Keeping Someone Else's Luggage

[yargrnhoj]

We just got back from the Dream, where we spent the week without one of our suitcases (the one with all of our casual dress clothes for dinner, no less). It was not delivered with the rest of our bags. Guest Services claimed all week that they had searched for it, including providing us a claim form for it yesterday that stated they had searched the whole ship.

The Guest Services Manager delivered it to us personally this morning, stating another guest had brought it down to GS that morning.

Can anyone think of a reason why a guest would receive someone else's suitcase, bring it into their room and then keep it all week, only to return it, apparently untouched on the last day of the cruise? With rooms as small as they are, why would you want someone else's stuff taking up your space?

The bag had a Disney tag with the right room number on it. Why wouldn't you tell your stateroom host about it, or call the room number or just put it back out in the hallway?

We are a loss to figure out why someone would hold onto it. How do you have a large rolling suitcase in your room for five days and not realize it isn't yours?

Of course, our anger is directed at GS and our stateroom host who both insisted they had 'thoroughly searched' (according to the claim form) all guest areas, staterooms and crew areas.

 

[toy]

That totally sucks! I would be ticked. I am glad, however, that you got it back. That just seems cruel to me.

 

[MTmomma]

Its possible that the wife packed everything, and the husband pulled them inside the stateroom, and slid it under the bed first, the second and third, or more suitcases went in, and DW went to unpack, and didnt look all the way back, becaise all their suitcases were accounted for? My friend cruised with me, and I could see how she wouldnt be able to ID my suitcases........ its entirely possible.

 

[atinkerbellmom]

That TOTALLY sucks! I think I would have "just died". Really, it would have made me really sick to my stomach. My entire family is not average size and lost luggage is ALWAYS a fear of mine. We can not go to the store and buy clothes on the ship or in any port of call. So if our luggage is lost we would and have a all week.... Disney would have never searched rooms. I bet the family who had the luggage, just had tucked it away in the closet or under the bed not realizing it until they pulled out the luggage to pack it... They probably felt horrible. Now some people just do not care. We have friends and I am very to say, they walked away with a ladies luggage and did not notice until they got home. When they went to unpack 3 days after the trip and noticed, they just zipped it back up and placed it by the door.... We asked them if they had called the airline and they replied "yes, but they kept us on hold too long". AGAIN My DH was so upset with their "I don't care attitude" that he personally went and got it and drove it all the way back to the airport, where he sat for over an hour waiting for a Crew Member to come and get it. The luggage did not have any tags besides the transfer tag the airline had placed on it. So the airline could get in touch with her, but not us.
So I am really hoping they just did not notice rather than the I did not care!

 

[never2muchdisney]

It’s bazaar that anyone would keep someone else’s stuff stored in their room for a week and not say a word. That’s borderline creepy. It’s definitely one of those life mysteries you’ll try to figure out for years to come. I think we all will! Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’re Disboard readers and will have an explanation. - Thanks for sharing. At least it’s a good conversation piece!

 

[BKFlowerMound]

While at lunch yesterday, a colleague of mine told me a story that might offer a possible explanation. She was on a Carnival cruise several years ago with her family. She was sharing her room with a teenaged niece. Throughout the cruise, the two were on completely different schedules and were rarely awake in the room the whole time.

There was a bag unpacked in the middle of the room. Both thought the bag was the other persons (and were slightly annoyed that they left it unpacked in the middle of the room). On the third day of the cruise, they received a note from the cruise line that was sent to all passengers asking them to look for a missing bag. There was a picture of the bag on the note. Both of them said to each other, "hey, that looks like your bag!"

They immediately reported the bag to their steward. My guess is that something like that occurred. Whomever had your bag, didn't know they had it. Carnival, however, sent out a note to passengers. Disney, apparently didn't in your case.

 

[aidtrismommy]

It actually sounds to me as if the people didn't know. The suitcases are piled outside the rooms, they probably just pulled them in and stored them. You can fit many suitcases under the bed on the Dream. They were probably packing up the last day and realized it then. People can be really oblivious sometimes. The stateroom attendant should have been more careful and the people who took your bags should have checked it. I'm glad you ultimately got it back though.

 

[mmouse37]

Of course, our anger is directed at GS and our stateroom host who both insisted they had 'thoroughly searched' (according to the claim form) all guest areas, staterooms and crew areas.

In reality how can Disney really check every cabin. They don't really have a right to do a CSI search of every cabin. All they can really do is ask all the guests in their area (or even the whole ship for that matter) and if a guest truly did not know they had the extra bag in their room then they wouldn't have told the room attendant that they had it.

