottom that got flung up the furthest, came down the furthest and then had all the other bags crashng onto it....

actually, i just got back last month from a trip to visit family and TSA broke the zipper on my favorit bag. of course, TSA gives you so much danged paperwork to file a complaint that i probably won't ever get it fixed and/or compensated...

good luck!

 

[woody73]

We got off the cruise today and while picking up our suitcases inside the terminal, we noticed that one of our luggage pieces is damaged.

. . . there is some CM grabbing bags off the bus and literally flinging them into the air to get them over what looked to be the at least 5' high railings on a cart they use to transfer bags onto the ship

DCL moves thousands of bags each week, using forklifts. I'm surprised there aren't more reports of damage. Photo.

Woody

 

[sambycat]

its like where suitcases go to die....

 

[disneydreamer82]

its like where suitcases go to die....

I have also had luggage damaged by DCL, and it was the hard sided type I suppose you just have to pray for the best when it comes to the handling of your luggage, whether it be by the cruise line or an airline, it all looks rather rough and violent to me!

 

[sullins5]

Aw....this is what I'll look like if they KILL my new Mickey head luggage

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

Really good reason to arrive later at port! Your luggage ends up on the top!

 

[Tower]

Really good reason to arrive later at port! Your luggage ends up on the top!

Or get Samsonite with that repair guarantee. That's what I'm counting on anyway!

 

[3bears]

DCL moves thousands of bags each week, using forklifts. I'm surprised there aren't more reports of damage. Photo.

Woody

I am flipping out about this forklift thing!! We sailed on Wonder last October and my luggage arrived to our room with a huge hole/rip. I joked that someone took a pick ax to it, that it what it looked like! Disney gave us an OBC that was equivalent to the cost of the bag......it was fun spending that money, but had to wrap duct tape all around the bag to get to the parks afterwards, and then again to fly home...so embarrassing! I am still happy though with how the situation was handled on board..and now I know it was punctured by the flippin' forklift!!!!

 

[CandyMandy]

Here is a video of a DCL baggage handler in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C-e96m4730

 

[woody73]

Here is a video of a DCL baggage handler in action

LOL

Woody

 

[ga9497]

Disney will get in touch with you. Leave a message and leave your email address. or send an email to dcl.guest.communications@disneycruise.com and they will get your email and information over to whomever is handling the issue for you

Did you have travel insurance? See if the insurance covers it

 

[WDWLODGE]

A handle on one of our suitcases was ripped off by DCL. We contacted guest relations and they told us to get it repaired and send them a receipt. They fully reimburrsed us.

 

[jilljill]

I'm going to play devil's advocate here. DCL may not pay for the repairs/replacement since it can not be proven if the item was broken by DCL worker's or the port worker's which are not employeed by DCL. I'm sure that's one way any cruiseline gets around paying for repairs/replacements.

 

[socababy]

When we cruised Holland America some years back, we received one of our suitcases covered with hundreds of splinters all over! It was as if it was dragged many times up and down the wooded walkway before it made it onto the ship.