It is just one of those unfortunate things that happen. Can we really place blame on anyone? It is bizarre for sure but I can't see blaming anyone.

Now, if the people knew about the bag in their room and were either too lazy or just did not care that is caused a huge inconvenience to the missing bag's owner...then SHAME ON THEM.

MJ

 

[FreeTime]

This reminds me of what happened to us at ASMO a few years ago. We checked into our room around lunch time and there was someone else's luggage in the room with a sticker on it to deliver it room X. We called the front desk and they said someone would come and pick it up. Several hours later we came back to the room, still there. So we called room X. The guest in that room said they were missing a bag but going to dinner and would worry about it later! We called the front desk again. Several hours later the front desk finally came and picked it up. If another guest had called me I would have walked down and picked up my suitcase (we didn't want to leave it in front of their door). I guess some suitcase owners don't care about their own stuff, so aren't likely to care about others...

 

[Dizzyworld]

That TOTALLY sucks! I think I would have "just died". Really, it would have made me really sick to my stomach. My entire family is not average size and lost luggage is ALWAYS a fear of mine. We can not go to the store and buy clothes on the ship or in any port of call. So if our luggage is lost we would and have a all week

This would be a problem for me too. Everything needs to be altered.

On the third day of the cruise, they received a note from the cruise line that was sent to all passengers asking them to look for a missing bag. There was a picture of the bag on the note. Both of them said to each other, "hey, that looks like your bag!"

That would be a good idea by a cruise line. Even if they only do it for the rooms that are close together or if they transposed the numbers, those cabins too. They wouldn't have to do the whole ship. Maybe they can had a lost and found channel on the in room TV.

I keep saying that I'm going to pack a little of each or our stuff in each bag, but I don't. It really is a lot of trouble.

And I guess I should take a picture of the luggage we are checking in the beginning of the trip for a visual reference.

 

[yargrnhoj]

In reality how can Disney really check every cabin. They don't really have a right to do a CSI search of every cabin.

A CSI search was not required. They weren't searching for a piece or jewelry or a small toy. It was a 26" roller bag, which was returned Friday morning to Guest Services by the guest who had it with both the DCL tag containing our room number and my WWTC tag with my business card in it intact.

There are limited places to store a bag of this size in a stateroom, so in the normal course of making the beds, the room stewards could have checked each luggage tag under the beds and in the closets.

My issue, though, was not that they did not, it was that both Guest Services (twice, and in writing) and our room steward told us that they had, in fact, searched every cabin for it.

It was the lip service that bothered us most. If you weren't going to search the cabins for it, then don't tell me you did.

 

[flexsmom]

A CSI search was not required. They weren't searching for a piece or jewelry or a small toy. It was a 26" roller bag, which was returned Friday morning to Guest Services by the guest who had it with both the DCL tag containing our room number and my WWTC tag with my business card in it intact.

There are limited places to store a bag of this size in a stateroom, so in the normal course of making the beds, the room stewards could have checked each luggage tag under the beds and in the closets.

My issue, though, was not that they did not, it was that both Guest Services (twice, and in writing) and our room steward told us that they had, in fact, searched every cabin for it.

It was the lip service that bothered us most. If you weren't going to search the cabins for it, then don't tell me you did.

Sorry, but if I came into my room and my room steward was going through the closet, I'd be a bit torqued. Now - if I had received a notice that bag(s) were missing and that the stewards would be taking a look in the "primary storage areas" of each stateroom to validate the bags that were there, then I'd at least understand. Otherwise, the cruiseline would be putting their employees in a position of getting blasted by people who very reasonably would be upset if they found them nosing around their personal stuff instead of cleaning the room!

 

[GumbyO]

I'm sure it is much easier for Guest Services to "blame" an unnamed guest for having kept it, than admit that DCL perhaps had it in a storage area. You'll probably never know what is the true story.

 

[Fyrmedic654]

I definitely know what its like to go without luggage for a whole cruise. On our 11 night Christmas cruise last year my main piece of luggage did not reach the ship let alone our stateroom. We informed our Room Attendant and GS the first night after my husband's andkid's bags arrived. We were also told three complete ship sweeps took place and that the stateside terminal was contacted several times. However it was only when we called GS that we were ever updated on "progress" on their end. While I do completely understand these things happen on vacations it was the way DCL handled it that bothered me the most. In those 11 days we were accused of no even taking my bag and told to just go replace everything in ports because "Lost Luggage" never occurs on DCL. Our famiy was celebrating the news that I was Cancer Free and while we had an Emergency Budget set aside I certainly did not want to use it on clothes and other things I already packed. Upon arriving back at the terminal after the cruise we decided to swing by Lost and Found and sure enough there was my luggage with our tags on them just sitting there. So our situation is proof that DCL can make mistakes.

 

[yargrnhoj]

Sorry, but if I came into my room and my room steward was going through the closet, I'd be a bit torqued. Now - if I had received a notice that bag(s) were missing and that the stewards would be taking a look in the "primary storage areas" of each stateroom to validate the bags that were there, then I'd at least understand. Otherwise, the cruiseline would be putting their employees in a position of getting blasted by people who very reasonably would be upset if they found them nosing around their personal stuff instead of cleaning the room!

Room stewards go into the closets all the time. We found our daughter's shoes put in the closet and one of her dresses hung up. On past cruises they have gone into the closet to take back the tuxedo rental on the last night. I always thought that was a bit creepy.

The point again is for Guest Services to tell the truth. If they can't or won't search rooms for it, then don't tell me you will or have.

 

[floydfamily4]

If the luggage was in someone's room I just can't understand how they didn't notice. The nice Disfolks have given some reasonable explanations but I just can't see it I am so sorry that happened to you. I would have been very upset!

 

[suzyqn]

Another story to add that was not devasting as the OP's story but worth mentioning... Upon debarkation, we went to the assigned area to pick up our luggage. We were missing our main suitcase. The DCL (I assume) person that saw us searching was SO sure that it would be in the exact section that is was suppose to be in that he was dragging my DH to some lost and found desk (I assume).

I started to look down another row and he tried to stop me (for some unkown reason). When he dragged my DH off (not literally) it took me 2 minutes and found our suitcase in another part of the Tinkerbell section.

It was marked correctly, they just made a mistake. It was no big deal but it was frustrating that he was so sure of their accuracy that he did not want me to look anywhere else.

So sorry to hear of the OP's experience. That really stinks

 

[lbgraves]

One cruise on the way to the safety drill station I spotted a missing bag of ours [easy with a bright blue tourquoise yarn braid on the handle] in front of a stateroom down the hall from ours. A CM in the hall heard me tell DH to be sure to go get it after the drill. He asked which bag it was and it was in our room when the drill was done.

 

[BigDisneyOE]

I'm so sorry you lost your bag (and too the poster who was on an 11 day DCL cruise to celebrate being cancer free). I honestly don't know how you didn't disolve, it's your stuff and it's gone.

My ex-husband didn't have his bag arrive when we got back to Istanbul. I knew it was bad when they announced it over the areoplane tannoy for us to go to lost luggage as soon as we landed. In the six hours the plane from NZ sat next to the plane going to Istanbul at Changi in Singapore the one bag didn't make it across the wee bit of tarmac. Now he had EVERY stitch of clothes he owned in that bag apart from two pairs of underwear. Seriously, he had nothing else. We had to do an emergency shop for him to get him over the four days he had no clothes until Singapore Airlines hand delivered his bags back to Ankara.

As soon as I get into our rooms when away I unpack everything. Then I roll up the bags and stick them all inside each other. Everyone has an equal number of clothes in each bag - that way if a bag does go missing you've got enough to get you thru a few days.

We don't travel with hard shell cases ever, after travelling to more than 50 countries I've learned things get more broken in hard cases than soft roll away ones for me. We do have several identical 90 litre bags from one of our large outdoor stores here in NZ. Now lots of people have them here and in Aussie, so I personalise them with loads of ribbon and several baggage tags all over them. This doesn't actually stop some seriously dopey people. Our last trip to Aussie I was grabbing our bags off the conveyor belt as they came through when I spotted a lady wheeling a trolley with one of my bags on it away to Customs. I caught up with her and told her it was my bag. She said 'oops - it's just like mine'. Sure if your one has a tonne of gold ribbon and leary bag tags all over it. I swear before we come travel to the US I'm spray painting big neon X's over the bags. That way I figure nobody will want them by mistake anyways...

 

[HappyontheLake]

Everyone has an equal number of clothes in each bag - that way if a bag does go missing you've got enough to get you thru a few days.

I swear before we come travel to the US I'm spray painting big neon X's over the bags. That way I figure nobody will want them by mistake anyways...

Two seriously great ideas! I am so going to do this for our trips in the future!